I'm building an 84 Vette with an LS1 and T56. I plan to keep it street legal, but am sacrificing a lot for the track (no A/C, sound deadener, radio etc). I want to run a set of Kirkeys or similar. I do not want to put in a roll cage this year (I know, I know). So anyway I want to run a 5-pt harness, but don't like the prices I'm seeing at Ecklers fo harness bars, and I have yet to find a used one.

So, are there other alternatives?

Just have one fabbed by a local shop?

Any of you have one for grabs?

Thanks in advance!
-Shaun-

We have them in stock for your 84. I might have a couple that the powdercoating is chipped and I could knock some dollars off it you want.
http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/product ... p?cPath=21&products_id=38

I've got one of Gary's bars in my car.

It's a leap above the rest.
Gary connects directly to the seat belt holes, and since it's collinear, there's no need for anti-rotation devices.

It's also been tested at the track by several drivers who have walked away from some pretty serious wrecks.

Used ones are rare, I've seen a few for sale mostly on Ebay.

You can make your own but if you don't know someone the welding may be costly.

I made mine and used:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/me/steel.html

03-55300 4130 SHEET 6" X 12" X .125" $8.28
03-10800-4 4130 STEEL TUBE 2X.065 4FT $26.40

It's gas welded to federal aircraft specs. Use bolts down into the frame, the top metal by the targa mount studs isn't thick enough.

[IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o130/Aardwolfki/harnessbar3.jpg[/IMG]

Total weight is only four pounds.

Thanks for the responses guys!

I'm leaning toward race style seats w the holes in the backs (I wish I could think of a more articulate way to say that). So, I'm wondering if the high mount position of the hardbar would work.

However, I'm not sure if I am judging this accurately as the pics I have seen are w stock seats.

Any thoughts?

You WANT the bar up high.

Otherwise you spine would be compressed in a wreck.

If you look up the SCCA competition rules, you see it all spelled out.

http://www.scca.com/contentpage.aspx?content=44

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My harnesses came with instructions on what angle to install them at. I sat in the seat and measured to be exact.

Most clubs require the straps to go through the seats, same for the sub strap.

Right, Brian, I was under the understanding that too low is bad as the shoulder straps are to prevent forward motion, not hold you down.

I'm only wondering if it is high enough to make the straps contact the top of the seat-back holes. I'm assuming from your response you do not think this is an issue.

BTW, I am mesmerized by your avatar!!!

Aardwolf, I like your fabricated solution. Since this is a track car, I have zero issues with mounting. I know most harness bars are intended not to have to cut up the car. I may end up w something similar.

Since I don't care about cutting the car, could I use the 90-up C4 bar? What is different? I tend to see the 90-up bars more frequently.

Your right too high is as bad as too low.

The distance between the shoulder harness bolts separate the 90-up cars from the rest.

The SCCA rule is that the belts SHOULD BE installed straight back from the shoulders. Should be allows them to angle down to the bar by a max of 20 degrees.
It runs in my mind thet most belt mfgr's say 12 degrees but I don't have that in front of me.
I tech for SCCA but NASA should be about the same.

Your best bet would to get that bar from Gary and sell it when you put the cage in.

Nobody likes it when I chime in because I suggest doing your homework, but here goes anyway :tongue:

Take a look at the Schroth website. They have the best and most descriptive (with great diagrams, etc) information regarding harness installs that I've found. In general, though, as stated above, you want the lap belts to attach to the stock locations and the shoulder belts to be no more than +/- 20* from horizontal. It's also important to have as little belt slack as possible, the less belt length there is the less there is to stretch in a crash.

If you're not super worried about cutting up the car then my suggestion is absolutely to get a decent 4 point roll bar in there. DRM (dougrippie.com) has one for about $450. You can weld it in for now, and when you get around installing a full cage you can simply pull the bars forward from your existing main hoop.

If you don't want to go that route yet, Gary's stuff (hardbar.com) is very good, he knows racing.

You are correct in wanting a racing seat. It is dangerous to install 5 or 6 point harnesses over stock seats. A harness is ineffective (and potentially dangerous) if used with a stock Corvette seat.

I'd also go with a 6 point harness unless you already have a 5 pt. The cost is basically the same, and 6 pt belts are more comfortable. I have not seen anything difinitive regarding safety advantages, but if it's more comfortable you're more likely to wear it properly. And they don't crush your junk - to me that's worth a lot of cash!

I have lots of pictures of installs if you want to see anything.

I had this in my car when I started. I had to cut it out for the cage because the rear bars have to be straight, but I'm sure you can find one that meets the rules. I don't know who made this one, it was in the car when I bought it.

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Ah Jon, Noooooooooobody would ever think of giving you any crap.

Jon's right about the Schroth website. And about the stock seats and 6 point. I'd have to check but I'm not even sure if the 5points are legal anymore.

Should be listed in the rules above.

I'm still thinking about this. I think the roll bar pictured above may be this:
http://www.dougrippie.com/drm/suspens ... cketsfor%20C4%20Corvettes

I like the idea of the roll bar, though it will bump me into the next class.
I also like the idea of the simple install Hardbar, which I could also resell if/when I go to a cage...

Maybe if Mr Hoffman gets back to me with a price I cannot refuse it would push me over the edge... :thumbright:

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I'm surprised that the rollbar would change your class. Safety should NEVER change class, with the possible exception of extra, unnecessary frame attachments (i.e. a 10 pt cage versus a 6 pt).

Lastly, if you go the full rollbar route, see if they'll make you one with straight rear bars instead of that kink at the bottom.

I totally agree that safety mods should not increase your class!!

I run street tire class and assume their logic is by the time you have a roll bar or cage your car is serious enough to be in the top street tire class. Thing is by keeping the 5.7 LS1 I was hoping to stay in the 2nd from the top (SS). My Z28 did very well there, and so no one should be able to touch the vette.

All that said. You are also supposed to keep the heater (and door panels, dash pad, and carpet) to stay in these classes, and I don't really want to do that, so I may be screwed anyway,

Decisions, decisions...

What club's rules are you trying to follow?

Street tire class aounds like autocross.

I would think the engine swap would put you at the top of the food chain.

Quote:
I run with MCSCC
http://www.mcscc.org/autocross.php

And yes it is autocross. They call the stuff I run "High Speed Autocross". It is one lap on a full road course (no cones). The tracks we run are 1.8 miles and similar.


My 02 Z28 was class champ for 07 and 08. I figure w a C4's superior suspension, and lighter weight... and the Z28s LS1 power...
Lets just say I cannot wait!

Plus I intend to make this car more race oriented. A/C, Radio, anything that doesn't help speed will get tossed (within the rules and keeping it street legal).