Apparently I need to have a visible towing point on my car to keep the marshalls happy. Unfortunately the original towing eye possition is now just slightly below the rear left light so I can’t use the normal towing eye hole.

The original hole was the one above and to the left of the exhaust in the picture below. It goes through the bumper bar and is welded to the bracket that the bumper bar is mounted on.

Can I fit a new tow eye connector to the bumper bar instead or does it have to be fixed to the chassis directly?

I don’t think they’d get too excited as long as it’s structurally sound enough to tow (not recover) the car with.

What discipline are you competing in? And is that an MX5?

I’m going for chassis is good

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMVqzVo3H10[/video]

EDIT: Edited for stoopid

what a bunch of **** in legend’s video link

“shall we pull it along the cleared bit, or maybe we could jam it into that snowbank and use it as a plough ?”

this claims to be MSA compliant and would give you more options regarding mounting than a fixed eye?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRS-Adjustable-Tow-Eye-Strap-Loop-RED-MSA-Compliant-Race-Rally-Competition-/300963763819

scaredypants – Member
what a bunch of **** in legend’s video link

“shall we pull it along the cleared bit, or maybe we could jam it into that snowbank and use it as a plough ?”

They are indeed. However, replace the snow with good ol’ British mud at the side of a track and you could end up in a similar situation

I was thinking of a bit of hill climb, maybe a bit aof track or a road rally or similar. Not really decided but the all seem to want to be able to pull your car about easily. If you don’t have a tow eye they will pull whatever they can find which can wreck body work quite easily.

Not an MX5, 2.8 straight six BMW*

*Yes, I am trying to avoid admitting it is a Z3

Mount it to the chassis if you can. A roadside recovery company (not RAC but that sort of thing) pulled the front off my brothers Fiesta when trying to bump start him by towing it. The tow rope was mounted to the factory towing point and the big piece of chassis that goes across the front of the car under the bumper snapped its welds.

A lot of places will just haul you out with a 4×4 and a two rope…. and they wont be gentle even if it is your first time 😯

You’re right about just grabbing hold of anything. Would it be possible to cut a small hole in the bodywork to allow an eye to be fitted (on a temporary basis)?

Is the front end any better?

bear in mind with the flexible strap that it’ll need to be able to move in an arc so mount it where it’s not going to damage body if it’s pulled at an angle.

I’d go for a chassis mount solution where you can bolt something visible on when needed and remove for cleaner lines when not.

The tow rope was mounted to the factory towing point and the big piece of chassis that goes across the front of the car under the bumper snapped its welds.

That and the Legacy video makes me think I would rather not mount it to the chassis.

I would rather have the tow eye (or strap) mounting point fail and fall off than have some ape rip my chassis apart!

just use a strap that’s not as strong as the chassis/mounting point.

Front end not much better I am afraid

I can cut any holes I like in the bodywork. The original plan was to have a hole cut in the back end for this exact purpose. Unfortunately I now discover I have lined up the tow eye point withh the rear lights

I would rather have the tow eye (or strap) mounting point fail and fall off than have some ape rip my chassis apart!

And leave your car stranded when the marshalls have good reason to shift it quick? Big safety issue, find a way to do it right. Looking good though. Can you have it on a fixed or removable eye where the numberplate goes, and remove the plate for track days?

Is there a build thread anywhere to follow your progress?

Build Thread : http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4253

You too can build one : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tribute-Automotive-Z300S-BMW-Z3-based-body-conversion-kit-car-NO-IVA-/191025474678?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2c7a016c76#ht_952wt_1255

If you do approach Chris at Tribute, please mention that it was me who sent you his direction. Thanks

Towing Strap as a replacement for the eye? I’ve seen this type of thing used in your circumstances at track days.

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Product.do?method=view&n=1982&g=249380&p=116469&c=215&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=Towing%20Eyes%20&%20Straps&gclid=CKK52ebu87sCFQMIwwodRFEA0Q

Ignore my suggestion, looked at your second photo and thought it attached to that protruding stud (fnarr!) behind the plate, now see it’s to go into the cutout above the original exhaust.

Big safety issue, find a way to do it right. Looking good though. Can you have it on a fixed or removable eye where the numberplate goes, and remove the plate for track days?

