Which Race Seat?

[C.A.R.]

Guys, I'll be needed to buy a pair of race seats for the 2seater at some stage,

so I thought I'd ask what fixed back, bucket race seats people reccommend?

 

Bare in mind they must be 'reasonably' priced, be CAMS/FIA approved and be narrow enough to fit in the Zed.

 

Sco_Aus reckons OMP Daytona's are crap because they fall apart, so who else has had experience with race seats?

[xa1973]

 

 

Take a look at Cobra Cub or Broder they might suit your needs

 

[nizm0zed]

i have had experience with OBX carerra's

 

They are crap, they do fall apart, and they sit too high.

I suspect most of the OBX range will be the same.

 

I had some Cobra fixed buckets for a while in a DD several years ago, otehr than being impractical for a DD they were very comfortable, and lasted very well.

[Zedman240®]

The moment you mention it has to be FIA approved, expect to pay around 50% more! Unless you plan on running at the F1 Grand Prix, they don't have to be FIA approved. Most of the seats on sale now at good speed shops should be ok by CAMS standards.

I've been using Velo seats for almost 10 years now and they have faired pretty well. The only major wear I've seen is where the harness goes through the holes in the back. My drivers seat has changed hands 3 times and has come back to me mind you! I'd recommend Velo if you can find them at a good price; on sale etc or second hand at GMP in Oakliegh South.

[PZG302]

Lurch,

 

Two seats I have used in my Z are an RPM seat, now being replaced, and a Sparco.

 

The RPM seat was not a bad seat for the price, narrow enough to fit in the Z, but ended up offset to the left to clear the cage. Seat is comfortable and offers plenty of support for circuit work, but would be very uncomfortable for use as a daily.

 

The other seat I am using is a Sparco Evo. again should fit, but will be offset to cleat the cage. Seems to be more comfortbale than the RPM seat and offers a bit more support and seems to be a better construction.

 

The Sparco is FIA approved which means no hassles at all with any scrutineer when they see the sticker. Also means you know the standard of construction and that it should protect you in the case of a prang. Most of the better quality seats are FIA approved anyway so shouldn't be a problem in finding one.

 

Also, personally I would avoid buying second hand as you can't be 100% sure of the history of the seat and whether it has been fitted incorrectly, been in a prang, or been abused in other ways, eg solvents on it and so on that may wekaen the structure.

 

As for price, get the best you can afford and don't scrimp, same as harnesses. The seat and harness do a pretty important job in the event of the unthinkable.

 

Personally I spend as much as I can afford on the safety side of the car.

 

The Sparco seat on got when Revolution Racegear had a clearence a coupleof years ago, so I would wait til June/ July when they have their sales and pick up a demo or superceded model for about $5-600 per seat.

[620Z]

I have a Sparco in my car Lurch. They are very comfortable, light and fit in with a small amount of mods, into our narrow cock pits. This is if you want it low and I reckon you will. Even if you don't want to spend loads of cash. Just put one in for now cost around $1,000- to $1,100-. Can't go wrong.

[sco_aus]

http://www.velo.com.au/

Alrighty, these seats are scoring a really good name atm in a lot of race scenes.  Reason being, they went out of their way to ensure that most of their range were ADR approved and FIA or either one.  So not only are they safe, you dont need to try and convince a engineer or RTA/Vic Roads etc.  a friend of mine has just gone through this with his Sparco.  Because it only had FIA and not ADR, the ACT rego people were being dousche bags because ADR use a different testing system.  ummm hello, if its been approved to be in a F1 car, i think someones corolla will be fine...

Anyways, I hear they are good quality and they seem to have a good range. Check em out.

[Scando]

I use a Monza Evo for the simple reason that it was very cheap and a perfect snug fit for my butt!  most race seats are too wide for me.  It's not FIA approved but that's not an issue for most racing that people will do with their Z's.  It's perfect for 10 laps races on a circuit but was very uncomfortable after sitting in it for 2 days for Targa Wrest Point.  I was blown away by how light Bluerat's Velo was when we put that in the passenger side.  Also felt very comfy when I had a sit in it so this could be the way to go as a lot of other people like them too by the sound of it!

