Buying SA2005 Helmet in 2017?

[ganzdachhaus]

How dumb would it be to buy a helmet with an SA2005 rating, today? I've found a NOS SA 2005 Helmet, that's old, but otherwise perfectly fine appearing (it's a Sparco TItan ADV... top notch helmet not too long ago). Fit & everything else is good... it's just old. I've gotten in touch with a pair of groups I'd potentially be doing track days with in the next year or two & neither of them had a problem with SA2005 helmets (even M-rated helmets are still OK by them... oddly, this was not how I read their terms and conditions, but hey... if they say it's OK & that's what they'll rent on track day, it must be OK, right?). Obviously, I couldn't use it for anything more than a trackday, but that's perfectly fine with me.

Any reasons not to go for an older SA rated helmet? I'm well aware that the safety standards have changed since 2005, but I'm personally at least as comfortable with the idea of crashing with an SA2005 helmet as I am with an M-Rated helmet. I'm more concerned with Track Day groups being a bit more strict on what they allow on the track (for reference, FIA was perfectly OK with M-Rated helmets for some auto events until end of 2016, SA2005 helmets will still be good until end 2018 by FIA standards. MSA makes no mention of M-rated helmets in their current standards, which makes me wonder if they ever accepted them. Other standards vary... some reject SA2005 as of this year/last year, some still allow almost anything for certain events, including motorcycle helmets & some, google translate just doesn't translate well)

[HustleRussell]

If it looks like good value for money compared to alternatives at a similar price point, fits well and is comfortable I'd have no reservations at all provided it has been stored sensibly I.e. Not damp, frozen or baked in the sun for several years.

P.S. Don't trackday operators normally refer to a British Standard for helmets which pretty much all helmets including cheap motorcycle and karting helmets meet or exceed? I've never known a helmet to be inspected on a trackday.

For what it's worth I used an SA2005 for the whole of the last racing season and am only changing helmets for this season is because in the series I'm racing in, HANS is now mandatory.

Edited by HustleRussell on Monday 13th February 22:47

[loggyboy]

Very few TDOs care on paper - and ive never ever had mine checked.
I do recal some TDOs suggesting they would want certain approvals, but dont think this ever came to fruition.
So unless you plan on going racing, or just want to have the best protection standards available, then don't even concern yourself over approvals etc.