Ok, so I spent a few days installing a Cool Tech Roll bar. First impression: Roll bar was very well made and finish was excellent. There were a couple minor scratches on the roll bars gusset mounting feet, but nothing major considering it was shipped coast to coast.
I installed my roll bar with the seats in. Go ahead and remove the front seat rear rail covers by pulling straight back on each one. This will give you more room for your feet when working.
Set aside enough time to do the job. I would recommend at least two days. Goal for first day would be to have everything disassembled, caulking scraped and holes drilled. If you plan on painting the bare metal, this will allow you to paint the bare metal, giving it overnight to dry.
A few suggestions to help you along the way:
1. Read the instructions and have them handy to follow as you assemble the unit.
2. Buy a set of clean mechanics glove and wear them whenever possible. Sheet metal and metal in general is a lot tougher than you skin.
3. Take your time pulling the side panels off. They will come out eventually.
4. If you have the Laguna Seca, remove the X brace and backing board and leave this off until you finish installing the roll bar.
5. Make sure you remove all of the Gusset Plate mounting bolts. Yes pull the carpet forward to ensure you have the three bolts hiding behind it. I got my Gusset plates off by prying the back edge up enough in order to get a claw hammer (claws) under the end of the Gusset Plate. Protect the metal under the screw driver and hammer. It's amazing what a little leverage will do for breaking it free from all the caulking.
6. I used an old wood chisel I had to remove the caulking. Fit the new Gusset plates and make sure you remove enough of it so that it does not interfere with the new Gusset Plate.
7. There is a small wire bundle that goes over the Gusset Plates. I ran this wire bundle over the roll bar mounting feet, towards the outside of the car. I used about a 6” piece of 1/2" plastic wire loom to help protect the wires from rubbing on the inside roll bar mounting bolt.
8. There is caulking under the rear wheel wells where backing plates go for the rear shock tower mounts. You'll need to scrape the area so that your backing plate fits flush on this area.
9. There was also material (metal splash) that was left over from the spot welds. I use a Dremel to make sure this was removed as well.
10. I treated all the bare metal with spray paint before mounting everything back together. Your call.
11. Instructions for cutting the side panels were very good. Take your time. I used a hole saw and a hack saw blade with a plastic handle to do all the cutting.
12. Protect the upper interior plastic side panels under the seat belt, and at the back of the rear quarter panel window, when getting ready to install the roll bar with the side panels loosely in place. I am thinking a bottom layer of painters tape with a couple layers of good quality packing tape on top. The side panels are a very tight fit and you will have to man handle these. The edges and tabs of the bottom panel will rub and scratch your upper panels when you struggle to position them in order for you to tighten the bolts and fit the panels back together.
13. Get two friends to help you install the roll bar (or one very strong one). Following the instructions, the passenger side rear strut mounting plate was almost an inch away from the mounting position once the vertical joint was assembled. We physically had to pull the bar over to get the strut tower mounting bolts started. (I’m sure the bar was made in a jig, and the heat from the welding tweaks the shape a little.)
14. When putting the driver side rear support bar in, I could not get the vertical bar joints to align, because the rear horizontal cross bar was in the way when trying to align the joint. I ended up putting a small bevel about an eighth of an inch down and 1/16” in on one side of the joint. I then put the bar in place and assembled the rear cross tower bar joints. I installed the two Hex Head Cap Screws on the vertical joint and alternately tightened each bolt. I was able to get the joint properly drawn together with no further issues.
15. To tighten the upper outside main roll bar hoop 3/8” bolt, have you friend hold up the side panel. I also used a metal coat hanger to hold the small wire bundle up and out of the way. I placed a 9/16” swivel socket on the bolt and then used and extension between the side panel cut out and the roll bar. This was a huge time saver.
16. I had to so some minor trimming of the side panel so that the plastic wings fit correctly against the front face of the gusset plates.
17. Sit back and admire your work!
Good Luck. If you have any questions, shoot me a PM.
I installed my roll bar with the seats in. Go ahead and remove the front seat rear rail covers by pulling straight back on each one. This will give you more room for your feet when working.
Set aside enough time to do the job. I would recommend at least two days. Goal for first day would be to have everything disassembled, caulking scraped and holes drilled. If you plan on painting the bare metal, this will allow you to paint the bare metal, giving it overnight to dry.
A few suggestions to help you along the way:
1. Read the instructions and have them handy to follow as you assemble the unit.
2. Buy a set of clean mechanics glove and wear them whenever possible. Sheet metal and metal in general is a lot tougher than you skin.
3. Take your time pulling the side panels off. They will come out eventually.
4. If you have the Laguna Seca, remove the X brace and backing board and leave this off until you finish installing the roll bar.
5. Make sure you remove all of the Gusset Plate mounting bolts. Yes pull the carpet forward to ensure you have the three bolts hiding behind it. I got my Gusset plates off by prying the back edge up enough in order to get a claw hammer (claws) under the end of the Gusset Plate. Protect the metal under the screw driver and hammer. It's amazing what a little leverage will do for breaking it free from all the caulking.
6. I used an old wood chisel I had to remove the caulking. Fit the new Gusset plates and make sure you remove enough of it so that it does not interfere with the new Gusset Plate.
7. There is a small wire bundle that goes over the Gusset Plates. I ran this wire bundle over the roll bar mounting feet, towards the outside of the car. I used about a 6” piece of 1/2" plastic wire loom to help protect the wires from rubbing on the inside roll bar mounting bolt.
8. There is caulking under the rear wheel wells where backing plates go for the rear shock tower mounts. You'll need to scrape the area so that your backing plate fits flush on this area.
9. There was also material (metal splash) that was left over from the spot welds. I use a Dremel to make sure this was removed as well.
10. I treated all the bare metal with spray paint before mounting everything back together. Your call.
11. Instructions for cutting the side panels were very good. Take your time. I used a hole saw and a hack saw blade with a plastic handle to do all the cutting.
12. Protect the upper interior plastic side panels under the seat belt, and at the back of the rear quarter panel window, when getting ready to install the roll bar with the side panels loosely in place. I am thinking a bottom layer of painters tape with a couple layers of good quality packing tape on top. The side panels are a very tight fit and you will have to man handle these. The edges and tabs of the bottom panel will rub and scratch your upper panels when you struggle to position them in order for you to tighten the bolts and fit the panels back together.
13. Get two friends to help you install the roll bar (or one very strong one). Following the instructions, the passenger side rear strut mounting plate was almost an inch away from the mounting position once the vertical joint was assembled. We physically had to pull the bar over to get the strut tower mounting bolts started. (I’m sure the bar was made in a jig, and the heat from the welding tweaks the shape a little.)
14. When putting the driver side rear support bar in, I could not get the vertical bar joints to align, because the rear horizontal cross bar was in the way when trying to align the joint. I ended up putting a small bevel about an eighth of an inch down and 1/16” in on one side of the joint. I then put the bar in place and assembled the rear cross tower bar joints. I installed the two Hex Head Cap Screws on the vertical joint and alternately tightened each bolt. I was able to get the joint properly drawn together with no further issues.
15. To tighten the upper outside main roll bar hoop 3/8” bolt, have you friend hold up the side panel. I also used a metal coat hanger to hold the small wire bundle up and out of the way. I placed a 9/16” swivel socket on the bolt and then used and extension between the side panel cut out and the roll bar. This was a huge time saver.
16. I had to so some minor trimming of the side panel so that the plastic wings fit correctly against the front face of the gusset plates.
17. Sit back and admire your work!
Good Luck. If you have any questions, shoot me a PM.
