I was thinking of installing a half-cage with harness and racing seats (most likely 996 GT3) in my 997 Turbo which is also my daily driver. I had a few questions regarding safety.

For daily driving should I have my airbags disabled?

If I get the Hans device I'll be protected for high speed accidents when Im wearing my helmet but should I be worried about accidents when Im not wearing my helmet and driving on the street?

Are there any safety considerations I should take into account that I could be missing?

Aside from the extra time it takes to get buckled in are there any downsides to running harnesses w/race seats on a DD?

 

I left my airbag on and got an extension piece for the factory belts.
i just zip tie the 6 point behind the seat backs while on the street.

 

Like AZ997TT did, you should absolutely keep your stock 3 point seat belt on for street use. Do not use the 6 pt. on the street. Keep airbags (other than the one you lose when you take out stock seats).

 

I dont mind using the harnesses everyday, so I would probably like to remove the regular seat belts entirely.

I had another question, I noticed that many track groups have an official stance to bolt-in half cages are against track regulations, but I see plenty of people running them during DE events with no problems. So Im confused are they allowed or not? Or are those regulations for club racing and not DE?

I would probably be looking into the Tequipment bar, is it right to assume that I wouldnt have to permanently make any changes to install this bar?

 

Regarding the harnesses, I don't think it's safe to use w/o a Hans (or similar brand) device (which one would never wear on the street). In the event of a crash the neck would be exposed to a tremendous amount force, unlike what one would experience with a stock 3 pt. belt.
I've got the Tequipment bar - it's certainly allowed in the DEs I attend in the Northeast. I don't think it's allowed for club racing, which I don't do.

 

Tecquipment bars are not legal for most race groups that i know of, PCA, POC, NASA. They are fine for DE events and possibly Time Trails.
You might also want to look into GMG's new bar, if you are tall or long legged their bar has a recessed cross bar that allows the seat to be pushed further back. no modifications are made to your car.
you might want to reconsider using 6 point belts on the street. in order to be safe and effective, you have to tighten them up, thus you may not be able to get to reach things you may need to while driving. once you loosen them up to reach things they can be dangerous.

 

If you do that, I'd suggest wearing your regular seatbelt while street driving. If you wear harnesses without a Hans, in the event of a crash, your body stays put, but your neck/head will continue forward.

That being said, if you do a decent amount of DE/tracking, it's a nice bit of added safety while on the track (with a hans).

Still go for it, but use your regular 3-pt belt on the street.


-Joe

 

+1 - leave the stock belts for street driving. I only use them to get off-site fuel while at the track. I would never use my harnesses on the street unless you want to where a Hans + Helmet to go get ice cream....

Mike R. - good to see you at WGI last weekend.

 

There really is only one completely safe option for this scenario and it is to keep everything stock and not get the roll bar. Aside from what everyone else has pointed out, you have to also consider that using stock seat belts with a roll bar in the car also puts you at great risk of cracking your head open on it in the event of a roll over on the streets. Also remember that fixed back bucket seats are in no way designed for stock type 3-way belts. Most reclineable "race" seats would work though.

That being said, I would personally use the stock belts and reclineable "race" seats with the roll bar in the car on the street and harnesses/hans/helmet for the track. Its not going to be 100% safe on the streets but unless you are in a roll over I don't think you have much risk of banging your head on the roll bar.

Also, please do not use any type of "harness bar" that does not provide roll over protection. If you roll over with one of those the only thing that is going to move when the roof caves in on you is your neck. Stock seat belts are designed for you to bend and twist at the waist and shoulders when the roof comes down on you so don't EVER wear harnesses without roll over protection.

 

I think Im going to skip on this as its my daily driver. I recently started reclining the seat, locking the seat belt, and then moving my seat back into its normal driving position and that's actually been holding me pretty well so Im going to stick to that. Obviously race seats and harnesses are the way to go, but more for a dedicated track car.

 

You might want to check this out as well...

http://www.cg-lock.com/index.html

Great little mod for the price. It works great!

 

Sorry but how are you going to crack your head on the rollbar if its behind you?

 

You may or may not depending on how the bar fits in the car. I can imagine that in a Porsche, the bar couldn't really be too far behind you. Some four doors like the Evo IX are the only ones I have seen where the roll bar is behind you enough not to have to worry. You would be surprised how much you move around in an accident.

 

Gotcha...I wasn't thinking about how tight a Porsche was...

For the E46 m3 with the Kirk Racing Bolt-In Rollbar, there upper portion of the bar is pretty far back (almost against the rear seats) so I think this is enough room...