Paging Frank @ Prodigy Customs

[rob07002]

Frank, quick question.. Any thought or plans to sell a rollbar kit like the ones in Prodigy and Pete's Camaro?

Would also like to see some interior shots of Pete's car to see how you made the rear panels fit around the bar bracing...

I would be very interested in a bar like those that allow use of the rear seat. I will be doing a rollbar this winter and like the clean look better.

Thanks

[chevy2inreno]

I'm also interested in more info on the bar and bracing beyond what was included in your website. The bar is well executed and looks great, but I was wondering if cutting the bar in half and welding sheet metal between the halves compromises the strength of the bar as a chassis stiffener and for rollover protection. I'd like to borrow the idea for my Nova convertible project but plan to use two complete bars with the sheet metal welded between, rather than cutting one in half. My thought is that I may be able to use slightly smaller diameter roll bar tubing, since there'll be two of them, and get a thinner profile bar while maintaining the strength.

Any thoughts?

[Castlesmith]

Frank, quick question.. Any thought or plans to sell a rollbar kit like the ones in Prodigy and Pete's Camaro?

Would also like to see some interior shots of Pete's car to see how you made the rear panels fit around the bar bracing...

I would be very interested in a bar like those that allow use of the rear seat. I will be doing a rollbar this winter and like the clean look better.

Thanks

Ditto!

[ProdigyCustoms]

Yeah, I can make them, with the rear panels also. But the Prodigy Bar which is split and sheetmetal is going to be to expensive, to many hours. The double bar like Pete,s will be much easier to make, cost will be a lot less, and the bar looks very nice also. The rear panels are something I need to stencil and make. Also, for convertibles there is a piece of the top frame that must be changed so the top will fold down. Also, power rear windows will be required with the roll bar kit.

Now that SEMA is over, I will be able to concentrate on these things. I should have a product announcment and pricing by Xmas.

[ProdigyCustoms]

The bar is well executed and looks great, but I was wondering if cutting the bar in half and welding sheet metal between the halves compromises the strength of the bar as a chassis stiffener and for rollover protection.
Any thoughts?

I think it is fine. We used 11 gauge steel, the thing is really strong as hell. I have no plans to make The Prodigy bar in steel though. I will probably mold it and sell it in fiberglass as a show bar.

[KrisHorton]

I think it is fine. We used 11 gauge steel, the thing is really strong as hell. I have no plans to make The Prodigy bar in steel though. I will probably mold it and sell it in fiberglass as a show bar.

POSER!!!!!!

I had some experience with Prodigy's roll bar. Very sturdy. For some stupid reason I thought it was just for show and was initially hesitant to push on it, but when I was helping Frank and his crew push it a bit at the booth at SEMA, I was putting all my weight (which is quite a lot) against the bar to move the car and it felt rock-solid. Looks great too!

Kris

[yody]

POSER!!!!!!

I had some experience with Prodigy's roll bar. Very sturdy. For some stupid reason I thought it was just for show and was initially hesitant to push on it, but when I was helping Frank and his crew push it a bit at the booth at SEMA, I was putting all my weight (which is quite a lot) against the bar to move the car and it felt rock-solid. Looks great too!

Kris

You should of sat on it. That would of been the ultimate test! Then we would know that it could survive a roll-over lol!! ................sorry couldn't resist
BTW did any bondo crumble off in your hands?

[KrisHorton]

Haha. Looking for the STFU smilie, but I'm just not finding it. Larry must not have it here because everyone here would be using it on ya.

[yody]

lol, I'm sure it would be appropriate, they should make a ILOVEYODY smiley!!

[sinned]

but I was wondering if cutting the bar in half and welding sheet metal between the halves compromises the strength of the bar as a chassis stiffener and for rollover protection.

Absolutely. How could cutting a solid piece of tubing in half and sandwiching a piece of sheet metal between the halves not weaken the structure as a whole? Did it make the job come out cleaner, sure? Will it pass tech at any sanctioning body requiring roll over protection, no? Every sanctioning body requires at least 1/4" plate as a base for any structure attachment that cannot be made directly to the frame itself (i.e. sub frame chassis').


Look, I found an "ILOVEYODI" smiley

[ProdigyCustoms]

Well Denny, first and foremost, I have never claimed this was a legal roll bar, but it is attached to 1/4" plate. Second, since tubing that is not DOM is seam welded, but still accepted, why don't you explain further how seam welding plate, not sheet metal, of equal thickness, making round tube into retangular tube matters? Why would a 1 5/8" seam welded round tube be so different then a 1 5/8" X 5" seam welded rectangular tube? Builders use seam welded materials like 2' X 3". 2" X 4", 1' X 2", and round tube, etc, all over chassis. So why is this so different?

