Very brave man :lmao
Not sure i'd have the bottle to cut up a car that nice and new!
Looks great tho nice and safe.
Not sure i'd have the bottle to cut up a car that nice and new!
Looks great tho nice and safe.
HardDog Install
15
I started modding my s2000. I went with the HardDog sway bar. While i had the interior all out I installed an Alpine radio and Sirius.
Before:
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I had the battery disconnected the whole time because of all the airbag wiring we were messing with. I would only connect it when we needed to move the top and then disconnect it again.
Start by taking out the interior. Seats, center console, the plastics behind the seats, the top drain trim panels, the rear package shelf and the center storage bin which is harder than it sounds. There are 5 screws you have to get from the trunk so you have to take that apart too...remove spare tire.
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Remove the metal covers over the convertible top motors and discard.
Disconnect the roll hoops. Be very careful with the bolts they are aluminum and strip easy. Disconnect the seat belt retractors.
Remove the rear bulkhead.
Now you are ready to test fit.
Use the 2 small bolt hols to bolt it so it doesn't move. Run the roof up and down a few times and then drill the holes from the top through the holes in the roll bar, dropping a bolt in each hole as you go.
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Now the fun part you have to cut holes in the fenderwell to get to the front bolts. Jack the car up and remove the rear wheels.
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I picked up a Dremel and the cutting wheel attachment. You will need about 10-12 of the cutting wheels.
Now it is time to put it all together. Unlike HardDog's directions install the rear bulkhead and the roll bar at the same time. Put the backing plates in and bolt the roll bar and the rear deck in. Put some blue locktite on before bolting the roll bar in.
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I filled the holes with expanding foam and covered then in under car coating from autozone.
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Now you can take the car off the jack stands.
This is the part I had trouble finding and the reason I am writing the article. A lot of people stop here and leave the interior out. I wanted to keep mine looking stock and be able to race in stock classes.
There are 2 separate pieces to the storage compartment as you saw when you removed it. The part that is in the car wouldn't go back in with the storage bin part installed. since the secret compartment doesn't open it is useless even if you can find a way to get it in. I installed the drain panels first. You will have to cut those to fit them. Sorry I didn't take pictures but there is some here
Then the roll hoops. install the seatbelt retractors that go under the roll hoop and connect the wire. You will have to trim the roll hoops plastics. There was a lot of testing fitting and trimmimg.
![]()
Hard Dogs instructions say to drill the holes to 5/8ths. I bought the bit for $20 it didn't fit in my drill so I tried it without drilling and the roll hoops holes lined up perfectly, so I returned the drillbit.
Install the passengers one first. I have the bar with the welded diagonal bar and harness bar. If you get the removable ones it may be a little easier since they aren't in the way, but I installed the storage panel and the drivers side roll hoop at the same time it will take some twisting and pushing and pulling but we got it to fit. Make sure you bolt down the roll hoop before you install the storage panel. Have a friend hold the storage panel back while you bolt it in there isn't much room. Bolt the seat belts into the roll hoops.
![]()
put the trim pieces back in that mount just below the roll hoops. those will need some trimming, too. The one on the passengers side i cut in two pieces so that the cut was behind the roll bar and you cam barely see it the rest is just test and trim.
Install the package shelf in the trunk and all the other trunk panels you pulled off.
![]()
The side panels will need some trimming also.
![]()
Install the center console and shift knob.
![]()
Install the seats and hook up the two wires on each seat
The seats still slide all the way back and still even recline a little.
![]()
The foam looks purple in the pictures but it matches pretty good in real life.
![]()
Other good things to know. There is a plug under the drivers side roll hoop. It goes to nothing, don't waste your time looking for the wire that is supposed to plug into. I looked it up in my Helms electrical manual it is something to doe with a hardtop model.
Also when you are done I got all kinds of warning lights. ABS, VSA, SRS even the brake light was on. After not letting it warm up then less then 5 mins of driving they all went out.