I agree about doing it right. I have no problem in cutting holes in the back of the car, look at a period equivelant and the back is full of holes.

I just need to be able to work out what I can fix the tow point to. If you look at the pictures of the naked car you can see the front and rear has big bumper bars.

These are fixed to the chassis at each side. The original tow point fixing is welded to the bit of metal that fixes the rear bumper car to the car.

I was thinking that I could fix the towing point to the big cars. This would let me put the hole through which the towing eye would poke in a different place like one of the three in the back of the car above

The “bumpers” will have been designed to crumple and absorb crash energy, so probably not very strong to tow from. The tow point is often offset to one side so as to attach to one leg of front subframe / body longitudinal member.

Car tow eyes / mounting points are type approval tested when the original car design is homologated. I’ve got the regs at work if you want an idea what the test load would have been (can check on Monday). You obviously don’t need to get them approved, but might give an idea about the size of structure you need to fasten to.

mick_r – What you say sounds right. The existing tow eye was what you said – i]The tow point is often offset to one side so as to attach to one leg of front subframe / body longitudinal member.[/]

This is the bit that the bumper was fitted to as well. That was why I thought I could connect to the bumper as it was connected to the same bit however what you say about crumpling bumpers makes sense.

I might mount a plate between the two mount points if I really need the toe eye. I guess I can bolt something between the chassis and the bumper bar and then use that to pull the car. It will be connected to both of the chassis rails that way

The shock loading of a hamfisted recovery effort is nowt compared to that of an impact, I’d not worry about crumple zones too much (especially as you would be stretching a crumple zone!).
At most remove the metal ‘bumper’ and fabricate a 50×50 box section to bolt to the original bumper mounts, giving you the choice of where to put the tow point, pref behind the number plate for tidy-ness as suggested earlier.

Like you say – I was wondering if you could sandwich a plate inbetween the crush can / bumper mounting and the longitudinal member. Then make your towing attachment come off that somehow. Maybe a threaded tube like the original one, but mounted directly under the bumper (and hence lights). Run it through a hole in the sandwich plate (weld round) and maybe also bracket so it attaches under the longitudinal member. If that makes any sense…..

^^^ wow just look at those exhausts on that M^^ you could probably save 1/2 tonne by removing them alone…

Mental picture.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq7sqqeUaso[/video]

having it attached to the chassis doesn’t always work!!

^^^ wow just look at those exhausts on that M^^ you could probably save 1/2 tonne by removing them alone…

I have. side pipes feed out through a pair of cherry bombs!

I have. side pipes feed out through a pair of cherry bombs!

Ooh, wire wheels are hard enough to keep clean without covering them in exhaust fumes all day 😉

That will be a full time job (do you need a good Valeter on retention 😉 )

erm, when you say “cherry bombs” do you mean the ridiculously loud things usually found on chav-chariots and likely to exceed many venues noise limits? Or do you have a silencer up stream?

‘Fraid they are the chav chariot specials. They had been kicking around the guys garage and he wanted rid of them.

Wire wheels are going to be powder coated black, they are painted black at the moment, and then never cleaned properly. 😉

I would go with a bar mounted between the two black plates and then weld a female thread for the tow eye just to the right of the numberplate with a removable bung to cover the hole. Just fit it for track days. Or under the numberplate and put the plate on hinges and a sticker pointing to the tow eye underneath.

I reckon I will go for the plate/bar bolted to the chassis ends as suggested by and yo and others.

From a cosmetic view, what about a couple of exposed holes like on the period racer in the photo above?

I think the holes would look good.

2.8 through Cherry Bombs must be a hell of a noise! Do they manage to get under noise limits then?

Are you going to fit a removable one through the hole or just have a permanent one? the latter would be good with a proper racing style (classic style if possible) fixed eye.

Noise is amazing when going for a blast. It did get a bit tedious when stuck in rain on the M25 for 2 hours. The Hatfield tunnel, roof down and foot down wasn’t bad though 😉

No idea above noise limits to be honest.

Quite fancy a fixed ring poking out all the time. The car is just for fun, posing and playing so looks are almost as important as functionality.

make the light removable.

do you need a front one too?

One way would be cut a neat hole in the wire mesh, edge it with some suitable metal and have a round bar sticking through with the tow eye on the end.