When are you going to call me??
Lar
SP
Lar
SP
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
Ummmm
Guys, safety equipment is VERY important. Ask any racer who's been in an accident about it. Friend of mine runs pretty quick and had borrowed a friend's car for some racing. 2runs after he returned the car to his friend a slick blew and put it into the wall - it caught fire. No onboard extinguisher, thankfully the guy got out okay. Scary thing? My friend normally wears a single layer jacket, his friend was wearing a 3layer. The 3layer is what kept him from being burned badly, a single layer wouldn't have done the job.
Don't skimp on this stuff guys. If you're going that fast you never know when fate will step in. Heh, at 135mph trap speeds I'd be tempted to have a parachute just in case even though it's not "required" until 150mph. We've had at least one guy here lose his brakes and trash his car pretty good on the big end. Some tracks are lenient, that's true, but even if you can get past them you should still have the equipment. Lot's of those rules were written through trial and error - other people's errors that cost some of them dearly.
I've got a full cage in my project\street car including 4 soon to be 5point harnesses. My reasoning was that the older car had NO side impact protection and that the much bigger engine would twist the chassis if I didn't take steps to strengthen it. It's not my driving that I was really concerned about but everyone else's. Everyone I know says they don't plan on having an accident, I just laugh since no one I know who's been in one actually planned it....
Oh yeah, if you do put in a cage and still drive it on the street use the harnesses. Nothing worse than bouncing around in there like a ping pong in a blender in the event of an accident. Dying sitting on your harness would truly suck! SFI padding on the bars is a REAL good idea - and cheap too
Guys, safety equipment is VERY important. Ask any racer who's been in an accident about it. Friend of mine runs pretty quick and had borrowed a friend's car for some racing. 2runs after he returned the car to his friend a slick blew and put it into the wall - it caught fire. No onboard extinguisher, thankfully the guy got out okay. Scary thing? My friend normally wears a single layer jacket, his friend was wearing a 3layer. The 3layer is what kept him from being burned badly, a single layer wouldn't have done the job.
Don't skimp on this stuff guys. If you're going that fast you never know when fate will step in. Heh, at 135mph trap speeds I'd be tempted to have a parachute just in case even though it's not "required" until 150mph. We've had at least one guy here lose his brakes and trash his car pretty good on the big end. Some tracks are lenient, that's true, but even if you can get past them you should still have the equipment. Lot's of those rules were written through trial and error - other people's errors that cost some of them dearly.
I've got a full cage in my project\street car including 4 soon to be 5point harnesses. My reasoning was that the older car had NO side impact protection and that the much bigger engine would twist the chassis if I didn't take steps to strengthen it. It's not my driving that I was really concerned about but everyone else's. Everyone I know says they don't plan on having an accident, I just laugh since no one I know who's been in one actually planned it....
Oh yeah, if you do put in a cage and still drive it on the street use the harnesses. Nothing worse than bouncing around in there like a ping pong in a blender in the event of an accident. Dying sitting on your harness would truly suck! SFI padding on the bars is a REAL good idea - and cheap too
Welds
I'd not heard about cro-moly fracturing - ouch! Another point about the welds though - don't grind them. Some people will grind the welds "smooth" to have a better looking cage, doing this will get the cage invalidated as the inspector will not have been able to properly judge the weld. TIG makes some really nice welds if the welder knows their stuff Cage and cell in my car cost me a grand and that was the "buddy" discount from a professional. Make sure someone experienced does the work, in an accident that experience could save your life and is worth the added cost.
Safety equipment costs money, no doubt. Blowshields (you've got one right?) are dated, flywheels are SFI rated, seatbelts are dated\replaced regularly, and on and on. Seatbelts for $60 were mentioned earlier, you sure that's the kind of thing you want to shop on price for? I spent extra on mine to get the quick release buckles, I think I paid $90 apiece not counting the 5th point. That added $60 for the pair is peanuts if it keeps me or my PASSENGER safe in an accident.
Yes, my passengers are required to wear the belts too. Any grief I might get is quickly silenced when I point out how bouncing off the padded bar might feel. 3point OEM belts just aren't good enough when you're surrounded by steel pipes IMO. Besides, showing the women how to buckle up and adjust the straps is kind of fun if you do it right
This sounds preachy and I guess it is. However if it keeps just one person out of a wheelchair or pine box it's worth it. If you've ever been in a bad accident just once you'll understand what I mean. I've only been in one that could've been bad but I distincly recall the OEM belt holding me back just inches from going through the windshield and I had flashbacks for weeks afterwards. That accident was through no fault of my own and it wasn't a racing situaiton. Even on the track the guy next to you can get stupid and around here people have actually been known to drink before climbing into their car (sigh).
I'd not heard about cro-moly fracturing - ouch! Another point about the welds though - don't grind them. Some people will grind the welds "smooth" to have a better looking cage, doing this will get the cage invalidated as the inspector will not have been able to properly judge the weld. TIG makes some really nice welds if the welder knows their stuff Cage and cell in my car cost me a grand and that was the "buddy" discount from a professional. Make sure someone experienced does the work, in an accident that experience could save your life and is worth the added cost.
Safety equipment costs money, no doubt. Blowshields (you've got one right?) are dated, flywheels are SFI rated, seatbelts are dated\replaced regularly, and on and on. Seatbelts for $60 were mentioned earlier, you sure that's the kind of thing you want to shop on price for?
I spent extra on mine to get the quick release buckles, I think I paid $90 apiece not counting the 5th point. That added $60 for the pair is peanuts if it keeps me or my PASSENGER safe in an accident. Yes, my passengers are required to wear the belts too. Any grief I might get is quickly silenced when I point out how bouncing off the padded bar might feel. 3point OEM belts just aren't good enough when you're surrounded by steel pipes IMO. Besides, showing the women how to buckle up and adjust the straps is kind of fun if you do it right
This sounds preachy and I guess it is. However if it keeps just one person out of a wheelchair or pine box it's worth it. If you've ever been in a bad accident just once you'll understand what I mean. I've only been in one that could've been bad but I distincly recall the OEM belt holding me back just inches from going through the windshield and I had flashbacks for weeks afterwards. That accident was through no fault of my own and it wasn't a racing situaiton. Even on the track the guy next to you can get stupid and around here people have actually been known to drink before climbing into their car (sigh).
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
