Right Side Net in 944

T

timo944

New member
I've been noodling this problem for a while.

As far as I can tell, the optimum placement of the front attachment point would be close to the stock heater fan switch (on my late 944). Certainly, the dash is not strong enough to support the net. If the net were attached to the dash there, I believe it would buckle would pull into the passenger compartment. I considered removing the heater controls and placing a 3" steel plate behind the dash, and attaching the net to an eye bolt in the plate. Messy, and maybe worthy temporarily, but not a permanent solution.

It seems to me that the best placement is clear though the middle of the heater core, or right below it, to the firewall. This means removing the dash (ugh!) and seriously modifying the large plastic duct assembly. I am not using the heater core (blocked off) but it needs to remain in place per the rules. I would guess that putting a hole through it for safety reasons might be OK, except that this is not a required safety device (although it is recommended).

The only other idea I had is to weld a large metal tow hook type thing to the cage cross bar, that would come up behind the dash. it would be about 5" long, and I suppose be made of 3/16" metal or something.

I'm wondering if anybody else has an elegant solution....???
 
Nope...can't think of anything simple. Those nets are an absolute pain to mount. They need to go to the cage or the car's structure--firewall--which would entail removing dashboards.

You can gut the heater stuff, etc. to do it, but it will still be a pain (and lose your defroster?) to get it to some solid structure.
 
Don't you have a dash bar? That's where mine's attached. Dash bar sits just above the steering column.

Not sure if yours is an early or a later car... Note that it's also possible to go through where the center speaker vent is (in the early cars) and there's direct access to the firewall there. There's a small (M6?) stud which holds the dash on, and could be used, or cut out, replaced with a larger attachment point.

Consider also that the center net does not need to be purely straight front-to-back; it is often best to have it laying against and wrapping around the seat back, and angled forward away from the driver (like over/past the shifter). This could allow you to go right past the RH side of the center console and attach to the firewall wherever you like, under the dash.

Again, mine's just on the dash bar.
 
I run my net throught the center vent where it mounts to the dash bar - that's really the safest way to go.
 
When you identify the locations you want to anchor your inboard net to the cage (at the rear) and on the dash bar (if that's the route you go as Vaughan suggests), a good trick is to get a hardware store to cut you a couple of large chain links in half and weld them to the cage. I did this before I painted the inside of the cabin so I got them w/out a finish. I won't recall the size of the chain link now but I think I took the net to a tractor supply store and we matched it up to get a good size chain link.

Your straps wrap around the cage, not the links (they are just to locate the straps) so make sure you sand the inside opening well so there is nothing to cause the straps to fray if they do slip around. It was the best thing I heard to do when mounting mine in 2004 (got the tip from some circle track guys here in Charlotte) as it wasn't something IT folks were doing at the time.

InboardNetMountPoint.jpg


Again, to echo what Vaughan is saying, you won't want this going straight forward, it will be at an angle starting from slightly behind your seatback to something toward the passenger area (aft) - obviously, your seat will dictate how you run it. I don't have a good picture but if you need any detailed pics, I can take a few and post them.
 
This is a 1988 844 - so the late style dash (different from Vaughan). I do have a dash bar, but it's lower down underneath the steering column. What I am considering is welding a 1/8" or 3/16" steel plate to the dash bar, somewhere near the center of the car, that would be about 5-6" tall and about 2" wide, oriented so that the plate would be perpendicular to the dash bar. The top of this plate would come up right behind the dash where the stock heater controls are (or used to be). There, I could mount a seat-belt style eye bolt, as the net I have uses a snap in (it's a Simpson). This placement puts the lower and upper straps exactly where I need them, and interference to the shifter is not an iisue. I just need to size the steel to get the right strength. I'd prefer to wrap it around the dash bar but it ain't gonna happen.

I'm going to the ARRC next weekend and was hoping to get this done beforehand but there's no time. I have to work too!:shrug:
 
Thanks Vaughan. So far I'm guaranteed an 8th. Really could use you at the track - need more P-car representation!
 
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