Street car safety upgrades?

[FLYNAVY53]

Over the years I've done a lot of lurking and reading in this particular section of the forum. I finally found my ideal 1964 Corvette and dragged it home last month. The build will be very tame with the factory 327 motor and 4 spd combo....Ride Tech suspension, Wilwood brakes, and 17" wheels and tires....nothing crazy. This will be a street car 99% of the time with the only exception being the occasional sprint through the local auto-cross.

All of that being said, I'd like to incorporate some upgrades/updates in the safety department. At 6'6 and 210 lbs, my biggest concerns are finding a more supportive seat than the factory offering, and replacing the 53 year old seat belts with something that will go a little further towards preventing my wife from bouncing her face off the glove box should we get rear ended.

I've read a fair amount about the pros and cons on the 4/5/6 pt harness...ie:
-submarine issue with the 4pt
-proper mounting of shoulder straps with 4/5/6 pt
-rollover concerns with no roll bar using a 4/5/6 pt
-head trauma concerns with a proper roll bar/cage in a street car

Along those lines, it sounds like the best option for a street car is to upgrade to a more supportive seat, and find a way to mount a factory style 3 pt seat belt in the old '64 Corvette.

Any thoughts/input would be greatly appreciated!

[AU Doc]

Subscribed.

I've been reading about this off and on as well. So far my take away is there's not a clear cut answer. These old cars aren't designed for high(er) speed impacts and don't fair well in rollovers. The jury seems to be out on using a roll bar/cage in a street car due to the possibility of a head injury. There's some thought that a roll/bar cage that is at the maximum of the NHRA distance from the head can be safe without a helmet if the belts remain good and tight. Not sure if a 3 point belt would limit movement enough or not. Then there's the issue of using a multi-point harness in a car you drive regularly just being a hassle to the point that people tend to not use them as much as they do a retractable 3 point.

I'm interested to hear what comes of this!

[OLDFLM]

I think retro fitting a 3-point seat belt with a modern shoulder strap is a smart move... I'd contact Morris Classic Concepts! I have their belts in my Firebird.

Two other things to consider for safety...

Adding a fire extinguisher or two, one interior, one in the trunk or even a small fire suppression system with nozzle in the engine bay.

Best of the Best: http://www.h3rperformance.com/

Best Bang for the Buck: http://www.kidde.com/home-safety/en/us/products/fire-safety/fire-extinguishers/for-home/21008634n/

Slick Mounts: http://www.drakeautomotivegroup.com/Store/Product/FIREX-MNT-DAG.aspx?wid=141

And add a battery disconnect switch. Anything from the traditional T-handle on/off switch to something a little more trunk/interior friendly like the Ring Bros have used in their builds.

http://www.longacreracing.com/products.aspx?itemid=1643&prodid=7594&pagetitle=Push-Pull+Battery+Disconnect+Switch+-+2+Terminal

http://www.joesracing.com/i-21092090-battery-disconnect-2-terminal-w-panel.html

I personally like this one in black for a trunk mount on my car: http://www.eddiemotorsports.com/product/electrical-components/battery-accessories/battery-disconnect-kits/battery-disconnect-switch-billet-mount-ms374-05/

[expensivehobby22]

Also subscribed. I think about this often.

[CampbellshotrodsAZ]

It's definitely an area of concern. I was going to do just a bar for sure, but now I'm wondering if I need to go further than that... don't know if I want a full halo or not, or perhaps good door bars. I've just seen a couple pics of some of these old cars folded up and it had me wondering. These muscle cars sure fold up well under a good impact.

[bmbrzmn101]

As to roll bar, have you considered a design like what Ride tech has accomplished with their tiger bar. Just adapt the design for your application(with padding of course). As to the belts I am still fond of at least a 4 pt. Having worked trauma for so many years even a 3 pt improperly worn can kill you. My airshow background got me used to the 4 pt belt set up. I will be watching for recommendations on this thread and look forward to your build.

Chris

[Craig510]

The biggest safety thing for the street is seats with functioning head rests. Whiplash or neck injuries from a low speed collision are real. Risk of death or paralysis from a high speed collision are real.

[OLDFLM]

What about 5-point harnesses with the halo bars with headrest pads?

Just a thought of what might look good and function well from a safety standpoint.

Coupe or Vert?

[CampbellshotrodsAZ]

What about 5-point harnesses with the halo bars with headrest pads?

Just a thought of what might look good and function well from a safety standpoint.

Coupe or Vert?

I think the main issue with 5 point harnesses is that they aren't DOT approved, other than costly Schroth Racing harnesses. The irony is that a 5 point harness isn't street legal (typically). The only street legal belt is the OEM 3 point style, but that's deadly in a roll bar/caged car because your torso is freer to move and thus, impact the halo bar. The ability to move your torso is more needed if the roof collapses in a non-rollbar car during a rollover. So I guess basically, 5 pt for roll bar cars, 3 point for non-rollbar? Luckily I'm a ways away from needing to decide. I'll do a roll bar at a minimum....

[FLYNAVY53]

Yea....thats kind of been my big take-away. You're never going to make these cars "safe" by modern standards...at least not in street car trim. I think the best compromise for a street car is 3-pt factory style belts, with an aftermarket seat that provides sufficient head/neck restraint.

Right now I'm looking at multiple suppliers of retrofit kits that adapt the '66 and later 3 pt belts to the earlier Corvettes. Additionally, Im working with a manufacturer out of Texas of reproduction early Porsche seats to see if one of his models, with head-rest and side bolsters, can be adapted to fit in the C2 Corvette without any loss of head or leg room.

Lastly, I will be installing a halon fired bottle and some form of battery cutoff switch within reach of the drivers seat. I'm also looking in to some form of bladder type fuel cell as the early Corvette tanks are notorious for splitting and flooding the cabin with fuel in a rear impact collision.

I think with these old cars, "safe" isn't an option, but any amount of "safe-er" is money well spent.

[another69]

This is always on the back of my mind, and I would love to make my car as safe as possible in case of a collision, while keeping it streetable. So far I have the Morris 3 point belts along with Corbeau seats and a handheld fire extinguisher. I always wanted to add a roll bar or some kind of side impact protection. There is just not that much out there in the aftermarket to specifically improve the safety of these older cars, and no surprise there I guess... On the other hand, at least these old cars seem safer than street bikes!

[mikedc]

You wanna do something to help avoid a wreck? Add a 3rd brake light to the car.

Put it at the top of the rear window, not the bottom. Use a light with LEDs so it lights up instantly instead of having a momentary lag as the bulb filament heats up.

The road is full of SUVs & trucks that ride high up. The drivers are used to pretty much every vehicle on the road having some kind of high-up brake lights.

[FLYNAVY53]

Thats actually a pretty good idea...hadnt thought of it....would be relatively easy to mount and largely unnoticed until illuminated.

[slimjim]

I second that, It's something I hadn't put too much thought into also.
I just ordered a slim, flexible LED brake light designed for bikes, I think it could be incorporated easily and be almost invisible when off.