Spider: Side intrusion Bars?

[SIMid]

Finally had a chance to take the trimming off one of the doors to see if the Spider had any intrusion bars .......... ziltch!!

Just to recap, I'm going to engineer my Spider to be registered on the road here in Melbourne, Aus. The engineer himself has not got back to me if I do need them, but if so, when was the first Betas that came out with them and also, has anyone got a pic of their interior door with the trimmings off revealing the bars?

Just want to be prepared incase I need to get them installed if I have to locate some from somewhere.

Will attach pic soon of my driver's door (probably useless).

[cthargiss]

Simon,
AKAIK only the US cars had anti-intrusion bars. They DO WORK! They kept an Olds 88 out of my lap. You best be might be to source a pair of US doors. Spider and Coupe share doors. If you must weld in your own, the are shaped something like \_/, with narrow flanges on the open end, about 3in wide on the open end and 2in on the closed end, about 1.5in deep. The open end welds to the door skin, and the ends are welded to the door ends. The upper one is just below the door latch, and the other about half way down.
Craig

[radioal]

For what its worth, Daytona Spyder (David) had a set on US Ebay recently. I don't think they sold. Of course shipping to Australia would probably cost more than the doors themselves...

Al

[SIMid]

Thanks for the replies. Well, she doesn't have them and I haven't been able to see a pic of one to get a clear idea Craig, my imagination isnt the best! It really does not leave much room. :-\

http://i10.tinypic.com/2w7fi43.jpg

I'm hoping to hear from the engineer within the next few weeks so hopefully he aint gonna "break my chops" to get them installed. Probably cheaper on getting them welded in than trying to import a pair of doors.

[Shant Fabricatorian]

FWIW, I can't imagine why you'd need them for registration in Oz (wanting them is another matter, obviously). My Australian-spec HPE doesn't have them...

[KeppelmanJ]

I am a welder and have build sills into a number of rotted out cars. The problem as I see it with beta doors is that while you might be able to fish a shaped piece into the hole in the inside panelling, or two pieces which you welded together in the middle where you could get to them, you have no way of effectively welding the ends once the door is welded together. That is, at the hinge and door latch end panels. And there's no way you could weld to the doorskin without lots of distortion to the outside. Short of building a roll cage into the car, or some waitline part of it, I'd guess I'd figure I was a lot safer in the Beta than I would be in an ash Morgan, or MGA, Healy, Truimph.....etc. Import a pair of US doors?

[SIMid]

Thanks again for the replies.

Well the engineer I had seen earlier in the year had been told by someone else that he makes it really difficult for anyone wanting to engineer any car for the road as he had screwed up a few years ago and paid the price, so I have been suggested to look elsewhere. :-\

But hearing that a 81 Aus-spec HPE has not got them could be a great arguing fact when I do get an engineer. Maybe then I have at least got some knowledge regarding if a 81 has not got them, then for sure a 79 will not either.

Keppel, my welder said it aint a problem putting them in as he's done a few in the past. The lastest was for a Ferrari Testarossa using telescopic steel pipes. But I guess we will find out soon enough!

The Spider will hopefully be going under the knife in November so it could be on the road before Christmas!! ..... unsprayed & hopefully no major engineering headaches ;D