1:24 Racing Seatbelts PE Set Black

The harness that keeps a driver in place

As late as the 1950s most racing drivers drove unbelted, because the conviction was that in a crash it was safer to be thrown out of the car. Strong roll cages and bucket seats turned that view around, and in circuit racers the multi-point harness prevailed. It is made up of a pair of shoulder straps, a pair of lap straps and a strap led between the legs, which keeps the driver from sliding forward under the lap section. The whole assembly is released by a single rotary buckle in the middle of the chest, so that it can be opened in gloves and without looking. It is that middle strap that is most often missing on miniatures, and yet without it the harness does not do its job.

Photo-etch and a pliable strap

The product rests on two different materials. The buckles, anchor eyes, adjusters and flanges are etched from thin sheet and carry pressings and holes that could not be cast in plastic. The webbing is represented by a pliable strap that can be crumpled into a natural sag, so the result does not look like a taut string. The dark version is the easiest of the whole color range to use, because it does not compete with the paint of the body or with the shade of the upholstery.

A procedure that works

First separate the photo-etched parts with a sharp knife on a glass surface and sand the burrs off. Paint the metal parts separately, best of all in silver or a dark metallic applied thinned. Thread the strap through the buckle dry and only then secure the joint with a drop of thin cyanoacrylate glue. Leave the anchoring to the floor or to the cage right to the end, when the seat is already in its place and it is clear where the strap will really run. Seats, an interior and a kit of the car are not part of the delivery.