Quickshift_C5

Need to get some safety equipment for a 1 Mile event coming up in June, and not sure what to do about seats. The car is a 2001 Corvette ZO6. I was dead set on getting Corbeau A4's, but everything I read says fixed back seats should be used with the 6pt harnesses that will also be installed. Problem is, the car is also driven on the seat and to the events.

So, which fixed back seats are you fellas using that are in the same situation? I'd need something that still looks decent, comfortable on long drives, and is compatible with the OEM seat belt. The Corbeau FX1 Pro looks ok, but not sure if it will fit in a C5 Corvette and there is no sub belt option.

Thoughts?

rfn026

One seat will not do all of the things you want it to do.

I would just swap seats around.

My track seat is actually uncomfortable when I'm sitting on the grid. Once I get moving there is no problem.

All of the things you want a race seat to do make it not very useful for the street.

By the way the A4 is basically a street seat. You want a lot more support on the track.


This is what I use.

If I were going to buy a new seat I would seriously look at something like the Sparco ADV.



Richard Newton
Is Your Seat Safe?

Quickshift_C5

I plan on swapping back to stock seats (unless whatever I get is actually reasonably comfortable), but as mentioned before, still need a seat I can sit in for a while as the car will be driven to the events and they are hours away. Some compromises will have to be made from max safety to be somewhat comfortable on the street.

I realize the A4 is basically a street seat, but not the best support and I need a fixed back...that's the whole point of the thread.

c5racr1

If you find a compromise that works...

63Corvette

I concur! Safety Equipment is where I would recommend that you spend your money and don't cut corners.

95wht6spd

The Evolution X are fixed.

Quickshift_C5

I don't have the ability to tow the car, so I need a seat that I can sit in. Simple as that. I realize topics like this bring out the track-****'s, but I know there are folks out there that do the same thing.

If I was looking to ignore safety completely, I'd be installing the Corbeau A4's and moving on. Thanks for the suggestions guys, and I understand where you're coming from.


Is there anyone that runs harnesses with a fixed back seat and still drives to their HPDE and 1/2 Mile or 1 Mile events?

UrbanKnight

I love my sparco Evo's... Comfy to me, and fixed back...

Quickshift_C5

Great! How well do the seats fit in the car? Any special modifications needed? Works Ok with stock belts? How is the headroom and did you need to shave the base or anything?

UrbanKnight

Depends on what size you go... Evo 2 US and Evo 3 won't fit a c5 with interior in it. I mount my stuff on fixed bases, but i run a c6.

And no fixed back race seat works correctly with stock belts... You can't have it all unfortunately...

Assuming you have a harness bar and or roll bar/cage of some sort?

Quickshift_C5

I'm 6ft 185lbs, and should fit in the regular Sparco EVO. Car will have a Brey Krause harness bar with 6pt harnesses installed. Was hoping I'd at least be able to use the oem seat belt to drive to the events.

What's the issue with the belt? I assume it sits too high on the sides of the seat and/or the shoulder harness is blocked by the top edge of the seat and it has to wrap around it?

rfn026

Two things.

I'm a huge fan of driving the car to a track. I went over the top and now have to use a trailer. That was a mistake. Doing it over I would keep my track car streetable and I would keep the a/c operable.

I got carried away and created a pseudo race car. That worked for a couple of years but now it's just aggravating.


I really really hate trailers. There is nothing good that can happen with a trailer.

Secondly. If your seat breaks up in an accident your belts are useless. Too much attention is focused on the harness system and not enough on the seat.

Richard Newton
Race Car and Project Car Insurance

bigmackloud

I have the Corbeau FX1 Pro as my drive seat and the standard FX1 as my passenger seat. Your first post suggested these seats didn't allow for sub-belts. That's not correct; they definitely have a sub belt hole.

The Pro, which is more narrow, fits much easier. The standard FX1 is really stuffed in there.

I find the seats to be reasonably comfortable, given what they are. I've driven as much as 1.5 hrs in them, no complaints (nor any from my wife). They could use a bit more lumbar support in my opinion but that's a minor complaint.

