pbastian

I am researching how much I can upgrade the drivers compartment in my '00 Boxster 2.7 to make it safer on the track. My wife and I both track the same car on the same weekends. I am 6'2" and she is all of 5'4". Car still has the factory seats. We would like something that can accommodate both of us, if that is even possible. On my list:

1) Roll bar extension (Brey-Krause is what I have seen on line). This looks like a bolt-in solution. I've read that this alone adds about 1" of head room (important for me).

2) Harness bar - trying to figure out how this would be done. Questions I have:

1. Can the harness bar be installed at the proper height to achieve proper fit of a 5-pt harness for both of us.
2. Weld in vs. bolt in. It sure looks like there is room to put the harness bar in if you take out all that window dressing that is behind the seats now. Not sure what, if anything, is available, or if this has to be a custom job.

3) GT3-style racing seats with sliders, so we can adjust the seat position between sessions. I read that the racing seats would likely lower the seating position and create 1" to 1.5" of additional headroom (important for me). But now, its possible my wife's sitting position will be too low. From what I have seen, there is no seat height adjustment with these seats. Not surprising, but would like to confirm. I talked to two people at the track last weekend and their solution was a cushion to raise the driver position. That's not very appealing. Are there any other options that mimic the functionality of the factory seats, but in a racing-style bucket with the slots for the 5-point harnesses that would keep the driver (better) planted in the seat?

4) 5-pt harnesses - haven't even started on this. But, if I can get past the issues above, this seems like an easy step.

5) Simpson Hybrid Hans device with compatible helmets.

So, I have considerable challenges in terms of equipping the car in such a way that all this will work reliably, comfortably, and safely. I fully acknowledge that there may not be an "all in one" solution that gives us a safer track experience in one car for two people who are so different in height. But I'd like to at least explore it enough to answer that question.

Option 2 is to get her a Cayman.

zedcat

Clearly the height difference is a challenge, but seems first priority is to get a safe set up for the tallest driver. Sorry I don't have photos, my 04S is in the shop. I'm 6'1" and have been through this. I installed the B-K roll bar extension and GT3 seats on factory sliders (correct, there is no height adjustment) but needed to get a little lower. I then installed B-K lowering brackets for the seats and that got me a pass on the broomstick test. I also got the B-K substrap bar for the seats. I got Schroth Profi II 6 pt harnesses and B-K hardware for the lap belts. If doing it again I might get the GT3 specific Profi belts with the sewn in brackets which bolt on to the seat mounts. For the shoulder harness I got a bolt in harness bar from Stable Energies. As I recall it was not listed on their web site but I emailed them. It's a Safety Devices generic bar that they cut to the correct size. I also got some split collars on the bar to get the shoulder belt spacing correct. I did the center console delete for leg room too but that's not essential.

One other thing to consider is maybe remove the seat cushion when you are in and put it back for your wife. That might work with the standard GT3 seat brackets.

If I get my car back soon (diagnosing a CEL- ugh) I'll post some pics.

Schnell Gelb

A useful Sticky for you to read is "What we learned on the Track"

der Geist

You should already have a harness bar as part of the factory roll bar. If you need a Brey-Krause roll bar extension PM me. I have one that I used for 1 season then sold the car. It's like brand new. I also have a new set of harnesses and some GT3 style seats I'm not using. They came out of my '03 so they should fit your car.

A cushion is a great solution. It works and is inexpensive.
Marty

zedcat

The use of the factory roll bar for wrapping the shoulder harnesses should be checked for proper geometry with a hans device.

In my case after lowering the seat to get enough clearance with the roll bar extension the angle of the shoulder harness from the hans device to the factory hoop cross bar was upwards. Schroth and hans specify this angle should be flat or down slightly from the hans to the mounting point. To have the proper geometry I installed the stable energies bolt in bar which runs lower.

grrrmonster

Use a seat cushion in the race seat to adjust for your wife. It's how race teams adapt to different size drivers in endurance racing. I've seen team put liquid foam in a garbage bag, have driver sit on it in the seat- the foam adapts to the shape of the driver then sets up. They remove the garbage bag and cover in fabric and thus you have a perfectly molded adapter cushion. Other ways would be to use memory foam to fabricate enough extra height to fit her as an insert

GVA-SFO

True multi driver with size difference create a real challenge.
I'm not as tall as you, but still, would not pass a "broomstick check" with the OEM seat and oem hoop, .. with an helmet !
I have a B-K bar, but, I did not liked at all the mounting, as you have to remove the OEM (good) padding on the hoops to install it.
No (big) problem when you drive it with a helmet, but, with no helmet, the safety factor that you bring in is (imo) totally inversed when you drive it with no helmet. People tend to forget that being a driver, (or a passenger) in a car that has safety bars or cage, is VERY DANGEROUS, if you do not wear an helmet.
So, I decided to mount my B-K bar in an inverse manner (in the back of the hoops, instead of the front of the hoops.) This did cost me some soldering, i.e.: steel tubes across the B-K bar, that end up in a thread the top of the OEM hoops,

See:



The other “side” advantage is that you can keep the wind stoppers, which in my side, I like it.
You can also note in the picture that my roof is out ! No so convenient, but a gain of 18kg that is also pretty high up !

Now, changing the OEM seats to bucket seats was imo another great change. Beside the fact that it saved a lot of weight, it also made me seating in a lower position and being now very good on any broomstick check (a safety “point”, that I like very much).
Yes, my bucket driver seat is still on rails, (in case of need ! ..but wife even if she sometime join me on track, do not want to drive ! )
By the way, my pax seat is not adjustable anymore and the (heavy) steel rails are gone and replaced by an aluminum frame !

I would think that it should be possible to find a way to be able to “interchange the driver seat” in a quick way. (In the endurance racing community, this is very common to have each driver having his seat, while the harness do remain in place.)
You should investigate in this direction, i.e.: interchanging seats in a quick and convenient manner.

By the way, to have a "correct" pull angle on the harness, I have cables (with kind of rollers) in the back of the seat, that goes down to each side of the bottom rear seat fixations, as pulling from the lower part of the hoop, do not offer the right angle !

PS : I have longer explanations (and other photos) on a topic named "Piwis reading R1 and...", as, since I have a Boxster, I have done a lot of "little tricks" mostly for being on track with it !

ace37

Deleted, wrong thread