Printable Version | Subscribe | Add to Favourites
New Topic New Poll New Reply
Author: Subject: Don't laugh but...
T0MMY

posted on 19/5/14 at 10:23 AM Reply With Quote
Don't laugh but...

...I'm wondering if I can use a child's booster seat in my Vortx to see over the aero screen. I'm not that short at 5'10" but I find myself craning my neck to see properly as the original builder must have been a lanky bugger. In the longer term I will have to look at raising the drivers seat but I was wondering if getting a suitably narrow booster cushion would be ok or is that a big no-no with 5 point harnesses?

[Edited on 19/5/14 by T0MMY]

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
gingerprince

posted on 19/5/14 at 10:47 AM Reply With Quote
Probably better with a black bin bag, perch where you want to be then fill it with expanding foam like No More Big Gaps. That way it'll fit the seat and your @rse nicely. Hard bit will be "hovering" in the right place until it sets
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Stot

posted on 19/5/14 at 10:52 AM Reply With Quote
I did along similar for somethig else, I asked my warehouse manager to request a sample of a large 'instapak'. These are the bags that are filled with expanding foam, they get a bit hot as they set so jeans rather than dress trou but they set in seconds.



Cheers
Stot

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
daveb666

posted on 19/5/14 at 11:01 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by gingerprince
Probably better with a black bin bag, perch where you want to be then fill it with expanding foam like No More Big Gaps. That way it'll fit the seat and your @rse nicely. Hard bit will be "hovering" in the right place until it sets


That is very clever!





2007bc Photography - Commercial and Wedding Photographer based in West Yorkshire

http://www.2007bc.co.uk / http://www.huddersfieldcommercialphotographer.co.uk

View User's Profile Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
Mr Whippy

posted on 19/5/14 at 11:50 AM Reply With Quote
Just put some plastic or wood (painted black) spacers between the seat and the floor. Cheap and cheerfull.
View User's Profile E-Mail User Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
benchmark51

posted on 19/5/14 at 12:13 PM Reply With Quote
Eat more burgers, get a bigger bum. Worked on the wife
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
T0MMY

posted on 19/5/14 at 12:55 PM Reply With Quote
Sadly, much as I enjoy eating horrendously unhealthy food, a bigger bum would struggle to fit into these seats and would cost me some performance too.

I did have another idea though:-



Got the first few rings on now as we speak and I'll add one a week until I can see my nearside wheel

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
daveb666

posted on 19/5/14 at 01:30 PM Reply With Quote
LOL @ Tommy.

My other half is only small so needs some sort of booster seat; not necessarily so she can see over the aeroscreen but so her shoulders and arms fit in the correct place in the GRP seats.





2007bc Photography - Commercial and Wedding Photographer based in West Yorkshire

http://www.2007bc.co.uk / http://www.huddersfieldcommercialphotographer.co.uk

View User's Profile Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
T0MMY

posted on 19/5/14 at 02:12 PM Reply With Quote
I just nipped to Halfords and tried their own-brand £10 booster seat. It fits quite nicely into the GRP buckets on my car but it's actually too high and gets in the way of the bit of the harness that runs menacingly down between your legs too. Could be suitable with a bit of modification but I might look at some of the other excellent suggestions I've had in this thread.
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
daveb666

posted on 19/5/14 at 02:13 PM Reply With Quote
For a tenner I think I'll probably give the Halfords booster seat a go tbh. Was it made of polystyrene?

[Edited on 19/5/14 by daveb666]





2007bc Photography - Commercial and Wedding Photographer based in West Yorkshire

http://www.2007bc.co.uk / http://www.huddersfieldcommercialphotographer.co.uk

View User's Profile Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
T0MMY

posted on 19/5/14 at 02:17 PM Reply With Quote
Felt like it, yep. It even matched the red and black colour scheme of my car.

Actually the fairly solid cushion off my armchair works quite well though so maybe I should just use that until I stop messing around and just raise the seat up!

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
sdh2903

posted on 19/5/14 at 02:32 PM Reply With Quote
Do you have a seat runner fitted? If not it would raise the seat up without the faff (and embarrassment ) of the booster
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
T0MMY

posted on 19/5/14 at 02:43 PM Reply With Quote
Already has runners...Maybe I'm even shorter than I think I am
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
sdh2903

posted on 19/5/14 at 03:02 PM Reply With Quote
I'm sure someone on here could turn you up some ally spacers to fit between the runner and the floor

Stick some 2" wood in until you can get some proper spacers sorted.

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
dhutch

posted on 19/5/14 at 03:12 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sdh2903
I'm sure someone on here could turn you up some ally spacers to fit between the runner and the floor
Or drill a hole in the middle of some ali bar? Do they even need to be round?


