Seat up-grade installed (Sparco Roadster)
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Seat up-grade installed (Sparco Roadster)
Finally, I am part of the car.
No more flowndering like like a fish out of water while cornering.
All I can say, this install was a challenge and well worth the time spent to get it right.
The seat is as low as I can get it using these rails
Currently, the seat is tilted 35 Deg and fits me comfortably.
Seat had to be adjustable, because the car is not for track only.
Used Recaro siders vs Sparco.
* With Recaro you have more back and forth adjustability because they are longer than the Sparco rails.
* With Recaro, looking down the center of the inside of the slider, you don't have issues with nut and bolt heads disrupting the sliding action of the rails. Sparco rails are designed to slide differently and looked as if the nut or bolt head may cause issue to slider movement limitation.
Next is the steering wheel upgrade.
The car just keeps getting better and better.
Keith
No more flowndering like like a fish out of water while cornering.
All I can say, this install was a challenge and well worth the time spent to get it right.
The seat is as low as I can get it using these rails
Currently, the seat is tilted 35 Deg and fits me comfortably.
Seat had to be adjustable, because the car is not for track only.
Used Recaro siders vs Sparco.
* With Recaro you have more back and forth adjustability because they are longer than the Sparco rails.
* With Recaro, looking down the center of the inside of the slider, you don't have issues with nut and bolt heads disrupting the sliding action of the rails. Sparco rails are designed to slide differently and looked as if the nut or bolt head may cause issue to slider movement limitation.
Next is the steering wheel upgrade.
The car just keeps getting better and better.
Keith
Last edited by HeyFred; 09-15-2006 at 12:37 AM.
#3
Drifting
Looks nice. How comfy is it compared to the stock ones? Also hows the recline angle. Do you feel like your sitting straight up or leaning back or in the middle just right? You plan on changing the passenger as well?
#6
Can you post some more details about the install (especially the challenges and also Recaro part number)? I am thinking about doing a similar set up and would like to retain some adjustability of the seats, since I also drive it on the street (I only do the occasional DE, but the stock seats suck for any kind of track driving).
I assume that the power slider is non functional in your installation? I am on the fence about doing a set up like yours or doing the Caravaggio seats that just bolt up (I like the price of the Roadsters better).
Thanks,
cj
I assume that the power slider is non functional in your installation? I am on the fence about doing a set up like yours or doing the Caravaggio seats that just bolt up (I like the price of the Roadsters better).
Thanks,
cj
#10
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St. Jude Donor '06
Originally Posted by Rick-B
Looks goood.
Do you sit lower now? How much?
Thanks for any help. (i'm 6'7" tall and i dont even have a vette yet, but i'm already planning to do a similar seat.)
Rick
#11
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Originally Posted by yellow01
Is the standard belt still usable (i.e. does it pull tight across your lap even with the higher side bolsters?
thanks,
Jon
thanks,
Jon
I am interested in knowing this as well. Were you able to mount the stock seatbelt receiving end?
thanks
EAA
#12
Instructor
Thread Starter
what steering wheel you getting?
http://performance.accuratetechnolog...products_id=89
This steering wheel:
http://www.sparcoracing.com/product....&cat=25&page=1
Or
http://store.racinglab.com/mostwhmco32.html
This is the one in my Mustang and it has a good feel to it.
Once I get the hub mounted, I will go down to my local speed shop, test fit for comfort and best guage vision.
How comfy is it compared to the stock ones?
The seat that fits me best is the Spaco EVO 2. I have them in my Mustang and they were a challenge to get in the car correctly without the shoulder winglets hitting the door when closed. Had to trim the edge of the winglet so it would not contact the door when closed.
From this learning experience, I was able to select a seat that fit the car and my self that did not require modification to the seat its' self.
Do you feel like your sitting straight up or leaning back or in the middle just right?
The seat mounting angle is comfortable for me.
You plan on changing the passenger as well?]
Do you sit lower now? How much?
I assume that the power slider is non functional in your installation?
Is the standard belt still usable
Today, I am fabbing the mounting tab for the seatbelt snap.
I have racing belts in my Mustang and they are not user freindly on the street, your locked in. Sometimes you want to lean forward and you can't. I am going to put the stock belt back in.
Do you track your car with this seat, with A) just the stock seat belt, or B) with a racing harness? I assume as stated above that the stock seatbelt passes ABOVE the side bolsters?
EVO2: Taller side, I would say you have to route stock belt thru the belt cutouts.
I am going to try with the stock belt first.
