racing safety advice

[steve91tt]

I am in the process of building a 1971 240Z that will be used mostly on the track but also see some limited street use. Track use will consist of track days and high performance driving events. No wheel to wheel racing. I have come to the point where I need to make decisions about safety equipment. I have no experience with safety equipment so I'm looking for some advice on seats and roll protection.

I'm trying to decide which seat to go with. There are seemingly lots of options but some are much more expensive than others. I am 6'3" and with a helmet my head hits the roof with stock seats so I'm looking to get the seat as close to the floor as possible. I assume this will mean cutting off the stock seat mounts and welding up something a little lower. I am looking at the Cobra Imola...

http://www.subesports.com/products/cat/Seating/brand/Cobra/prodID/657

And also the Corbeau Forza...

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/PIC05/50-4002

They look similar but the Cobra is twice the price. Anyone have any experience with either of these or the advantage of one over the other?

I am going to need some sort of roll over protection. From what I understand a helmet is a must in a caged car. Since this car will spend some time on the street I think I need to stick with a roll bar like the MSA SCCA bar.

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/PIC07/50-1924

I think that MSA gets them from Autopower. Looks like a good option but I was wondering if anyone have any experience with these?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[Jeff G 78]

I currently have a Sparco Evo seat in my 260 racecar, but I picked up a used Momo Acropolis seat to try to get it a bit lower. It is the lowest seat I've found, but I won't know for sure how it works until I get it mounted. Both seats are fixed back FIA seats and both are very comfy.

I paid $150 for the Momo seat in like-new condition with sliders. The nice thing is that the seat bucket is in between the sliders, so the seat is as low as you can possibly get. When the seat is sitting on the ground with the sliders attached, the center of the seat bottom is only 1/8" off the floor.

Here is a pic I found on the web of the same seat.

I am 6'-1" and am very tall from the waist up, so if it works for me, you should be OK. My Sparco seat gives me room to the roof with my helmet, but I'm too high compared to the cage. I want to get completely below the halo bars which is not currently the case.

Click on my facebook link in my sig and check out the photo section. You will see what I have for a cage. The Autopower bolt-in roll bar is better than nothing, but I'd feel much safer (on the track) with a cage and a 5-point harness. Even though it's only an open track car, bad things can and will happen.

Edited May 27, 2011 by Jeff G 78
added info

[steve91tt]

That's got me wondering if side mounting the seat is key to get it as low as possible. The Momo and the Cobra above are both side mount. I don't think the Forza is.

[Jeff G 78]

It could help on many seats, but the Momo is completely down, so I doubt it would matter. Email me and I'll send you pics of my seat from the back so you can tell how it's designed.

[Jeff G 78]

Steve, I uploaded the photo so I could post it. Here is a pic of how low the seat is compared to the sliders.

[steve91tt]

Wow, that's a seriously low seat. I think I need to look for something similar. Thanks for sharing.

[John Coffey]

Side mounts. Its a pain in the arse to install bottom mount seats.

[steve91tt]

What about the corbeau fx1 pro? Looks like it should fit and it's a side mount. Anyone see one of these mounted in a z?

[HKSZ]

Steve I'm 6'3" run a sparco pro 2000, got my cage builder to cut old seat mounts out weld in square frame from tunnel to sill to bolt the side mounts to, couldn't use runners still too close to cage height so fixed in my perferred position.

Get a harness bar made at the same height as top seat belt holes, belts which mount lower than horizontal tend to compress your spine in a shunt. Check state road laws on cages sometimes side intrustion bars have to be lower than seat cushion.

Steve

[Bruce Palmer]

When you are racing helmet is a must.It prevents damage your head when an accident happen.I think that is a good advice.

For the street driving you are going to be doing, be conscious of where your head can reach in relation to where that bar is. Without a helmet, any contact can send your head snapping over yonder and believe me you don't want a steel tube there when your melon gets there.......

[steve91tt]

Agreed. From what I've read it's important to have a low seat and lots of padding on any part of the cage that can come in contact with human body parts.

[Marty Rogan]

This is the seat that I use: http://ultrashieldrace.com/prod.php?id=7

I mounted it with some Sparco side mount frames. That allows you to place it where you want it. It will get you low, but without sliders.

I also used an Auto Power roll bar in my track day car. It worked fine. Of course a full cage would be better, but kind of a pain in a street driven car. Use plenty of roll bar padding!!

Marty