A bucket drivers and OEM passenger seat is usually ok as long as they both are using the stock belts.

They just don't want you to have a 6 point harness with HANs etc and just have an OEM seat and belt for your instructor.

 

^That's what I thought too. The problem in all my research is that I keep getting mixed input as to what is actually required versus what is recommended. Obviously if money was no object it would have a rollbar, identical buckets, and harnesses and there would be no worries but I can't seem to find a straight answer. I'd like something just to get me out there the first couple times and by the time I've been a few times I'd imagine I have the funds to get the car setup properly. As of now I have zero real track experience, just some autocross, so I'll be starting at the bottom of HPDE1.

 

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I thought your passenger safety equipment had to match the driver's?

From my experience this comes down to the instructor's preference. I've never seen a tech inspection failure due to driver and passenger equipment differences. Personally I don't have an issue with the difference but I'm always ready to bring the guy into the pits if he isn't listening to my instruction or being too aggressive.

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if you get into racing, you may also end up taking doing wing angle bias toward corner/straight performance to help you get by a competitor who is really close to your times. you may never be able to pass him unless you go faster in the straight to get to a point where you can still brake and take the corner away from him, and once in front, he does not have enough of an advantage to get back in front of you out of the corner, or vice versa.

That's great info Keith

 

That would be awesome. I'm imagining a fully built car in HPDE1 with an OEM passenger seat.

"You ever do this an HPDE before?"

"No, but I've watched a lot of in-car footage on YouTube!"

 

Steve, even with it being an instructor's preference... I wouldn't want to show up to a fully booked event and find your instructor preferring not to get into your car.

 

That would be awesome. I'm imagining a fully built car in HPDE1 with an OEM passenger seat.

"You ever do this an HPDE before?"

"No, but I've watched a lot of in-car footage on YouTube!"
[/quote]
"I watch a lot of Ken Block videos"

 

Steve, unless you have a huge issue with seating position in the stock seat, I think you should try switching in the stock seat for a while. The roll bar you are looking at has the welded seat belt tabs so you can just run stock belts. Your seating position (from what I have been told) should allow you to depress the clutch fully without having to stretch with your toes and you should be close enough to the steering wheel to have a slight bend in your arms. Although it's not as comfortable as the bucket, it's more than worth it to get the car out on the track.

 

I had the Recaro out of the car recently and actually drove the car down to VA Beach with it and while it wasn't terrible it wasn't great either. That's with me getting every bit of room out of moving the seat back. From past experience I know it's terribly uncomfortable when you take into considering how much space you lose with the rollbar. I just can't stand to drive the car with my head way up high.

I completely agree with what was said above though as I'd hate to pay for an event and get screwed with an instructor that refuses to get in the car. Somehow I think for the very first time out I'd be ok but I'd also hate to find out the hard way.

I am tempted though to look for a used race seat (something still safe) but one that obviously isn't pristine. I figure I could save a couple hundred $$$ this way especially for something that would only be in the car a couple days a year max. I do want to get out on a real track BADDDDD though.

On a site note I do watch a lot of track videos on youtube and play a lot of Forza That should already bump me to HPDE2 right? :lol:

 

At this point I'm going to be heretical and say keep the S as a daily and pick up a 240SX or something that has a solid roof and a back seat, so you don't have to deal with the rollbar and seat issues. There are taller people who manage to make a track S work for them, but IMO it's too much hassle for someone starting out.

 

You can always just stick a corbeau in there...