| Author | Message | ||
| Dom Vitarella (Dom)
Junior Member Username: Dom Post Number: 56 Registered: 11-2002 |
Unfortunately, I won't be able to make Mar 8. My weekends seem to always be busy with family/kid stuff. I definately want to make the Mar 1 POC time trial. It sounds like I don't need a harness for that one, that stock setup should be fine. I am going to try for the Feb 16 drive, but am still not sure if I can make it. Maybe just go part of the way. I have a G-Force SA2000 full face helmet that I picked up from racer wholesale for around $230. It's a good deal, though the helmet is not as light as a bell or other name brand (but it is half the cost!). You know, we almost bought a house in Oak Creek, but wound up in Tustin Ranch. I saved a considerable amount of money (it was a FSBY), and so I felt comforable buying the GT4. Worked out well for me. Dom | ||
| billy bob (Fatbillybob)
Junior Member Username: Fatbillybob Post Number: 200 Registered: 8-2002 |
Byron, You o.k. on the car but check the people you run with to see if M helmets are o.k.. | ||
| Byron (Bmyth)
Junior Member Username: Bmyth Post Number: 242 Registered: 10-2002 |
Billy bob... sounds like a plan... I just got my clutch adjusted and reservoir bled some 1 1/2 mo. ago... you think I'll need to do another? Get excited!... looks like I finally get to use my OMP harnesses! Hmm... all I need now is a helmet and some gloves... dilemma. SA2000, right?... Are you sure I can't use a Snell95 full-faced motorcycle helmet? (No Nomex, but protection is the same, right?) | ||
| billy bob (Fatbillybob)
Junior Member Username: Fatbillybob Post Number: 196 Registered: 8-2002 |
DROMO! on my calender. If anyone needs so help to get 3/1 track ready we can set up a little track ready party for those who want to bleed brakes/clutches, weld some harness anchors, set-up harnesses, drill some holes, change some oils? shine until it blinds. I got a lift and tools. | ||
| Byron (Bmyth)
Junior Member Username: Bmyth Post Number: 239 Registered: 10-2002 |
Dom, I live in Oak Creek, off Jeffrey and Alton. I know where Tustin Ranch is... I have friends and family in the Northwood/Northpark/West Irvine area... We should definitely meet up one of these days... I would love to see the GT4 as well. So are you going to prep it for the 3/1 event, then? If you saw from the other thread, I may try to fix my bumper before then... although... with the amount of driving we will be doing, I'm not sure if that's the best idea.... Are you taking your 308 to Ortega with the rest of us? Also, if you can make the March 8th dromo1 event, that would be great. I can forward you the information in case you didn't receive it. I believe Billybob's gonna make it there, right? | ||
| Dom Vitarella (Dom)
Junior Member Username: Dom Post Number: 54 Registered: 11-2002 |
I think one of the other posts has the POC details. I heard you can just sign up on the day of the event. Byron, we should definately meet. I'd love to check out your 348. Where are you in Irvine? I'm in tustin ranch, pretty close to the costco (in fact, I can walk to costco!!). If you want, we can e-mail off-line. (Or maybe we should keep posting to get those post counts up  Dom | ||
| billy bob (Fatbillybob)
Junior Member Username: Fatbillybob Post Number: 195 Registered: 8-2002 |
Who has got details on the TT with POC? Cost/sign up deadline etc...? | ||
| Byron (Bmyth)
Junior Member Username: Bmyth Post Number: 234 Registered: 10-2002 |
Dom, you're in Tustin? I live in Irvine. Billybob... the 3/1 trials is the Porsche Owners Club event at Streets of Willow. | ||
| billy bob (Fatbillybob)
Junior Member Username: Fatbillybob Post Number: 192 Registered: 8-2002 |
Dom, Redondo Beach. What time trial is 3/1? | ||
| Dom Vitarella (Dom)
Junior Member Username: Dom Post Number: 51 Registered: 11-2002 |
Ahh, the eternal question. How safe vs how original. At this point, I don't know. Since I only do time trials, I believe them to be safe (many clubs don't even require a harness). In theory, I probably don't really need one. However, having driven a car with a harness, I have to say it makes a difference in drivability on the track. But, since the car is new to me, for now I would like to keep it somewhat original. After all, this is a car I plan to drive on the street. For example, a dinner date with my wife, etc. Unfortunately, Race car and Street car seem to be two mutually exclusive things. Maybe I should have bought 2 ferrari's?? I'd love to check out your setup. Things are pretty busy here, but I am at least hoping to go to the time trial on Mar 1. I'd also like to do the drive on the 16th, but am not sure if I can make it. What part of S. Cali are you in? I live in Tustin. | ||
| billy bob (Fatbillybob)
Junior Member Username: Fatbillybob Post Number: 187 Registered: 8-2002 |
Well it depends on 1) how safe do you want to be, 2) how original and unmolested do you want your Ferrari? Personally I would never do anything non tested DOT unless I went all the way. Therefore, IMHO that means weld in anchors for harness or harness on the harness bar of a rollcage. Some guys did things like make a cr-mo bar that went from shoulder harness anchor to shoulder harness anchor and then clipped the harness on that. Personally that is dangerous because the bar is subject to benidng and failure in an impact. Thus you have an unpredictable anchor. See past FOC chater with harness bars by marshall Buck of FOC in the old days. If I saw your car I could tell you a good place to put them. Also, I have welding gear and plenty of metal plate if you want me to weld in some anchors. WE should talk if you want to do something like that. You can see what I did to my 348 to see if you like my welding. | ||
