I would like to buy a helmet. I dont mind borrowing the SCCA ones but if I dont act quickly I can be left with old smelly ones. There are tons of helmets out there and everyone talks about how good they are, but my problem is slightly different.
Im 6'0", I normally have about an inch and a half of headroom in the car. Then I put on a helmet and im touching the roof. I dont want to buy a helmet online and hope that it wont make me have to put my head sideways...
So what I need is to find the most "cost-effective" (cheap) AutoX legal helmet that is also thin or will give me some head room.
Also if anyone in South/Central/Orlando FL knows of a store that has things in stock I can go try on, Please let me know.

 

sorry man, it's just part of owning the car. you'll learn to tilt your head slighty to the side.

 

Same deal here. I'm 5'11", but with a long torso. I jack the seat all the way down, and lean it back to get enough clearance. My codriver is about the same height, but when we switch, I need to lean the seat back 3 notches, and slide forward 3 as well.

 

g force helmets good price......
i am 6 5 ,no rubbing ......
try to adjust your seat...

 

How the ****?

I'm 5'11" and with my helmet I have NO head clearance (lowest seat settign) and it's hard just to turn my head lol, unless I squat down

 

The OP probably has a problem because he has a sunroof. You lose quite a bit of clearance on the touring and GT cars because of this. I'm 6'0 and with a non sunroof car and the seat lowered all the way I can still sit fairly straight up in a comfortable racing position.

 

i have a sunroof and like i said, get used to leaning your head slightly to the side. you could lean your seat back to get more clearance but then you'll just be laying back too far to see.

 

Another option is to purchase a seperate lapbelt only and cinch it as tight as you can stand. This will compress the seat foam further and create a little additional headroom while also holding you better in place. Always use your normal 3-point belt in conjunction (over the top) of the lap belt.

Chris H

 

I have seen Bell, Arai and others and found I brought an American helmet.... god forbids. It is the thinnest but still have the Snell 2000 sticker.

Simpson Bandit I have.

And I look like the stig too!

 

If you have a sunroof, you are going to have clearance problems. If you are really serious about autocross first, like the car second, and you have a sunroof, go trade it for one without the sunroof.

If you have no sunroof, then its a matter of adjusting yourself and seat until you find the most comfortable position. I am 6'2", and my helmet touches no matter what I do, but the situation has become better over time perhaps because the seatfoam is finally surrendering to my 250 pounds.

As you said, there are helmet shops, and there is nothing wrong with going to try some out to see how they work. Take the car with you. That's how I bought mine.

 

Yea im not trading the car in. Noone will give me what its worth to me because its an 06 with low miles that I have obsessively kept in top shape, and KBB doesnt account for that. Its not ridiculously uncomfortable, just enough to be annoying, and I dont want it to get any worse than it is with the ones Ive borrowed. But I dont know what brand those are, as they are scuffed to hell, and the manufacturers online dont have any info about this. I dont notice it once the flag waves cause im too focused, but while sitting in line its annoying.
The loaner helmets are the open face kind (Newb to helmet nomenclature), but online it seems mostly the ones that cover your mouth that are rated for the track also. It would probably be a better idea to get one for when I eventually hit the track, but are those any worse comfort wise? Im not feeling spending 1000 for a carbon fiber one, but lightweight and light padding would be really nice. I cant find any rules for autox about having the sunroof open or closed. I could probably crack it a bit and noone would notice.
Anyway, can anyone suggest the best brand or specific helmet for... under 300?

 

I suggest the HJC AR-10...it has a very low profile and is very affordable! Here's a pic.

OG Racing has a good price on them...OPEN.

 

I'm not tall, so I don't have that problem, unfortunately. This may be silly, but how about openning the sunroof or at least slide the cover back? My head is at the leading edge of the sunroof and I'm only 5'5", if you're close to 6', your head is probably dead center under it.

 

Helmets hit at the edge of the sunroof opening, so you have to tilt. Like PBlue said, I notice it sitting in line, but not when I'm in the cones. A longer stint like a track day might get uncomfortable (I'll find out myself in June).

 

Don't forget, the cloth seats also position the driver lower than leather. And they weigh roughly 30 lb. less per side.

No sunroof, cloth seats FTW.

 

I had a Bell Magnum 3 last year and also have a sun roof car. The Bell hit the roof so much, I had to clean the roof where the helmet contacted it. I changed to a HJC AC-3 carbon and gained a inch of head room. Even though the HJC has a scoop on the top it is lower than the Bell. I hope this information helps.

 

I think my new SA2005 has more clearance than the old SA95

both are Bell Mag5

 

i went to s local motorcycle shop and tried them in my car. Then again i am 5'5'' so check and see.

 

Yes, that's what I was going to recomend. Except go to an aftermarket motorcycle parts store.

Much cheaper and you will find differant brands.

 

be advised that some sanctioning bodies have specific restrictions regarding motorcycle helmets