As the deadline for my drivers school draws near.......i need to think about getting my fire suit. Now i could go with a "nice" suit from Sparco or OMP or whomever for however much they cost......or i could get one from Racer Wholesale or wherever for like $200 or less. My question is (since i know virtually nothing about suits) is why would i spend the extra money? I'm sure there are reasons, but what are they? 1 layer vs 2 layer vs 3 layer? there's also a little rating i see by some of them that i don't know what it means.

anyway.......any information is appreciated.

 

3 layer = no long john nomex underwear.

$200 suit = heavier than grandma's old quilt.

Sparco = Armanti. Cool, light, and sexy to the 3 good looking chicks you'll ever see at the track.

 

Sparco all the way bro!

 

OR you can get a Simpson for about 1/2 of the Sparco and it is SFI tagged. It really depends on the level of protection and "sex appeal" that you want in the suit itself. A quality multi-layer suit will be comfortable except on the most humid of days. Remember that you will wear Nomex gloves, socks and in some cases a headsock (beards and long haired people).
Happy racing

 

I paid $325 for my Sparco... and it isnt the lowest model.


Demon-Tweeks loves you

 

There is an OMP for about 350-400, 3-layer Nomex (called the Trend or Trend II). They way I understand it, the less expensive suits are made of Proban, which is a cotton which receives a treatment that makes it fireproof. I think it's even more fireproof than Nomex. However, this treatment washes out over time when you wash the suit. Nomex, on the other hand, is fireproof through and through. So durability is an issue. Please correct me if I'm wrong...

 

I bought a nice Sparco. I considered the upfront cost and how long I would be using it. I think, to some degree, you get what you pay for. I have had Simpson and Flamecrusher suits in the past, I found that Sparco's material felt higher quality and the fit and finish was more appealing. My first suit was a hand me down "baby blue" 3 layer. Nice suit, but the fit and color were not ideal, so I ended up buying something I liked.

I got my suit at sparco4less. Dante is a good guy.

 

I would not get anything less then the $400 Sparco/OPM.

 

I used to use a $200 Racer Wholesale suit. It felt like it weighed about 50lbs and was so thick it was like being wrapped in insulation. Its nickname was "The Sweatsuit" but after Shultz borrowed it for his drivers school he named it something like "The Torture Device." He immediately went out and bought a Sparco.

There is a huge difference that you will only fully understand after wearing both suits on a hot, humid day.

 

I have also worn said Suit.

BTW, it is kind of funny how the ex-Giles equipment get around.

 

You guys are like my little brothers.
Getting my hand-me-downs.

So my old suit has now gotten 2 people through racing schools. Who's next?
Towne?

 

Talk to Dante. These are Sparco suits imported directly from Italy, which carry the FIA tags. They do not have SFI tags... but after looking into it, SCCA and conference both accept FIA approval. The way I understand it is that FIA only has one certification, either the suit is acceptable or not. SFI is kind of a sliding safety scale as far as I can see. In any case, these suits are identical to the ones available here in the US with SFI approval, sans the tag. You can save big dough. I'm looking at a Top 5 which is 999.00 at Sparco USA, and only 690.00 with racers discount thru Sparco4less.com. Get ahold of Dante there, he's the owner. The racers discount price is a bit lower than whats on his website.

Oh yeah..... Chicks dig Sparco suits. There's always that.

 

http://www.sparco4less.com

I just ordered their racer package. For less than $600 I got a low-mid level 3 layer Sparco Suit, shoes, collar, balaclava and gloves. I think it was a good deal. I also ordered underwear. I figured, I'd rather have the underwear get really sweaty than the suit. But, I still may send the underwear back, not sure.

I posted this before I read the post directly above. I had a 1/2 hour conversation with Dante. He is really cool! We actually started to talk about old BMX/freestyle guys like Eddie Fiola, Martin Aparajo, etc.

Dante's customer service is great.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SPiFF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would not get anything less then the $400 Sparco/OPM.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What he said... I got the $400ish Sparco and really like it.

r2x ~ who doesn't want the chicks digging her suit.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by davidnyc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> http://www.sparco4less.com
Dante's customer service is great.</TD></TR></TABLE>

True!!!! Great guy, no question about it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by r2x &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

What he said... I got the $400ish Sparco and really like it.

r2x ~ who doesn't want the chicks digging her suit. </TD></TR></TABLE>

The magnetic attraction of the SPARCO cannot be broken by the meer likes of you!!

&lt;-- wants a sparco

 

&lt;---- Getting a suit for his birthday in October.

I will probably chip in a little extra $$ on top of what my girlfriend wants to spend so i can get something really nice. I'll probably pick one up for about $600 total. I might buy shoes at the same time. Of course i've already comitted to a $500 ring (no, not the ring) for her birthday, which is 2 days before mine).

 

Got me goin'... Just ordered a Top 5 from Dante.

 

Check the TPP rating of any suit you buy. The higher the number the better. Basically, you can take the TPP rating, cut that number in half, and that's about how many seconds before the skin develops a second degree burn when in direct contact with a flame.

There are several types of material used in the construction of a racing suit. Nomex is more durable while FR cotton is more comfortable. Proban is a trade name for FR cotton. It is true that FR cotton will lose its fire retardent capabilities with washing but they are typically rated for about 50 washes which last most racers 3-5 years. The fabric will usually wear out before it loses its fire retardency.

Most manufacturers offer a full range of suits from entry level to full custom suits. G-Force Racing Gear offers an entry level suit that is made of a FR cotton shell and coolquilt liner. Very high TPP rating, heavy but inexpensive. The next step up is made of a nomex shell with a coolquilt liner. Higher TPP rating, a little lighter, a little higher price and much better styling. The next step up would be a Euro-styled suit consisting of a nomex shell with nomex knit liner. Very light suit, much higher price but not as high a TPP rating as the others. There are all off the shelf suits.

In a multi-layer suit, the TPP rating is not only achieved by the materials, but by the layers. You should not wear a suit that is too tight as the air pockets built into the suit between each layer act as insulation.

There are cheap suits. There are expensive suits. Obviously, there are some very good suits on the market but remember, you can pay a lot more and get a lot less.

Howard Bennett
G-Force Racing Gear

 

Anybody try the MOMO suits? Their top of the line model can be had for $700.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There is a huge difference that you will only fully understand after wearing both suits on a hot, humid day.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What Scott said. I did wear The Torture Device and I did in fact immediately order the "$400 Sparco." Money well spent - this is not a place to cheap out.

 

I tried several different routes.

Went the one layer and Nomex underware. Not very convenient.

Tried G Force suits. None fit well and they were HEAVY

Settled on $400 Sparco. Comfortable. Fits well (enough). Lighter than other choices.

 

i always wondered about the cheap ones from racerswholesale too, now i know.

I ended up with a middle-of-the-line Sparco 2-layer for $500.
I previously bought a $500 OMP that was 3-layer.

Both were rated the same, and the Sparco was lighter. I sent the OMP back because it didn't fit, but I'm glad because I like the Sparco better.

 

For those who bought suits online or some other way in which it prevented you from actually trying it on first.....

How good was the fitment based on taking measurements described in their methods of how to find an appropriate well fitting suit?

I'd like to take advantage of shopping online mostly due to the fact it is cheaper.....but damn.... if I have to send the suit back and forth to get a good fitting one!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RagingAngel &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How good was the fitment based on taking measurements described in their methods of how to find an appropriate well fitting suit?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I measured myself and bought from subesports.com. I subsequently gained a bit of weight...and refused to order the "next size up..." but their suggestions were pretty much spot on. Subesports.com gets a from me for customer service, sizing, and pricing.