Copyright © 1999

Porsche Club of America Out For A Spin May, 1999 Bruce Corwin Bruce968@PorscheNet.com

Last year I made some long-overdue improvements to my 968, namely seats, harnesses and harness bar. I spent a great deal of time analyzing the options and by employing a couple new inventions, came up with a unique setup that successfully bridges the compromise between track safety/performance and street practicality.
 
My goal was to be more securely held into the seat, enhancing both safety and performance. But I didn’t want to give up comfort (this car is my daily driver), the ability to use the rear seats (I have 3 kids), the ability to fold down the rear seats (I find this storage area very handy) or drill any new holes in the car. The club turned out to be a great resource in accomplishing my goals. At Driver Ed events, I’d ask fellow members about their equipment and they were always eager to let me sit in their cars and explain the pros and cons of the equipment they were using.
 
The 968 (which has an interior identical to the 944), had nice 8-way power, heated, leather factory seats. They didn’t however hold me in place too well when cornering hard and I found I was using my knees to brace myself. I didn’t want a full-racing seat since I wanted to be able to fold the seat forward for access to the rear seats. I considered OMP seats, but the padding and fabric were very lightweight and prone to fading and wear - especially where the harnesses go through, so I chose Recaro SRDs. Although they are more expensive, it is a durable, high-quality seat. Recaros are made to order, so I had mine made in black with yellow “Recaro” lettering (to match my yellow car) and a crotch-strap opening. I bought the seats from PAR, which advertises in Panorama. The cost was about $650 per seat, plus you need to buy a slider ($150 no name, $220 Recaro). Now I have a nice seat with large side bolsters and harness slots, yet adjustable slider, rake and ability to fold forward.
 
Next step: harnesses. Again, I was able to test all sorts at the track. There are two types: “latch & link” and “cam-lock”. The cam-lock is more expensive, but easier to use. Everybody I spoke with liked their harnesses and there is not much difference in price between manufacturers, so which one you go with may just be a question of what looks best in your car. Some people use shoulder pads, some don’t. I bought 5 point TRW/Sabelt harnesses, which are made in Italy (Named I suppose, when the inventor looked upon his creation and exclaimed, “Mama Mia!  Now that-sabelt!”) I chose the slide-on pads rather than the sewn-on ones. The H configuration is preferred over the Y configuration for the shoulder harnesses. I bought the belts from PAR for about $220 for each seat including all mounting hardware.
 
So far, everything described is standard off-the-shelf hardware. In next month’s column, I will tell you about the pros and cons of various harness bar options and two clever inventions that allow the harnesses and bar to be quickly removed to permit rear seat usage.