Where do you auto-x folks go to get your helmets? I need something inexpensive, but not "cheap."


Oops... wrong forum. Sorry :bb


[Modified by eschoendorff, 9:37 PM 6/22/2004]

 

Got mine at a motorcycle shop.

 

Hey, there are a few C4 AutoXers out here

I have a G-Force helmet

http://www.saferacer.com/gforcehelmets.html

 

Awsome site. The helmets are really cheap there. I paid more for my skiing helmet. Awaiting skier remarks.

 

Skiing helmet....how do you keep the snow out of it...

I just stay out of the trees when I skii.

 

If you are planning to race in any NCCC sanctioned events (National Council of Corvette Clubs) you will need to have a helmet that has the most current SNELL certification. (I think it's SNELL 2002) They will check your helmet when they tech your car. No SNELL, No race.

This type of helmet is almost overkill unless you get ejected - but like the bikers say - "If you have a $10 head - get a $10 helmet".

Good luck with your decision.

 

check ebay , I got a snell 95 for 30 bucks

 

Really? Man, the NHRA is really tight on their safety tech and they are at Snell 1995 I think (perhaps just moved to Snell 2000?) And they make you update your harness every two years too. I didn't think the road race sanctions did that so quickly??

 

I went to a local race shop - and paid too much!

 

Uhm...maybe not...

Ordering off the net is fine...but do you feel lucky?

Helmets need to be snug, and with that, they can't put pressure on the wrong parts of your head or they will give you a headache. If you put the helmet on, and can grab the back of the helmet with your hand and pull it up on your head it's too loose.

Not all 7 1/4 helmets are the same unfortunately...you can put on three and have all three fit different.

Find a local shop that will let you buy one you think fits...then take it home and plop it on your head for 30 mins or so (I watched the news with mine on)...if you don't get any discomfort...it's the right helmet. I went through three until I found mine...and sure I paid $35 more than on the net...but I didn't have to pay shipping to send them back and forth to find the right one...so I feel I saved money.

You need one you can wear for those open track days in which you'll be wearing it for a longer time than a couple of minutes at short auto-x tracks...even drag racing you can sometimes get caught by a car blowing up in front of you and you have to sit on the track for 15 mins as they clean it up (we can't take helmets off on our tracks).

It's worth a little extra to get the right one...it's your head and your comfort.

 

You need something with an "SA2000" rating, it will pass tech anywhere, track days too! They are a few more $, typically fifty bucks more, and have the Nomex lining. I got a Simpson 20% off list from HelmetCity.com, excellent website, with sizing instructions for major manufacturers, and GREAT service. They carry a whole bunch of stuff at great prices that you will be needing if you get hooked, so check them out. I bought a full face, and it's really neat, but it makes it hard to talk to instructors. It seems like the experienced people go with the open face. Have a great time!

 

I ordered a GF750 G-Force helmet from Discoveryparts.com and it arrived the next day. I didn't even have time to give my wife a story on it because I got a "Whats this now" call the next day. Its a nice helmet. :flag

 

I got a "Whats this now" call the next day



Gawd, you dont know how that made me laugh. Thankx!

 

SA2000 are certified for multiple hits. M rated helmets are certified to take one and one only. after research and asking a few guys at work who rally and road race, i ended up with getting a Bell Mag 4 open face. i primarily auto-x, so weight was not a big factor since you only have it on for a few minutes at a time, and visibility is key. i got mine at www.soloracer.com. they had flat shipping when i bought mine, but now they have FREE shipping for orders of >$225!!! (dammit!)

i originally considered a "hybrid" helmet to protect part of my face, but my road racer friends told me i probably won't need it. how one of them put it was, if i was in a situation where i needed it in an auto-x, i probably have bigger problems to worry about than scratching up my face. one of the other guys actually race wheel-to-wheel on tracks like Waterford or the Glen with an open face.

i don't care what they say, size matters. i was fortunate to have a load of Bell helmets at work so i could find exactly the right size. the "tape measure" method you can read about on Soloracer was pretty accurate, but you run the risk of measuring incorrectly. holding the tape one way vs another gave about an inch difference on the circumference of my head. if you have friends with the same helmet you are looking to get, you are in luck. if not, the tape method is OK, but it may not always work since the shape of your head determines comfort as much as the size.

regarding Snell certification, there is a mystery. the helmets need to pass a set of tests to be certified SA or M. i haven't found any concrete data that says M helmets can/cannot pass SA spec, or whether SA95 helmets can/cannot pass SA2000 spec. its possible that helmet manufacturers have overdesigned their helmet so they can sell it for years without any design changes. while it remains a mystery, i will not take that chance.

when you get your helmet come on up to one of the CCM events up at Detroit or MSCC events at Great Lakes Xing!

 

I'm goingout to Gingerman on the 10th. Should be very cool. I will be participating in my first low speed event. If you are there, please introduce yourelf (I will be car #77... and 93 ruby... TOTALLY stock down to the 2.59s) and feel free to make jokes about my driving!

 

Yeah, the Bell Mag 4 seemed to be the choice of the instructors and pros at the track day I went to, and Soloracer's price looks like the deal of the century! That looks like the last helmet you would need to buy until the Snell rating goes up again

P.S. I reread tempest's great post, and agree completely, esp. the visibility comment. My Simpson Bandit is a super helmet w/surprising visibility and lightness, but I see that the Bell would be so much more convenient especially w/ sunglasses, and has to be lighter too. It's the one I'd buy if I was doing it over again, for sure.


[Modified by 94RAG, 10:02 AM 6/26/2004]