#14
Instructor
Thread Starter
Mounting the stock C5 buckle to go to the inside of the seat is difficult and not comfortable. So I went on a mission to the local wrecking yard to see what I could find. I won't go into detail, but show the treasures I found to solve my issue.
Use an Exato knife to slice open the seam on the C5 plastic release button cover
Use super glue to assemble cover back onto buckle
You can use these rails instead of the Recaro rails. Dam, I knew I should of went to the wrecking yard and looked before I bought the Recaro rails.
The enthusiast for the enthusiast
HeyFred
Use an Exato knife to slice open the seam on the C5 plastic release button cover
Use super glue to assemble cover back onto buckle
You can use these rails instead of the Recaro rails. Dam, I knew I should of went to the wrecking yard and looked before I bought the Recaro rails.
The enthusiast for the enthusiast
HeyFred
Last edited by HeyFred; 09-16-2006 at 10:59 PM.
#15
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CI 3-5-6-7-8 Veteran
HeyFred.. nice writeup. FYI tall/big guys these aren't the seats for you. I'm 6'4" 240 w/ a 36" waist. I went up to OG Racing in Northern VA and actually sat in them and felt they were ok. After getting them in the car and driving after 20min I was in hell w/ hip pain.
I ran one event at VIR w/ them and they wern't super comfortable.... again this is all due to my size and being too large for them, not because they're bad seats. I loved them and wished I was a little smaller.
I love your idea on the seat belt buckle... amazing idea. I had the standard one in there and it was very very sandwiched and mae slider action tight.
What bottom mount do you use? I see that you're not using side mounts?
Oh and for the passenger side there's a hump in the floor that the bracket has to clear so that lumina bracket wouldn't work.
With my setup I used the sparco bases which were as low as you could get, sparco sliders, and speedware motorsports side mounts. You are correct on the bolt issues.... I eneded up making many trips to the hardware store to get it all right.
Man they looked cool =(
I ran one event at VIR w/ them and they wern't super comfortable.... again this is all due to my size and being too large for them, not because they're bad seats. I loved them and wished I was a little smaller.
I love your idea on the seat belt buckle... amazing idea. I had the standard one in there and it was very very sandwiched and mae slider action tight.
What bottom mount do you use? I see that you're not using side mounts?
Oh and for the passenger side there's a hump in the floor that the bracket has to clear so that lumina bracket wouldn't work.
With my setup I used the sparco bases which were as low as you could get, sparco sliders, and speedware motorsports side mounts. You are correct on the bolt issues.... I eneded up making many trips to the hardware store to get it all right.
Man they looked cool =(
#17
Instructor
Thread Starter
I see that you're not using side mounts?
In the picture, the seat is all the way forward on the sliders.
HeyFred
#19
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Originally Posted by kraemer007
I like the bride Stradia. Its a bucket seat that reclines. Its only 26 lbs.
A bit pricey though...
A bit pricey though...
plus any racing seat you really want fixed in place, not to recline or slide.
#20
Drifting
Originally Posted by HeyFred
Finally, I am part of the car.
No more flowndering like like a fish out of water while cornering.
All I can say, this install was a challenge and well worth the time spent to get it right.
The seat is as low as I can get it using these rails
Currently, the seat is tilted 35 Deg and fits me comfortably.
Seat had to be adjustable, because the car is not for track only.
Used Recaro siders vs Sparco.
* With Recaro you have more back and forth adjustability because they are longer than the Sparco rails.
* With Recaro, looking down the center of the inside of the slider, you don't have issues with nut and bolt heads disrupting the sliding action of the rails. Sparco rails are designed to slide differently and looked as if the nut or bolt head may cause issue to slider movement limitation.
Next is the steering wheel upgrade.
The car just keeps getting better and better.
Keith
No more flowndering like like a fish out of water while cornering.
All I can say, this install was a challenge and well worth the time spent to get it right.
The seat is as low as I can get it using these rails
Currently, the seat is tilted 35 Deg and fits me comfortably.
Seat had to be adjustable, because the car is not for track only.
Used Recaro siders vs Sparco.
* With Recaro you have more back and forth adjustability because they are longer than the Sparco rails.
* With Recaro, looking down the center of the inside of the slider, you don't have issues with nut and bolt heads disrupting the sliding action of the rails. Sparco rails are designed to slide differently and looked as if the nut or bolt head may cause issue to slider movement limitation.
Next is the steering wheel upgrade.
The car just keeps getting better and better.
Keith
Dan
www.vetteworksonline.com