PARACHUTES
The Simpson Racing 10-Foot Drag Chute could be an essential part of your 7-, 8-, or 9-second race car's safety equipment. The reinforced nylon parachute is handmade, with a crossform design reliable up to 200 mph. The 10-foot plume extends 12 feet from the car, and uses a 12-inch pilot chute and compression launch spring. The parachute comes with a strong .090-inch alloy mounting plate for easy installation, and a Nomex chute pack and backing. Summit Racing carries this model in black, red and blue for $299.95 (P/N SIM-4202).
RACING SEATS
A quality, supportive racing seat is invaluable for driver performance and safety in road racing and autocrossing, as G-forces have you sliding all over the stock seat and losing control of the vehicle. Corbeau has an excellent line of seats, from the fixed-back ultra-lightweight FX1 Pro to the fully adjustable and comfy leather-appointed LG1. Corbeau claims the LG1 is the most comfortable racing seat on the market, thanks to its ergonomic design, high-density injection molded foam, infinite recline settings, and integrated kidney, thigh, and shoulder support. It is available in cloth, microsuede, and 100% leather for about $349 per seat. The LG1 (and many other models) have slots to fit one of Corbeau's--or your favorite manufacturers'--five-point harnesses.
The stock seats may be fine for a 10- or 11-second street car, but if you're experiencing some serious wheels-up action, run out and pick up Kirkey Racing Fabrication's 4100 Series Drag Racing Seat. This supportive seat will not only help keep you in place to prevent any impacts, it will also keep you in place if an impact does occur. This seat is constructed of MIG welded 0.100-inch thick 5052-grade aluminum, with offset aluminum extrusion around the perimeter of the seat for added strength. Contoured high-density foam provides comfort, as extra-thick foam on the rib support adds cushioning for safety. The cloth upholstery is double stitched around the belt opening and at all stress points. Expect to pay around $160-$215, depending on the width (15 to 20 inches are available). The covers are an extra $100--red, blue, grey, black cloth, and black vinyl is available.
ROLLBARS, CAGES & WHEELIE BARS
Madman & Co Racecars is known as one of the top gurus of suspension tuning in the late-model F-body community, replete with sick fabrication skills. Recently, Madman teamed up with Thunder Racing to bring a top-quality chassis shop to Thunder's Baton Rouge, Louisiana facilities. In addition to a full lineup of suspension and race-only parts, Madman offers several safety items--including the appropriately named "Save-Your-Ass" Bars, designed to protect your headers and oil pan in the event of a monster wheelstand. "Outlaw" wheelie bars can also watch your rear, preventing you from dragging the bumper and potentially inflicting greater damage to your F-body. These babies are constructed of 4130 chrome-moly tubing, with a rear bracket designed to distribute load forces equally to upper and lower portions. They are available in 48 to 66 inches and 85 inches, as well as custom length, all with 5/8x1/2-inch aircraft quality rod-ends. Madman's custom-built rollbars and 'cages are also constructed of 4130 chrome-moly. Each structure is designed to fit the driver, and is built to the specs required by the NHRA (or other sanctioning body) for the intended ET and miles per hour. Madman's sick fabrication skills are evident in the careful construction of your basic rollbar through 8-point 'cages and SFI 25.2 spec 'cages (as shown), for 6-second vehicles that meet or exceed 200 mph (with a 3,200-lbs raceweight).
S&W Racecars is one of the premier chassis shops for late-model muscle cars like Third and Fourth Gen F-bodies. S&W offers four- and six-point rollbars for F-bodies (as well as custom 10- and 14-point 'cages), which meet or exceed NHRA, IHRA, NMCA, and most other sanctioning organizations' requirements for design and material specs. Two different mild steel versions are available, including electric welded seam (EWS) and drawn over metal (DOM), as well as 4130-chrome-moly--for racers who demand the ultimate in weight savings and strength. Wheelie bars are available to keep your F-body's front-end lift under control, and to prevent you from potentially stuffing it into the wall (or at the very least cracking an oil pan or headers). Check out other items in S&W's safety equipment catalog, as well as suspension and chassis components.
Cotton's Performance is one of the premier Turbo Buick shops in the Northeast, so it should be no surprise that it's also one of the best places to pick up a rollbar or 'cage. Great care is taken to ensure each set of bars fit snugly to the panels and is as easy to live with (for street-going applications) as possible, without excessively hacking up the interior. Cotton's uses 1.75-inch tubing with .118-thickness on its six-point rollbars (NHRA legal to 10.0), and Chassisworks swing-out door bar kits are available for even greater ease in and out of your Buick. The rear bars are mounted on the framerail at the backside of the wheel wells, and the rear tube goes through the speaker deck on the outboard side (instead of through the speaker holes like most mass-produced 'cages). The trunk space remains fully intact, as does use of the rear seat.
Choices can be limited when it comes to putting a rollbar or 'cage in a C5, and when you take a look at the fit and quality of East Coast Supercharging's custom 'cages, your decision will be made. Only 4130 chrome-moly bars are used with a .083 wall thickness, and each rollbar or 'cage is designed according to application and usage, ranging from high-performance driving events like road racing to drag racing. Five-, six- and eight-point 'cages are available for hardtops and convertibles, as are swing-out door bars--because your C5 is hard enough to get in and out of as it is. Unlike its competitors, ECS welds the main bar to an outrigger in the car for the greatest strength possible.