PRE-RUNNER - SEPTEMBER

SAFETY EQUIPTMENT AND FUEL CELLS

THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES OF SAFETY EQUIPTMENT OTHER THAN YOUR ROLL CAGE ARE A GOOD SET OF SAFETY HARNESSES (SEAT BELTS). THESE ARE AVAILABLE IN SEVERAL STYLES, BUT ALL DO BASICALLY THE SAME THING... HOLD YOU IN YOUR SEAT IN THE EVENT OF A ROLL-OVER!! THE BASIC SET-UP IS A LAP BELT, TWO SHOULDER BELTS AND AN ANTI-SUBMARINE (CROTCH) BELT. THIS CONFIGURATION IS CALLED A "5-POINT SAFETY HARNESS" AND IS USED IN MOST FORMS OF RACING. THESE ARE AVAILABLE WITH 2" OR 3" WEBBING AND AVIATION OR ROTARY STYLE LATCHES. ONLY THE ALL 3" VERSIONS ARE "RACE" LEGAL. THE SHOULDER STRAPS COME IN TWO VERSIONS - AN INDIVIDUAL STRAP FOR EACH SHOULDER WITH ITS OWN MOUNT, OR WHAT IS CALLED A "Y HARNESS" WHERE EACH SHOULDER BELT IS SEWN TO A SINGLE MOUNTING STRAP. MANY RACING ORGINIZATIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE "Y" STYLE OF SHOULDER BELTS. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND GETTING THE "RACE" LEGAL SAFETY HARNESSES AS THEY ARE ONLY ABOUT $10 MORE THAN THE 2" VERSIONS. HEY... THEY CAN KEEP A NASCAR DRIVER IN HIS SEAT IN A 200 MPH CRASH AND THAT COUNTS FOR ALOT IN MY BOOK! THERE ARE 3 BRANDS THAT I CAN RECOMMEND - DIEST, SIMPSON, AND RCI. RCI IS THE CHEAPEST (ABOUT $75 FOR EACH SET) AND COMES IN SEVERAL COLOR CHOICES. WHEN SHOPPING FOR HARNESSES LOOK FOR "SCORE/NHRA APPROVED", THIS MEANS THEY ARE RACE LEGAL. VISIT THE SCORE-INTERNATIONAL CLASS 5-1600 RULES SITE TO FIND OUT WHAT MOUNTING METHODS ARE CONSIDERED SAFE

ANOTHER ITEM THAT I CONSIDER TO BE A "MUST HAVE" IS A GOOD HELMET. YOU DON'T SEE ANY RACERS WITHOUT THEM! WHEN YOU ARE OFF-ROADING YOU HAVE TO EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED AND THAT MEANS BEING PREPARED FOR ANYTHING, INCLUDING A MAJOR WRECK. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU PREFER A FULL-FACE OR 0PEN-FACE HELMET, EITHER WILL PROTECT YOUR HEAD, BUT MAKE SURE IT IS A NEWER HELMET WITH A "SNELL 95" OR BETTER RATING. SNELL IS A TESTING ORGINIZATION DEVOTED TO HELMET SAFETY, ON HELMETS THAT MEET THEIR APPROVAL YOU WILL FIND A STICKER ON THE BACK OF THE HELMET WITH THE RATING. IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE OFF-ROADING IN A DUSTY ENVIRONMENT THEN YOU MIGHT CONSIDER A "PARKER-PUMPER" TYPE OF HELMET. THIS IS A FULL-FACE HELMET WITH A PLACE TO ATTACH A FRESH AIR TUBE ON THE SIDE. A "PARKER-PUMPER" SYSTEM CONSISTS OF THE HELMET AND A FILTERED AIR SUPPLY PROVIDED BY A FAN. YOU CAN PURCHASE THESE AS A COMPLETE SYSTEM, OR YOU CAN JUST GET THE HELMET. I BUILT MY OWN "PUMPER" SYSTEM WITH A RECYCLED HEATER FAN FROM AN AMERICAN CAR AND A GUAZE AIR FILTER. IT WORKS GREAT AND ONLY COST ABOUT 20 BUCKS!

