source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

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n1gzd
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source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

Post by n1gzd » Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:40 pm

Hi,

I seem to be having trouble finding a pre-fabricated headrest such as you would mount on the rollbar assembly in a car with a low back vintage type seat.

I am looking for something that looks like a 6 inch round padded headrest that is expected to be mounted somehow on a bar. I thought this would be easy to find but I have struck out so far. Probably it would not be that hard to fabricate if needed. Any catalog ideas?

thanks,
Rebecca

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Re: source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

Post by n1gzd » Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:57 pm

I should have explained that I am using a lowback vintage style kirkey aluminum seat which requires a separate headrest to be installed.
Rebecca

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Re: source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

Post by Grippy » Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:12 pm

Did you ask Kirkey? I'm sure they must have been asked before.
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n1gzd
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Re: source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

Post by n1gzd » Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:16 pm

I asked a Kirkey dealer but I did not try asking Kirkey. I will check them out. thanks.
Rebecca

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Re: source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

Post by McMahonRacing » Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:51 am

Breeze Automotive, talk to Mark tell him I sent ya ... if he doesn't have he will know who does ...... lot's of street "Cobra's" use something along those lines.

As a side note & to your passanger /cage reference ...... I was under the impression that in Vintage Racing, it was acceptable to step away from "Vintage" as it regards SAFETY ..... please be very careful that you don't neglect the need for proper equipment in the name of "Looks" ..... a crash is a crash & anyone of them can kill ya given the right circumstances.

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Re: source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

Post by Stynger » Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:21 am

Les.

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n1gzd
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Re: source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

Post by n1gzd » Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:55 pm

Wow that is an expensive headrest ($360 for two).
It appears to be designed to be mounted on a vertical tube. I suspect that it could be modified to mount differently. However, for that price I might be able to buy the sancioned type of foam and have a local interior shop fabricate it. I will do some pondering.

thanks for the tip.

yes. I am definately more interested in safety than keepging the car period correct (those people don't even install door side protection or under panel bracing). SVRA is more intested in safety. I think that VSCCA tends to frown on that (but they are also less competitive). I am not interested in preserving the antique value of the car - just the vintage racing character of the car - perfectly ok for it to look like a race car rather than keep that stuff hidden like some people prefer.

Rebecca

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Re: source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

Post by Stynger » Tue Jul 12, 2011 11:06 pm

If it was me, I'd get a real seat with at least some shoulder support.
IMO a short seat with a separate headrest in a race car is ridiculous. In a shunt you could easily get pushed to one side, off the rest into ? :roll:
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Re: source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

Post by n1gzd » Tue Jul 12, 2011 11:38 pm

You are of course right about the seat. the seat that I have chosen has support near the top of my shoulders (for someone my size) but it is not as good as the type of seat that you describe.
this is the one that I am using:
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Kirkey-Vi ... ,4566.html

It is very popular for vintage racing but it does not support as high up the body and has no wings. I did try a sparco sprint V in this car and it was not a good fit (it fit but it was wrong for the car). I have to admit that I felt more shoehorned in wiht the sparco seat but that I still feel confined on the sides with this seat.

At some point I might try a kirkey high backed aluminum seat but I have decided to start with this one for now. They make one that has similar construction but is taller. It might be easy to swap it if I change my mind.
Rebecca

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Re: source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

Post by n1gzd » Tue Jul 12, 2011 11:43 pm

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Kirkey-Vi ... ,7358.html

with that moulded seat insert.
Rebecca

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Re: source of pre-fabricated rollbar head rest?

Post by McMahonRacing » Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:30 am

I have two spare seats at the house:

Both are Kirkey Intermediate Road Race seats ... one is a 16" one is a 17", you are welcome to borrow them for test fitting.

Vintage seat ..... you upper body support stops just under your arms, menaing the the full weight of your upper body in a side impact is placed on your ribs .... ribs are not that strong & they will break or be very bruized .... hence, the Road Race seats move side impact force to the shoulder area as well, much stronger area of the body.

Safety Eqipment has come a long way in even the past 10 yrs, take advantage of it :)

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