Just completed my harness install...pics

[lthlvpr]

Well, it took an hour (longer than I expected :biggrin ) to install my 6 point harnesses. After carefully evaluating the seat mounts and contemplating safety concerns, I decided the only way to do it right and keep it simple :cheers was to choose a 6 point harness configuration.

Originally, I was going to use a 5 point harness. The lack of possible mounting points caused me to go with a 6 point harness. The only way you could install a 5 point correctly would involve drilling through the floorboard and putting a bolt/nut through the undercarriage. No Thanks!

The great thing about a 6 point harness is that you can use the same mounts for the lap belts that and also use them for the sub belts.

Keeping my Silver/Black GT looking clean and classy, I opted for matching Silver harnesses with black stitching, black pull tabs, and black pads and chest/abdomen pads. Now that it is done, all I can say is that I think it looks great. I bet most people would think it comes from the factory with harnesses because it blends so well and matches the stock colors perfectly.

Here are some pics, let me know what you think. If anyone is interested in getting some matching belts for red, black, silver, or tungsten GTs, I can get them for you with the correct hardware, sizes, and all the equipment that you will need for a clean install; including step by step instructions.

Thx!
Harness #1
Harness #2
Harness #3
Harness #4

 

[Fast Freddy]

outstanding! thanx 4 sharin. now if we can figure out how to get a 4 point roll bar in this car we can pass tech

 

[BlackICE]

I think you can get a 4 point roll bar in. The problem is who wants to hack up the car to that extent and make exit and entry even harder.

BlackICE

 

[1of19(GER)]

Could you please add some pictures of the mounting points.
Thanks

 

[analogdesigner]

Me too!

Could you please add some pictures of the mounting points.
Thanks

I am interested in this also! Jay

 

[Specracer]

Jay I see the Mac sub is back in, I thought you went to your super cool plexiglass cover? Too much of a PITA dealing with the radio not working with out the amp?

Andy

 

[barondw]

Similar to what I have. I would have stayed with black belts but that's personal preference.

Dave

 

[Bman33]

Nice setup, thanks for the pics!!

 

[Derry]

Thanks for sharing the pics and info. I would be interested in the black harness, what is the hardware price that you can get them for? Thanks.

Derry

 

[lthlvpr]

Derry-
There are a ton of options, and these harnesses make all other brands look inferior by comparison.

Your options include:
1) Base color for harness (choose mild to wild- red, blue, black, yellow, gray, silver, purple, orange, white)
2) Stitching color (thread color -contrasting looks great!)
3) Pelvic and chest pad color (again, contrasting looks great)
4) Buckle/Cam lock color (silver/black)
5) Hardware choices- snap/bolt in/ mounts correct size and length for a GT!
PM me with details and I can respond with a price.
thx.

 

[nota4re]

lthlvpr,

This is a great thread and those harnesses do look good and "fitting" in the GT.

First, I should say that I'm no expert on the topic but I do want to at least state a different side to all of this. Three concerns. 1. Proper mounting; 2. Safety; and 3. Legality

1. It is generally advised that all upper mounting points are 90 degrees to the shoulder or just slightly below. Can't see from your photos, but if the mount is all the way down to the base of the seat, this is not good. For the GT, the upper belt need to mount to a VERY stong point on the rear firewall - preferrably a point designed to take this kind of load. (God forbid.) When a high, rear attach point is not available, the aftermarket sometimes engineers a "suitable" harness bar that runs across the back of the car and is designed for these kinds of loads. Of course the most common "real" attach point is to a roll bar, or a subsyetem of the roll bar/cage. The only point here is that although the harnesses may look good and APPEAR safer, improperly mounted, they can be 10X less effective than your standard lap/shoulder belt in an accident.

