Re: Craig's Panther Project - Rollbar 8-point system
Posted by Craig Hendrickson On 2017/1/2 20:24:46
An "8-point" rollbar system is NOT a "roll cage". It is a multi-triangulated main hoop rollbar with front and rear bars and two cross braces on the main hoop. This makes 8 points of contact with the floor or frame. In Panther's case, it is to the very sturdy T-L frame or body for the crossbrace. The door bars also pivot for ease of entry, but this is optional unless you like playing "Dukes of Hazard" upon entry and exit, which I don't.
The first challenge was which rollbar kit to get. Of course, no one makes one for a 1956 Packard (or any other year Packard). I found a kit that I thought might work and contacted the manufacturer, Competition Engineering, which is one of the best in the USA in this field. I asked their tech department for the dimensional specs on a kit which looked like it might work. It turned out to be nearly perfect for the Panther with one minor exception: the main hoop legs were too short for the height of the roof because the kit was actually for a Mustang! That was no problem, however, because we cut and the welder attached some extensions to the lower legs and now the height is correct. The width was perfect because the Packard T-L frame is more narrow than the body, which is supported on "outriggers". The Packard T-L frame happens to be almost exactly the width of the Mustang subframe!
The next problem was how to go through the substantial Packard floor material to the frame. It is possible to weld to the body, but because of my experience with race cars, I wanted to weld directly to the frame. Well, after looking at some Youtube vids, the answer was obvious, cut out the floor in that area and then weld it back when done! Here's an example in the front strut/down bar area:
The first challenge was which rollbar kit to get. Of course, no one makes one for a 1956 Packard (or any other year Packard). I found a kit that I thought might work and contacted the manufacturer, Competition Engineering, which is one of the best in the USA in this field. I asked their tech department for the dimensional specs on a kit which looked like it might work. It turned out to be nearly perfect for the Panther with one minor exception: the main hoop legs were too short for the height of the roof because the kit was actually for a Mustang! That was no problem, however, because we cut and the welder attached some extensions to the lower legs and now the height is correct. The width was perfect because the Packard T-L frame is more narrow than the body, which is supported on "outriggers". The Packard T-L frame happens to be almost exactly the width of the Mustang subframe!
The next problem was how to go through the substantial Packard floor material to the frame. It is possible to weld to the body, but because of my experience with race cars, I wanted to weld directly to the frame. Well, after looking at some Youtube vids, the answer was obvious, cut out the floor in that area and then weld it back when done! Here's an example in the front strut/down bar area:
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