Hey guys, my dad is curious about putting 5-point harnesses in his MINI when he gets one this summer. How much work is involved in the install?

 

4 point like Schroth is drop dead simple

 

ok. I know when we had the miatas, it was more than simple, lol. They had to be connected to the roll bar behind the seat. It was a pretty tight area to be working in anyway. Thanks for the info!

 

You just have to remove the rear seat put two fastners over the existing ones and do the same on the sides, takes about 10 minutes. They are then very easy to install or remove.

 

Chris' car, not mine...

 

As said, Schroth is easy - R&R two bolts.
Nice part is they clip in an out quickly.
Five point would be a bit more involved, but I can't see needing that for the street.

 

Sort of a resurection post here, but I can't find an answer to my question. I'm looking at installing 2 harnesses. Should I go for 3 point or 4 point? There are options for snap-in connections and bolt-in connections. Which one is the easiest to install? Or the more practical? I already have Corbeau Forza 1 racing seats installed and I would like to finish them off.

I'm thinking about putting in a Wyvern Rear Seat Delete kits, should that effect my purchase? I really don't want to purchase this stuff and have wasted money on anything.

Thanks, sorry for playing 20 questions

 

The Schroth harness I have in my Mini is the removable type (pictured above). As you can see, the stock harness stays in the car and the Schroth harness is easily removable when not on the track. It is somewhat more expensive than the permanently installed system.

The initial installation for both types is about the same although the permanent type is a little more extensive in that you may have to remove the seat to get to the inboard belt attach point. Keep in mind the seat belt warning system will have to be dealt with if the permanent install is used. No such problem with the removable type in that the stock harness stays installed and the Schroth clips into the inboard receiver telling the car the seat belt's connected. Additionally, the auto-retract system is still active with the removable type.

If, by two harnesses, you mean left and right, they are both available from Schroth. Your stock harness is already 3-point. 4- or 5-point harnesses are your next steps. Street driving in the Schroth harness is inconvenient at best when cinched up properly. Loose shoulder harnesses or useless. It's difficult to reach cabin controls or look out the rear/quarter window while backing up or changing lanes. You can't even reach the door handle to close it with the harness on. With the available inertia reel it's less troublesome but more $$$$$.

The rear seat delete kit has cutouts for the rear seat belts which allows the Schroth system to be installed/used.

The basic question is why do you want a performance harness? Aesthetics or competition? Track or autoX they're essential. On the street they're uncomfortable and inconvenient.
Have fun!

 

Woo what an answer. That was great thanks for your help. The 3 point harness I was looking at was something similar to this. I might go with 4 point though, IDK.

I want harnesses for a couple of reasons. 1st is I don't feel safe with the stock seat belt. As I stated I installed a Corbeau Forza I seats in my car and the way the stock belt comes over my shoulder now I just don't feel safe. If I got in a wreck I think my neck would get sliced up something awful. Happens even if I put the inertia reel as low as it can go.

2nd I really like the way I feel in harnesses. I like the snug feel. I might have to check out getting the seats with an inertia reel because like you said, on the street harnesses can be a pain in the ***.

Thanks for your help. I'll continue looking around to find the best harness knowing I'm fine, especially with the RSD.