Safety improvements in 84 gtv

[DHDamo]

Hey wise ones, had car about a year now and Qld alfacomp finished up on the weekend - ended up doing about 8 events (7 sprints and FOIM regularity) and got progressively less slow throughout the season - even kept her on the black stuff. Loved it!

In the off season i plan to do a few minor mods, but i really want to get a hans device before trying to go less slow again next year. This will require harness and a new seat/seats. I guess i want to know is what "affordable not cheap" seat options are available - to fit my car, 116 gtv. Ive searched a bunch online and know whats out there and am happy to go for a fitting but always keen to hear what has been done and worked in the past. Its registered and will remain that way so i intend to use lap sash for my weekend escapades. Does this mean i cant go the 'full bucket' with side cutouts for harness belts or will a regular belt still work over the raised sides. Do some Seats not fit alfas, ie base or shoulder width?

I have a sparco wheel, so a matching seat would be nice but not a deal breaker just a narrower downer possibly.

Happy to hear thoughts on the above from the learned.

Cheers,

DB

[Paul Gulliver]

At entry level club sprinting a good seat is one of the best improvements you can make worth at least a couple of seconds a lap at any circuit.
Standard Alfetta GTV seats at the track are like are like sitting in a "wok" trying to go fast

Try something like this.

http://www.racerindustries.com.au/afawcs0161690/CATID=39/ID=12689/SID=680631583/Sparco-Evo-Raceseat-FIA-Approved.html

Gully

[jazig.k]

Fixed back race seats can use a regular seat belt. Might need to remove the loop thought the bottom hole come raceday?



If you want to fit fixed back seats the car will need to be registered as a 2 seater and have rear seats and belts removed as taken in to be witnessed at vicroads . Might be different up in QLD?

Research 4 point harnesses and 'submarine-ing'. Short story; Having no crutch belt in an accident you don't fold over the horizontal lap crossing, because both shoulders are held back, and risk sliding down under the lap belt. Internal organ risk, back issues and few other things.

Get in contact with Jap' importers, they have cheap used brand names like Recaro , Sparco and Bride's all the time. A few importers have eBay pages, but don't list everything so it pays to call around.
Second hand seats don't come with log books though, so no known crash history or anything like that...
Make sure you learn how to spot genuine and knock off brands too, unless you buy new from a licensed dealer of that brand. There's a huge knock off market for Recaro's and Bride's.

For roadworthy, I do know FIA approved doesn't equal ADR approved so will fail to pass even though I would think FIA would go above and beyond. Some seats are FIA and ADR approved, some are not. They come up on facebook for sale pages with a story about a defect asking for swaps for ADR approved seats every now and then.

[jazig.k]

One more thing regarding the 3 point belt, I've read about people installing shorter buckles so the buckle is though the belt hole and the belt sits on your lap the whole way across. Worth thinking about that too.

[aggie57]

Some good input already; I would add that as the seat is an integral part of the safety system in your car, take no chances.  Buy new, buy a name brand with the right certifications, and make sure both it and the belts are fitted correctly and securely.  Far to often at sprints I have seen aftermarket seats and belts mounted poorly. 

Have to say from your initial post it seems you have this attitude anyway, and I'm really adding these comments for others who may reference this thread down the track.

[DHDamo]

Thanks for the info guys. Im probably leaning towards new.

How crazy is the whole fia doesnt meet adr stuff. What a crock of a setup.

Might do some sampling this weekend.

Without a roll bar, is the steel plate behind backseat headrests (baby seat attachment?) a sufficient mount for harness with a ht bolt?

[Evan Bottcher]

The CAMS manual online has pretty clear advice on seat belt mounting points: http://docs.cams.com.au/Manual/GeneralRequirements/GQ10-Schedule-I-2014-1.pdf

If you make a new mount through the body, it must be backed by a plate as specified.  Standard seat belt mounting points are fine in a production car.

I run an Autotecnica fibreglass seat - ADR approved, and reasonably priced.  http://www.autotecnica.com.au/fibreglass-race-seat  Can't remember if it's stamped FIA or not?

[aggie57]

Without a roll bar, is the steel plate behind backseat headrests (baby seat attachment?) a sufficient mount for harness with a ht bolt?

Absolutely NOT!  Its weak, designed for small babies only.  I speak from personal experience here.  Back in '96 at Eastern Creek, hit the wall  head on in my '85 GTV6 at around 110-130km/h.  Not so fast for the track right?  The car had a quality Recaro competition seat, brand new 4-point harness mounted to that bracket.  The bracket gave way, I hit the wheel and broke two ribs.  It was a long, painful drive back down the Hume and I can still feel the bumps in my ribs to remind me of the several dumb decisions that led to that event.

It was a lovely, straight and clean GTV6 as well. 

[DHDamo]

So aggie is it a decent starting point that i csn just reinforce with a welded in plate? Bummer about your car and ribs.

[aggie57]

I've seen people mount directly to that panel behind the seats but sorry I can't comment in what they may (or may not) have done by way of reinforcement.

[Paul Gulliver]

I previously had my harness mounted to the baby seat fs you mentioned earlier,  only to be kindly admonished by Alister Grigg   ( Aggie 57 ) a couple of years ago.

What I since ended up doing since  is making a bridle out of seat belt webbing. Needs to about 1/2 a metre long and have three riveted holes in it. The holes at each end attach to pick up points  on the lower rear seat belt mounts  ( rear seat behind the driver ) The hole in the middle of the bridle gives you a central mounting point located at approx 45 degrees to where the shoulder straps exit the back of a racing seat. This is the angle suggested by CAMS in their hand book. 

[DHDamo]

Cheers Paul, that helps a fair bit. Did you do the holes in the seatbelt yourself? Seems like something i shouldnt just hook into with a drill 

I assume the 1/2 metre gives it enough slack to "raise it up" to allow the 45 deg - as per csms rules. Just bolting the harness  to the rear lower belt mounts will have the belts "pulling you downward" in an impact it would seem.

Dont wanna steal your engineered intellectual property but any chance of a pic?

DB