what to strip out on mk 2 gti 16v

[gonzo123]

Hi All

after all the fantastic replies from my last post , the next question is what do i strip out of the car for track days , the front two seats will be changed to bucket seats with harnesses

cheers for your helps

neil

[Baylez8v]

wel that depends on how far u wanna go, i had mine bare, no centre console, removed the bottom parts of the dash, removed the door cards and rear pannel cards, i removed every peice of trim that coverd up things  like wing mirror mounts and rear wiper mech, back seats went along with rear speaker and parcel shelf mounts rear top strut covers, spare wheel, front and rear carpets and sond deadening mats, gear stick gaiter and handbrake cover..... seat rail covers, the black peices of trim on the c pillars, practically everything bar the bulk of the dash and the roof lining which i thought about removing but then figured it wud be a pain in the arse to put back wen i sell the car.
IMO, the car looked hideous and was really loud and cold, but my god u could notice the weight difference, transforms the performance and hadling.

[Diamond Hell]

There is no sense in fitting buckets and harnesses until you have something to bolt the harnesses to - a rollcage with proper harness bars.

Bolt them to the lower seabelt mounts and you'll compress your spine in an accident.

Don't do it, it's not safe.

I've left the roof lining in my Golf to stop condensation.  I've also left the heater and the dash in it.  I might get round to stripping the bitumen sheet off the floor at some point, but I think the weight loss will be negligible and it'll mean a lot more noise.

Anything plastic and superfluous can go, along with all the carpets and sound-deadening, although you might uncover some nasties when you strip it all out.

What's the purpose of the car?  If it's a toy and solely for track then get it caged.

[Horney]

This is a sort of "What he said" post but just want to reiterate DH's comment about harnesses. Yes they hold you in the seat better but unless properly fitted they are much worse for you than standard belts.

You can get CG lock or something for normal belts which is what I'm going to get until I can afford a full cage with harness bar.

nick

[gonzo123]

Hi All

many thanks dh did not know that about the harness , can't really afford the roll cage as yet so i will get one of the cg clips for my belt ,

going to do what you say dh , do you still recomend bucket seats over the standard seat ,

many thanks

[Horney]

I would say so as they offer better lateral support which is great in cornering. If you do get one make shure it doesn't have high side pods if you're using the car on the road much. A mate had a pair like that in his mini and he couldn't see out the side of the car at T junctions and it was a right mare.

I've got corrado seats in mine which are much deeper and supportive than the original MKII Items. If you're on a budget these are probably the best factory seats you can fit straight in.

Nick

[Paul86S2]

Instructions and guidelines on the safe fitment of harnesses can be found at:

http://www.securon.co.uk/fitting/extras/fiaharnessfitting.htm

Paul

[euro dave]

It's easier for me to say what's been left in.

From the front to back:

1) Alu sheet holds clocks, 3 gauges, interior light and cigarette socket (essentials for taking it to weekend events)
2) Steering wheel and light switches on alu sheet in front of the wheel
3) 2 cheap rubber mats so our feet don't slip
4) 2 seats and harnesses
5) 0.8mm alu door cards with handles
6) Gear knob

Everything else, and I mean everything, has gone.  Stripped the bitumen off the front footwells so we could paint it without any flaking.  Ear plugs essential for long journeys!

[euro dave]

Instructions and guidelines on the safe fitment of harnesses can be found at:

http://www.securon.co.uk/fitting/extras/fiaharnessfitting.htm

Paul

Interesting link - thanks.  Curious that the FIA are saying that the angle can be up to 45 degrees for the rear mounting point as I've heard 20 degrees from the horizontal before. 

[Diamond Hell]

MSA govern a lot of UK motorsport and the Blue Book says 'shoulder straps should be as near to horizontal as possible'  I've certainly seen documents recommending no more than 20 degrees away from horizontal.

The link posted also says:

Strap lengths should be as short as possible for best performance.

Using lower rear seat belt mounts for shoulder straps is a long way from that.

Lots of things are 'ok', but why would you install something that's 'ok' when you would be better off fitting the ideal, especially if you're starting from scratch?