Harness Mounting

[Steve Demeter]

Did anyone read Fastrack closely in the August issue of Sports Car??
The Comp board has recommended changes to the harness attachment mounting requirements to state that all mounting points must be within the passenger compartment, due to danger from attack by oil, fire, etc.

What defines the passanger compartment on a formula car?? I don't know about anyone else, but in order to get the belt angles right, mine need to be mounted aft of the rool hoop , which I would think is outside the passenger compartment.

How does everyone plan to handle this new requirement, because, I would have to remake that area of my car and sit much farther forward and raies the hoop to maintain the roll cage requirements, etc??

Any ideas anyone??

[Dave]

Formula cars don't have passenger compartments, only driver compartments...

[Will Burton]

Drivers compartment is forward of the firewall. Roll hoop is OK where it's isolated from the engine compartment.

[EYERACE]

Steve, ignore Fastrack on this point...in general my experience with an "in use" formula car is that the annual Tech inspector looks at the car and says "yup - that's a formula car" after that if the fire bottle is charged, the belts are not expired [don't get me started on belt age: 2 vs 5], you've got a fuel port, there are no leaks and the kill switch works you'll get signed off. the point you raise is interesting but the comeback, if this is suddenly an issue, is "sign me off with the note that I must change it before the next event, not this one, and let's all go have fun"

[DaveW]

Steve, if it isn't too difficult to do, you could "move the firewall back" by building a rearward firewall extension(s) that shield the belts from flame in the engine compartment. That would meet the intent and the letter of the proposed rule.

[Steve Demeter]

Dave,
Boy are we lucky to have you around.
I never would have thought of that.
I have been trying to figure out how to add structure for new mounting points, etc.

Thanks

[Purple Frog]

Steve,
I thought cars that old were homolagated without seatbelts. [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]

I was going to tell you to get a 2" x 3/8" steel strap and bolt it to the original mounting points, extend it through the "firewall", then bolt the belts to it. Use AN hardware of course. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Steve Demeter]

Froggie,
Another ingenious idea
Thanks