Now with all that said, this bar would not pass tech for numerous other reasons like:

The back bracing would have to come from the top of the hoop, not the sides. The back bracing here offers support to the back of the car, but not to the top of the bar.

No Cross bar, side to side bar. Required

No kicker bars, bar angled at 45 degrees or so in at the bottom of the legs to a inner rail or source, Required.

I do bet that even though it is not technically legal, tracks will consider it a roll bar and let it run. Now if it goes out and bust a big number and goes out the back door at 140mph, they may take another look, LOL!

In closing, legal or not, it adds a ton of strentgh to the car, it looks cool, and I damn sure woiuld rather have it then not should the roll over effectivness ever be challenged.

[sinned]

Wow, getting little testy are we Frank. I was simply replying to the question of whether or not the cutting of a solid piece of tubing in half and butt welding an 11 gauge piece between the halves would have affect on the tube integrity. You implied it did not and I felt in the name all that is correct the statement needed clarification.



The weakened area of the bar is not necessarily the bar or the plate but the weld zones on both sides of the plate that now have been weakened and since you cut the tube in half the ¼ floor plate is not in question but the new base you created with 11gauge now needs to be ¼ as well.



Perhaps on one of those lax southern tracks they may let you pass and see what it runs but here on the west coast are tech officials are a little brighter than that. I watched the little SEMA video footage of the car being driven out, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that car is going to run pretty quick. Our tech would ASSume it will hit the number and require a proper bar. The other thing to consider is when the bar is done, but not technically correct, they may wonder what else on the car was done halfway (not that I implying in anyway that this was a halfass attempt, just not correct) and your inspection process could get very detailed.



BTW, I was more referring to tracks other than drag strips...who the heck only wants race 1/4 mile when you keep going round and round.

[ProdigyCustoms]

Not testy at all, I try to learn something new everyday, and it is early in the morning, just trying to learn something. We did use 1/4" at both the floor, and station, but 11 gauge through the bar. tech here does not assume anything from a performance stand point, but ussually takes the drivers estimate of what it will run. I cannot tell you how many times I could have got a acamedy award for the surprise on my face when i got my time slip! holy Crap, I never thought it would do that! It is kind of a running joke with the track manager here, ok Frank, what is this one going to run. Then the track owner can be heard, Ya'll watch this!, LOL!

Structure wise, a full pentration weld by a certified welder is as strong as the steel it is attached to, or stronger.

[Nine Ball]

Hey Frank, send me the fiberglass prototype show bar for mine

BTW, to those that asked, you cannot get any rollbar IHRA/NHRA certified if the welds are ground down. The inspectors look for full beads at the joints.

...still in the Bahamas!

[rob07002]

Wow, didn't expect this response....

Personally I couldn't care less what a track offie says to me after I run it. The car won't see that much drag time. I usually rent Atco once or twice a year with a bunch of buddies and its run what ya brung, no tech.... I'm interested purely for stiffening up the sum beotch without having to make an eiffel tower back there... Your design IMO incorporates form and function. I would however, like to keep the emanual windows.... but will cross that bridge when I come to it. I had a similar "light bar" in my 2000 Z-28 convert, strictly for looks, and I liked the clean look it gave with a hint of Bada$$.

Frank def keep my posted... I just hope you have something available soon as to keep my time frame in tact.... if so then I want to be your first customer

[sinned]

Structure wise, a full pentration weld by a certified welder is as strong as the steel it is attached to, or stronger.

Agreed, but the weld zone is weaker than the original metal. So in summary, the weld and steel are not an issue, the weld zone becomes the weak link and is weaker than the the original solid tube.

[harshman]

Agreed, but the weld zone is weaker than the original metal. So in summary, the weld and steel are not an issue, the weld zone becomes the weak link and is weaker than the the original solid tube.

Technically – yes, splitting hairs – yes. I haven't seen the bar in question but it sounds like your building a bar with similar strength as a frame rail on a truck. There are many more weak links on a car that will crush first prior to a bar collapsing. I have seen a guy take two roll bars and add a piece of sheeting to make it look oblong. Very cool looking. BTW, do you have a pic of said bar?


p.s. - I have many years of seeing cracks and have yet to see any one of mine – um that didn't come out right. From Freightliners to Kenworths and car haulers to 40 ton rigs – I've welded on damn near anything. Honestly in most of my experience cracks occur because of poor engineering (usually too rigid) than poor welding.