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Parkerm463 Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2019 Posts: 24 Location: California
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 3:28 pm Post subject: Racing seats and harnesses help |
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Hi, I am looking at putting in racing seats into my 73 vw beetle. I was hoping to see if anyone knew any good seats and harnesses, and how hard it is to install.[/list] |
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baxsie Samba Member
Joined: August 09, 2005 Posts: 606 Location: Eastern Washington State
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RLFD213 Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2009 Posts: 325
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 4:16 pm Post subject: Re: Racing seats and harnesses help |
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I have the empi race trim seats in my bug. I bought the empi seat risers that bolt to the floor and the seats bolt right in. For seat belts I have 4 point harnesses and I looked on line. There is a place in California that makes racing harnesses and they’re not to expensive. RJS racing made the seat belts.
I’ll see if I can post a picture for you |
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cbeck Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2014 Posts: 2494 Location: high ridge, mo
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[email protected] Samba Member
Joined: May 17, 2003 Posts: 4863 Location: Harmony, PA
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:09 pm Post subject: Re: Racing seats and harnesses help |
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Are you wanting the seats/harnesses for looks, or are you using the car in some sort of competition? If you need the installation to pass some sort of tech inspection, buy a rule book for the sanctioning body before you do anything else. What one may consider a convenient, and clean looking installation may have safety consequences that wouldn’t pass tech. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12816 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:24 pm Post subject: Re: Racing seats and harnesses help |
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[email protected] wrote: |
Are you wanting the seats/harnesses for looks, or are you using the car in some sort of competition? If you need the installation to pass some sort of tech inspection, buy a rule book for the sanctioning body before you do anything else. What one may consider a convenient, and clean looking installation may have safety consequences that wouldn’t pass tech. |
This!
Different sanctioning bodies have different requirements. I was consulting a cage builder & he was adamant that I source a Kirky aluminum seat, after reviewing NASA’s rule book, it said no aluminum shell racing seats & specifically mentioned NO Kirky seats would be allowed.
Whatever you do, do not install racing seats and 4/5 point harnesses in a vehicle without at least a roll bar with a properly positioned harness bar. Racing seats & harnesses are designed to keep your body upright, if there is no roll bar then you’re far more likely to experience spinal compression & head injuries. _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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Parkerm463 Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2019 Posts: 24 Location: California
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:39 pm Post subject: Re: Racing seats and harnesses help |
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[email protected] wrote: |
Are you wanting the seats/harnesses for looks, or are you using the car in some sort of competition? If you need the installation to pass some sort of tech inspection, buy a rule book for the sanctioning body before you do anything else. What one may consider a convenient, and clean looking installation may have safety consequences that wouldn’t pass tech. |
I plan on building a bigger engine, and just using the bug for canyon carving, and "street racing" maybe track days I don't know yet. |
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Parkerm463 Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2019 Posts: 24 Location: California
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:42 pm Post subject: Re: Racing seats and harnesses help |
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TDCTDI wrote: |
[email protected] wrote: |
Are you wanting the seats/harnesses for looks, or are you using the car in some sort of competition? If you need the installation to pass some sort of tech inspection, buy a rule book for the sanctioning body before you do anything else. What one may consider a convenient, and clean looking installation may have safety consequences that wouldn’t pass tech. |
This!
Different sanctioning bodies have different requirements. I was consulting a cage builder & he was adamant that I source a Kirky aluminum seat, after reviewing NASA’s rule book, it said no aluminum shell racing seats & specifically mentioned NO Kirky seats would be allowed.
Yes I plan on putting a cage in the car, and put a harnesses holder in the car.
Whatever you do, do not install racing seats and 4/5 point harnesses in a vehicle without at least a roll bar with a properly positioned harness bar. Racing seats & harnesses are designed to keep your body upright, if there is no roll bar then you’re far more likely to experience spinal compression & head injuries. |
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[email protected] Samba Member
Joined: May 17, 2003 Posts: 4863 Location: Harmony, PA
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:58 pm Post subject: Re: Racing seats and harnesses help |
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Straight line, or auto x track days? Might be of interest to get both rule books. Like TDCTDI mentioned, improper installation can hurt you more than it will help you in an incident. A lot of improper installations are for show, and never get tested. I know of a few personally witnessed catastrophic instances where rule books were followed to a “T”, and the person survived with minor injuries.
Another thing to think about is to install stuff only if you are going to use it. Ridged seats with supportive sides are great for driving, but may become a pain in the ass getting in/out of the car for daily driving. And you may want to ditch the belts about the 5th time you want to reach for your pop on the floor, or your cell phone in the glove box, and you have to unbuckle your non-retractable harness to allow you to reach it. |
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