Roll Bar, Sparco seats, Race harness Install guide ~Pics~

[SexOnWheels]

This particular install guide is designed for the do-it-yourself guys/gals in modifying a fourth generation F-body.

I installed a number of ‘bolt-in’ parts this winter and tried to document with pictures everything I did as I did it. Last years install of suspension parts (shocks, springs, A-arms) I never got around to doing a full guide and received allot of e-mails, and private messages regarding the finer details of the install.

I purchased brand new Torino 2 Sparco seats (LS1.com for sale section), an Autopower four point roll bar (frrax.com classified section), five point racing harness (thunderracing.com), as well as some smaller parts like a new billet shift knob (TR custom parts), etc.

When I went to price out a brackets and sliders for the seats I found they wanted over $300 + shipping which coming to Canada can be a real pain not to mention great cost. So I decided to use the stock brackets and sliders and adapt them to my new seats. As it turns out Sparco Torino two seats have the exact same dimension for the width of the sliders which allowed me to us the mounting holes in the rear of the seats but unfortunately the front mount holes/bolts could not be used.



As you can see the front mounting hole was quite a bit forward and on an angle to the new seat base. So I cut measured and cut a large walled pipe to be used for a spacer to mount the front part of the brackets.





This spacer was fitted so that there would be no gap and the bolt could go through and be drilled out and tapped complete with a nut to secure the bracket/slider to the base of the new seat. A nut was used for a spacer in the back of the bracket do the slider was free to move back and forth on the track.

Here is a picture of my father getting ready to drill a pilot hole for the front bolt:



We drilled out the hole and tapped it so that the bolt fastened to the base of the seat and secured it with a nut:

Here is a picture of the installed spacer at the front of the seat:



Here is a picture of the nut (used as a spacer) at the back of the seat:



This made for a strong mount and the same system was used for both seats even though the bracket where different from driver to passenger sides. This would still work for an electric base as well.

Here is a picture of the completed seats:



They really fit well and the new seats are comfortable but most of all offer more support for lateral loads subjected to the driver in a road race (or Auto-X) situation.

Here is a shot of the completed installed seats with the roll cage, harnesses also in the picture foreshadowing the following guide for the belts and cage:



I want to put up some photos of the shifter knob install for an A4 transmission to show how nice the piece was and of course show the end result:

Here are the parts (notice the A4 adapter):



Here is picture of the shaft as it is seen with the OEM knob removed:



The adapter goes on first with allen screws holding it in place:



And finally the end product:

[SexOnWheels]

Now onto the roll bar install. I removed the rear seats, kick panels, and sail panels. We placed the roll bar in the car and marked where the mounting holes need to be drilled:





We drilled the holes through the floor and through the wheel wells for the cage to be mounted:

Here are the bolts sticking through the wheel well:



Here is the mounting plate attached and everything bolted up:



And the mounting plates under the floor:



I purchased some used sail panels on LS1.com just in case I wanted to return my car back to stock (yeah right) and used these to drill a hole for the bar to go through:





Here is a shot of the completed install minus the padding:



A couple of pictures of the padding I ordered through e-bay from a member named race_basics:



Here is an end shot showing the oblong shape of the padding which is also fire proof as well:

[SexOnWheels]

The Harnesses were straight forward as I used the existing mounts for the lap belts, wrapped the shoulder harnesses around the roll bar and only had to drill two holes for the sub belt (crotch strap). I used the supplied hardware and existing bolts:









The only problem in replacing the belts was the annoying seatbelt light which I cured by going to the wreckers and buying an end to match the sensor:



Plugged it in and tucked it away out of sight and the light is no more!

One more glory shot of the finished install:



Now I am legal in wheel to wheel racing which I am entered in this year at RCMP in Calgary, Alberta Canada. This should be the best season of racing that Sow has been in so I can hardly wait to ‘swap paint’ with some Mustangs!

Comments, observations, questions, suggestions welcome!

[Eugenio_SS]

great write-up

[Eugenio_SS]

did you lose head clearance w/ the helmet on ? or you gained ?

[SexOnWheels]

did you lose head clearance w/ the helmet on ? or you gained ?

Thanks for the comments, I will say that with these particular seat the clearances stayed the same.

I would have liked to be lower but for any tall drivers out there the better option would be side mounts.

The only problem with the side mounts is that you lose the slider capability (most times) and you need a full race bucket to get them to work.

For some reason I still want a cross between a street car and a track car.

I do own a trailer but I do not want 'Sow' to be a trailer queen full time!

Thanks again Eugenio this years winter mods (entitled Safety first) were very rewarding as the car is so much more stiffer (even with a bolt in roll bar) and of course the interior looks allot better with the new seats!

[Eugenio_SS]

now you are ahead of me ... but not if we get @ the same track

[SexOnWheels]

..now you are ahead of me...

And that is the way it will always be my friend, me ahead of you!!!

[Eugenio_SS]

are you coming to http://www.race4awish.com ?

[SexOnWheels]

Looks like a allot of fun but I started a new job at the city last year in August and as a result only get four holiday days this year.

So I will not be able to make the long trip this year but maybe next.

I am planiing to go to Sask, BC, Montana, and of course here in Alberta to race though.

I am going to stretch out the four days as best I can.

How are your mods going? You must almost be done as it is May now? When will we see some progress on your car?

[Eugenio_SS]

i've been bad... lots of stuff on the house that i've been spending time, not to mention work, where i had almost 2 months of doing 120+hrs/week. At the end of that work-sprint... I escaped to Jamaica for 2 weeks... I really needed a rest.

[SexOnWheels]

Jamaica must have been nice!

Now that you are well rested you better work on your car.

Take plenty of pics as you go as well!

[4URGT]

Hey wondering how much and where u got the shifter knob? Very nice seats hoping to do the roolcage and seat upgrade to mine very soon. What did the cage and seats run u?

[SexOnWheels]

Thanks for the compliments.

Welcome to LS1.com!

I paid about $1k for the seats (new) but sold here on the for sale section.

I bought the cage used for about $250 + shipping (which was not cheap).

The Shifter comes for this website:

http://www.buickgn.com/

They are now handling the former MBA billet parts which are all top notch in lity!

[98maro]

old thread but good info here