[ZD44TT]

if your on a budget just look at the forums for some good seats.......nissan silvia, ozhonda, jdmstyling.....etc...........

[Zeddophile]

Very important factor in buying a race seat - is it comfortable for YOU?

 

I find Sparcos to be pretty good for me, although most are a bit too wide.  I'm told there is a narrower model, but I'm yet to come across one to try.  The more expensive Cobra seats I tend to find curve far too much in the backrest, and make me feel like the hunchback of Notre Dame - downright uncomfortable for me.

 

The best seat I've sat in though is actually a Recaro Racer SPG.  Unfortunately, they aren't made anymore, and when they were made they cost $2500+.  However, for me its spot on in the width across the bum, width across the shoulders, and the angle at which the base comes up at the front (also the depth of the actual seat).  The other nice thing about it was that even though it had the side supports for your helmeted head, you could actually still see out the back corner of the car through them.

 

At the moment, I'm sticking with my 10-15 year old OMP seat I picked up cheap, its actually a little more comfortable than a lot of the mid range Sparcos I've sat in, and its PRETTY close on the width.  Its far more comfortable than the standard seat, to the point it resides permanently in my daily driver Alfa.

 

Personally, I'm going to take a bit more of a look at the midrange Recaros (without the wings on the side), and see if I can find a narrower Sparco.  Those are probably my top two at this stage, although I'd be interested to see how the Velo seats feel... I suspect they may be sized for persons with a normal sized ass (unlike my narrow self).  Probably like to take a quick sit in the new OMP seats too...

 

Two things I'd say when you are looking though - look in the midrange pricing of the seats (usually the models just below the ones with head restraints).  I tend to find the entry level seats from all the manufacturers pretty ordinary.  The other thing is try putting some of those velcro pads they sell in any areas that are uncomfortable.  That's one of the things that makes my OMP so comfortable - a big velcro pad right in the small of my back.  You may even be able to make the back of the seat narrower with clever placement, if you have the same issue with getting a seat that's narrow enough that I do.

[sco_aus]

Another point with seats the dude at Revo race gear infyshwick was telling me is that there have been a few instances in crashes that the harness holes on the seats have been too low and when the weight has come on to the persons shoulders, it has pushed them down.  This can cause submarining and/or spinal damage.  The Sparco Evo 2 which isn't made any more is the only one I have seen that is really meant for a big white guy, the rest, the harness holes have been way too low.  At first, I didn't really believe it, but have since done a shit load of thinking about it and it makes sense.  So maybe keep that in mind?  I would hope that since Velo are aussie and ADR, they might have the harness holes high enough?  Dunno, but have a think about it.

[620Z]

Zeddophile Sparko make pretty narroa seats. Mine is an "EVO1" I think. You can get 3-4 different sizes. I am around 76kg and fits me pretty good. I reckon Lurches bum size might be around the same size as mine, but I will check on the Grampians weekend to be sure. 

[sco_aus]

up close and personal

[C.A.R.]

Some great responses guys - thanks!

 

FWIW I'm 80kgs & 6'4 (196cm), so for that fact alone I need to find a tall seat with a narrow base for my 'petite' arse

It looks like a Sparco or Velo might be the go, so when I need the seat I'll head down to a couple of the race shops & see whats suitable.

A couple of other thing's I'll be doing is lowering the original seat mounts on the floor so I can get the seat low enough.

Also, I'll be fitting a cage, so the seat clearing that will also have to come into consideration.

 

Hrmmm... Much to think about!

[620Z]

Lurch maybe drop in at Merridian. That's where I got mine. They have heaps to sit in and test. Also my seat is as low as it can go and once the lemet is on it isn't far off the roof. So you might want to look at hacking into the standard rails etc to get it lower which you will need. Even if you have to fabricate some sort of reinforcing to compensate. I took the rails out of mine to get lower and still only just suits me. You will be after another 2inch's.

[PZG302]

The better seats, Sparco Velo Cobra will have mounts available that will bolt to the floor and get the seat down low. These will generally be easier than trying to mount the seat to the original rails.

 

These will mainly be side mounts and will take a bit of fiddling to get the seat where you want it.

