Modern helmets ruin vintage look for me

I was looking on a website about Italian & French cars that had some great pictures taken at Monterey of racing Ferraris but thinking "why can't someone invent a vintage looking helmet that looks like '50s and/or 60s helmets?" Because it completely ruins the effect of you're seeing a car that raced at LeMans in the '50s or '60s and the guy is wearing a helmet made in 2010, a full coverage helmet. I am not saying drivers should risk their lives buying a helmet that doesn't protect but isn't there any vintage looking helmets that meet the SNELL standards. That would be like going to an air show and seeing a guy flying a P51 Mustang but wearing a modern flight suit, those ones that compensate for high g-force but weren't invented back in WWII

 

I doubt that it's possible. Modern helmets look as they do because they incorporate far more energy absorbing material than old-fashioned ones did. In other words, they are thicker and hence much larger. A driver's head is much too important to be put at risk in the name of period correctness. I think you're just going to have to live with modern headgear. About as close as it gets are the current open-faced helmets that are somewhat similar to the Buco and Bell helmets of the mid-sixties.

 

Photoshop is your friend?....

I just kind of "look through" them. I don't notice them in a good shot.

Cheers,
Ian

 

I think you answered your own question. There aren't any old school looking helmets because they are not as safe as modern helmets and modern helmets look the way they do for the purpose of safety.

 

To some degree, I'm with Bitzman on this.
I understand the need for safety but I think something along the lines of the "Jim Clark" helmet Dario Franchitti wore at Goodwood a couple of years back would be a reasonable compromise.
At the very least, can we agree to banishing the bright green, yellow, blue scalloped and flamed full face hats that look ridiculous in a '50s Ferrari?

It's a bit ironic that Goodwood enforces a "period dress" code for the spectators and the drivers look they just arrived from a paint ball match...

 

I am not sure how you feel about 3/4 helmets but the designs from MOMO are very nice!
Motorcycle | MOMO Helmets
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Yes, I suppose we can agree on that as far as the decoration goes (though it obviously bothers some more than others). I don't think that any organizing body wants to be in the position of telling a driver that he or she isn't allowed to wear a full-face helmet.

My own POV is that I'm watching a vintage race for the cars. I had never even thought about the helmet correctness angle. I know it's not 1956.

 

I agree that that no organizing body wants to tell a driver that he can't wear a full-face helmet; the liability issues are too great.
I do think that if you can afford to own a Maser 250F or Ferrari 312B you can afford to have a helmet in the same scheme as Fangio or Ickx...

 

Why not just have everyone's lawyers work on a universal liability waiver? Track owners would like it, car owners would like it and our good friends the attorney's could still bill outlandish fees. Problem solved.

I've always liked this style helmet.
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Aren't these referred to as porridge pots and doesn't Stirling occasionally use one of these when he make demonstration runs?

 

I looked for a long time to find a period correct helmet. Found some manufacturer in South America, and another in Italy. The Italian ones were very expensive. I believe they complied with current specs. However it does depend on what type of event your wearing the helmet in. If its a full out racing event then stick to a modern helmet that complies with current regulations. It is most likely you would be required to have such a helmet anyway due to the rules of the event. However if it is an open car and your going on a Sunday drive I guess you could wear what you want. I would be weary about ordering one over the internet as the fit of even the same helmet of the same size that you may have tried, can be quite different from helmet to helmet.

 

Yep.
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LOL!
Looking at that photo, one can easily see that those things offered virtually nothing in the way of protection.

 

Motorcycle helmets don't have to meet the standards of motor racing.

 

This looks heroic, but I wouldn't want to do it without modern protection. Accidents happen, better to live to tell the tale.
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So the priority is that it's more important to look period correct for the spectators at the expense of the safety of the participants.
Sign a waiver so we don't ruin it for the spectator's.
Gotcha

Where's the beats head against the wall emoticon again?

 

Bell star classic is about right. Full face but has the vintage shape. There are quite a few open face sa2010 helmets out there, but I wouldn't wear one.

 

If you're talking about the waiver referred to in post #9, I'm pretty sure that was "tongue in cheek".

 

1) i agree. Look at kimi's james hunt helmet. The paint job helps.
2) airshow guys do wear nomex these days because it's safer than vintage garments.

 

sorry, thanks

 

I appreciate the reply. I wasn't sure if the "necessity" was in the form of a general statement in fine print; something along the lines of "thou shalt wear a helmet" in our event. What I posted for you is infinitely better protection than a 50 year old helmet...and they look darn good!

 

It would be nice to photograph drivers with period correct helmets but I'm all for safety first.

I suppose one could stage a shot without putting the driver at risk.

Here are two pictures I took from different times. Both were taken at Sebring during some exhibition laps before the 12 Hours.
The first one was taken in 1982 and the second one in 2014. I believe Derek Bell is driving in the second one.
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No car or aesthetic principle is worth a life.

 

You might as well say

"Modern fuel cells in vintage cars ruin it for me".

 

Buy a vintage helmet of the era you like on Ebay. Stage your shots as stills or very low speeds with this helmet ( with panning the camera you can make the car look as if it is going fast ).
Use the vintage helmet only for these desired pics but not for actual use as a track helmet...use only a new approved helmet for tracking and actual driving.