THE NEXT ITEM IS NOT AN ABSOLUTE "MUST HAVE" BUT IF YOU PLAN ON EXTREME OFF-ROADING IT IS A GOOD IDEA. I'M TALKING ABOUT WINDOW NETS. THESE ARE REQUIRED IN RACE VEHICLES TO KEEP YOUR ARMS FROM GETTING CRUSHED OUTSIDE THE CAR IN A ROLL-OVER.
MOST OF YOU BUILDING STREET LEGAL PRE-RUNNERS WILL KEEP YOUR SIDE GLASS FOR THE NOT-SO-NICE DAYS, BUT WHEN YOU'RE GOING AT IT OFF-ROAD IT IS A VERY, VERY GOOD IDEA TO ROLL DOWN THE DOOR GLASS! CAN YOU IMAGINE ROLLING ON YOUR SIDE AND SMACKING YOUR FACE AGAINST THE BREAKING GLASS... OOOOUUUUUCCCCHHHHH!!!! SO IF YOU TAKE MY ADVICE AND ROLL DOWN THOSE WINDOWS THEN YOU WILL NEED WINDOW NETS TO KEEP YOUR ARMS INSIDE. THEY ARE INEXPENSIVE, EASY TO INSTALL AND WILL GIVE YOUR PRE-RUNNER THAT "RACER" LOOK. THERE ARE TWO STYLES - "NET" AND "WEB" (see the racer pictures page for some examples. THE WEB STYLE IS MADE FROM 1" SEAT BELT MATERIAL, I FEEL THAT THIS STYLE CUTS DOWN ON YOUR SIDE VISION BECAUSE OF THE THICKNESS OF THE WEBBING AND WOULD PROBABLY GET YOU PULLED OVER IF YOU HAD IT UP ON THE STREET. THE NET STYLE IS MADE FROM A STRONG NYLON STRING WITH A 1/2" WEB EDGE AND LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO A FISHING NET. THEY MOUNT WITH A SERIES OF SNAPS ALONG THE EDGE AND ARE NEAR INVISIBLE FROM TEN FEET AWAY. DIEST MAKES A NICE SET OF THESE THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR ABOUT $30.

ANOTHER "MUST HAVE" IS A GOOD FIRE EXTINGUISHER LOCATED WHERE YOU CAN REACH IT EASILY AND MOUNTED WITH A QUICK RELEASE SYSTEM. HAVING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER ONBOARD CAN SAVE YOUR CAR FROM MAJOR DAMAGE AS WELL AS SAVE YOU FROM A LONG WALK HOME!

WHAT IS A FUEL CELL AND WHY DO I NEED ONE?
A FUEL CELL IS A GAS TANK THAT IS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR RACING APPLICATIONS. THEY ARE A METAL BOX SURROUNDING A FLEXIBLE FUEL-SAFE AND FIRE-RESISTANT PLASTIC "BLADDER" SIMILAR TO A WATERBED MATRESS. THE IDEA IS THAT METAL CAN CAUSE A SPARK IN A CRASH, THEREFORE, BY CONTAINING THE FUEL INSIDE THE BLADDER THERE IS LESS CHANCE THAT A SPARK CAN IGNITE THE FUEL. FUEL CELLS ARE REQUIRED IN ALL FORMS OF RACING.
MANY BAJA AND PRE-RUNNER OWNERS OPT TO PUT IN A FUEL TANK OTHER THAN THE FACTORY ONE IN THE TRUNK AREA. AND MANY DECIDE TO LOCATE THIS NEW TANK INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE THINKING THAT IT WILL BE PROTECTED BETTER BY THE ROLL CAGE, AND IT IS. THE ONLY THING THAT CAN MAKE THIS A VERY BAD MISTAKE IS USING A NORMAL FUEL TANK, SUCH AS THE SPUN ALUMINUM ONES YOU SEE ADVERTISED EVERYWHERE. IF ONE OF THESE GETS PUNCTURED DURING A CRASH YOU WILL BECOME A HUMAN "MOLATOV COCKTAIL" AND ONE SPARK COULD END YOUR LIFE!!!
A 10 GALLON SPUN ALUMINUM TANK WILL COST YOU ABOUT $80, A 10 GALLON FUEL CELL WILL COST ABOUT $120. IS YOUR LIFE AND THE LIVES OF YOUR PASSENGERS WORTH $40???

WELL, THAT'S IT FOR THIS MONTH. NEXT MONTH I'LL DISCUSS THE PROCESS OF RAISING YOUR REAR SUSPENSION.

LAST MONTH I STARTED A BAJA OF THE MONTH SECTION IN THE BAJA SECTION AND HAVE NOW DECIDED TO HAVE A WHOLE SECTION DEVOTED TO OFF-ROAD VW PICTURES. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR BAJA, PRE-RUNNER, BUGGY OR RACER AND POST THEM IN THIS SECTION ALONG WITH ITS INFO AND YOUR HOMEPAGE URL SO EVERYBODY CAN GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING WITH THEIRS. SO SEND IN YOUR PICS, INFO AND URL SOON!
I'M ALSO GOING TO TALK BROCK INTO ADDING AN OFF-ROAD SECTION TO THE LINKS PAGE.

FOR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR TO SUBMIT YOUR PICTURES E-MAIL ME AT:
dirtbugz@oasisvw.com
OR CONTACT ME BY ICQ # 18583378