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Post by Rickster on Aug 28, 2016 17:56:29 GMT
Just thought I'd post this if any of you are doing MSA events. Scrutinieers are looking at the way our (MX5) roll cages are fitted and the fact that we have gaps from the boot area (where the filler pipe is) and the cabin, particularly if you have cut the cover to fit the roll bar (which is the only way)
I have put fireproof ali tape over mine which is ok as a stop gap (no pun intended) but they will be looking at this more closely next year.
To be fair this is not new - the reg stating that there should be a solid partition between fuel areas and the driver have been in place for some time!
It seems to be a bit random on when they check or not and today it was just a friendly reminder. I did read (on Nutz I think) that someone was actually pulled out of a class because of this?!
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Post by Horney on Aug 28, 2016 19:52:00 GMT
It's a joke really as a standard mx5 fails this test.
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Post by Rickster on Aug 28, 2016 21:18:41 GMT
It's a joke really as a standard mx5 fails this test. Exactly what I thought and the scrutineer seemed to make the point that even if a road going class without need for roll bar then it still will be checked.!!?? I reckon it will depend on the scrutineering |
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Post by Horney on Aug 28, 2016 21:24:03 GMT
They can't check a standard car without stripping the rear deck carpet out. Hardly a 5 sec job at scrutineering.
I know they're doing it for safety, blah, blah. But for cars in road legal classes it's a joke. 90% of mx5 owners who sprint a standard car probably don't even know the gaps even exist.
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Post by atlex on Aug 28, 2016 21:27:32 GMT
who'd want to do motorsport without a rollbar ?  |
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Post by Horney on Aug 28, 2016 21:33:01 GMT
Plenty do and then progress to having one. I did 3 or 4 Autosolos in mine before i bought the roll bar.
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Post by BikeTuna on Aug 31, 2016 10:33:04 GMT
I want a rollbar but I need to find one that also allows my dog to fit on the parcel shelf, but I'm doing autosolos in the meantime. My trick is to run tyres with so little grip that it'll slide long before a flip!  |
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Post by welshy1 on Sept 1, 2016 12:58:42 GMT
Heard loads of stories of the msa with new rules each year making it harder and harder to understand the rules and increase in stuff like this. I can start to see people running in series outside msa rule before long.
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Post by sandys on Sept 1, 2016 13:55:16 GMT
Its not new rules that are the problem here, it is that once people remove a lot of the interior lining and cut away some metal to fit rollbars etc, this leaves direct passage between fuel system and passenger compartment that wasn't there previously. You just need to seal it back up to prevent the passage of fuel and flame, how you do this is up to you, it's not an unreasonable request really.
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Post by Rickster on Sept 1, 2016 16:13:21 GMT
Its not new rules that are the problem here, it is that once people remove a lot of the interior lining and cut away some metal to fit rollbars etc, this leaves direct passage between fuel system and passenger compartment that wasn't there previously. You just need to seal it back up to prevent the passage of fuel and flame, how you do this is up to you, it's not an unreasonable request really. Indeed, the rule that you must have a barrier between passenger compartment and fuel has been in place for donkeys years and is obviously a good idea its just that they are checking it more now. I am guessing that this is down to litigation. Driver dies in a fire - family discover that he was allowed to compete in a car that should not have passed scrutineering - lawyers will have a field day. Its a sad fact of life that most regs are more about blame now than safety!!! |
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Post by Horney on Sept 1, 2016 16:51:18 GMT
But a standard 5 already has this problem before you cut into it for a roll bar.
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Post by sandys on Sept 1, 2016 19:33:01 GMT
But surely fuel pipes and tank are covered out of the factory?
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Post by wannabe on Sept 1, 2016 21:11:58 GMT
Is fitting one of those honeycomb-filled fuel cells/tanks an option, on the basis that it should prevent a flash explosion? (At least I think that's how they are supposed to work...)
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Post by Rickster on Sept 1, 2016 21:41:41 GMT
But a standard 5 already has this problem before you cut into it for a roll bar. Indeed but an MSA scrutineer doesn't care until you rock up at a Motorsport event. this guy did seem 1) a jobsworth & 2) an experienced scrutineer. he was really gaining info on the differences between mk1 and mk2 with & without roll bars Perhaps ready for next season??! |
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Post by Horney on Sept 1, 2016 21:44:42 GMT
But surely fuel pipes and tank are covered out of the factory? Nope. The fuel filer rubber pipe and return are open in the boot. Between the boot and the cabin there is a no proper firewall and there are several gaps. His applies to mk1 and mk2 mx5s. Don't I wo about mk3s as I've never lifted the deck carpet out of one. |
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le sigh