Hut wondering if I fitted the recaro seat out of my mini challenge car into meeni would it be illegal? It's got side head restraints but vic roads says nothing about them, the reason I ask is I may end up doing some hillclimbs in meeni for sh!ts and giggles and don't want to smash my head on a eollcage which I will also be installing if I'm on the road, it's a pre 69 car so seems to be exempt from most laws..

I would say there would be road rules regarding visibility (and the angles associated).
Maybe give an engineer a quick call, before trying to decipher the realms of VicRoads rules.
In any case, the seat should be accompanied by an engineers certificate, so this would be the best approach.

The side restraints are not designed to prevent your head colliding with the rollcage - that is what FIA approved padding is for. The intent of the side restraints on the seat is to prevent overextension of your neck in a side impact, whilst wearing a helmet (having a full harness on as well). This was the state of the art before the HANS came along to prevent hyperextension injuries in racing crashes.

I am assuming you are concerned about the times you drive the car on the road without a helmet and the possibility that the side restraints may prevent you hitting your head on the rollcage when in an accident. I am not sure that it will give the level of protection you think it will.

However I think it comes down to a case of the lesser of two evils - losing your peripheral vision and banging your head on the side restraint or having your peripheral vision and banging it on the rollcage. At least with the latter, the FIA padding may lessen the damage without losing the ability to avoid the crash in the first place.

cheers
michael

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i dont really think cage padding offers any help when you hit your head on it, i love these seats in race cars as your head doesnt move too much, but yeah thats not the intention on the road, concern is obviously there with vision, but when not restrained as you would be in a race car it wouldnt be hard to move your head down to see under them.. i dont know, i just want a cage but dont want it to kill me