hi guys,

so, sorry for the strange question here, but just like the title says, is it possible? do people ever do it? i am looking at eventually getting the GT3 seats, but until then, i was curious about the harnesses w/out the race seats.

i contacted a place that sells the harnesses and asked them this question, and they stated as long as the length clears the OEM seats, that it would work.

have any of you done this? if so....do you use a 4 point, 5, 6 point? and how do they install in a boxster w/out a mounting bar? i would be the harness for autox and not the track at this point.

what do you think?

thank you in advance!

 

There is a lot of info in various racing forums along with some debate. The net of it is don't do a harness without the proper seats. The Boxster roll hoops are the mounting bar BTW. Personally, I would not do a racing harness with the correct seats but without some kind of HANS-type neck restraint. The problem is that your stock seat belts are designed allow your torso and head to rotate/slop out of the shoulder belt and hit the airbag in one relative piece. By anchoring in your torso, you dramatically increase neck injuries like basal skull fracture (i.e. death). Safety is a serious subject.

If your intent is just to keep your butt in place under high cornering loads (not primarily safety), the GT3 seats will do that. If you want something before you get those pricey seats, you could try the CG-Lock. I have not personally used it, but people have highly recommended it. If you are intent on getting GT3 seats, I would recommend getting them sooner than later. Remember these are 996 seats and getting harder and harder to find because they are not being widely produced and 9x7 guys are snatching them up because the 9x7 "bucket" seats are 2X as much. I put in a set a couple years ago, and they are not really depreciating.

 

The big problem with stock seats re multi-point harnesses is the lack of any means of maintaining the shoulder harness location. This is what the holes in track seats such as the GT3 seat provide.The danger posed by the stock seat is having the shoulder strap slip off of your shoulder and losing the strap's body retention capability.

BTW, an intermediate solution exists if you don't have the coin for a GT3 seat. Get an aftermarket seat such as a Sparco, Recaro, Kirkey or Corbeau to name a few. Prices are usually about 1/2 to 2/3 of a GT3 seat.

And, like Arenared said, never use a multipoint harness without a H&N restraint.

Bro

 

Agree with others - no 5/6 point harness w/o proper seats and a HANS.

 

thanks for the info guys! i have an opportunity to purchase some actual GT3 seats from a friend at a reasonable price, but thought, if there was a way to go around having to get them yet still use a safety harness, i would try it. but based upon your info, i can see it's best to get the race seats, even if i get a less expensive brand.

thank you kindly for your info guys! i truly appreciate it!

 

I second what everyone has said... not safe... you need a proper seat... hans... etc... but to answer one of your questions... yes people do do it. Get a 6-point, and make sure it gets properly mounted... there is some great info on mounting over at the Boxster Racing Board

 

If you are using the harnesses to keep yourself planted in AX, you'll probably be fine. But without a HANS equivalent device the belts can lead to serious injuries. Safety systems are never easy to sort through. They often are very interactive.

Bill P.

 

as many have said...no seat-no harness...one thing you can do to snug yourself in with the stock set-up is to move the seat back a little, then click in..then slide the seat forward again...should snug you in pretty good...

 

I've got a harness in my car with stock seats. It's a Schroth piece with three mounting points and a seat belt type of buckle. Obviously it's not a full race harness like the 6 point unit I've got in my race car. I use a bolt in the back of the car to mount the shoulder straps instead of the roll bar, and I only use it rarely with very spirited driving just to pin me to the seat a little better. I would have no issue with using it for autocross (but I use my race car for that). If I do use it on the road I buckle the stock belt over top of it as the main risk with not having a race seat is that your shoulders will easily slip out of the belt - thus the stock belt as a backup.

Personally I think a setup like this is perfectly fine for autocross which is a relatively safe form of racing. I also use my race car as my daily driver (gets great gas mileage), I strap in with four points of the harness, have a race seat, and full cage, but I don't wear a helmet or HANS device when commuting. I don't know.... I just don't see myself raming into a wall at 120 mph when doing the daily slog to work.

 

thanks much for the info and advice guys. i know that race seats for my DD are going to be more uncomfortable. mostly, i just wanted to be more snug for autoX and occasional spirited drives. that's why i had considered the option of the belts with stock seats. i guess i could use both the stock and the harness belts.

i appreciate all of your thoughts and opinions!

 

the GT3 seats make it a little more difficult to get in and out but I don't find them uncomfortable for daily driving...take the plunge