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Re: Safe TR6's and Roll Bars

To: Pete & Aprille Chadwell <dynamic@transport.com>
Subject: Re: Safe TR6's and Roll Bars
From: Joe Curry <spitlist@gte.net>
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 1999 14:07:15 -0600
Cc: triumphs@autox.team.net
References: <l03130300b3905fa9dc24@[209.51.91.93]>
Pete,
I'd refer you to pictures of the Macau Spitfire.  There probably is a
rollbar lurking beneath that E-type racing headrest and if there isn't,
there should be!

Joe

Pete & Aprille Chadwell wrote:
> 
> Allan Hess wrote:
> 
> >I remember a news story in which it was determined that the person was
> >indeed killed by their head smashing into the roll bar - this was a Jeep CJ
> >or some kind of Jeep with a factory roll bar.
> 
> The nightmare I have is that I'm hit from behind... if the whiplash doesn't
> take me out of the picture, then the roll bar  striking the back of my
> thick skull on the left side will.  In fact, I think the latter would
> prevent the former!  I can't get the headrests to stay up where they
> belong, so the headrest hits me right below or at the union between by neck
> and my back.  Perfect recipe for whiplash.
> 
> My idea is to design a headrest that is incorporated into the roll bar with
> a nice, heavy pad.  It wouldn't be too difficult to do, but I'm also
> wondering if that doesn't create some other safety issues.  Should the
> headrest ALWAYS be integrated into the SEAT?  Or is it OK to have it be
> part of the roll bar separate from the seat?  I'm imagining what might
> happen in an impact if the seat and roll bar were to move dramatically in
> different directions.  Can that happen?  Wouldn't that be a bad thing?
> 
> I'm reminded of an article in the late 80's in Car & Driver where they
> introduced the "new" Lotus Elan.  Naturally, there were plenty of
> comparisons between the old Elan and this new model.  One such comparison
> was to point out that the the new Elan had special "deformable structures"
> built into the chassis for impact protection, while the old Elan used its
> OCCUPANTS as "deformable structures." If that weren't so "not-funny" it'd
> be hilarious!
> 
> Pete Chadwell
> 1973 TR6

-- 
"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."
 -- Dave Weinbaum in National Enquirer



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