Hey all,

After about a year or so of driving my R53, I’m beginning to question the safety of my seat/harness/cage setup. I’ve read that it can be dangerous to run bucket seats and a 5 point harness in a street car. The concern seems valid, since the harness doesn’t allow me a ton of movement in the case of a collision to the side of the car.

However, I much prefer the feeling of my seats and harness vs a stock seat and belt setup, especially since the handling is pretty stiff.

Do any of you have bucket seats and a harness in your Mini? Am I driving a death trap and I don’t know it?

 

Is this car your daily driver or a dedicated track car? Driving a 5-point harness in a street car with air bags seems "overkill. To be very honest (with no animosity intended), are you just playing "boy racer"? If so, don't. If you're not and just like to feel planted in your seat and can rationalize the time and trouble to latch up every time you get in the car, then, by all means, do your thing.

 

I really just want to feel planted, but it does feel overkill a lot of the time. I’ve thought about tinting my windows to not be visible, haha.

I wonder if there’s a way to put regular seatbelts back into it, because the seat itself is what really made the difference for me.

Either that, or it’s time I finally buy a daily to replace my last, and keep this to a track only car.

 

Either buckle them all or don’t buckle at all.

I read also you are caged. If you are truly caged, and not just hooped or half caged, you should also wear a helmet every time. The bars will kill you in a crash otherwise.


if you thinking of riding in a 5 point on the street, at least get the lap amd anti submariner done up tight, but leave some a couple fingers slack in the shoulder harness, what killed Dale was his body stopped cause he was securely strapped in but his head didn’t stop. Internal decapitation. That’s why street belts have some give in them and HANS devices have some minor slack before they start to catch your head.

 

It’s half caged from the seats back, does that pose the same risk?

Yikes, I didn’t realize that was a big concern with harnesses. I’d rather be safe in a daily than feel strapped in, so looks like it’s time to start car shopping. Better to keep the track day stuff to the track I suppose.

 

Back Half cage you are far far far less unlikely to strike your head against a tube in an accident as long as the hoop is behind the seats. It’d be a freak accident. On a full cage it could be quite likely in any sort of Tbone or rollover accident., anything with a lateral component.


not meant to be overly scary, but more a warning as people don’t often think of the physics involved. I’ve driven a full caged e28 on the street for suspension tuning purposes and I always wore a helmet for that reason.

the way most people do up belts on the street, you have about the right amount of slack anyway, but I’ve seen some folks that do them up like it’s a track day and that’s scary. Or people that 90 degree to seat floor mount the shoulder belts

 

If you want a set of seats that are more supportive than the oem mini's. i have a set of Recaro seats out of Mitsubishi Evo with mini sliders that I'm willing to part with to go for a more track car conversion. Pm me if your interested. Im also located in Chicago Land Region.
Whoops, didn't see you had Corbeau seats already.