wtb-z

I was thinking of installing a fixed back seat in my C5 Z06. Sparco Evo or similar.

I would like to retain the option of using the stock C5 3 pt belt. I don't think running the belt over the bolsters of a fixed back seat is necessarily a good idea, so I would want the lap belt to go through the holes in the sides of the seat. The C5 seems to present the issue of having belt retractors on both ends of the belt. And I am not sure if they are disassembly friendly. They also seem pretty large:http://www.ebay.com/itm/97-04-CORVET...M/162252989130

Does anyone have any knowledge about what fixed back race seats have lap belt holes large enough for one of the C5 belt retractors to fit through? The closest I have seen to existing forum knowledge is below, but I have not managed to find anything else.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1590778529

Bill Dearborn

Pull your door sill out and check the actual size of the lap belt retractor. That is the only one that has to run through the seat's lap belt pass through. I have seen seat installations that did that. Another way to do the job is to purchase the seat that has a notch for the belts Vs a pass through.

Bill

v10climber

I can tell you they don't fit through the lap belt pass through on a Sparco Evo II US.

However, I street drive mine with the factory 3 point going over the race seat. Doesn't really seem to pose an issue. With the seat bottom cushion in I sit high enough in the seat that the belt still sits across my hips about the same as if I'm in the factory seat. YMMV and all that.

wtb-z

Thanks a lot for the info. Was it a "not even close" kind of sizing issue? Or would a seat with a bigger pass through (e.g., http://www.sparcousa.com/product/sprint , http://www.getnrg.com/index.php?rout...roduct_id=1257) have a chance?

v10climber

I don't really remember unfortunately. I do remember unbolting the seat belt reel then holding it up to the seat pass-through and it being a big enough size difference I didn't even try to wiggle it through. Also, while something like the Sprint does have a larger pass-through I'm not sure it's really effectively any larger because you're trying to pass something rectangular through. So the extra larger triangle-shaped opening might not really help. Let me know if you'd like me to measure the opening in the Evo II US

Bossdog

Here is a seat specifically designed to be used with the C5 seat belt retractor going through the oversized opening.
Marrad Industries ST3. I've spoken with owner Mark several times, he seems like a good guy, Responsive and helpful.

0marrad

The standard ST3 that came pre-upholstered will not fit the C5 retractor. I am not aware of any seat that does. We have mentioned we could have shells made with larger holes specifically to allow them to fit but that will require changes to foam and upholstery. Pricing would depend on how many were being made.

ibjamin

Or you can do a compromise race seat like the Caravaggio. Its bolsters aren't as high as a race seat but does the job and looks good. I have one for sale if interested. You just mount it on the stock tracks.

George

wtb-z

Yeah, I agree that triangles don't help much. I did find this thread after some more searching: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ng-around.html, which gave me some measurements to work with.

Based on mapping pixels to actual measurements, I wonder how crazy it would be to enlarge the hole of the Evo to fit.

Scooter70

I did the same thing with a Cobra Suzuka seat in my C5Z. I bolted a spare belt receptacle to the seat rails so that when I swapped seats it was already there.

Ludeaem

This really depends on the angle of the seat, your height/weight but I am 5'10 and around 200 so these pictures may help. Seat is Evo II with the aluminum marrad mounts. I will be soon adding a harness bar with 6 point though.