 

What type of cage are you looking at, 4 point, 6 point, 6 point with intrusion bars? The main concern for clearance will be the intrucion bar design. My intrusion bars are just above the sill, so aren't to bad with interfering the seat. A more traditional angles bar would cause more problems for the seat and for me getting in and out.

[C.A.R.]

PZG, yeah I've seen the universal seat mounts that the above mentioned brands have.

My problem is being so tall & trying to get the seat back as far as possible WITH a cage in there too.

I think I'm still going to have to mod the seat mounts on the floor of the Zed to get me low enough with a helmet on (it'll see some track time).

 

I'm going to be fitting a 6pt welded in cage - maybe tower to tower.

I'll get a kit from Bond in NSW, that way I can adjust it to suit my needs.

It's going to be a road car so I won't be fitting door bars (yet).

[PZG302]

With the side mounts you'll be able to get the seat as low as you need and pretty much as far back, just remember to weld some decent size plate, 50-75mm wide and at least 2mm thick to the floor to brace it all up, for me that would effectively be two pieces front to back and then two side to side at the four holes in the floor and stitch welded to the floor pan.

 

I'm 6'1" and 110kg so need plenty of room, but can fit quite easily with the seat as it is mounted now to the floor. In fact the seat is a little too far back, about 1/2" to 1" so it's a bit of a stretch to get full throttle, but everything else falls to hand nicely, plus not many others can drive the car which is always a good thing 

 

As for the cage, I'd look at Brown Davis, closer to you than Bonds. Also I know of a couple of cars where their roll bars didn't fit and took a fair bit of work to make fit. At one stage the doors couldn't be closed.

 

If your going to log book the car as well then you will also have to make sure that the cage can be certified if you install yourself.

[620Z]

Lurch have a closer look at my car when we go on the next drive. I get the feeling head clearance might be a problem for you with a helmet on. You could always get the hammer out and dome the roof a bit. 

[sco_aus]

lol, you lanky f*ck

[C.A.R.]

Yeah, I might need a 'Gurney Bubble' the way I'm going Craigo

 

PGZ, I'm a Boilermaker/Welder by trade so I'll have no problem in re-engineering the floor mounts.

I wanted to install the cage myself to save a few thousand, as a 4130 molly cage tower to tower is around 6k...

I'll ring Brown Davis & see what they say - they may bend up the bars to suit.

I'd also have to clarify with CAMS about the legality of Tig welding it up myself...

 

As long as it all clears, I'll be happy.

Though I think I'll be looking for the narrowest 'winged' seat I can find, with side mounting capability.

 

lol, you lanky f*ck

Shut-up, you tubby bastard

[PZG302]

Why not look at building and certifying your own cage. If you use the specc'd materials and standard design template you just fill in the form and it is certified with no need for testing.

 

If you use a kit cage it must be bolt together as no welding can be done once it leaves the manufacturer.

 

I have attached the information pack on certifying a cage for you. Further info is on the CAMS web site.

[Zeddophile]

I'll ring Brown Davis & see what they say - they may bend up the bars to suit

 

Better option again - talk to Mark at Eastern Race Fabrication (0419 696 660).  Just a couple of streets away from Brown Davis (he's at 3/7 Malvern St in Bayswater), and will likely be happy to let you do some of the job yourself.  Have a talk to him and see what you can arrange - I'm sure he'll also be able to point you in the right direction in terms of what you need to do for certification etc. 

 

And for anyone who wants a cage built in their car, Mark's your man - priced very well (I think cheaper than Brown Davis), and the quality of work sh*ts all over Brown Davis's stuff.  Plus he's straight up - tells you at the start what its going to cost, and where the problems may come from.

[RaceBorn]

Lurch,

 

Go see Joseph from Revolution Racegear in Auburn. He has a lot of seats in his showroom, so you can try them out and see what fits your body best, and what you'll find most comfortable. I have been dealing with him for around a year now, and he's very helpful.

 

As for the cage, I might be able to help. I was researching stuff for my car, and I will probably be buying a Cusco 5 point roll-cage (I couldn't believe they made them for the S30 chassis!). I had one in my old car, and the quality was amazing. I will be likely getting it in the next 2-3 months. I am happy to help bring one for you as well if you are interested.

[Mr240z]

Hey RaceBorn, Lurch is in Melbourne, Auburn might be a bit far for him...