Before:
I had the battery disconnected the whole time because of all the airbag wiring we were messing with. I would only connect it when we needed to move the top and then disconnect it again.
Start by taking out the interior. Seats, center console, the plastics behind the seats, the top drain trim panels, the rear package shelf and the center storage bin which is harder than it sounds. There are 5 screws you have to get from the trunk so you have to take that apart too...remove spare tire.
Remove the metal covers over the convertible top motors and discard.
Disconnect the roll hoops. Be very careful with the bolts they are aluminum and strip easy. Disconnect the seat belt retractors.
Remove the rear bulkhead.
Now you are ready to test fit.
Use the 2 small bolt hols to bolt it so it doesn't move. Run the roof up and down a few times and then drill the holes from the top through the holes in the roll bar, dropping a bolt in each hole as you go.
Now the fun part you have to cut holes in the fenderwell to get to the front bolts. Jack the car up and remove the rear wheels.
I picked up a Dremel and the cutting wheel attachment. You will need about 10-12 of the cutting wheels.
Now it is time to put it all together. Unlike HardDog's directions install the rear bulkhead and the roll bar at the same time. Put the backing plates in and bolt the roll bar and the rear deck in. Put some blue locktite on before bolting the roll bar in.
I filled the holes with expanding foam and covered then in under car coating from autozone.
Now you can take the car off the jack stands.
This is the part I had trouble finding and the reason I am writing the article. A lot of people stop here and leave the interior out. I wanted to keep mine looking stock and be able to race in stock classes.
There are 2 separate pieces to the storage compartment as you saw when you removed it. The part that is in the car wouldn't go back in with the storage bin part installed. since the secret compartment doesn't open it is useless even if you can find a way to get it in. I installed the drain panels first. You will have to cut those to fit them. Sorry I didn't take pictures but there is some here
Then the roll hoops. install the seatbelt retractors that go under the roll hoop and connect the wire. You will have to trim the roll hoops plastics. There was a lot of testing fitting and trimmimg.
Hard Dogs instructions say to drill the holes to 5/8ths. I bought the bit for $20 it didn't fit in my drill so I tried it without drilling and the roll hoops holes lined up perfectly, so I returned the drillbit.
Install the passengers one first. I have the bar with the welded diagonal bar and harness bar. If you get the removable ones it may be a little easier since they aren't in the way, but I installed the storage panel and the drivers side roll hoop at the same time it will take some twisting and pushing and pulling but we got it to fit. Make sure you bolt down the roll hoop before you install the storage panel. Have a friend hold the storage panel back while you bolt it in there isn't much room. Bolt the seat belts into the roll hoops.
put the trim pieces back in that mount just below the roll hoops. those will need some trimming, too. The one on the passengers side i cut in two pieces so that the cut was behind the roll bar and you cam barely see it the rest is just test and trim.
Install the package shelf in the trunk and all the other trunk panels you pulled off.
The side panels will need some trimming also.
Install the center console and shift knob.
Install the seats and hook up the two wires on each seat
The seats still slide all the way back and still even recline a little.
The foam looks purple in the pictures but it matches pretty good in real life.
Other good things to know. There is a plug under the drivers side roll hoop. It goes to nothing, don't waste your time looking for the wire that is supposed to plug into. I looked it up in my Helms electrical manual it is something to doe with a hardtop model.
Also when you are done I got all kinds of warning lights. ABS, VSA, SRS even the brake light was on. After not letting it warm up then less then 5 mins of driving they all went out.
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
Cool! That must have hurt to cut into those new parts like that, but if the car is for tracking, then the interior really doesn't matter does it? 
Also, I think that is the roll bar that one of the local S2Ki member's had in his AP1. Survived a full roll over on Road America after a brake hose failure.
Also, I think that is the roll bar that one of the local S2Ki member's had in his AP1. Survived a full roll over on Road America after a brake hose failure.
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
