Because the Evo mounts
the stock seatbelt onto
the seat bracket and not
the chassis, we had to
drill and mount the
eyebolt onto the center
tunnel. Pay attention to
the mounting position of
the eyebolt to make sure
the lap belts follow the
correct mounting angle.
And that the direction
of the eyebolt head
follows the force
applied to the belt.
Tired of using our knees to hold us up in turns, we made the switch on the driver's side to a fully bucketed Sparco Evo (get it?) seat. We purposely left the passenger seat stock because the Evo IX's Recaro seats are pretty good for street use, aren't weighed down by useless functions and we don't really give a hoot if the passenger has to hold on to the 'oh shit' bar on the autocross course. The Evo seat is a perfect fit for those with a waist size between 31 to 34 inches; any larger and the Evo 2 (+1.25-inch width compared to Evo) or Evo 3 (+2.5-inch compared to Evo) seat would be a better fit.
Fitting a racing seat is usually a long and annoying task that can soak up a full afternoon, just for a single seat. Seat bracket jigs are just about the most warped and bent pieces of junk on the planet. Every time we've ever attempted to install a seat bracket, it usually involves bending, aligning, grinding and cursing. Then there's the abnormally high ride height that comes from installing a seat bracket, seat rails, side mounts and then- finally-the bucket itself. So it came as quite a pleasant surprise when we tried out the Buddy Club seat rail and everything slipped into place correctly. The Buddy Club rail also integrates the sliding mechanism and side mount right on top of the welded brackets, so the seat is mounted at a reasonably low height and it won't feel like driving an SUV with a bucket. It may seem like we're dwelling too much on what is, in essence, a seat bracket, but this is honestly like discovering a hidden goldmine in our backyard. In our opinion, this is one of the best products made by Buddy Club.
The SCCA Solo rulebook section 13.2, part I dictates that: "driver restraints are allowed. A horizontal 'harness bar' may be used as part of the installation hardware for allowed driver restraints". In accordance to that rule, we added an M1 Fabrication & Development harness bar and Takata sixpoint driver's safety harness. The M1 bar is hand fabricated and TIG-welded, with highquality rod ends in all the support rods. The Takata was chosen not because of its green JDM-pimp factor, but because of its National Auto Sport Association (NASA) HPDE and racing-required FIA rating that has a legal life cycle more than twice as long as SFI-rated belts. The fact that it's been proven in the ALMS with Highcroft Racing's Acura LMP2 prototype is just a bonus.
But wait a minute, the SCCA Solo rulebook section 13.2, part H also states: "roll bars and roll cages may be added." And you've probably read on the Internet, that storehouse of all things true and undeniable, all sorts of conflicting information about the proper use and installation of roll cages, roll bars, harness bars and harnesses.
The first things to understand about using a bucket seat and safety harness in a production car are their purpose. The obvious advantage of a bucket seat is the increased holding of the occupant against lateral g-forces. And the safety harness provides constant tension to keep the occupant squarely within the seat. For reference, sixpoint harnesses are recommended by the NASA rulebook for cars "where the driver is seated in an upright (to 30 degrees) or semi-reclining position." You can't run in NASA with only a four-point harness. It must be a five-, six- or seven-point harness. For this reason, the car won't be taking any passengers onto the racetrack.
For a safety harness to function correctly, attention must be paid to the mounting angles of the belts and to the position of the length adjusters when belted in fully. This is also the reason why NASA requires that shoulder harnesses be supported by "specific harness guide bars, or parts of the chassis or the cage."
NASA requires harnesses to meet SFI spec 16.1 or 16.5, or FIA spec #8853/1985, 8853/98 or D-###.T/98. Takata uses FIA D-216.T/98. While SFI harnesses use a 'born on' date and expire two years later, FIA belts are good for about five years. | 
Before drilling holes randomly through the floor panel to mount the crotch belt, make sure not to drill through any driveshafts, fuel lines, wires or brake lines. That would be bad. | 
Our Takata six-point crotch belt is sold separately from the main four-point, but is required to run with NASA. As with lap belts, keep in mind the mounting angle of the crotch belt when used. |