Tow Hooks, Seat Braces, Driver Cooling & more

#1

Tow Hooks
[li]Somewhere online (but not on a NASA site) I read that NASA is planning to require that there are no solid objects that protrude from the outline of the car (i.e., tow hooks) and that straps are going to be required. Is this true? If so, will the BMW motorsports strap work on E30’s equipped with diving boards?[/li] [color=green]OEM tow eye + safety[/color] [color=orange]orange[/color] [color=green]krylon = compliance[/color]

Seat Braces
[li]The CCR has an entry in the table of contents for a clause on seat braces, but there’s no clause in the text. Does that mean that they are not required? If they are, does it matter that I have an FIA homologated seat?[/li]

Driver Cooling
[li]I’m planning on getting a Cool Shirt system (probably the 8 or 12 quart). Any advice, caveats, etc?[/li] [color=green]Purchased from OG[/color]

Fire System plumbing
[li]I bought the 4L steel AFFF system from Bimmerworld (thanks James!), but I was wondering what type of hardware I should use to secure the hoses, nozzles and cables, and where to get it?[/li] [color=green]Adel clamps – much easier to find once I knew the name - $5/10, versus $3/2 at the bicycle shop[/color]

Thanks!
:woohoo:

Post edited by: sharkd, at: 2005/08/04 01:31

Post edited by: sharkd, at: 2005/08/04 01:32

#2

tow hooks: I just cut a slot in my air dam and wrapped a flat strap loop around the factory tow eye at the end of one of the frame rails (underneath the diving board on my '86/87 car)

seat brace: typically they are just required on FIA seats older than the 1999 spec. Though, a friend of mine just put one on his seat (cause it was older than 1999) and I am considering putting one on my 2004 seat just because they look like they would add a good bit of safety. I/O port makes a really clean looking and functional brace.

driver cooling: I just installed a cool shirt 12qt. and absolutely love it! in the hot racing it is almost a requirement to have this! This past weekend was my first time using it, and when I got out of the car and took off the shirt–my chest was red because it was sooo cold…though you don’t even notice it when you are out there racing…but then you come in and you are not sweating a bit. I got mine off a guy selling them commercially on Ebay, mounting tray and strap shipped for around $400.

~Forrest Secosky

#3

Thanks forrest – I think I’ll forego the brace for the time being, then – my seat is a 2004 Recaro Pole Position SPG.

#4

sharkd wrote:

Seat Braces
[li]The CCR has an entry in the table of contents for a clause on seat braces, but there’s no clause in the text. Does that mean that they are not required? If they are, does it matter that I have an FIA homologated seat?[/li]

Dan, A seat brace can make a non compliant FIA seat (i.e. out of date) legal, other wise you don’t need it and some would argue you don’t want it (something about creating pressure points on your spine). That being said I have an out of date FIA seat with a back support.

Driver Cooling
[li]I’m planning on getting a Cool Shirt system (probably the 8 or 12 quart). Any advice, caveats, etc?[/li] [color=green]Purchased from OG[/color]

You will never want to run again without it. Make the switch easy to get to so you can shut it off/on as it can get too cold!! If it stops working double check the water flow. Mine got clogged and just needed a cleaning.

If you are handy you can build the pump/cooler for less than $50.00. Just need to get shirt, lines and quick connects. The shirt is the only hard thing to "make" and those are about $120.00. I’ve never been able to find the insulated tubing, but I can get the quick connects and all the stuff to make the cooler locally.

Fire System plumbing
[li]I bought the 4L steel AFFF system from Bimmerworld (thanks James!), but I was wondering what type of hardware I should use to secure the hoses, nozzles and cables, and where to get it?[/li] [color=green]Adel clamps – much easier to find once I knew the name - $5/10, versus $3/2 at the bicycle shop[/color]

I found some nylon clamps that fit the cables and lines at Home Depot. That and some pop rivets locate mine.

I made up some flat pieces of aluminum that mount with U clamps (just like exhaust clamps) to the cage where I wanted nozzles.

System is very easy to mount.

See you at the track!

Ric