Recomendationds - Seats/Harnesses/Harness Bar

[968TomR]

This winter I will be installing seats, harnesses and a harness bar in my 92 968. The primary use for this car is DE. I have been looking around for the materials to do this and was looking for some feedback from someone who might have done this before.

Money is an object - so I want to be fast- cheap - and safe (probably in reverse order of what I just stated).

I have found the Brey-Krause and Weltmeister harness bars - and am curious as to why the Weltmeister costs 1/4 of what the Brey Krause does.

I was considering Corbeau Forza seats - anyone have any idea how tolerable these would be for a 4 hour drive to Mid Ohio?

Any insights are appreciated.

Tom

[jester911]

Tom, I have the Corbeau clubman which sits very much like the Forza. I have driven 4 hours+ in these seats and they are comfortable. I have no experience with the harness bars but personally I prefer a roll bar. I installed the Das bar and am very happy with it. If you think you are going to be doing a lot of DEs then IMHO it is the better way to go in the long run. I found mine used for $400 so it is possible to get there cheaper. As for the harnesses I personally think it is worth it to go to camlock style as opposed to latch/link style and using a brand like sparco or Gforce. Even Corbeau makes them.

You really need to do a little planning. Fast is difficult to do because you need to make sure what your buying is in fact going to do the job and be adaptable to your car. You also need to ensure the seats your buying fit you. One good way is to find someone with a similar car/setup your looking to do and sit in his and see what he used. Also you can find a shop that sells the seats you want and sit in them to ensure fit.

From personal experience it took me several months of research and planning before I did the first thing inside the car.

Remember that your life is on the line so you don't want to do it too hastily and pay more in the long run.

[Don Plumley]

IMHO, harness bars for AX only. When you wear a 5/6pt harness and seat, you can't move sideways in a rollover. That's what a rollbar is for. You are just relying on the vehicle structure and there is a certain amount of compression in a roof. You never want to use the rollbar, but it sure is nice knowing it is there as you slide sideways through the infield.

SFI Belt vs FIA belt. There are some nice economical SFI G-Force and Pyrotect belts. I too prefer camlocks. However, depending on who you run with, and SFI belt times out after two years, an FIA belt (e.g. Schroth) times out after five. So the cost difference favors the more expensive belt.

Get a Hans device. Yes, it's $1K. But if you are just starting out, just get used to it right out of the box.

[pgeorgeson]

I have Corbeau Forza seats in my car and have made several 3-4 hour drives. It is not like riding in a Cadillac, but they are acceptable. They suit my needs and are a good value.

I would echo the sentiments about looking for a roll bar instead of just a harness bar if you are going to be on the track.

As for belts, I have GForce camlocks belts, which are reasonably priced and work just fine. (I will probably buy them again when it comes time to replace them).

[Tom '74 911]

Speaking from experience here - sit in some seats before you buy. They truly are all different and your shape/size may dictate what will work for you. My example is regarding the Recaro Pole Positions - which I sat in and bought and love except the holes for the shoulder belts are too low for me - 2"+ below my shoulders (and I'm only 6' tall)! I've been running stock belts, but plan to upgrade to a roll bar and 5-point this winter - and will have to find some new seats to make it all work (bummer).

Tom

[nostatic]

I ran a harness bar for exactly one event. Immediately took it out and replaced it with a roll bar.

[KTL]

Originally Posted by nostatic

I ran a harness bar for exactly one event. Immediately took it out and replaced it with a roll bar.

Did rolling your car trigger this decision?

Agreed the roll bar is the safest means of protection when using harnesses. That being said, make sure you're willing to make that commitment to putting in the bar-even a bolt-in bar. Only reason I say that is because if you tire of the track driving thing, it's a LOT easier to resell a harness bar vs. a roll bar.

I've had both the Brey-Krause and the Weltmeister. Brey is stainless and very nicely constructed. The Welt is a bit flimsier and steel and painted. The Brey is much sturdier, but much more expensive. Look for a used one- that's how I scored mine ($135 delivered from eBay).

Definitely test sit the seat you're thinking of buying and also see if you can find someone who has it mounted in the car already. I had Recaro SRD seats in mine. They were very comfy, worked great with harnesses, light weight, quality seat. What I didn't realize was the fore-aft movement. Ended up returning to my factory RS America sport seats for the time being.

Definitely wise to get belts that are valid for the longest period of time. The 2 year expiration of SFI belts is total crap, but that's what some organization rule require. So the FIA belts that are good for 5 are the better deal. Even belt companies like Crow that offer re-belting services will end up costing you more in the long run.

[tc-sacto]

Unless your just doing autocross, I'm not a fan of tube frame seats such as the Forza. As a matter of fact they are no longer leagal in SCCA.

Get a full FIA approved fiberglass, carbon fiber, alluminum, or kevlar seat. Aluminum or fiberglass will be the cheapest. Kirkey makes an inexpensive and safe aluminum seat. Crow enterprises has nice belts at a reasonable price.

Aslo, as mentioned get an R3 or hans. In my opinion, if you can't afford one of these, you can't afford to DE.

Momo also has an entry level fiberglass seat

http://saferacer.com/momstarracse.html

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by KTL

Only reason I say that is because if you tire of the track driving thing...

are you posting drunk or something?

[KTL]

Yeah............. crazytalk, I know. I have seen people get all jacked up about the track driving hobby and go balls-out with the purchase of all the necessities to become a "racecar driver." Then somehow the novelty wears off. Along comes the fire sale (which is good us as far as used parts purchasing goes) and some stuff becomes a real PITA to sell when you gotta ship.