I’ve recently completed my first track evening at Donnington with my MK2.5FL and absolutely loved it.
The main thing I came away thinking needs improvement is not actual mechanical upgrades but just to be secured more firmly in my seat as I was sliding in my leather seats and holding onto the wheel for support more than steering.
At the end of the evening I could feel it in my shoulders.
I guess the best remedy are bucket seats or a harness (but this would require a roll hoop). But I don’t want to aggressively change the car as I love dailying it to work.
I’ve read articles about a CG lock which locks the lower lap part of a standard belt to stop you sliding but doesn’t help your shoulder support.
I thought I’d ask for advice here on the solutions people have found (if it were a problem).
Unless you replace the seat with a deep winged bucket seat you will still be bracing your knee on the transmission tunnel and the seam in the seat back will still chafe on your shoulder blade and both will start aching after a while, which can be more distracting that you think. You do not have to have harnesses with a bucket seat. I have always considered a seat that stops you having to hold on for dear life the first proper modification anyone should do as it does not mater how great the car is if you are falling about everywhere.
It’s been a long while since I fitted a seat. From memory the last one was a Cobra Suzuka. 580/590 is the widest you can go at shoulder level else you can’t shut the door or you have to cant it over.
I have used a seat cover, a few quid from Lidl, which helps a bit.
Others have had success with clamps that you put on your seat belt, pull tight across your lap then the clamp stops it loosening off. They never worked for me but other swore by them. Cost about a fiver on ebay so maybe worth trying.
Complete answer is a bucket seat and harness, but depends how much trackwork you are doing, and shoulder straps can make it impossible to see anything to the side. So not safe on the road. And if poorly fitted can cause serious injury in an accident (eg if the rear anchor point is too low then sudden deceleration compresses the body downwards.)
I’d just be inclined to fit a decent bucket seat, as previously mentioned a full harness seat belt is very restrictive for every day driving and for track use if its correctly fitted and adjusted does keep an occupant firmly in place so much so the in the event of an accident, God forbid, will restrain the drivers/ passenger body but makes the neck susceptible to serious whiplash injury when wearing a helmet which is why anyone competing in circuit racing or rallying now has to wear a frontal head restraint device, FHR or HANS, as seen being worn by F1 drivers. I co drive on forest rallies and have to wear one but it’s the most cumbersome uncomfortable thing to wear but at least it prevents neck injury.
It’s strange, but I don’t have this problem at all and i’m not sure why. Maybe because of my height i’m wedged in tight! Perhaps i’m managing to cling on and not notice it, I dunno. My issue is always getting the top of my helmet to clear the roof.
Outside of that there is no easy way around it all, it’s just one of those things you can’t have satisfactorally for both road & track.
What about fitting fabric seats and doing a foamectomy?
Is it not possible to fit a bucket seat and harness but leave the original seat belt in place?
That way you can use the seatbelt for everyday driving and the harness for track days.
I’m sure this is the arrangement we have for Project Merlot, but Martin or Robbie will correct me if I’m wrong.
This is the only picture I could find but you can see the seat. The standard belt fitted just fine. I had to drill the transmission tunnel and fit a spreader plate for the buckle but it worked just fine.
Yes it’s certainly possible to leave the standard seat belt in place and to also fit a harness but isnt the standard belt buckle fitted to the seat in a mk3?
this could work, the bottom is already hairy enough
