sperkins

I was thinking about driving up to Summit today and picking up a couple of these since my ZO6 seats don't have the cutouts for the harnesses. Mine is an '03. Why should I not buy these?

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

Bink

I doubt they'll offer the lateral support you need.

fcarga

I understand why you want to, but if it were me, I'd buy a safety rated seat or at least a one piece seat. Race seat backs don't move/recline as the mechanism increases the failure factor. Are the seat's materials rated for fire resistance?
I guess if you're just going to use them on the street they'd be fine, but I wouldn't want to drive or be a passenger at the track with them. Just my 2 cents fwiw.

sperkins

In case of an accident, wouldn't it be the job of the harness to protect the occupant and not the seat? The only problem that jumped out to me immediately was the lack of a provision for a submarine belt.

gkmccready

The harness keeps you from going forward; the seat needs to keep you from going backward. Seats that recline have a much greater chance of breaking if you back into something solid... heck, I find by the end of a few sessions my stock seats have reclined from the position they started in!

I am not a fan of tubular frame and rubber band seats. They're not as comfortable as a shell seat, and I question if they're as safe. How does that seat mount? It doesn't have side mount bosses? So it's probably a bottom mount... I bet it costs more to mount than the seat cost.

Summit is a Kirkey dealer...

sperkins

I can't believe I never thought of that. That's a very good argument. I'm guessing the stock seats aren't much better huh?

gkmccready

The stock seats are at least DOT approved and have been tested to some extent. But, yeah, given how they seem to move backwards over the course of the day...

JohnnyB51

This seats are rather cheap...so I think the quality isn't up to a regular racing seat and neither will the lateral support. Spend the extra bucks for an Ultrashield or Kirkey!

AU N EGL

Dont go cheap on a product.

John Shiels

unsafe unrated JUNK from China! 139 and Summit is making 30-40% I would assume. The manufacturer makes 30% +- what does that leave for the construction of the seat? You can modify your stock seat for belts to go through, I think ECS has a kit. Those seats have no support laterally so you are better sticking with stock DOT rated seat.

C5inWV

You might want to call ahead. I wanted to update my harnesses. I called OG Racing and they said the SP store was closed and all the inventory was moved back to the main store for the winter.

TTRotary

Does it even fit the Vette? Only recliner I know of that fits (barely) is the Corbeau A4.

sperkins

OK guys I give. Call me stupid I don't care, but I'm not spending $300 for a seat (and definately not $600 for two) and then seat covers on top of that. I'm all about safety, so why not go ahead and put in a full roll cage too.

Somebody please show me an inexpensive seat that will work with a harness bar.

96GS#007

Besides all the good advice given above...

If you intend to run in a PCA event, you won't be able to use a harness since there's no hole for the sub-strap. FWIW.

gkmccready

I've used the Kirkey Intermediates before they had the road race seats. They worked well, but the rib support is less than comfortable for me. But I'm only 5'7". I just bought an Ultrashield Rally Sport but it'll run you $330 with cover and shipping. It's got shoulder wings and less pronounced rib support. For me it looks just about right.

The Kirkey you show wants a $65 cover (http://store.summitracing.com/partde...art=KIR-09831). The problem I see with the economy layback is no cutouts for the lap belts. The Intermediate layback $150 (http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku ) has the cutouts + $90 seat cover (http://store.summitracing.com/partde...art=KIR-36711).

Don't forget the seat mounts. Either you spend time (and money) engineering something yourself, or you go Hardbar (http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/produc...products_id=45) $325, or Pfadt (http://www.pfadtracing.com/products/...search=&page=z) $300.

Also, remember that all aluminum seats require a seat back brace (http://www.ioportracing.com/Merchant...tegory_Code=IH) $85.

Helmet, harness, brakes, seats. They'll keep you alive, or get you hurt...

sperkins

Thanks for the advice so far guys. I'm assuming this one will pass. Now how would I mount it in the car?

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

sperkins

Thanks. That's exactly the type of info I'm looking for. How can I make a seat brace like the one below if I'm only running a b-pillar hardbar?

gkmccready

Okay. Kirkey Intermediate Road Race Seat. You will want the cover. And if you go back to post 15 (http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...3&postcount=15) you'll find two links, one to the Hardbar seat mounts, and one to the Pfadt seat mounts. Those are how you'd likely mount it unless you wanted to spend a bunch of time engineering your own mount.

As for the seat back brace, buy the Autopower one and a 2-1/16" shaft collar (http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT...404161&PMT4NO= P/N 87990859). Get the 1.75" collar cut off, weld on the 2-1/16" collar. Done deal.

sperkins

That's ironic. I buy stuff from MSC direct every day at the office.
But I still don't understand what I'm going to attach the brace to. I'm running the R-D Racing C5 cross-bar. Is that what you're saying the brace will attach to?

gkmccready

Sorry, when you said Hardbar I thought you meant:
http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/produc...products_id=39

The same principle would apply for your bar, but since it doesn't appear round I doubt the shaft collar will work. I'm sure you can find something similar, though. Like get some channel that's got a slightly bigger ID than your bars OD welded on and put a bolt through...