Remove the roll bar

[jacobsed]

I'm not a fan of how the roll bars look on these cars. Can you just take it off somehow? And then what to do with the holes left behind? Maybe nothing? Just wondering how to finish them off. Not sure the rubbers would stay in place without a bar there.

[jwoodard]

The roll bar is definitely removable. Any body shop skilled in fiberglass repair should be able to fill in the holes.

[jacobsed]

I'm not looking to have them permanently filled in but just covered or dressed out better. I saw some roll bar grommets with trim rings. Maybe something like this?

https://www.finishlineaccessories.co...t-15-oval.aspx

[wkooiman]

Make some plugs. It can't be that hard.

Make 4 round plugs (1 for each side), use gasket material or rubber between the plugs and the body. You can either paint them body color or use stainless for the top.

[jacobsed]

I'm not into fabricating. I'm looking for the best off the shelf option.

[Mr Jody]

For something “off the shelf”, take a stroll down the plumbing and electrical aisles at your local hardware store or home center (or do some online shopping there beforehand). With the various sizes of PVC, copper, and iron pipe and conduit, and associated fittings and grommets, there may be something there that can be used to configure a plug for the holes. You could purchase several possible options to see which you like best, and then just return what you don’t use. You could probably even find replacement pipes for the pulled roll bar that can be capped at a height to match the body. Spray paint to the desired color or finish. Sometimes it is kind of surprising what can be found in home stores that can be used for fabrication of vehicles, and usually for much less money.

[JohnnyRay]

I thought of doing this as well. I have a MKIII Roadster and thought of taking the "no pipes, no stripes" look to the next level with no roll bar. As I just did a repaint, I thought of filling in the holes. My bodyman - who is a Corvette restoration specialist - talked me out of it for a few reasons.

You could use some sort of plug, but that would be quite visible. Why not just keep the roll bar intact at that point? Seems that you either need to completely commit to the conversion or leave it as is.

[jacobsed]

I got it all unbolted but the bar wouldn't come out. I felt if I pressed the issue bad things would happen so I put all the bolts back.

[ACademic]

Originally Posted by jacobsed

I got it all unbolted but the bar wouldn't come out. I felt if I pressed the issue bad things would happen so I put all the bolts back.

1. Loosen the two bolts on the down leg brace at the rear bulkhead (you will need to crawl under the car and they can only be reached with a swivel socket and multiple extensions). You only need to loosen them so that the brace (and corresponding bar) has a little slack in it.
2. Remove the thru bolt on the lower portion of the down leg.
3. Remove the down bar bolt at the top of the down bar where it meets the hoop.
4. Go to the trunk and remove the bolt that goes thru the down bar and the trunk brace.
5. Place some towels under the down bar just in case step #6 below results in a LOT of unwanted movement.
6. Remove the two bolts that hold the trunk brace to the frame.
7. Everything at this point is pretty much loose but the down bar might still be tight fitting to the hoop. You will need to simply grab it (from the top of the car, not from the trunk) and start twisting it until it works its way off. A little spray of WD-40 will help.

Alternatively, you could loosen the bolts in step #6 so that the bracket doesn't flop around and then proceed with step #7. If the down bar comes completely loose, it will slide to the bottom of the trunk bracket.

8. With the down bar now out of the way, take a rubber mallet and lightly tap upward at the bottom portion of the hoop (at the curve). This will allow the bar to slowly rise above the bulkhead bracket and the shorter left side will slide out of a solid stub that is below the bodywork. You need one hand on the bar and the other on the mallet, as once it comes loose it will immediately want to flop around. AND, since the left side is a lot shorter, it will be the first part to rise out of its corresponding hole and wreak havoc on your fresh paint otherwise. I use a healthy dose of painter's tape around those grommets to protect the paint from mishaps like this.

9. With the hoop out, if your down bar is still hanging out of the trunk hole it can now be safely lifted out and the trunk bracket removed.

Easy stuff.

[jacobsed]

I did everything outlined below and even had the down bar in the trunk taken out. It was the tight fitting hoop that wouldn't budge after all that.

Originally Posted by ACademic

1. Loosen the two bolts on the down leg brace at the rear bulkhead (you will need to crawl under the car and they can only be reached with a swivel socket and multiple extensions). You only need to loosen them so that the brace (and corresponding bar) has a little slack in it.
2. Remove the thru bolt on the lower portion of the down leg.
3. Remove the down bar bolt at the top of the down bar where it meets the hoop.
4. Go to the trunk and remove the bolt that goes thru the down bar and the trunk brace.
5. Place some towels under the down bar just in case step #6 below results in a LOT of unwanted movement.
6. Remove the two bolts that hold the trunk brace to the frame.
7. Everything at this point is pretty much loose but the down bar might still be tight fitting to the hoop. You will need to simply grab it (from the top of the car, not from the trunk) and start twisting it until it works its way off. A little spray of WD-40 will help.

Alternatively, you could loosen the bolts in step #6 so that the bracket doesn't flop around and then proceed with step #7. If the down bar comes completely loose, it will slide to the bottom of the trunk bracket.

8. With the down bar now out of the way, take a rubber mallet and lightly tap upward at the bottom portion of the hoop (at the curve). This will allow the bar to slowly rise above the bulkhead bracket and the shorter left side will slide out of a solid stub that is below the bodywork. You need one hand on the bar and the other on the mallet, as once it comes loose it will immediately want to flop around. AND, since the left side is a lot shorter, it will be the first part to rise out of its corresponding hole and wreak havoc on your fresh paint otherwise. I use a healthy dose of painter's tape around those grommets to protect the paint from mishaps like this.

9. With the hoop out, if your down bar is still hanging out of the trunk hole it can now be safely lifted out and the trunk bracket removed.

Easy stuff.

[ACademic]

Originally Posted by jacobsed

I did everything outlined below and even had the down bar in the trunk taken out. It was the tight fitting hoop that wouldn't budge after all that.

You just have to tap it harder.

Seriously though, the more loose you get the bulkhead bracket, the easier that hoop comes out. The long down side of the hoop has a slight bend around 6" toward the end. It's that bend that makes it very snug unless the bracket is wobbly.

One last item to check. A common "fix" (safety enhancement) to the SPF was to drill a hole in the hollow short leg and into the middle of the solid stud it fits over. Then tap and insert a bolt there to keep it stable in the event of a rollover. You can see/feel for that from above the left rear tire if you jack up the rear (to create space as the suspension sags). If your car has that modification, then no wonder why it won't budge!

[jacobsed]

I have a lift so its easy to do the work. I'm aware of that modification and my car doesn't have the extra bolt. I was tapping more than "a little harder "with no movement. I might give it another go at some other point in time but its not a priority right now.

Originally Posted by ACademic

You just have to tap it harder.

Seriously though, the more loose you get the bulkhead bracket, the easier that hoop comes out. The long down side of the hoop has a slight bend around 6" toward the end. It's that bend that makes it very snug unless the bracket is wobbly.

One last item to check. A common "fix" (safety enhancement) to the SPF was to drill a hole in the hollow short leg and into the middle of the solid stud it fits over. Then tap and insert a bolt there to keep it stable in the event of a rollover. You can see/feel for that from above the left rear tire if you jack up the rear (to create space as the suspension sags). If your car has that modification, then no wonder why it won't budge!

[Blas]

Many people have added a bolt to the outside leg of the hoop. You can probable see the bolt head from the drivers wheel well if it was added.