ducatidave

Reposting in Autocross:

Im getting my new Caravaggio race seats this week and my TTi Stage X kit at the end of the month. I roadcourse the car 2-3 times a year, just private track day stuff, no full out racing (dont want to incur the cost, and I have my motorcycles for that stuff). Since I have a convertible, I definitely want some extra protection.

I was thinking a 4 pt harness would be appropriate, however, Id like some thoughts as to whether I really should go with 5 or 6 pt.

Also, any recommendation on harness vendor?

Im going to go with a custom rollbar. Especially since I hate the look of an effective rollbar on a convertible in everyday top down driving. I also dont want a huge effort to take it out every time, and Id like the value of having the harness stay on the car.
Id like to make a rollbar, where the lower frame and harness bar stay
in the car, and the hoop could be removable - maybe with pins or bolts on each side.

Another thought, is when the hoop is off, that a pair of seatback hoops
could pin in where the rollbar hoop went.

Anyone you all would recommend in the San Jose or greater SF Bay area for doing this fabrication?

Thanks,

-d
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0Randy@DRM

http://www.tcdesignfab.com/

Busy guy because he does good work at a fair price.

Randy

ducatidave

Thanks Randy - I think you mentioned this guy to me about 2 years ago for some other work, and I lost the website.

Cheers,

-d

davidfarmer

obviously, you can do this for safety, but it won't pass tech at any group event that I know of. You can use 2" (.125" wall) "stubbs" at the main hoop and rears, and use standars 1.75" tubing which will slide in, and be fastened by bolts.

I'd even thought of doing a telescoping unit, where it could be high enough to be safe when the top is up, but retract a few inches when you want the top up. However, once I starting talking to some of the various event organizers, I realized nobody would let it count as a bar suitable for high speed events.

Good luck with it.

FB#1

The few HPDEs I've done, if you weren't using the factory belts, required a 5 point, 4 points weren't allowed.

ducatidave

I do only private days, 10-12 of us rent the track (been doing this for a few years now). Up until now, I have been running without anything - but that makes me very nervous (so Id do a few laps, then go play in some of the other toys - we share our toys at these events).

So mainly, Im looking for a convenient way to have fun with more safety.

I never push past 80% of my abilities, as Im just out for fun and I get more of a thrill when pushing my motorcycles.

95jersey

Harbar is a great choice and the owner frequents this forum and provides great support.

ducatidave

I looked on their site, they have harness mounting - but that is only part of my need. Do they have rollbars as well? I didnt see any on their listing.

Any preferences out their on the actual harnesses? Ive heard a recommendation for Crow, what about Sparco? others?

gkmccready

Tony is awesome! He built the cage in my RX-7 and it's a frickin' work of art!

FasterIsBetter

I have the Brey-Krause harness bar and like it, but the Hardbar is very nice also. Both will work well with the Caravaggio seats, which I have in my car.

Definitely get a 5 or 6 point harness. In a crash, you do not want the harness belt riding up on you and have you submarine. I have a 6 point Sabelt harness on the driver's side that I got from Driving Impressions. I like the locking mechanism a lot. I have a Simpson 5 point on the passenger's side.

If you are mounting your Caravaggios on the original seat rails, as I did, you can attach harness rated hook eyes through the holes in the rails on either side in front, or use Grade 8 bolts to mount a steel bar across and center an eye bolt in front of the seat for the crotch harness. If you don't understand what I'm describing, I can take a couple of pictures and post them.

ducatidave

Unfortunately, Tony wont build it for me. Very nice guy, very helpful. For business reasons (I think he said taxation), he will not build anything that is not SCCA - and therefore he said he wont touch C5 convertibles in general. In order to have the right angles for the rollbar it would interfere with the convertible mechanism.

He did however recommend I try Magnum Force in Campbell, so I will have to check them out next.

Just info here for others. Cheers,

-d

Maineiac

I use to run Simpson belts and recently switched to Schroth 6 pt.

Very good stuff....

ducatidave

I heard Schroth 6pts with Brey-Kraus lap belt attachments. Do I go bolt-in or clipin?

-d

0Randy@DRM

I'm sorry to hear that

Randy
PS Tony can flat out drive I heard?

ducatidave

Wouldnt surprise me - had some slick looking setups there.

FWIW - Magnum Force is out too, they only do Mopar stuff now.

Anyone had Valaya Racing work on their car? I know they primarily do Vipers, but it looks like they work on Vettes too.

-d

gkmccready

Not sure. I don't see him on many of the results sheets, usually enduros.

gkmccready

They have a weird location right next to the Shark Tanq, right? I walk by them on the way to the game. Never been by when they weren't just selling parking spots in the lot. :-)

Try asking on the nasaproracing@yahoogroups.com mailing list (er, Yahoo! Group) ... there's another local guy that builds really nice cages but I can't remember his name, Mike something, I'm sure if you ask there somebody will pipe up, though.

Did you ask TC if running a couple of SCCA Solo (autocross) events would count for him? :-)

For other local references you might try calling Dave Bonar @ North Star Corvette in Mountain View; he only works on vettes and he's a racer.

ducatidave

Tony basically said, he couldnt meet the SCCA requirements due to the convertible mechanism and wouldnt work on it. No sweat.

BTW - Due to various recommendations on the forum and off - Ive gone with Brey-Krause mounting hardware and a pair of Schroft 6pt harnesses. Now to just solve the bar situation.

davidfarmer

Wolf racing makes convertible roll bars. I assume the top still works with it.



see, to do a convertible, the hoop would be right against your head. If you did roll over, your helmet (while not getting crushed) would still be touching the ground.

ducatidave

Yeah - Ive seen the wolfe bar - requires cutting the waterfall, and doesnt support taking it out but still having the harness bar in.

I found one other vendor, they go around the waterfall, but their design requires cutting of the top lid - also doesnt look to come out very easy.

Both will work with the top up.

If I had the design I want, it could potentially be safer then this, as I could have top down use only, and then take it out when the day is done and put the top back up.