Head room is always an issue, especially with a helmet on. I used Marrad seat brackets with sliders since I leave this seats in all the time and drive on the street. I'm 5'10" and with a helmet on, head room is very close. You could gain some room by skipping the sliders and/or taking out the bottom seat cushion at the track.

I side mounted my seats which is helpful in getting some addition rake in the seating position. Often if you bottom mount them, they sit too upright to be comfortable. I also cut off the rear mounting pedestals on the bottom of the seats, which allows you to get the rear of the seat lower, improving rake and giving headroom. It's scary to attack your new race seats with a sawzall but you never see the cut, and it really makes a difference. (I have an installation video on youtube)

Keep in mind you'll need a way to anchor your sub belts and lap belts. The Marrad seat bracket incorporates harness mounting locations, so that's the option I use for my 6pts. And for the shoulder harnesses I use the VetteWorks Shark Bar. (The Brey Krause harness bar is also a good option).

Quickshift_C5

I have harness bar, harnesses, and all brackets already figured out, just need to decide on a seat. You have no issues using the oem belt on the street with the Corbeau's FX1 Pro?

What's the major difference in construction and safety between the Sparco EVO and Corbeau's FX1 Pro? They look very similar in design and dimensions, but the Sparco EVO is double the cost.

bigmackloud

I'm able to use the OEM seat belts with my Corbeau seat. The key is that the lap belt lay across your pelvic bone. The buckle receiver is flush with the height of the side of the seat. So while the belt doesn't wrap down around my pelvic bone, it fits just as well as the OE seat position did.

I will say, on the passenger side with the wide FX1 standard seat, I did not have room to reinstall the OE buckle receiver between the seat and the center console. (there is ZERO room) I'm still working on a solution over there. I'd like to find the OE buckle receiver on a flexible strap, instead of the fixed rod that's OE. then I could run the buckle through the side hole, and the factory belt would wrap over the pelvic bone even better than OE. If any body has a suggestion on where to get something like this, I'd love to know.

Quickshift_C5

Sounds like the Corbeau FX1 Pro and the Sparco EVO will both fit the bill. Will try and find somewhere reasonably local where I can sit in them.

Any naysayers want to report in with any negative experiences with either of these seat choices? Any particular reason I should NOT use them on the street if the OEM belt can be used properly? Anyone know why the Sparco EVO costs twice as much as the Corbeau's FX1 Pro?

Thanks everyone!

bigmackloud

Check on the safety requirements for your 1 Mile event. They might require FIA certification, which the Corbeau's are not.

A buddy has Sparco's in his track car (probably the EVO but not sure). They were slightly more comfortable than my Coreau's. But not enough to justify the cost (I was on a budget), and my HPDE events don't require FIA certification. (TT/Racing would have higher requirements).

Magister Ludi

Another vote for the Sparco Evo 2.

Although I switch it out between track events (about 15 minutes to accomplish) I drive it 2-3 hours to and from events. Initially, it was bothering my back. Here's what I did to solve the problem:

First, experiment with seat back angle. Although the optimal angle is about 20 degrees (I believe), a little variation can make a big difference.

Second, and most effective, was the use of an air pillow. It's one of those small inflatable camping pillows. Turned on its end, it fits perfectly into the back rest part of the seat, stretching from lumbar to shoulder blades. It only needs to be inflated about 25% to do the trick. It works so well that I've driven daily with my Sparco for 2 weeks at a time when I get too lazy to switch seats between events.

Also, I recommend Marrad mounting brackets. Good luck.

Quickshift_C5

Ah, good to know. I missed that. Might go for the Sparco if they are a little more comfortable and FIA certified, and I only want to buy seats once.

Awesome, thanks for the tips. Looks like the Marrad bracket has lots of holes available front and back to get a decent angle. They also look tall. Any issues with helmet clearance? Do you still feel like you're sitting low in the car?

Magister Ludi

Initially I did have a clearance issue (mostly because I have a top vent that's a little pronounced). I elected to eliminate the slider on the mounting bracket. That solved the problem and I haven't missed the slider at all. Now, be aware that mine is a C7, so I don't have personal experience with a C5. But without the slider the bracket sit pretty mush flush on the floor in mine.

Here's a pic with the slider still on it: