43 replies to this topic

[Ben Cole]

My drivers side head pad behind the seat has some unsightly bubbling. It lead me to wonder what is the point of these? Are they easy to remove?

[Zoobeef]

My drivers side head pad behind the seat has some unsightly bubbling.

It lead me to wonder what is the point of these? Are they easy to remove?

They come off quite easy just some velcro and screws. youll be left with the etal brackets though. Some have ground them off the re painted the roll bar black. Not sure on the exact reason there there

[peterg]

Think I vaguely recall reading that they are to stop you getting hit by the engine in a big crash but can't remember when or where I read it so I could be confusing it with something else

[smiley]

I have had them grinded off; if it's my time to go, so be it. But damn, i can finaly see something through my back mirror, which helps safety also.

[chris_uk]

this is on my list of things to do.. arnt they a couple KG each?

[Zoobeef]

this is on my list of things to do..

arnt they a couple KG each?

Yeah i think so. Muncher also does the roll over cover without the headrest cutouts so it doesnt look funny

[chris_uk]

not too bothered about that, it wont me seen by me, and i doubt anyone would notice

[Yellow_or_black?]

A while ago, I bumped a thread from a few years ago stating that they are structurally integral - and not just for show. The information in it seemed sound - but I wouldn't know

[fiveoclock]

A while ago, I bumped a thread from a few years ago stating that they are structurally integral - and not just for show. The information in it seemed sound - but I wouldn't know

Possibly this one http://www.vx220.org...headrests&st=20

[Yellow_or_black?]

No, my bump would be the last post on the thread - or at least near the bottom, although I don't recall anyone commenting on it

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

pah, what a load of crap!!! I hate that about this forum! There are so many jobsworth types on here who pontificate about these sort of things and make out you will be sent to prison or die if you dare do x or y. Same gits who berate you if you moan about getting a parking ticket, or speeding fine.... I've cut the sections out of my roll bar, and they are in no way integral to the roll bar (this isn't aimed at you H)! No (before another jobsworth jumps in) I don't have an engineers report to prove this, and no I've not made stress analasis calculations to prove this, it's just bleedin obvious! They are just little flaps of steel to mount a crappy bit of trim that some gimp thought would look good. Rear visibility is fantastic without these pointless lups of pig iron, and I feel safer in my car not having them. OK yes without any shadow of a doubt I am now considerably more vulnerable to assasination by a sniper from behind now I have removed them, so I will have to take that risk on board and try and get on with my life. The S2 does not include this headrest cover, so why should we.... sorry over (I can be as bad as some for opinions mind ) Enjoy the rest of your evening people

[techieboy]

The S1 and S2 has a much much stronger roll bar though. Talking to Steve Tillett (Tillett seats) at AutoSport he thought they were there to help prevent the roll bar making contact with your head in the event it deforms in an accident (it would contact the seat and push the seat forward first) and also thought there may be a secondary role to stop the seat pivoting back too much in the event of a different type of impact. Although I can see the benefit of trimming the covers down to be smaller, personally, I'm leaving well alone.

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

The S1 and S2 has a much much stronger roll bar though.

Have they..? How do we know this? Our rollbars are effin huge!!

[Yellow_or_black?]

I'm on a dongle - so searching is tedious; apart from the fact that search does seem a little random since the upgrade - and searching for a user's posts doesn't go back very far I wish I could find that post, because the information seemed non-debatable - and the source reliable. 3J - that's the only reason I have contributed to this point, because it seemed conclusive proof; I also get annoyed by chinese whispers - so I wouldn't have repeated it just because someone else had posted it In trying to find the thread, I did find a post from Ben W stating that they are there to prevent you getting whip-lash, and the engine coming into the cabin, if you are rear-ended. The main argument for those believing they have no use is that the Elise (don't know which series) doesn't have them I can't imagine they were put there for a laugh, on what is a lightweight sports car with the bare minimum of 'ingredients' ETA: If someone else is minded to search for the thread, I believe I bumped it around May 2009. So annoying that you can't see all of someone's threads/posts anymore

Edited by Yellow_or_black?, 27 March 2010 - 07:50 PM.

[techieboy]

The S1 and S2 has a much much stronger roll bar though.

Have they..? How do we know this? Our rollbars are effin huge!!

Their's are effin huger.

Think that was one of JT's complaints when Thorney were trying to be competitive in the Elise Trophy. The fact the VX was forced to use a full cage (with the associated weight penalty) when the Elise could get away with just an A Frame and petty bar.

[ianrm]

I was told, whilst on a tour of Hethel that GM insisted on them to prevent your head going back to far if the seats deform in an accident. I doubt they would be strong enough to prevent the engine hitting you on the head.

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

I doubt they would be strong enough to prevent the engine hitting you on the head.

It's a poxy little bit of steel plate, can only be 5mm thick...

[Steffe]

These things are not present on the protoype VX220 so they must have been designed in at the very last stage before production. They are not used in the Elise S1 or S2. I am convinced (like others also writes) that this support were designed during/after crashtests to increase head protection. Most probably reducing head damage during a crash to the back of the car. This support was a quick fix to that. This is speculations though. Dont think we ever get the thruth from GM:s arcive 116

[spuk87]

I'm 6'1" and can't have my seat all the way back because the bottom of those headrest bits whack the top of my head! I think I'd rather have the engine hit my head than that painful bastard shearing the top layer of my head off. Literally if I floor it in 2nd gear while I'm leaning forward my head hits that and it fricking hurts!

[smiley]

@spuk87, in NL there is also a tall guy, that removed just the lump on them, and reappolstered them with some thin stuff to look neat again.
His seat can go back just a bit further now, and he no longer hits the lump with his head.

Edited by smiley, 28 March 2010 - 12:20 AM.