Cabriolet safety???

[cbv8]

Hi All,
Having now got my cabby ready for the road thanks to Mark (town 325i) what a great reliable chap he is i was just wondering if there was an aftermarket hoop thingy dont know the right name that you see fitted behind rear seats some other open top cars I will be taking my 6yr old petrolhead grandson out in cabby the weekend so want it as safe as poss even though he will probably be in the front with me and i dont intend rolling it . How safe are our cabbys in a smash or any other safety things i can fit any thoughts on this much appreciated

[Z3I]

To modern standards, its not safe at all. If you've got precious cargo inside, drive it like you have a couple of dozen loose eggs on the back seat.

If you're worried, sounds like an E90 is for you, not an E30.

[skipunda]

Z3I is right, if a little blunt.

I can't see why a roll bar couldn't be fitted, but I doubt you'll be able to find a ready-made piece and I'm not 100% on the strength of the (I believe it's called) A frame. Cabriolets were designed with a degree of safety though. I'd certainly have one over an MG midget

[Z3I]

Z3I is right, if a little blunt.

sorry about that, didn't mean to!

Even though BMW marketed them as sports performance cars, cabs arn't, so to be safe as you can, just cruise in them, like I do! Best thing you can do for safety, it get new discs, pads, and bleed the brake system every year. Make sure your seats are well achored, seat belts are working 100%, and tyres are well above minimum tread. That way, you stay as safe as you can, and at minimum cost.

[DaveD]

try this thread

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... highlight=

[cbv8]

Thanks for all the replies lads looks like the E30 is not good on a side impact but i think the cabby would fair better as nobody has mentioned the substantial body side strengthening bars fitted to the cabs. Surely these will provide better protection than a saloon etc E30 as i pressume they dont have them fitted due to having a roof That picture of a spitfire is real scarey i am also suprised that the American market took a liking for the E30 cabs if they are not very safe as they are so safety conscious

[Topblag]

remember the adverts for E30 cabs, one balanced on top of the windscreen section of another to demonstrate that the windscreen section can take the full weight of the car (IIRC). In essence, I believe that the windscreen section is the roll bar for the E30 cab.

Cabby's are not designed to be driven like your hair is on fire, they're for cruising. Given the lack of airbags and room in the front of a cabby, if you're going to have more than two wheels off the ground at any one time, it's going to be painful.

[Morat]

I'm pretty sure those ads were for E36