2. Other than safety, one of the biggest advantages of a harness is that it pins you into the seat. So, during the high cornering loads (that the GT is definitely capable of), a harness can keep you very well planted and increase your ability to feel and control the car. These same track adavantages are simultaneously a BIG disadvantage on the street. When street driving you DO need to move around. You may need to move your upper torso to look around at T-intersections, left turns, backing up, etc. Being "pinned" to your seat on the street is not a good thing.... and a legitimate safety issue. We've also discussed the roll-over topic on this forum here before so I'll be brief. If you are properly strapped in to a 4+ point harness sytstem and incur a roll-over, you'd better pray for absolutely no roof collapse. If it occurs, you're dead. (Not so with a lap/shoulder belt where you have an "out".) For this reason, harnesses are generally not recommended without a roll bar/cage system in place. As to the inherent strength/integrity of the GT's cockpit without a rollcage..... you be the judge.

3. Finally, there is the legal issue. Some States are "on" to the issues cited above and the growing "coolness" of harness belts with the aftermarket crowds. In CA, you are likely to get pulled over and cited for wearing a harness. If this happens you will have to prove DOT conformance and the savvy judge may also inquire about your mobility when strapped in.

I said my peace. I respect whatever decisions people want to make.... I just wanted to make clear that there's another side to the harness decision.

 

[FlorIdaho Chris]

I had Sparco racing harnesses in my car for a few months and ultimately removed them and went back to the stock belts. While the harness was good for those rare and infrequent track days, they were a total PITA for everyday use.

Need to adjust the radio? Forget to belt up before closing the door? Need to reach something is the passenger seat? Be prepared to unhook and rehook your belts. Do they look cool? Yeah sure, but at some point it is just not worth the hassle.

 

[barondw]

Chris

Store the belts behind the seats unless its a track day. That's what I do with all my cars.

Dave

 

[FlorIdaho Chris]

Chris

Store the belts behind the seats unless its a track day. That's what I do with all my cars.

Dave

Doh...I had not considered having BOTH sets of belts in the car installed at the same time.

Good advice Dave.

 

[funat50]

Simple shoulder harness

I going for my 1st race in w weeks and need to update seat belts. I don't think I want to go for a 6 pt just yet, not sure how dedicated I'll be. Does anyone have a simple shoulder strap solution that's easy to install, inexpensive, and attaches to current hardware?
tks,

 

[Ed Sims]

Ed's GT harness pics

Dear All - I posted my 6 point harness install a while back www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1717
I leave them in but use my stock belts when not on the track.

Ed

 

[FrankBarba]

I going for my 1st race in w weeks and need to update seat belts.

Road Racing or 1/4 Mile Racing?

 

[funat50]

1st track day

Road - Just worried about flopping around and not being able to concentrate on pushing through turns.

 

[Cyclenirvana]

Nota4re,
Thanks for the review. As a newbie to track events (but still fairly infrequent), I had not heard someone summarize these issues so well. Come to think of it, the only cars in which I have used harnesses have been track-prepped cars with roll cages....now I know why....
Similarly, I thought about scissor-type doors...until someone mentioned a problem with rollover and getting out!
It seems there is a tendency of people who acquire these cars to think that the performance of the car will benefit from track tires, lower ride height, harnesses, etc...not expecting that the alteration of one of these components changes the other, perhaps useful for those who track the car frequently and fully understand and appreciate its properties...but for the rest of us (e.g. 3-4 track events/year), it is probably not worth it. It's as if we must "upgrade" it because we can and should. Thanks for the sound advice!

 

[Specracer]

I have road raced for 10+ years, in a purpose built racecar (hence the screen name), and interestingly enough, I took my GT on an autocross course last weekend (open track as many times around as I felt like it, long story). The interesting thing, was how badly I had to work to keep myself in the seat. Nice bruise on my left knee from the door panel. 5 points would have kept me planted. BUT would have not allowed me to pull out of the seat to see past the A pillar. Now I remeber why I got past autocrossing.

But a fun part, was when I was running (in the evening), the car shoots flames. reports were anywhere from 6 - 18" were the reports.