Installing a roll bar makes a Miata look completely different. It makes the car look tough and racy. The roll bar also stiffen the chassis and protects the people when the car overturns.
I bought a roll bar from Hard Dog Sports. It is a four point bar that cost about $300 including shipping. The bar is powder coated in black although other colors are possible.
The installation required removal of the rear panels and carpets. I think the seats also needed to be removed for easier access to the back. Some holes needed to be drilled and the roll bar bolted in place.The side panels has to be cut in half and squeeze back into place. Small holes also has to be cut in the rear tray carpet in order for the bar to pass through.
I think another alternate would be to leave everything off including the carpet and the plastic side panels. The car would feel more like a race car. It will not look original but some weight can be saved. The parts can also be kept in original condition in case they need to be put back.
Also the seat belts doesn't work very smoothly anymore after the installation of the bar because the bar interfere with the seat belt travel a little bit.
I guess this is not a design consideration because the shop assumes that people would use harness if they are serious about driving.
Here is a shot of the Miata during installation. Doesn't look pretty when all the carpets are removed!
The installation took me about one day. There's not really a lot of work but I took it slow to avoid mistakes.
Drilling the holes was a little tricky using standard drill because some locations were very hard to get to. I think a special 90 drill would be perfect.
