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RAC Roll bar and boot lid.


Phil B

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So after owning the car for just a few weeks, my first big task was to do away with the previous DIY boot lid and fit a closing/opening boot lid. 
 

First stop was the for sale section. Managed to pic up a really nice CF boot lid from Daf which arrived yesterday. 
 

While waiting for the package to arrive I spent a evening carefully measuring the roll bar as installed on my car and creating a CAD model of it. The idea being that I would be able to create a template that I could over up to the lid that would accurately allow me to know where to cut holes. I used a 3mm tolerance on the template to give me a very small amount of fine adjustment. 
ACF2E235-96A4-420D-9524-EC01E89C98B9.jpeg.1f114cb1a3710945b33e082767c92cfd.jpeg

So tonight’s task was to mark up the lid. 
 

First under the car and undo the bottom stay bolts then the top which allowed me to remove the raking stays and the old boot lid. Then I offered up the boot lid, covered a few areas with masking take and started to set out its final position.

 

Once happy I 3D printed a template and lay it on top of the lid. Template was designed to butt against the vertical of each side of the roll bar. 
B4A023A7-5F78-4CB2-86CE-3C2B22506C76.thumb.jpeg.417dfc358ae658b63dc9f061c6730386.jpeg

 

Now the nail biting bit. With everything marked is was time to get the tools out and start cutting/grinding and sanding. 
 

A hour later and hey presto, it all seemed to fit. Still a mm or so fettling needed but the dry fit was a success! 
8E9BB806-B1EC-4447-A230-3B7BBD55ED5D.thumb.jpeg.2adefef3f352cca1990b4780e6fbd0ea.jpeg
 

Next step is to measure the boot box sides and print some nice covers to hide the cuts for the stays in the boot. 

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20 minutes ago, Gary Taylor said:

Lovely job 👍

I’ve similar to do to very soon those pictures are really helpful thanks

Garry, if you have the same roll bar I can always print you of a template and the dimensions I used and pop it in the post to you 

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Cheers Phil, thanks for your kind offer, but it’s a half cage.

I really like how you’ve done it , so. Just need a few brave pills and some time 🤣

 

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Couple of dumb questions as a "proper" roll bar is on the list...

 

Assume you've cut the bootlid into three parts or did it come like that? So it's now just the centre bit that opens. How have you fixed the parts at the side to the boot box? Is there any sealing between sections to minimise water ingress?

 

Have you had to hack the boot box itself much? I've seen other instances where it's had a "cut and shut" done on it so the sloped bars are outside of the boot box.

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6 minutes ago, Euan Hoosearmy said:

I've seen other instances where it's had a "cut and shut" done on it so the sloped bars are outside of the boot box.

Depends on the roll bar. The “RAC” type has removable stays so it is pretty easy to modify the boot box etc and simply slide the bar through. 
 

If you go for an MSA bar, then you need to cut n shut. 

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5 minutes ago, Euan Hoosearmy said:

Couple of dumb questions as a "proper" roll bar is on the list...

 

Assume you've cut the bootlid into three parts or did it come like that? So it's now just the centre bit that opens. How have you fixed the parts at the side to the boot box? Is there any sealing between sections to minimise water ingress?

 

Have you had to hack the boot box itself much? I've seen other instances where it's had a "cut and shut" done on it so the sloped bars are outside of the boot box.

So this is how the boot box came. 
9ADFE79E-1DB1-4589-A35F-94F37E259704.thumb.jpeg.1ff92a3d79e5394f7579b8415e96c147.jpeg

 

To fit around the RAC bar the lid has been cut into 3, with the sides being fixed in place. This leaves a 780mm openable section. 

Still not got that far with fixing the sides, but this is my plan. 
 

Between the lower and upper sections there is a small D gasket. Where the sides are going to be fixed in place, plan is to remove this gasket and lay a bead of black automotive sealant. This will act as both a adhesive and sealant. 
 

As for the boot box, it’s been cut to allow the raking bars to pass through. I can’t claim credit for this as it was done by the previous owner. But I do have plans to 3D model and print some covers that sit on the sides of the box and again seal these in place to stop water ingress from below. 

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During last year's winter tinkering, I spent an inordinate amount of time on my boot box.

 

I had two simple requirements:

  1. The box needed to allow the diagonal bars to run through it (rather than just cut slots in it)
  2. The boot lid should be hinged and lockable, but neither the hinges or the locks (or any of the securing fittings) should be visible

I purchased a secondhand (but un-fitted) boot box and hacked it around, blended in some 2" plastic guttering pipe, and then had it painted with the rest of the bodywork:

 

2064799232_Bootbox.thumb.jpg.7caf5907e11a0fde282de5031dae50a5.jpg

 

Using a sheet of foam-cored carbon from Carbon NV, I then fashioned some mountings, hinges and concealed locks (lid is unlocked in this photo, which is why it's sitting slightly proud of the side panels)

 

2078080540_Bootboxlid.thumb.jpg.92dc3bfdcf4de83bbce73dc0318f62a3.jpg

 

If I was doing it again, I wouldn't use complete tubes for the rollbar diagonals - I'd just use 'half tube' so that the diagonals don't have to be fully un-bolted to take the boot box out.

 

Hope this helps

 

PS - is that boot lid just a carbon wrap? If so, it's one of the best 'fake' carbon finishes I've ever seen.

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Phil B said:

 No it’s real carbon 

 

VERY nice - I would happily have bought one of those instead of going home-made. Was it a one-off?

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11 minutes ago, NigelO said:

 

VERY nice - I would happily have bought one of those instead of going home-made. Was it a one-off?

I got it from the parts for sale on here 

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So another few hours tonight and the lid is installed. Took longer to get under the car and get the bottom stay bolts in. 831F699B-0C76-4AAA-8BD1-D480C10D28FB.thumb.jpeg.e90641046795ef4e2b7a0774f14fd0bc.jpeg

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Phil B,

I've been watching this with great interest, you've done an outstanding job. Well done. 

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45 minutes ago, snowy892 said:

Phil B,

I've been watching this with great interest, you've done an outstanding job. Well done. 

Thanks. 
 

finishing touches were a couple of 3D printed collars around the diagonal bars. 

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