djpotential

I am not fixed on using the stock seat belt. I just dont know how Yearly inspections work with a racing seat and harness...I will occasionally drive this car on the road on a sunday... If i can drive the town legally with a rollcage/seats/harness.. that would be awesome...

thewerxracing

I use a Recaro seat, Sparco 5 Point, and Weltmeister Bar in my Autocross car.


Yes, Autocross. Not daily driver, not HDPE, not Road Racing car. It gets taken out for Autocrosses, ten a year, only. So, I dont worry about rollover protection outlined in the current debate.


All that being said, here's a video of how my Recaro holds you compared to a stock seat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSPgcWm2VlE

So, this post was basically a lame excuse for me to throw a video on here. Im going back to work.

ninefiveone

Not sure where you got the idea I was recommending the JC Whitney seat.

People here are very eager to point this person at all sorts of aftermarket solutions but aren't paying attention to the stated usage this car will have.

This is a street car that will occasionally see track usage. Based on the info given djpotential is a beginner. The car will need to pass annual inspections.

Stock porsche seats are more then sufficient for what he wants to do. Porsche seatbelts have built in cglock capability, btw. Pull them extra tight, give a sharp tug and they will know be locked until you release the seatbelt buckle. CGLock is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist in porsches (or corvette's for that matter). Use both properly and you'll never have people looking like they do in thewerxracing's video.

xsboost90

love my Sparco Evo - its a composite fixed back but its very comfortable. I didnt think my cobeau seats were very comfortable but they will cut the sub belt holes in when you buy them new as an option.

Bruno'S2

DJ have you looked at the sport seat option that was available for the 944. That's what I have on mine and I began doing some DE last summer and can’t complain yet on not getting enough support. They’re obviously not racing seats but they're a good compromise if you keep the car has a daily driver.

krystar

also look into buddyclub spec seats. carbon fiber 1 piece that are 5/6 compatible. and they're pretty cheap at $300.

also memoryfab s58 and s68's. that's what i'm running. very comfortable and they're meet FIA specs.

67King

Corbeaus are a good option. You do see them on race cars on a not too infrequent basis. You can often find dealers that have a few in stock that you can try. The Forza should be less than $300, as it is a steel tube frame. The FX1 is a composite seat that goes for $300. FWIW, I have an FX1 Pro (narrower version of FX1) for me, and a Forza for my passenger. I have read that they tend to flex more than some of the more expensive seats, and if I find that to be the case, I may upgrade. But for now, they are great for me.

mikey_audiogeek

Not a race seat, but here's my Sparco Chrono Sport seats in the process of being fitted:

Attachment 416532

mwc951

In WV this is how we do it...

krystar

yeehaw! pvc seat!. look at the structural reinforcement. diamond grid lattice. hardcore!

hacker-pschorr

I'll take the 100% stock setup which is proven over mis-installed aftermarket "racing" products.

Sorry, racing seat + harness without a roll bar is dangerous. I would rather have the stock setup which is all designed to work together.

I could care less what you do, it's your head. But people doing the roll-eyes towards those of us with this opinion is ridiculous.

It should also be noted more and more DE safety requirements reflect this train of thought.

djpotential

Thanks for everyone's input so far. I guess my main queestion which hasnt been answered is.. Will my car pass PA inspection with a rollbar/sport seats/harness?? This will be a occasional weekend track car until i ease into things. Untill then i want it to get me ice cream on sunday afternoon!

krystar

state inspection? who knows. technically harnesses are not DOT road legal. DOT/NHTSA does not allow the consumer to install aftermarket seat belts on road cars.

67King

You seem to have the opinion that a harness is designed to work in conjunction with a roll bar/cage. That's just not true. The harness is designed for two purposes - keep you more firmly planted in the seat, thereby giving you greater control of the car, thereby reducing your risk of an accident. The second purpose is obvious - it better restrains your body in the event of a collision.

The roll bar is designed to keep the roof from collapsing during a rollover. The roll cage does that, plus adds chassis rigidity.

The factory system is designed to protect the driver/passenger in primarily a frontal collision. It also is designed to allow the occupants of the vehicle a reasonable and comfortable degree of motion. I don't mean to be an ***, but the notion that the seatbelt was designed with the roof as a system is preposterous.

I have seen plenty of crashes in DE's, including my first time out, when I hit a wall after losing control of a car doing about 120. I have never seen a car flip at a DE. I have never seen a car flip that was not involved with contact with another car (which I have never seen, or even heard of, in a DE). The only time I have ever seen a rollover in anything other than professional racing was at an SCCA event.

So really the question is the level of risk - there is absolutely no question that a (properly tethered - which does NOT necessitate a roll bar) harness will better protect you in a non-rollover accident than a standard OEM three point belt. As stated, it will also put you in a better position to avoid an accident. It becomes a detriment in the event of a rollover in which the roof collapses (which isn't common even in rollovers). But as for the improper installation - again, that is completley non-sequitur to the rollover provision.

I am not going to lie and tell you that I can quantify the benefit of a harness over a standard belt, though I imagine someone like Schroth can. And even if I could, without some sort of statistics on the amount and severity of a rollover in a DE, it is meaningless, because we are talking about relative risk.

I disagree with you on the DE rules changing to reflect your position. If anything, I see the opposite. It used to be that the driver could use a harness without providing one for the instructor. Now, the instructor has to be provided one if the driver has one.

Having said all of that, do I really like the idea of a harness without rollover protection? Nope, and I was prepared to hold off until I had one. However, when you take a step back, and actuallly consider the likelihood of certain events happening, it actually makes more sense, IN MY OPINION, to run with a harness, even without rollover protection.

As far as the rolleyes thing at folks with the opinion you have goes, you are just as defensive about your opinion as anyone else is about theirs. I only take a "rolleyes" approach when folks refuse to question things, or think things through. You are just as guilty as anyone about dismissing the opinion of those of us who disagree with you. What is rediculous is thinking you can assume that something designed for the street should unquestionably be applied on the track. We change our brake pads, our tires, our shocks, springs, bushings, etc. ad nauseum. Why not an equally critical eye over the safety related devices?

docwyte

PCA will not let you run a 5-6 point harness without a rollbar locally. They specifically disallow harness bars. NASA will allow a harness bar, but I'm just uncomfortable with that, have you seen the pictures of that green mustang that flipped at Hallett?