Advice prepping for the TT school?

[farrout]

Choice of seat really depends on the driver. Most people in a Miata need a aluminum seat that sits on the floor to get their head below the roll bar. Most of the usual race seats are too tall to fit the Miata. Most people do not meet the recommended 2" below the bar but just being below the bar is sufficient.

Having a hard top does not really help the overall height issue. If you are tall enough to be at the top of a rollbar, then your helmet will be bouncing against the hard top and that will be uncomfortable driving.

I would recommend the Ultrashield Rally Sport seat. The Spec Miata seat was not good as my elbows hit the sides of the seat. You can buy the seat in a specified width to fit you correctly. I mounted the seat on pieces of 2" steel strap which bolted directly to the stock seat bolts. I still have my seat so you are welcome to try it out. You will need a back brace.

What sort of rollbar do you have? Do not get the Hard top version of the Hard Dog. It is lower and set further back that the normal Hard Dog. Even with a AL seat, your head will not get below the rollbar with it.
The normal Hard Dog will fit under a rollbar. The difference is that the hard top side latches cannot be used. But then a hard top needs to be bolted to the car anyway. You probably have a glass window in the 99 and will need the M2 bar and a harness bar. The harness bar can be taken in and out easily.

Re harnesses, I used clip on ends for the substraps and lap belts. Put eyebolts into the stock lap belt points. Then the harnesses can be removed easily for daily driving.

I have a single layer suit and nomex undies. It is a large if I recall correctly. You are welcome to borrow that for the APril event. GForce makes a good 2 layer suit that you do not need nomex undies with.

I wrote an article on getting a car ready for TT that I would be happy to send you. drop me a line at farrout@knology.net

[rodhx]

Good stuff...thanks Craig!

My roll bar is a custom Kirk Racing bar which allows access to the side strikers and is as tall as possible (it just rubs the hardtop). I have no issues bumping the hardtop when using the stock seats even though I am above the top of the rollbar when running without a top. I plan to continue to run with the hardtop even with a floormounted AL seat.

Did you have door clearance issues with the shoulder wings on the Rally Sport in a miata?

Might take you up on the loaner suit, but I need to try some on first.

[rodhx]

Do suits/gloves etc expire, or are they good as long as they have the proper certification labels? I read the rules which seems to say they don't expire.

[kilgojr]

Do suits/gloves etc expire, or are they good as long as they have the proper certification labels? I read the rules which seems to say they don't expire.

correct. they do not expire. I believe there is a video somewhere of Billy Auberlen in the Turner BMW at Daytona wearing gloves that he had from when he first started driving, they were his "lucky gloves".....as long as they provide protection you feel works, then they are good to go for as long as they can go.

[rodhx]

Cool! I had a very interesting offer fall in my lap this afternoon. May be much closer to the April school than I thought

[farrout]

Good stuff...thanks Craig!

My roll bar is a custom Kirk Racing bar which allows access to the side strikers and is as tall as possible (it just rubs the hardtop). I have no issues bumping the hardtop when using the stock seats even though I am above the top of the rollbar when running without a top. I plan to continue to run with the hardtop even with a floormounted AL seat.

Did you have door clearance issues with the shoulder wings on the Rally Sport in a miata?

Might take you up on the loaner suit, but I need to try some on first.

I have not seen your Kirk so can not comment directly. Since the hard top is curved, the roll bar height is dependent upon its rearward position in the car. The Hard Dog hard top bar was about an inch lower because it moved the bar rearwards about 2 inches to clear the side latches. I could not get my helmeted head below the bar even with a race seat.

This may not work for you but you can take a inch or more of padding out of the stock Miata seat and thus lower your head.

THe wings on the Rally Sort can be bent in to resolve any clearance issues with the door or rollbar uprights. All depends on your leg length and how far back the seat is.

I have seen some long legged people have to cut out sections of the seat to allow the rear bolts to be useable.

No expirations on suit, nomex, balacalva, arm restraints, gloves, shoes. Just do not want any holes in them.

For TT, seat belts can be 5 years old on SFI rated belts. That is the same age as the FIA belts so do not spend the extra money on FIA. Do get the camloc type as they are a lot easier to work.

[farrout]

Check out this link on APexspeed

http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55533

[rodhx]

Thanks to Mike Wenning I am now down to just a few needed things...shoes, seat, & a fire extinguisher. Looks like the TT school may actually happen after all!

Andy...Robert still has your old seat & I am talking to him about acquiring it. Sounds perfect for my needs. I'll get my friend Mark Stewart to help with the back brace.

A question regarding the school...do I need a race seat & harness for the passenger side? I'm familiar with the common PDX/DE requirement of similar safety equipment for student & instructor but have no idea what goes on during the TT school. I will put one in if needed, otherwise I'll just leave the stock seat there.

[JohnW8]

A question regarding the school...do I need a race seat & harness for the passenger side? I'm familiar with the common PDX/DE requirement of similar safety equipment for student & instructor but have no idea what goes on during the TT school. I will put one in if needed, otherwise I'll just leave the stock seat there.

No need for the second seat and extra belts. The tt instructors are track side.

[chevyford]

The Clayburns are listed as chevyford8 on Ebay. We have a few suits right now that are not listed on the ebay page.

[slowautoxr]

Rod shoes simply need to be leather shoes. You don't have to have official driving shoes. Your Sunday go to meeting shoes technically would meet the requirement. I use some Sketchers that I already had.

[rodhx]

Thanks Charles...I can cross that off the list too then

[zukitek]

This may not be a requirement in a solo TT class but its a good idea to have it even at a PDX. Tow hooks and markings pointing them out. Believe me ...if you are at Barbers or Road Atlanta or any track for that matter...you want the tow truck driver to flat tow you from where you want it to be flat towed from ...otherwise well....you see what I mean.