2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.

roll cage and after market seats

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Old Dec 24, 2010 | 06:30 PM
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roll cage and after market seats

hey guys i have a RHD rx7 fc and it has a full roll cage and my wife brought me some aftermarket bucket seats (autotechnia sp66) which i have finally managed to bolt to standard rail.
now the passengers (lh side) is fine but the drivers one (rh) wont fit.
It is too high as in the top of the head rest hits the cage and i can not fit in and then i need my helmet to fit.
so what i am asking is what seats fit a fc with a roll cage and are not too high?


i tried the seat with out the rails to see if i could bolt it straight to the floor but it still will not fit and also hits on the bar that goes beside the seat to the gound.

any help would be greatly appreciated thanks guys.
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Old Dec 24, 2010 | 06:47 PM
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kirkey....such an awesome and comfortable seat
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Old Dec 24, 2010 | 07:27 PM
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They let you race on a track with that show cage and reclining seats?

Anyway, with that show cage you may need to get some custom seats like the Kirkeys mentioned in the post above.
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Old Dec 24, 2010 | 07:29 PM
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kirkeys are oh so comfortable
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Old Dec 24, 2010 | 07:53 PM
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No offense dude, but I hope that cage kit was super cheap or free.
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Old Dec 26, 2010 | 12:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Carzy Driver
No offense dude, but I hope that cage kit was super cheap or free.
why you say that mate?
its a genuine cusco cage.
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Old Dec 26, 2010 | 02:35 AM
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bolt in roll cages bolting to the floor are kind of feared


solid welded cage is typically stronger than a cage that has attachment links piecing it together.
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Old Dec 26, 2010 | 09:37 AM
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Originally Posted by SEDUCE
why you say that mate?
its a genuine cusco cage.
The Cusco cage is for show cars, not race cars. That is why your post is a little confusing to me because most people don't wear a helmet while driving a show car. The same thing goes for reclining seats. I am not aware of any reclining seats that are FIA certified.

Originally Posted by Hypertek
bolt in roll cages bolting to the floor are kind of feared.
The Autopower bolt-in cages are legal for the lower levels of SCCA racing. Personally, I went with a custom weld-in cage for my ITA 1Gen RX-7, but that's just me.
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Old Dec 26, 2010 | 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Evil Aviator
The Cusco cage is for show cars, not race cars. That is why your post is a little confusing to me because most people don't wear a helmet while driving a show car. The same thing goes for reclining seats. I am not aware of any reclining seats that are FIA certified.


The Autopower bolt-in cages are legal for the lower levels of SCCA racing. Personally, I went with a custom weld-in cage for my ITA 1Gen RX-7, but that's just me.

Oh by the way i am in australia and we do not have to have fixed back seats for drifting or weld in cages.

oh by the way this D1 spec fc has bolt in look here
http://www.driftworks.com/forum/powe...-fc3s-rx7.html
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Old Dec 26, 2010 | 08:41 PM
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nice cage.
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Old Dec 27, 2010 | 02:22 AM
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Originally Posted by SEDUCE
Oh by the way i am in australia and we do not have to have fixed back seats for drifting or weld in cages.

oh by the way this D1 spec fc has bolt in look here
http://www.driftworks.com/forum/powe...-fc3s-rx7.html
Your drifting event organizers are not doing you any favors by implying that the Cusco roll cage and reclining seats are safe. I recommend that you upgrade to FIA standards. You may also want to consider a HANS device.
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Old Dec 27, 2010 | 03:45 AM
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Dont get me wrong i am all for hans devices, but for drifting wouldnt it be to restrictive? During road racing the eyes head is pointing straight foward most of the time, but in drifting your head is turned most of the time, some times to the point of where your looking through the a pillar or out the side window
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Old Dec 27, 2010 | 05:59 AM
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personally i think bolt in roll cages are death traps, but if your determined. ideally you'll want to bolt in directly above the frame rail, most bolts in cages don't do this so i'll recommend you use the largest piece off 3/16 plate steel you can fit, above and below the floor. NHRA rules are minimum 20 square inches. but that's only a 5" x 4" piece.

my cage exceeds the rules for Solo1. 1.5 OD .120wall is required. I'm using 1.75 OD .125 wall.
i'f yours going to put in the effort you might as well do it right.
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Old Dec 27, 2010 | 06:41 PM
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edit: IHRA rules are .125 thick steel plate minimum 6" x 6". with 4 x 3/8 bolts sandwiching your floor between the plates.
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Old Dec 27, 2010 | 11:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Jross427
Dont get me wrong i am all for hans devices, but for drifting wouldnt it be to restrictive? During road racing the eyes head is pointing straight foward most of the time, but in drifting your head is turned most of the time, some times to the point of where your looking through the a pillar or out the side window
That was the case until about a year ago when HANS came out with the sliding tether system. See the animation in this link:
http://rallysport.ca/safety/hans_device.htm
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Old Dec 28, 2010 | 02:59 AM
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Cool i didnt know hans had come out with that. The only thing i can think of for a excuse now is just getting use to it. Like when it was mandated for nascar and some driver where complaining, but they all got use to it after time
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Old Dec 28, 2010 | 09:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Jross427
Cool i didnt know hans had come out with that. The only thing i can think of for a excuse now is just getting use to it. Like when it was mandated for nascar and some driver where complaining, but they all got use to it after time
they all fought it because dale ernhart didn't want to use it. then when he died in a crash when the hans device would have saved his life, their whole battle ended abruptly. no pun intended.

