Does anyone have photos of a factory roll bar installed in a F355 Berlinetta?
There is no such thing as a factory roll BAR. There is a factory roll-cage (from OMP) that was used for the F355 Challenge, but not a roll bar. I bought a custom made roll bar for my 355 Berlinetta, but then also bought a 355 Challenge, so never installed it. The roll bar is now sitting forlornly in the back of the garage... vty, --Dennis
Dennis, I am not so sure that I agree with you. There is a local GTS that has a factory roll bar. Maybe the owner will chime in here.
Well, I certainly could be wrong, so am definitely curious. I can guarantee, positively, that no such factory option was available in the United States. I might imagine that a factory roll bar was an option in Europe, but in 15 years, I've never heard of one. Possibly it's the factory OMP Challenge cage, with the side pipes removed? Am now fascinated. vty, --Dennis
Euro option? Hmmm. Any of our European owners care to comment on this? I haven't seen any mention of it in any factory documentation, though that's far from definitive. vty, --Dennis
No Fiorano Handling package, no ABS cut-out, no leather-covered roll bars.... We, in the U.S., got screwed.
Now, I can certainly imagine that someone writing a big enough check could get the factory to add anything imaginable, if it were destined for a country that didn't have a thicket of regulatory rules.... No Fiorano package for the 355 in the US? Did the final 1999 Fiorano edition 355 not have a slightly modified suspension? vty, --Dennis
Aha! Thanks! As the owner notes, it was custom ordered in a batch of six for the dealership in Dubai, UAE. This car also has a bunch of other custom bits from the factory. Good to know, thanks. vty, --Dennis
That's my car. Here's another link, with more info about the car. Scroll down to "98" http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=138626462#post138626462
I may have found another one of the 6 reported special oreder cars, and it is a Berlinetta with a roll bar. It is an early 99, while mine is a late 98. The New Auto Toy Store, Pompano Beach, FL http://www.carsforsale.com/used_cars_for_sale/1999_Ferrari_F355_101480176 The roll bar is hard to see but you can recognize it if you're looking for it.
I would definitely consider putting in a roll bar in my GTS, if I could find one. After having rolled a 355 GTS into a ditch and nearly killed myself few years ago, I would feel a lot safer knowing the roof wont collapse on me. It was not a pretty sight, I can tell you. The GTS roof construction is not as sturdy as you might think.
Does anyone know of a roll bar for the Spider that won't interfere with opening and closing the roof?
I had my 355 Berlinetta roll bar for sale, and someone who wanted to buy it checked out the mounting points and concluded that it wouldn't work. So, alas, it now sits forlornly in the back of the garage. Really need to do something with it, one of these days. Anyway, more to your question, there is an FChatter in New York State that has (used to have?) a 355 Spider with a custom roll bar that he brought to the track, so it *can* be done. vty, --Dennis
The window frame was almost flat with the dashboard and the B-pillar was way below the seat height. The car came to a still upside down and I managed to crawl out of the wreck through the hole made by the B-pillar. I had just enough to squeeze through with cuts from the window glass on my chest. No picture that I would like to share, but I can tell you that the car looked rather flat. I feel lucky to be alive
johan6504 you lived to tell the tell! Amazing!! Here are some pics of a 355 Roll Cage out of the UK which is OMP from Italy. A replacement for the F355 Challenge Car. I don't know if it comes with the mounting plates that need to be welded onto the interior? http://www.superformance.co.uk/a-355/performance.htm Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Note that last cage pic is for a right hand drive car? The rollover hoop support is on the right. When my ferrari was a challenge car I could never get a straight answer out of OMP what the steel was in the cage...DOM or ERW or the thickness. So I welded my own cage using 1.75" DOM 120 wall. I'm glad I did because a few years later I was punted by a porsche and hit a wall and rolled too and finished on my roof. My cage worked perfectly. Door bar treatments in challenge cages are very suspect too. I would not want to get hit in a challenge cage but its better than nothing. For the cost of those things used and the poor design I would rather build a cage with modern design elements. You would be surprised at how much impact a good cage can take. I know, unfortunately, 2 big racecar wrecks in 3 years and thankfully escaped both without a scratch and I'm still racing.
hey FBB ....with the cage, what did your car weight in at race weight? ...also, how thick of plates did you weld ot the floor, used to anchor the bars on to? thanks
Well the pics are from a UK web site where most F355 are RHD. I didn't catch that one. You have a trained eye from your years of experience and exposure. As for the material make up from OMP I'm not sure why they would safe guard such a thing? It's a form of mild steel that's for sure, possible with high nickel alloy for added strength? The design of the 348/355 challenge cage is dated when compared to todays standards which are much higher then 15+ years ago. I agree someone should make an updated Challenge Cage that bolts in with the improvements from lessons learned. Just don't overdo it like some have 3 roll bars for side impact! ;P) Additional Safety vs. weight.
Near a 50/50 crossweight too. 1/2 tank gas and 140lbs in driver's seat The rollover hoop is not on the floor but boxed into the corner of the unibody with 3/16" plate mild steel. If you only weld to the floor even with large plates they will push through in a bad shunt. If you weld your cage right you can survive big hits like this. You can see how my 348 roof collapsed but the rollover hoop was barely scratched. If you do it wrong the cage pushes through the floor and you have a very bad day. The blue mustang was a very badly done "professional" cage. My 348 cage I welded and designed myself. It was my first cage and I self taught not only the welding but design, tube bending and material selection. When your bacon is in the fire you can "rise to the occasion" and no one is going to be more concerned about "you" than "you". Pick your pros very carefully! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login