Correct...I have mounted the harness eyelets directly into the old seatbelt mounts..fits the threads perfectly.....just seen so many ways of harness fitment so gave up and went for this....was told that the harness straps should always run at 90degrees out of the seat back...but just ran them to eyelets on the floorpan.....

 

That was my understanding as in an accident there is an acute angle of pull down on the shoulders and the seat if standard fixings used.

What do the WRC cars do?

 

The formal Blue Book states the belts should indeed come over the shoulders and hrrizontally or slightly downwards (they state a max angle iirc).
To mount them straight into the rear seat belt threads is not correct although for 5 years mine has been just like that!
No probs from the scrutineers at all.

Looking good all this cover-up and with little fuss and bother.
Best to look at the Gobstopper from a good distance; what a fab build standard, that way you can kid yourself yours (and mine) look ok!

 

your dead right mate....the way mine looks just now about half a mile away should just about do it...
got the second coat of primer on today...and its looking rather good...
just need to spend some time on the topcoat now....decided to go for the hammerite smooth will be a lot less hassle, and reckon I can get it on pretty run free and get a reasonable finish for a track car....will keep you posted...
on another note...with you having an ra similar to mine...what spark plugs do you recommend..?

 

My Sti RA (same engine as the RA) is slightly tuned to 360/370 bhp on V max + NF booster.

It runs about 1.6 bar mid range etc but uses stock plugs with no probs cold or hot start.
It has been 3 years since they came out. When I removed and checked the gaps they had not changed for 36 months...The virtues of a brilliant mapper (AndyF) and good technology.

 

nice project paul love the seats. worked in the motor trade a lot of years and hamerite smooth is good stuff. looking forward to seeing your car progress. as other people have said you have a good starting point with that car,good luck with it
mick

 

thanks Mick...

 

I am watching with great interest as I am about to start a very similar project with my 96 Sti (also in white). Suspension, weight and rigidity are my key areas first, then more power....

 

Bit of an update....
Finally got all of the cage undercoated with Hammerite smooth...just need to spray in some of the brackets to be completed.....
got the larger holes in the floorpan fixed with fiberglass.....but more importantly I finally broke my mechanical virginity this weekend....so chuffed that I managed to change the spark plugs...some acheivement for a mechanical numpty like me....also got the backbox fitted, got the stainless brake lines fixed in position as the Bilstein suspension has no cable runners on them like the standard struts......so just the final coat of paint during the week on all interior...seats can go back in..and of for its four wheel alignment it can go....just the one pic of the cage painted.....and the bucket seat...

 

Nice bucket seat, dont look to comfy, bet its light though, haha......

 

Good progress. Are you keeping the centre consol then?

 

I can't comment specifically on the Impreza (never owned one), but using this method on Legacys, Ford Sierras and Vauxhall Novas is perfectly acceptable*, the angle of the belts does fall within the range specified in the Blue Book


1/ Have all extraneous brackets, plates, fixings, etc, removed,
2/ Have custom designed/made cages installed to very strict regulations,
3/ Have their bodyshells dipped in acid to remove get yet more weight off, and
4/ Cost a sh!tload more money than those featured here



*Having been the passenger in 1 high speed roll, two sudden stops into ditches, and a head on with a tree, along with countless other minor incidents, I can vouch for the fact thas this method is perfectly capable of restraining 100kg without damage or injury

 

The cage looks much better with a lick of paint Paul It's surprising what a good finish you can get with smoothrite if you take the time with the prep

 

Graham - Hadn't really thought what to do with the console.....was going to leave it for the time being...as I need to route the DCCD control back round to its console position......and I need somewhere to set my Mcd thick shake......we will see......

CrisP - Good information on the harness mounting....for all the use it will get on track it should do the job.....not going for a full competition car here, just the look.....and yeah the smoothrite was okay, but to be honest looks a bit rougher closer up....very difficult stuff to work with it dries on the brush so quick then you end up wiping it of again.....so I prob go over with a 2 pack aerosol which I can get hold of through work just to tidy up all the brackets etc......
thanks for the continued interest guys....

