I'm putting in a S&W 8 point roll bar in my 68 and just realized that the side bars will hit the arm rests. So I have to find an alternative for the arms rests. I don't want the interior to look cheezy or hacked up. Carpet, rear seat, and other creature comforts are staying so I want the doors to look good too.

Does anyone know for sure if the deluxe interior pull straps will fit my doors in lieu of the arm rests?

Any other suggestions or ideas?

have you purchased the bar yet? if not, i'd say have a custom one done, you'll be much happier with the results, imo.
i know my buddys 70 nova (which has nearly identical arm rests), uses the factory rests with his full cage. the side bars fit tight to the rests, but it fits nonetheless. it also looks sweet with all the factory door panels and such still in it (its a 7 second car). just my .02 but, i just think it would be much nicer if you could leave the panels intact, and a custom bar fits so well, they look like they belong there.
on a side note, so your taking the plunge and making it legal huh? ;) , this is a decision i'm trying to avoid as long as i can, as well. and now since its going to be legal to 10.0 (or more?), i guess you'll be stepping it up a bit, eh? :D
good luck with it!

Yeah, I was hoping to avoid the arm rest issue altogether. I've already bought the cage and have the main hoop, rear pro-street bars, and cross bar installed. I don't have the side bars in yet, so its not too late to make them "custom".

I was told the S&W is the best fitting one out there for a 1st gen and from what I've seen so far I believe it. The main hoop tucks cleanly into the body contours and I installed it with a slight tilt toward the rear so it "hides" behind the weatherstrip/trim on the rear quarter window. The rear bars go right through the corner of the rear package tray outside my speakers so they aren't very obvious either. I guess I'm just customizing as I go . . . and hope the side bars look as good as the hoop and rear bars when I'm done.

I figured that I could install the side bars upside down (with the bend toward the front of the car instead of at the main hoop) and keep the arm rests, but if I do that I will have an interference problem with the emergency brake pedal and window crank.

Eventually I will "step it up" but for now I'll be content running mid-low 11's. Might build a blower motor in another year or two.

I had the same obstacle with mine, being I had Deluxe black interior. One can close the door and allow the armrest to "form" about the bar. Alot of Super Stock/Stock guys did this.

I was given a pair of Standard black door panels and custom fabbed a pair of armrests using a plate to the original holes in doors, then lengthen the plate forward and added a drawer pull. All done in alum. Painted it black with stainless steel pull. lots of compliments.

In fact one guy liked it so much, I sold him the pair.

Thanks for the idea Everett. I think I just got it figured out though. :D

I think I am going to cut a V notch out of the side bars about 6" above where they will mount to the floor. Then I'll bend the tube down toward the floor at the notch and reweld it. This should raise the bar an extra inch or so right where it was hitting the front edge of the armrest . . .

I think my other option will be to make a plate that will relocate the stock armrest back and down slightly.

Thanks for the ideas guys graemlins/beers.gif

I used Chris Alston ( Chassis Engineering ) slide out bars on my camaro. The front part of the bar by the front of the door is bent at about a 60 degree bend and the side bar is right above the door arm rest on a standard interior car. I just cut the front bar so it would miss the arm rest. My side bars are the pin in type and swivel at the bottom and you will have to find out at the track if they are legal where you race at.

I found a smaller diameter steering wheel makes entry/exiting from the seat much easier. Better would be a detachable wheel. Any time you raise the sidebar, less room between the wheel and bar.

Tack weld a replacable bar first, then set seat in place and try entry/exiting. The older you get, the less flexible you get.

I wouldn't notch the bars! This could get you bounced from tech at the track. I would find a shop that has a tube bender and put a small jog in the bars to clear the arm rests. In my car I removed the arm rests and covered the holes with upholstered buttons. I use the door handle to open and close the door and have been doing this for the past ten years with a problem. I rotoated the handle on the spline upward to clear the side tube.
On another note, have you put the rear seat back in the car yet? If not get ready for alot of pushing and shoving and cussing.

Why would notching the bars get you bounced? I assume you are talking about cutting a wedge out, bending and rewelding the bar? I think that is just as strong as a bent bar (maybe stronger) or I am missing something?

Yeah, I hear you on the back seat. I put the seat back in before the seat-belt bar and set the rear seat bottom in and tipped it up to keep it out of the way. That way I don't have to get it in after all the bars are in place.

I got the driver's side bar in, it clears the armrest, and still passes between my shoulder and elbow. The swing out side bar works very nice.