Daniel

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
jeffw

posted on 19/5/14 at 03:25 PM Reply With Quote
Is the more obvious fix not to lower the Aeroscreen? It would maintain the low CoG you have now and does away with the risk of death that might result from using a childs booster seat with a 4 point harness.

If you don't believe me on the last bit just bear in mind that a booster cushion was a major factor in the death of a Lady caterham driver at Goodwood while taking part in a sprint. if the cushion/booster moves during impact (and it almost certainly would) you would have effectively undone/loosened the harness which would not be a good idea.

[Edited on 19/5/14 by jeffw]






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
rdodger

posted on 19/5/14 at 03:56 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by T0MMY
...I'm wondering if I can use a child's booster seat in my Vortx to see over the aero screen. I'm not that short at 5'10" but I find myself craning my neck to see properly as the original builder must have been a lanky bugger. In the longer term I will have to look at raising the drivers seat but I was wondering if getting a suitably narrow booster cushion would be ok or is that a big no-no with 5 point harnesses?

[Edited on 19/5/14 by T0MMY]


I am the same height and also couldn't see properly when I sat the MNR demo a few years ago.

I was told by the guys at MNR that they could raise the seat. I asked about a lower aeroscreen. I think to see clearly it would have to be a clear screen or none at all with the seat on the floor.

I'm with Jeff. Change the seat. Raise the seat or best of all remove/swop the aeroscreen.

I forgot to ask. Are we talking about the shaped skuttle here or an added on aeroscreen on top of that?

[Edited on 19/5/14 by rdodger]






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
T0MMY

posted on 19/5/14 at 04:04 PM Reply With Quote
It's the added double bubble aeroscreen. Removing it neatly would be a bit of a pain in itself because it's bonded to the bodywork with something rather than just bolted on. Probably easier to just raise the seat!
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
renetom

posted on 19/5/14 at 05:56 PM Reply With Quote
Hi
We just used 2" box section aly bolted between the seat runner & the seat.
worked a treat
Good luck

View User's Profile E-Mail User View All Posts By User U2U Member
bi22le

posted on 19/5/14 at 07:58 PM Reply With Quote
When I had bench seats in the Striker I had trouble seeing the inside wheel.

I used a piece of insulation board for lofts and other things cut to shape and put under the seat.

Its not the best idea for you but I think and polystirene block will do.

JeffW - I did not know that the lady passenger died due to this? Any more details or information? My wife used to always sit on a jacket or jumper when in my car. There was no way the harness was going anywhere and sliding of the bum would happen regardless of booster or not.





Track days ARE the best thing since sliced bread, until I get a supercharger that is!

Please read my ring story:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/13/viewthread.php?tid=139152&page=1

Me doing a sub 56sec lap around Brands Indy. I need a geo set up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHksfvIGB3I

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
daniel mason

posted on 19/5/14 at 09:40 PM Reply With Quote
This seems strange! I'm same height and never had any visibility issues with either of my mnrs. Both with aero screen






View User's Profile E-Mail User View All Posts By User U2U Member
T0MMY

posted on 19/5/14 at 10:14 PM Reply With Quote
Well I guess it depends on what seats you have, how they're positioned and also how much of you is legs and how much torso, neck and head
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
jeffw

posted on 20/5/14 at 05:03 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by bi22le
JeffW - I did not know that the lady passenger died due to this? Any more details or information? My wife used to always sit on a jacket or jumper when in my car. There was no way the harness was going anywhere and sliding of the bum would happen regardless of booster or not.


She wasn't a passenger. She was driving a Caterham round Goodwood as a double driver with her husband. She lost control coming out of the chicane in the wet and hit the end of the pit wall side on. In the impact her head hit the petty strut which cause the injuries that killed her. The reason her head was able to make contact with the petty strut was that she has sat on some type of booster which shifted in the impact and effectively loosened the belts. If she had been sat in the seat normally with the belts done up she may very well be alive today.

This information was from someone who attended the Coroners court on this accident.






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
daniel mason

posted on 20/5/14 at 05:50 AM Reply With Quote
I don't think it will be long before jans devices are enforced in Motorsport. I wouldn't run without mine! Great bit of kit






View User's Profile E-Mail User View All Posts By User U2U Member

New Topic New Poll New Reply


go to top






Website design and SEO by Studio Montage

All content © 2001-16 LocostBuilders. Reproduction prohibited
Opinions expressed in public posts are those of the author and do not necessarily represent
the views of other users or any member of the LocostBuilders team.
Running XMB 1.8 Partagium [© 2002 XMB Group] on Apache under CentOS Linux
Founded, built and operated by ChrisW.