Sam's build thread

[metalhead]

Hey Sam. I'm using a 4 point at this stage. Most of the people I've spoken to about the submarining have told me they don't think it's anywhere near as much an issue in a production based car where the seat is very upright, compared to an open wheeler or other serious race car with a reclined seating position. Not sure how true or not that is, but it does make a lot of sense. I had to use plates (as in Gary's post) for the lap mounts as my Corvette, being an early car for seatbelts, uses a different-to-normal bolt/thread size for the factory belts. I couldn't use eye bolts and clip in shoulder straps as all the rear luggage area floor is fibreglass... So until I get a half cage built with built in harness bar, I bought a harness bar from a company in the US, which is specific to the year model of Corvette and very solid, tying into the factory lap and shoulder belt mount locations. As you know, I put a fixed seat in the car, I can't imagine anyone protesting you doing the same, I set up the mounts so it is a very quick job (easily <20mins) to swap between the factory seat and the bucket.

[sambb]

Cool. I cant have a 1 piece seat permanently in the car cos its not street legal that way, but yeah I could have one to go in before events I suppose. If that was the case (read if I could get out of that without too many dollars) then I would go 6 point. I'll have to look into how much of a mission that would be - to do seat and belts prior to an event.

[metalhead]

I bolted the seat sidemounts to plates that mount at the standard seat mount locations. Swapping between seats is 4 bolts - I lift the bucket seat out complete with all mounts. I use the harness in the car all the time now, but obviously you wouldn't be doing that, so yeh a 6 point probably makes sense. I bought the seat (seats actually, I have a pair - figured I'd probably want a pair if doing the Whiteline sprints) second hand quite cheaply. If you have clip in harnesses then they should be very quick to install and remove - then it's just a matter of how you do your seat mounts.

[Sydneykid]

Righto thanks Gary. I'll try to clear that morning and get out to see you.

Or drop into my work on the way to your work.

Cheers
Gary

[Sydneykid]

are you at Winton this weekend? I could come down and say gidday

Shoot, did I post Winton ......... should have been Wakefield ........ they both start with a "W" (feeble excuse). I'm not going, too much work and these days one track blurs into another

Cheers
Gary

[Sydneykid]

Cool. I cant have a 1 piece seat permanently in the car cos its not street legal that way, but yeah I could have one to go in before events I suppose. If that was the case (read if I could get out of that without too many dollars) then I would go 6 point. I'll have to look into how much of a mission that would be - to do seat and belts prior to an event.

There are ADR approved one piece race seats, which should be OK for "street legal".

Cheers
Gary

[sambb]

The engineer I spoke to said that a hatch (or any 2 door, 4/5 seater for that matter) has to have hinged seats in the front so that rear occupants can get themselves out or be extracted easier. Having a 1 piece on sliders doesn't even qualify as the rear occupants cant reach the adjuster and it may not afford enough room anyway. He said you also cant de-rate the seats safety so if its an airbag equipped seat standard then you cant install one without. If it was just me I wouldn't care but the kids are in the back all the time - happy to risk my own neck but not theirs. So until I get it registered as a 2 seater I'm limited to an equivalent seat (none of which are lighter but may have benefit of harness holes in the shoulders) or doing seat swaps. A snookered situation but things can be improved I guess.

[Sydneykid]

The engineer I spoke to said that a hatch (or any 2 door, 4/5 seater for that matter) has to have hinged seats in the front so that rear occupants can get themselves out or be extracted easier. Having a 1 piece on sliders doesn't even qualify as the rear occupants cant reach the adjuster and it may not afford enough room anyway. He said you also cant de-rate the seats safety so if its an airbag equipped seat standard then you cant install one without. If it was just me I wouldn't care but the kids are in the back all the time - happy to risk my own neck but not theirs. So until I get it registered as a 2 seater I'm limited to an equivalent seat (none of which are lighter but may have benefit of harness holes in the shoulders) or doing seat swaps. A snookered situation but things can be improved I guess.

I have no doubt the engineer is correct, but the policeman looking in your window and seeing an ADR approval on the seat is unlikely to know what an engineer knows. Especially considering the small time factor involved in driving to and from events. As I mentioned for events I used to add (before) and remove (after) things like seats, harnesses, bonnet restraints, camber, brake pads, catch cans, battery etc. Of course it wore pretty thin after a handful of years and I graduated to a trailered "race car".

Cheers
Gary

[metalhead]

I tend to agree with Gary's point of view, but it's all a personal risk assessment I guess.

[sambb]

oh yeah pre event I'll happily fit a 1 piece with ADR - I get why you mentioned that now. thanks

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.

I found this thing to be great.

CG-Lock Seatbelt Safety Devices

[sambb]

yeah I use something similar - a clam type thing like that that you use with child restraints/seats to hold tension on the capsules. Free with each kid seat ha ha. They do lock your hips down and help keep you in place so that you're not fighting the G's but I'm not sure they'd do much extra in a crash.

[sambb]

So a big night on the car last night..Lately id wanted to see how the stock farb would go with this suspension and after having trouble through the rough hillclimb track last weekend, decided id swap it out . I also wanted to see if there was any more caster available from the subframes and since they need to be dropped to get the bar in and out it was the right time .
My god getting the old bar back out and the new one in is like doing a mechanical rubics cube . A major pain in the arse job. If it wasnt late at nightwith neighbours/kids in bed id have knocked out the ball joints and tie rods to get a bit more wriggle room. The way i found is to get the drivers side of the bar on the front side of the driveshaft and subframe, but leave the passenger side one loose inside of the subframe (subframes still dropped though). You can then get it out the passenger side guard upwards at a 45 degree angle.
With the bar out of the way i replaced the rubber steering rack bush (passenger side only, the drivers side is solid any way) with a superpro mk5 Polo gti one (direct fit). Then i got the stock 19mm bar back in, arranged the eccentric bolt sleeves in tbe subframes so that the front bolts had the subframes as far forward as they would go and the rear eccentrics kicking the subframes out to the sides.
Today i bolted up the farb with my body weight in the drivers seat, backed the camber off to 2.4 degrees neg for the street and reset the toe. Ill be heading to the aligners soon to get some caster numbers and to get some definitive readings of the rear beam/toe shims so that i know where im at before i put simonk,s track widening rear spscers onto the rear beam . So ill get caster numbers later but the wheels are ridiculously far forward in tbe guards now. Im going to refit the OE 16in rims for the street.. They are ET38 so if i can ill swap tbe offset tie rod ends side for side to get the steering arms a bit more lateral in case they run tne risk of touching a driveshaft or something reaching so far forward like they do.
On the stock farb and the 450lb/in fronts i must say there is a definite ride quality improvement on tne street . Wont know till i track it if ive gone backwards but i have a feeling itll be better for the rsllysprints and rougher hillclimbs but it could be a different story on tbe circuit.. We'll see i guess. Pics to come.

[sambb]

Andrew you're famous - check out the main page.

http://hillclimbnsw.com/report-2018-rd-8-mantic-clutch-huntley-hillclimb/

[sambb]

superpro SPF3615K Polo 6R/Mk5

right front
left front

About as much caster as you can get without modifying the guards by shifting the hub forward. Car feels great and hopefully I can run with a tad less camber at the hillclimbs and have better power down traction.

edit: and before you tease me, yes that front ride height is intentional.