plan and simple end to this thread is that a role cage is unsafe for street driving. unless up plan to always wear a helmet.
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Old Dec 29, 2010 | 09:44 AM
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Iīm get sick of all these safety freaks trying to eliminate every single risk in everything human beings do. Yes, driving around at speeds many times faster then any human being was designed to travel by mother nature is dangerous and may kill you. So what? The best racing was done not so long ago when helmets and seatbelts were for pussies. Iīm happy the rest if the world doesnīt go safety crazy like the US, makes the sport exciting and cheaper. The world doesnīt end when some drifter punk loses his life in an racing accident, in fact, I think usually no more then 100 people even care. Not everybody has a fan/base. The only reason why there are so strict rules of safety in the US, and in top level racing is to prevent lawsuits, prevent loss of popularity after lethal incidents and to keep safety freaks happy. The best a cheap bolt in cage will do is increase rigidity of the car, and help out a bit in certain crash situations. It wonīt make racing risk free, neither will the most expensive, heavy and hard to get in and out of cage.

If you want risk free, get a different hobby. Racing is for men willing to give their life for the passion of driving.
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Old Dec 29, 2010 | 10:09 AM
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Originally Posted by Evil Aviator
That was the case until about a year ago when HANS came out with the sliding tether system. See the animation in this link:
http://rallysport.ca/safety/hans_device.htm
Or, take a look at one of the newer and IMO best head restraint systems out there.

http://www.defnder.com/

DefNder

I feel it is an improvement over even the sliding tether HANS because it is more comfortable, and provides better side impact restraint protection than the HANS, in addition to allowing great side to side head movement.
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Old Dec 29, 2010 | 10:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Tofuman FC3S
Iīm get sick of all these safety freaks trying to eliminate every single risk in everything human beings do. Yes, driving around at speeds many times faster then any human being was designed to travel by mother nature is dangerous and may kill you. So what? The best racing was done not so long ago when helmets and seatbelts were for pussies. Iīm happy the rest if the world doesnīt go safety crazy like the US, makes the sport exciting and cheaper. The world doesnīt end when some drifter punk loses his life in an racing accident, in fact, I think usually no more then 100 people even care. Not everybody has a fan/base. The only reason why there are so strict rules of safety in the US, and in top level racing is to prevent lawsuits, prevent loss of popularity after lethal incidents and to keep safety freaks happy. The best a cheap bolt in cage will do is increase rigidity of the car, and help out a bit in certain crash situations. It wonīt make racing risk free, neither will the most expensive, heavy and hard to get in and out of cage.

If you want risk free, get a different hobby. Racing is for men willing to give their life for the passion of driving.
You're an idiot. How people can justify dumping 30-50k or even more into racing/drifting cars yet go cheap and uncomfortable on the safety equipment is retarded. With $5000 anyone can add a full welded and very safe custom roll cage to a racecar, along with all the driver gear, helmet, head restraint, fire suit, etc. And for good measure put in a fire system...

Why NOT do it? Because you want to try to show you have bigger *****? That's just dumb...

Hopefully Darwin will correct the situation..

Edit: Oh, and one of the best things about a proper seat and harness system is it makes the car WAY easier to drive, when you are not being thrown all over...
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Old Dec 29, 2010 | 11:21 AM
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You're an idiot. How people can justify dumping 30-50k or even more into racing/drifting cars yet go cheap and uncomfortable on the safety equipment is retarded. With $5000 anyone can add a full welded and very safe custom roll cage to a racecar, along with all the driver gear, helmet, head restraint, fire suit, etc. And for good measure put in a fire system...

Why NOT do it? Because you want to try to show you have bigger *****? That's just dumb...
I agree! Donīt act like you know what goes around in my head. I would do so myself when I feel the need, can afford it or regulations demand it. I just donīt like people going around telling people they are stupid, because their safety standards are not up to their level. While they think they are invincible in their little safety bubble. There are no death proof cars, you can only invest as much time and money into safety as you have available. There will always be a risk factor. I doubt OP has invested 30k in his car, so the safety precautions he took are probably in line with the overall level of development of his car, his skills and clearly safety regulations in his racing series. Surely Iīd rather crash a F1 car into a concrete wall, than his, but unfortunately I canīt afford it.