| Dom Vitarella (Dom)
New member Username: Dom Post Number: 49 Registered: 11-2002 |
Billy Bob, Well, after taking possession of my GT4 this weekend, I realize what you were talking about in this and your other posts. The setup on the GT4 does NOT allow you to use the stock seatbelt points on the rear seat for the top of the harness. The seatback is too low. If you did this, in an accident, the harness would certainly do some damage (spine compression?). In my alfa, the seatbacks are higher, so the set up will work. So now the question is, how should I install the harness in my GT4? Specifically, where do the shoulder harness points get mounted? Thanks, Dom | ||
| billy bob (Fatbillybob)
Junior Member Username: Fatbillybob Post Number: 174 Registered: 8-2002 |
POC sounds good. I'll do anything if I'm not fishing skiing or working to pay for any of the above. | ||
| Dom Vitarella (Dom)
New member Username: Dom Post Number: 44 Registered: 11-2002 |
Billy Bob, I'd love to see what you did with your car. I'll check the AROSC calender, hopefully I'll be able to do April. If all goes well, I'd like to do the Mar 1 event with the porsche club that they've been talking about. Dom | ||
| Byron (Bmyth)
Junior Member Username: Bmyth Post Number: 195 Registered: 10-2002 |
Billy Bob, You sound like you've had quite some experience with the 348's. As you know, mine was a former challenge car (#16 Yellow Shelton Car), but converted back for street use... there are still many remaining "Challenge" series conversions (e.g., factory challenge exhaust, ecus, roll bar <i>, gearing, etc...) If we get a chance to meet up some time, I would really appreciate your input on the current setup on my car. Since so much has been "re-modified" for street, I wonder if it is no longer as "track-prepped" as I originally thought when I purchased the car. Granted, I probably need to get myself a set of slicks, I kind of want to know what I really do have on my car... Still got my OMP's, though! If I'm going to think about doing the March1st track event, I may want a second opinion about my car before I go out... Hey, Big Willow in April, huh? I've taken my M3 out there before - it's a helluva good time on that track... any chance I can join you out there in my Challenge? Byron | ||
| billy bob (Fatbillybob)
Junior Member Username: Fatbillybob Post Number: 170 Registered: 8-2002 |
We have to meet. I running 2-4x with AROSC too. I'll be at big willow in April. If lucky I get to TCRA or Trackquest events too. Well if you want to weld in some anchors you can see what I did to the 348 | ||
| Dom Vitarella (Dom)
New member Username: Dom Post Number: 43 Registered: 11-2002 |
Billy Bob, I agree with what you are saying. For an outright race car, you really need good safety equipment, installed correctly. Including a roll bar that goes over your helmet. I know that the alfa club requires a correct roll bar on all convertibles for time trials and racing. For time trials, which are safer than outright racing, I think oftentimes people will make compromises. For example, my Alfa 164S, which is a daily driver, has a 6-point harness mounted to stock seatbelt points (existing seat belt bolts were replaced with eye bolts to allow for hookup of the harness). The bottom straps are mounted to the seat rail bolts. I agree that this is NOT an ideal situation. However, since my car is also my daily driver, sticking a proper roll-cage is just not possible. However, since I am only doing time trials, I think I should be OK, since the chances of accidents with other vehicles, walls, etc. are minimized. Most clubs (not AROSC) will let you run time trials without a harness. I believe what I have installed is better than a stock 3-point belt, though it is not up to real competition standards. The alternative is to have a dedicated race car. At this point in my life, this is not possible for me. When my GT4 arrives (next week!), I will use it for time trials, but it will also be a street car. For me, time trials are something for fun. I'm not very fast, and I do it infrequently enough (If I'm lucky, 2-4 times/year) that whatever I learn is usually forgotten by the time I'm out on the track again. It just doesn't make financial sense for me to have he all-out race car. Dom | ||
| billy bob (Fatbillybob)
Junior Member Username: Fatbillybob Post Number: 159 Registered: 8-2002 |
Dom, Be careful with safety equipment. If you are not doing OEM then no one can really help you. There is no race car crash testing at our levels. We have to emirically figure out what is workable. Be careful mounting 6 points to the seats. There is a reason that the best way to go is to use a dedicated race seat with all the holes and to have mounting plates for the seat belt anchors. Remember this is not OEM so it is not legal and you need to way over design your safety gear because you have no testing. I have seen lots of guys add minimal bars to 308s to run harnesses with OEM seats. Does it work? Well sort of but when you have had a 5 or 6 point harness with proper mounts and correct seat you can really feel the difference and drive better too. Along with death improperly mounted harnesses can cause severe injury just because they are mounted too high or too low. I have seen people mount the seatbelt anchors to the small 8mm bolts that the seat rails are on too! This is very bad. If you look at the way FNA did the 348 challenge cars those were bad too. Some would say I�m paranoid but having the shoulder harness anchors out of 2x2 plate welded onto paper thin firewall sheetmetal, and roll bar that you can�t clear your helmet, un-rated rollcage bolts with no �grip�, and undersupported rollbar seat are just not up to very high standards. |