Then some driving shoes and gloves.
helmets
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
I couldn't find the mark on the shield.
Spend the money, buy good stuff.
Yes that was in an open-wheel car, but as an instructor in closed cars, and as a driver I have had cockpits get filled with sand, grass, debris, rocks and all kinds of other stuff.. I have been hit with rubber off of tires, and seen other debris go into cockpits.
I 100% suggest closed face, good shields, clean them, take care of them. The "no full face with airbags" was a report from a research on F1 cars.. not even street cars.
Jon K
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 50,808
Likes: 10
From: Buy USA products! Check the label! Employ Americans
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,222
Likes: 0
From: Norfolk VA
However, as soon as you go off, stuff starts flying everywhere, and that's when you NEED a good full face helmet. Read AU N EGL's post about getting hit in the chin with his side view mirror
I slide into a tire wall on a wet day few years ago. My drivers side door mirror hit the tire wall, folded and popped the mirror glass out. That mirror glass hit my chin gaurd then landed over on the right side of the dash.
If I had an open face helmet, I bet my chin would have been broken.
If I had an open face helmet, I bet my chin would have been broken.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
Depending on the weather (temp/humidity) I have had problems with helmets fogging from $150 helmets to $900 helmets..
I have heard anti-fog stuff can help, but have never used it, I do notice that fogging will be less when wearing a balaclava over your nose and mouth.
What I usually do is make a roll of tape about 4-5mm thick, I then put it on the helmet where the bottom edge of the visor comes to, close the visor and it lets just enough air in to stop the fogging.
Jon K
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
Racer
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
From: Ct.
You can go with open or closed face in PDA or NASA , but I would go with a closed face , I can't tell you how many times a piece of something has come through my side window and hit me in helmet !
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,308
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
I have on rare occasion had tire marbles hit me without the shield.
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Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 50,808
Likes: 10
From: Buy USA products! Check the label! Employ Americans
my shield stays up about 1/2" gap by it's self. Anti fogs work pretty good also. They even make anti-fog shields
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 50,808
Likes: 10
From: Buy USA products! Check the label! Employ Americans
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,355
Likes: 1
From: East Northport NY
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
One thing that you may find that similar sizes from different manufacturers may not fit the same. I have found that the same size helmet from Bell and Simpson do not fit my head the same way. It really helps to try on helmets to get a good fit.
Cartoon Character
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,440
Likes: 0
From: Can't be more than 114... Arizona
Depending on the weather (temp/humidity) I have had problems with helmets fogging from $150 helmets to $900 helmets..
I have heard anti-fog stuff can help, but have never used it, I do notice that fogging will be less when wearing a balaclava over your nose and mouth.
What I usually do is make a roll of tape about 4-5mm thick, I then put it on the helmet where the bottom edge of the visor comes to, close the visor and it lets just enough air in to stop the fogging.
Jon K
I have heard anti-fog stuff can help, but have never used it, I do notice that fogging will be less when wearing a balaclava over your nose and mouth.
What I usually do is make a roll of tape about 4-5mm thick, I then put it on the helmet where the bottom edge of the visor comes to, close the visor and it lets just enough air in to stop the fogging.
Jon K
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
I had a co-driver in Firehawk years ago who left a gap and burned his retinas in a gasoline fireball in the cockpit after a wreck. I keep mine closed tight and use the Fog Off product which works perfectly to keep everything clear. Now that I am approaching codger age, I think my next helmet will have forced air which will allow me to be comfortable with no fog at all...
I have thought about that danger, but I have also considered the fact that there is a pretty substantial gap in front of your chin - making the "air tight" for fire protection kind of hard to do anyway, I have figured, perhaps incorrectly, that the shield is more of a debris shield.. is there other evidence to suggest otherwise? (perhaps fuel vapors find it easier to get in through a few-mm gap in the shield than from the bottom?)
I do wear a balaclava always.. as it gives me more protection and also protects the helmet, though, the eyes are going to be exposed with that as well.
I suppose the anser is to do the drag racing helmet skirts that seal off the bottom as well..
Jon K
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
I had a co-driver in Firehawk years ago who left a gap and burned his retinas in a gasoline fireball in the cockpit after a wreck. I keep mine closed tight and use the Fog Off product which works perfectly to keep everything clear. Now that I am approaching codger age, I think my next helmet will have forced air which will allow me to be comfortable with no fog at all...
to a minium.
Cartoon Character
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,440
Likes: 0
From: Can't be more than 114... Arizona
I have thought about that danger, but I have also considered the fact that there is a pretty substantial gap in front of your chin - making the "air tight" for fire protection kind of hard to do anyway, I have figured, perhaps incorrectly, that the shield is more of a debris shield.. is there other evidence to suggest otherwise? (perhaps fuel vapors find it easier to get in through a few-mm gap in the shield than from the bottom?)
I do wear a balaclava always.. as it gives me more protection and also protects the helmet, though, the eyes are going to be exposed with that as well.
I suppose the anser is to do the drag racing helmet skirts that seal off the bottom as well..
Jon K
I do wear a balaclava always.. as it gives me more protection and also protects the helmet, though, the eyes are going to be exposed with that as well.
I suppose the anser is to do the drag racing helmet skirts that seal off the bottom as well..
Jon K
There is not mush of a gap under your helmet if you are wearing a neck donut
and these flash fires are usually over in a millisecond. With sustained fire, you will pull your Halon switch in under a second before you jump from the car and run a 2 second 100 metre away from the heat 
ask me how I know...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,635
Likes: 0
From: Fallston Maryland
The ventilation is very good. You can actually feel the air coming in.
I used to run with the shield up until I got blasted with some sand/grit and a chunk? Probably a track turd. It felt like a rock.