BTW, people outside of the US donīt use the so called Nascar style side impact bars. They are not a great design with only safety in mind. Safety is only halve of a cageīs job.

Hopefully Darwin will correct the situation...
You wish me, and possibly the OP, a deadly accident, and you and the other safe and fit will thrive and survive? LoL?

Edit: Oh, and one of the best things about a proper seat and harness system is it makes the car WAY easier to drive, when you are not being thrown all over...
Oh man! I agree so much with this, thatīs why I have a Sparco fixed back bucket seat. But oh no, the licence is expired... I will probably die soon. Damn you Darwin! +/)

Riz.

Edit. Super Now took out their FCīs bolt in cage (of which by now you should know I agree isnīt the ultimate in safety equipment) to drop weight, and improved their lap time by quite a bit. In Time Attack where very thousand of a second counts this was a great decision. They showed commitment to the sport and I applaud them for that.
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Old Dec 29, 2010 | 12:13 PM
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I can tell you from experience a well designed weld in cage will improve lap times over a bolt in cage or no cage at all. When done properly a weld in cage drastically increases chassis rigidity, even when the rules limit the attachment points.

While i understand the source of your angst, Risk-averted pacifist euphorians. There is a huge difference between being safety conscious and engineering a vehicle not only for speed but incident survivability in racing vs those scared folks who simply do not wanting anything to do with the sport, and try to get others to not participate either. I have a serious problem with attitudes like yours and others who take offense to those who have a high interest in their safety and the safety of those they race with. These items should have priority over turbo upgrades, coilovers, and body kits no matter the budget, car, or arena of competition. If people took more responsibility for their own safety and the safety of those around them there would not be the sue-all mentality in this country in particular. Which is the reason sanctioning bodies have to have very detailed safety equipment rules.

It has nothing to do with eliminating risk, nobody in racing with any wit at all would claim any one safety precaution or any number in combination will ever eliminate risk.

I feel safer on a track than i do on any street in America, even in a street car (stock safety equipment) in both cases. At least racers have some level of car control and are paying attention to what they are doing. That being said it does not mean that mitigating chance of and severity of injuries should incidents occur should not be a prime priority in the sport.

The problem folks dont understand is most often when people go the "bolt-in" route with safety or do half assed things like reclining seats with racing harnesses etc. They are actually reducing the overall safety of the car vs a bone stock setup.

Further, with the money it takes to be even remotely competitive in autosport, at even the amateur levels, safety gear is relatively cheap. Thus ultimately if you cant afford basic safety equipment you don't belong near a competitive event on a racetrack. There is a ticket booth outside, buy a seat and enjoy the sport as a spectator.

HPDE style events, and autocross are another arena. Where stock levels of safety are fine while you learn and grow as a driver.
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Old Dec 29, 2010 | 12:54 PM
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I can tell you from experience a well designed weld in cage will improve lap times over a bolt in cage or no cage at all. When done properly a weld in cage drastically increases chassis rigidity, even when the rules limit the attachment points.
Agreed.

Iīm not gonna reply to every other point you made in your post, but in general we agree. I do think you are slightly more safety oriented than I am, and that is fine. You might have very good reasons for that out of personal experience. There for I want to apologise for the tone I spoke about racers lives.

In general I think you need to be happy at one point when it comes to safety. For instance F1 is super safe now, lets just keep these safety standards, making it possible for the new teams to invest some money on actually getting quicker. Would be nice for the driver if noone ever breaks a leg or something but come on, 9 out of 10 times a F1 driver gets hurt isīt doing tennis or walking to the fridge. Itīs getting ridiculous.

On a bigger scale, I do understand people trying to eliminate death of traffic participants completely. But it would be nice if people just said OK, we have less lethal accident then 50 years ago, yet way more traffic. Great job, letīs keep it like this. No, my government has decided noone should loose their lives in traffic, so computers should take over driving as quickly as possible. Soon I wonīt drive to work, but be driven. Already modern cars arenīt controlled by their drivers, but the car decides whether it allows you to control it.

So yeah, the way our society develops is really frustrating to me, and thatīs why I sometimes seem to overreact in ruler that fit in that development of the world. Sorry,

Riz.
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Old Dec 30, 2010 | 08:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Tofuman FC3S
BTW, people outside of the US donīt use the so called Nascar style side impact bars.
Most of the people outside of the US are at least 20 years behind in technology, but the OP lives in a country in which he should at least understand the concept. You, on the other hand, have a good excuse.
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Old Dec 30, 2010 | 06:28 PM
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Yeah, Nascar is clearly superiour...

BTW, The DTM cage is in a nearly 10 year old car, the Nascar chassis canīt be identified by me, and might actually be 20 years old or new, not much changed there...
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