How to remain behind the wheel?

[boxster or briefs]

Hello all. I am a new owner of a 2003 boxster s and even newer member to this forum so pardon the ignorance. I just started autocrossing and I am hooked. I am wondering if anyone has expierence using the "CG-Lock" seat belt lock to keep you centered behind the wheel when autocrossing? I am tired of cleaning the inside driver's side window from my cheek marks. If anyone has a suggestion other than the CG-Lock it would be appreciated too....short of replacing existing seat with racing seats. Thanks in advance.

[Topless]

When driving my stock Boxter I just use the "dead" pedal to press my butt back in the seat when cornering. My only other experience is racing seats with 5 point harness. Very secure and not very comfortable. Some guys put a twist in their lap belt to keep it tight.

[racer_d]

Untill you change the seat, the rest are all just compromises..

1) CG lock can be helpful
2) Bracing your left leg on the dead pedal when not shifting is helpful

I used to latch my 3pt, then pull up on the shoulder part of the belt and found that was sufficient. I never ran a CG lock

However, if you hop in a car that has, say GT3 seats, Recaro or Sparco race seats, you will quickly realize just how much of your energy is going into "staying still" instead of driving.

you must have really big cheeks to leave marks on the window (oh yeah, no matter how cold, you are always faster with windows and top down

[der Geist]

Racer_d is 100% correct. I have the gt3 seats but not the harness. What I usually do is lock the belt and then slide the seat forward. This tightens up the lap portion of the belt considerably. Gotta get those 6 point harnesses I have been told if I want to DE and have GT3 seats.

[j.fro]

Wow, I can't believe they're letting you run with the windows up! I thought that "windows down" was a basic safety regulation.
Anyway, here goes with my 2-cents:
I auto-x with the seat considerably more forward than if I'm just driving and I feel more planted in the seat. Also, I had a very experienced 944 racer show me a trick. He uses one of those soft tool tray liners in his seat. The ol' backside feels glued to the leather.

[mdex]

Windows down is actually not safe.... there is a reason that race cars have nets. If you roll the car your natural reaction is to reach out to stop your fall... there have been cases where people have reached out of the open window and then had their arm crushed by the car.

Oh, and on topic nothing is as good as a seat... and the good news is in our cars with the top down it isn't that bad to swap the seats in and out with the stock ones as needed.

[racer_d]

Originally Posted by der Geist

Racer_d is 100% correct. I have the gt3 seats but not the harness. What I usually do is lock the belt and then slide the seat forward. This tightens up the lap portion of the belt considerably. Gotta get those 6 point harnesses I have been told if I want to DE and have GT3 seats.

That seems odd that they would require 6pt belts. The GT3 seats were used in europe in conjunction with the factory 3pt belt. Now, you may need to re-route the belt to make sure it goes through the sholder and lap holes as provided, if not already done so. That said, the extra snugness (and safety) that harnesses provide is nice too

Thats one drawback to PCA regions.. the national sets a minimum standard and then the regions try to "one up" it to make them feel safer and less liable. Off topic, i know, but its just silly. Especially when one wants to run with multiple regions.

[boxster or briefs]

Thanks to all for their replies, they were helpful. I just read an old thread which coinsides with what der Geist mentioned. It tells you to put the seat into racing position and then put the seat-back to fully reclined position. Then buckle the seat belt pulling the over the shoulder harness tight. Then reposition the seat-back to the racing position. I tried it and it works great!

[der Geist]

Originally Posted by racer_d

That seems odd that they would require 6pt belts. The GT3 seats were used in europe in conjunction with the factory 3pt belt. Now, you may need to re-route the belt to make sure it goes through the sholder and lap holes as provided, if not already done so. That said, the extra snugness (and safety) that harnesses provide is nice too

Thats one drawback to PCA regions.. the national sets a minimum standard and then the regions try to "one up" it to make them feel safer and less liable. Off topic, i know, but its just silly. Especially when one wants to run with multiple regions.

.

What's even more frustrating is that the local PCA doesn't have these new "rules" published anywhere. And they don't return emails. For the record I was told they are only requiring 5 point belts at this point but I shoiuld just get the six point as the change would only be a matter of time.

[Topless]

PCA Zone 8 still allows a 3 pt for DE and Time trials as long as you are in a stock class.

[racer_d]

Originally Posted by der Geist

.

What's even more frustrating is that the local PCA doesn't have these new "rules" published anywhere. And they don't return emails. For the record I was told they are only requiring 5 point belts at this point but I shoiuld just get the six point as the change would only be a matter of time.

The main difference between 5 and 6 pt is how they hit you in the balls., 6 pt avoid the balls better than 5.

In reality, I think you need only look at the PCA Clubrace rules as a guideline for futre DE requirements.

The region to region stuff sucks because region A might say you need no extra safety equipment but region B says, if you're at a certain run group, you practically need a dedicated car. This DE stuff has progressed so freaking far from just "enjoying your car on the track".. rant off, for now

[mtch]

Speaking of DE's, is anyone having trouble with the convertible top / roll bar / broomstick test? The 987 has an improved roll bar, but I'm working with a 986 right now and I've run into problems. Some regions communicate inconsistant info regarding the roll bar requirements. It's getting to the point that I'll only attend DE's with my local because you never know if you'll get to run until you show up for tech inspection.

[racer_d]

Originally Posted by mtch

Speaking of DE's, is anyone having trouble with the convertible top / roll bar / broomstick test? The 987 has an improved roll bar, but I'm working with a 986 right now and I've run into problems. Some regions communicate inconsistant info regarding the roll bar requirements. It's getting to the point that I'll only attend DE's with my local because you never know if you'll get to run until you show up for tech inspection.

That's another weak spot.. can vary with the regions AND the tracks.

For instance, VIR requires a BK Bar on all 986 Boxsters regardless of meeting the broomstick test without one

Some regions don't care.. Others mandate the BK bar.. Others "substitute" the BK bar for the Hardtop. I had this problem last spring. My local region said either BK or Hardtop. Another region that ran at my local track required the BK bar, whether a hardtop was installed or not. Then, other clubs don't even care about the "brookstick" test.

In the end, its your head and neck that will take the beating should something bad happen. How much is that worth to you? I found a used BK bar for about $350 and didn't look back, since that met a "minimum" for both the clubs and tracks I wanted to run at and was much cheaper than a Hardtop and frankly, I didn't view a hardtop as a strong structural element in case of roll-over.