 

Smoothrite comes in aerosols too.
A trick is to paint Hammerite in quite cool conditions to slow it down. The brush strokes even out and a full gloss results unless satin finish.

 

graham....i tried the aerosol to be honest got fed up after 2 mins with the nozzle constantly blocking...as we speak I have a full one in the car to go back to B&Q......you could be right about the temp...its been cold up here in scotland so I stuck a fan heater inside the car while i was working thinking the heat would be better....ah well you live and learn mate...
plan to finish the gloss this week at some point and get the seats in at the weekend.....running a charity rolling road for the SIDC on sunday just wish it could have been ready for that but alas it wont....

 

My pal used to "poach" the aerosol can in hot water to thin the paint....

He is in the trade.

Dunx

 

hi paul
stunning car mate watching progress with interest
mick.

 

thanks Mick...
well got the painting finished at the weekend...not show n shine perfect but for its purpose it will do fine...got the drivers seat mounted on the prodrive mounts and the Toora 6 point harness fitted after a lot of messing about with the mounts....so will get the other seat in at the weeknd....will also get some pics up of the progess....was kinda busy this weekend with an sidc rolling road...so promise to get some up soon....

 

Shes looking better now Murphy.

Allys said you picked up the spare springs at the weekend. Just to confirm, they are the correct ones. Its clear which ones are front and which are rear when you have the struts off, so dont worry about any mix ups.

I will give you a shout when I land on the dry stuff in Scotchland at the end of the month.
I'm flat out untill then.......sunbathing ......as we pass Bermuda and then onto Carribean before flying back to the dizzy temps of Auchterevrafter.

Speak soon.

P.s hows Jo coming to terms with the fixed seat position?? LOL

Slaters

Jamie

 

Jamie...good to hear from you...see your getting it as difficult as ever eh....thats no problem about the springs. Will see how she drives down to Dunc...and get them changed if they are to stiff....glad you like the way the car is coming on......do get in touch when your home mate..come and have a closer look....

UPDATE...
Finally got both seats and harnesses fixed in position...for now...if the mounts need moved then so be it...but they will do for now...the painting is finished...the blanking plate to the boot makes a big difference to the appearance....overall really really pleased with the result...just some electrical stuff to do now...and we should be on the road...hope you like the pics....

 

thats quite intresting as the "SN Massif" frown upon doing that LOL

 

All the hillclimb Impreza's i know do the same , inc me, but the Blue Book says no.

 

there is an article in this months Redline magazine about fixing harnesses and strap angles etc....dont normally buy it, but might be worth a look....

 

This is a nice solution as a cage and harness design going on Floyds's car.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...M/IMG_1884.jpg

 

Any updates Murphy???

When is she unleashed on the black stuff???

 

Any updates Murphy???

When is she unleashed on the black stuff???

Looking forward to seeing some of this.......

 

good afternoon sir....how are you...back on dry land again...??
finished all that I can Jamie to be honest....needing some electrical work done but that has me completely lost...so leaving that to the experts....
got the paperwork sorted today funnily enough...just need to arrange the insurance over the next few days then its off to Hypertech for MOT, and some other bits and pieces.....cant wait..been looking at it for to long now...thats what 8 weeks without an Impreza...arghhh need to get it on the road before Christmas thats the goal...when you coming over to see the finished article then...??

 

Ello Matey

Back on the dry stuff now. Finished for the year and on the jolly for the lead up to Crimbo!!!!

What electrical stuff is needing done? Still the indicators or is there more that I didnt know about??

I know what you mean about "doing without" a car.
I could do with something else myself. However, you know the score!!!

Will try and catch up soon, before Crimbo for sure.

Be good

J

 

yeah still the indicators...been right through them and checked every fuse still no joy there....also need to get the horn wired up...would love it to the buttons on the wheel but not sure how to do that either..and then there is the fog lamp....oh and the map reading light that I want as well....
would be good to catch up before christmas...drop me a text or something mate...
cheers
Paul