Seat belt tower brace

[OZMDD]

Will installing a 1994 OEM seat belt tower/cockpit bar in a 1992 be a big Stock class violation? I want to use it for a video camera mount. I know that people are generally allowed to add a roll bar or style bar, which have the same stiffening benefit. Is someone going to protest me if I put that on?

[JuanoTejano]

I don't know for sure whether they will allow it but you will see very very little stiffness increase from the cockpit brace, it was mainly implemented for side crash protection. So it should be fine, and is nowhere near the same level of difference that you would notice from a roll bar.

[cone-cerned]

In stock, there is no update, backdate allowed. Adding the cockpit brace may not add any performance benefit, but a '94 brace on your '92 is not allowed. The general understanding of the rules is that if they don't say that you can do it, then you can't. The rules say you can replace the shocks, so you can.

Locally, I don't think anyone would be concerned, so I don't think that anyone would protest you. But at the national championship, national tours and divisionals it would be a different story.

Now, if you had a rod that ran from one side of the cockpit to the other side, that was NOT a cockpit brace from another year miata, and served no other purpose than a mount for your camera, I think you would be fine.

[icepenguin66]

In stock, there is no update, backdate allowed. Adding the cockpit brace may not add any performance benefit, but a '94 brace on your '92 is not allowed. The general understanding of the rules is that if they don't say that you can do it, then you can't. The rules say you can replace the shocks, so you can.

Locally, I don't think anyone would be concerned, so I don't think that anyone would protest you. But at the national championship, national tours and divisionals it would be a different story.

Now, if you had a rod that ran from one side of the cockpit to the other side, that was NOT a cockpit brace from another year miata, and served no other purpose than a mount for your camera, I think you would be fine.

So, just sand down the factory brace, spray paint it then mount your camera! lol Goofy rules...

[creek]

I agree the rules can be goofy sometimes. You can put a roll bar with harness bar in your car but not a factory brace. Weird.
It could be worse of course. Read anything out of our nations capital lately...or ever for that matter?

[cone-cerned]

The one sure way to get a definitive answer is to put the cockpit brace in your car and have someone protest you. The protest committee will then rule on the legality of the brace. I can ask on Wednesday night if a regional protest gets reviewed by the National office. I'm sure a regional protest decision can be appealed all the way to National, but I don't know if National normally reviews regional protest. Some of our local autocrossers have been through that process.

I think that according to the rules, you can do anything you want to your miata, it just may put you in a different class. Three rotor 20B = E Mod. Or, maybe SM2. Hello Jungle Cat Racing.

[trickyrix]

I agree the rules can be goofy sometimes. You can put a roll bar with harness bar in your car but not a factory brace. Weird.

Definitely weird since the roll bar actually stiffens the damn car.

[jrj512]

Definitely weird since the roll bar actually stiffens the damn car.

At the expense of weight. The majority of autocrossers seem to prefer the weight savings. I would like to have a rollbar for possible participation in DEs and other track events, but I do not want the weight. I guess I'll just have to buy a second Miata.

[Titus]

I agree the rules can be goofy sometimes. You can put a roll bar with harness bar in your car but not a factory brace. Weird.
It could be worse of course. Read anything out of our nations capital lately...or ever for that matter?

Definitely weird since the roll bar actually stiffens the damn car.

IIRC, The primary function of the factory brace is to add stiffness. The primary function of the rollbar is to add safety. SCCA allows for the addition of the rollbar due to the added safety it provides. They do not allow the cockpit brace because it adds stiffness (performance), not safety.

[trickyrix]

IIRC, The primary function of the factory brace is to add stiffness. The primary function of the rollbar is to add safety. SCCA allows for the addition of the rollbar due to the added safety it provides. They do not allow the cockpit brace because it adds stiffness (performance), not safety.

That's odd... because with the new roll bar, my car seems quite a bit stiffer. Granted, that thing probably weighs about as much as a sack of dog food, but the car is definitely more solid.

[JuanoTejano]

Titus you're close, the factory bar was put there for side crash protection and has a minimal effect on stiffness, but seeing as there shouldn't be any side impacts in auto x they don't need them and therefore don't allow them. I drove my 95M with the factory bar, then without and there was no discernible difference. Roll bars primary function are definitley to add safety but making a steel structure that is strong enough to hold to hold the weight of the car on it that is sufficiently tied into to car (four points, not a style bar) has the side effect of greatly stiffening the chassis of the car.

[cone-cerned]

The one sure way to get a definitive answer is to put the cockpit brace in your car and have someone protest you. The protest committee will then rule on the legality of the brace. I can ask on Wednesday night if a regional protest gets reviewed by the National office. I'm sure a regional protest decision can be appealed all the way to National, but I don't know if National normally reviews regional protest.

From the Regional Chief of Protest, regional protest are decided by the local protest committee. If an appeal is filed, the appeal is handled locally also. There is no report sent to the national office. And, you can only appeal once, there can be no appeal of the appellate decision. The final decision is always made within the region.

[Brad]

Definitely weird since the roll bar actually stiffens the damn car.

Only real autoxross drivers are allowed to post in this section....

[POS Racing]

Only real autoxross drivers are allowed to post in this section....

Then what are you doing here??