Camera Bar Construction

Introduction

This procedure describes how to construct a camera bar for a 944. The bar mounts to the rear seat shoulder belt mounting points. Measure your specific video camera before starting — the dimensions may need to be adjusted based on the camera's size and mounting thread.

Reinforcement plates are used at several locations on the aluminum channel because it bends easily when fasteners are torqued down.

Tools

• Hack saw
• Drill and drill bits

Materials

• 1-1/4" aluminum channel, 49-1/4" long
• 2 pieces of 1/8" thick galvanized steel plate, 1-1/4" wide × 4-1/2" long (for bracket mounting bars)
• 1 piece of 1/8" thick galvanized steel plate, 1-1/4" wide × 6" long (for center reinforcing plate)
• 2 pieces of 1/8" thick galvanized steel plate, 1-1/4" wide × 1" long (for end reinforcement)
• 5 × 1/4" bolts × 1-3/4" long (standard thread)
• 4 × 1/4" nuts
• 2 × 7/16" fine thread bolts (for mounting bar to car)
• 1 × 1/4" C-clip
• Rubber padding to go between camera and camera bar

Construction

1. Cut a piece of 1-1/4" aluminum channel to 49-1/4".

2. Cut two pieces of 1/8" thick galvanized steel plate to 1-1/4" × 4-1/2". These will become the bracket mounting bars.

3. From each of those two pieces, fabricate the bar mounting brackets:

   a. Make a 90° bend approximately 1" from one end of the plate. The camera bar will rest on this bent section.

   b. Approximately 1-3/4" from the inside of the 90° bend, make a 35° bend in the same direction as the 90° bend.

   c. Drill a 1/2" hole in the section bent to the 35° angle.

   d. Drill a 3/8" hole in the section bent to the 90° angle.

4. Cut two pieces of 1/8" galvanized plate to 1-1/4" × 1". These are the end reinforcement plates where the brackets bolt to the aluminum channel.

5. Drill a 3/8" hole in the center of each reinforcing plate.

6. Drill a 3/8" hole through each end of the aluminum channel. Use the 3/8" hole in the end bracket as a guide to mark the exact location before drilling.

7. Attach the bracket and reinforcing plates to each end of the aluminum channel using a 1/4" × 1-3/4" bolt and nut.

8. Fabricate a 1-1/4" × 6" reinforcing plate from 1/8" thick galvanized steel plate.

9. Drill 3/8" mounting holes through the reinforcing plate and aluminum channel so the plate will be centered on the bar. Attach using two 1/4" × 1-3/4" bolts and nuts.

10. Most video cameras use a standard 1/4" mounting thread, but verify your camera's thread before proceeding.

11. Drill a 3/8" hole for the camera mounting bolt through the center of the reinforcing plate and aluminum channel. Insert a 1/4" × 1-3/4" bolt from the bottom side of the bar and check the penetration above the top surface. If the bolt protrudes too far, the camera will not sit flush — use flat washers between the bolt head and the bottom of the bar to provide the correct spacing.

12. Mounting the bar to the car: The bar mounts to the rear seat shoulder belt anchor points. If the car has rear shoulder belts, use the existing shoulder harness mounting bolts. If no shoulder belts are fitted, the mounting points will have plastic plug inserts — these cannot be used as they are not strong enough. The mounting bolt is approximately 11 mm with a fine thread; a 7/16" fine thread bolt approximately 1" long is a suitable substitute.

13. Optional — permanent camera mounting bolt: To keep the camera mounting bolt in the bar at all times, cut a groove around the bolt where it penetrates the top of the bar and install a C-clip to retain it. Install rubber padding on the reinforcing plate to provide clearance for the C-clip so the camera still sits flush.

14. Optional — camera security strap: Add a small plate on the bottom side of one of the reinforcing plate bolts as an attachment point for a safety strap. Many track event governing bodies require a safety strap for cameras.