Help me pick my seats!

[TroyV]

With the initial purchase of #5 out of the way I have begun to look forward to the safety gear.

Here are the knowns:

The car is an 08 Miata. I will be running a double diagonal bolt in bar with integral harness bar for the first year. (Cage to follow)

I like the Schroth Profi 2 belts for HANS, so I'll be getting those.

What I need are good suggestions on seats. They will be fixed mounted, and as low in the car as they can get. The passenger seat will be at least a 17" or possibly an 18" width to accommodate any students or HLRA passengers. The driver seat will be 16" to 17" due to the fatness of the driver and there will be no nets in use until a cage is installed. I can run top down, top up, hard top installed...whatever..

On edit: These need to be comfy for both driver and passenger for extended periods. Sheet metal with 1/8" thick pads will not cut it.

The budget is not to exceed 1800-2000 for both.

GO!

[962porsche]

I had OMP custom build my seats for the GTI .
they did one hell of a deal for me at 1700 each ( I had two made of the same size )
you should think about having your seat custom built not just to feel the car better but also for safety reasons .
if you do one custom for your self and one generic sized in 18" to fit large people it would be the way to go .

[paultg]

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=527545

I thought this seat was very comfortable at HMS.

[Dtangard]

Hey Troy,

I'm not up to date on the latest seats, but I definitely recommend going to HMS and sitting in all of their display seats.

Good luck with the car and let me know if you need some help working on it.

[McMahonRacing]

If you are interested I think I have the steel plates that mount to stock floor for bolting in seats w/ the side plates ... they were of Tom M old 06 Miata ( his silver new style one ) ..... think he got them from the places in Danvers ! ...... Pat

[TroyV]

I think I'd be interested in those....do you know what brand of seats the side plates are for?

[6PAK72]

In the blue Smurf Miata, I installed Momo Corsa seats. The were extremely comfortable, FIA, side or bottom mount. Added benefit for us was that they could mount to the sliders. Not a full shoulder wrap around, and cannot be retro-fit to a full surround. Side bolsters are medium, seat is deep with great support.

I have 2 at my house destined for the TR7 rebuild, I'm happy to let you sit in them to try them out.

[John F]

Variation on the Stooges "you can pick your friends or you can pick your seat, but you can't pick your friends seat!"

Can't go wrong with the Kirkey race seats. With your hardtop I would recommend the lower hip bolsters. The steel plate Pat spoke of works well to bolt the bottom down. Fab up a brace to the cage for the back.

[breakaway500]

phpBB [video]

[962porsche]

Variation on the Stooges "you can pick your friends or you can pick your seat, but you can't pick your friends seat!"

Can't go wrong with the Kirkey race seats. With your hardtop I would recommend the lower hip bolsters. The steel plate Pat spoke of works well to bolt the bottom down. Fab up a brace to the cage for the back.

you can pick your friends seat if there a real good friend ?

[StephanAlfa]

I had something like this in my Alfa.
Fits in stock rails and is adjustable.
NOTE: this link is only a reference: http://www.wesellcarparts.com/store/Scr ... oduct=2285

[962porsche]

I had something like this in my Alfa.
Fits in stock rails and is adjustable.
NOTE: this link is only a reference: http://www.wesellcarparts.com/store/Scr ... oduct=2285

to much padding ! you need to feel just what the car is doing with the seat of your pants .
the more padding the less feel you will have .

[StephanAlfa]

I had something like this in my Alfa.
Fits in stock rails and is adjustable.
NOTE: this link is only a reference: http://www.wesellcarparts.com/store/Scr ... oduct=2285

to much padding ! you need to feel just what the car is doing with the seat of your pants .
the more padding the less feel you will have .

Hey, just trying to help out a fellow racer with his demands, which states: "These need to be comfy for both driver and passenger for extended periods. Sheet metal with 1/8" thick pads will not cut it."
And I beg to differ as the padding on these seat where perfect in all my wins with this Alfa if you pardon my Italian ...

[962porsche]

I had something like this in my Alfa.
Fits in stock rails and is adjustable.
NOTE: this link is only a reference: http://www.wesellcarparts.com/store/Scr ... oduct=2285

to much padding ! you need to feel just what the car is doing with the seat of your pants .
the more padding the less feel you will have .

Hey, just trying to help out a fellow racer with his demands, which states: "These need to be comfy for both driver and passenger for extended periods. Sheet metal with 1/8" thick pads will not cut it."
And I beg to differ as the padding on these seat where perfect in all my wins with this Alfa if you pardon my Italian ...

please don't get me wrong !
we are all just trying to help I did not mean to offend .

[962porsche]

it is though more padding will make a seat more comfortable .
this is just not true at all !
a good quality seat is more then just giving you some thing to put your ass in when your in the car .
it's a large part of your safety equipment also .
then there is the feed back from you butt of what the car is doing that will make you in turn go quicker .
if you buy a seat because of it's looks or a seat that is not designed for the type of racing your doing you maybe better off with the stock seats .
a seat has to be very comfortable !
the seat should hold your ass in the car not your belts so if you have to adjust your self when driving that means your not thinking of your driving but for a second your mind is taken off driving to readjust your self .
when ever you do that your driving suffers .
asking people what seat they like is in fact pointless !
if you want the best seat that would be the best for your self and no one else you custom build one or buy a custom seat .
once you ever do that you would never go buy a seat for your self off the shelf again .
they are just that good .
you can do two of the things I have done .
the 1st is to have a seat manufacture build you one . they are not all that much for what you will get !
your other option is to do a custom insert .
buy the aluminum seat shell (with out cover ) and then get your self the bead kit to do the insert .
you and two friends can do the insert they do the work and you just have to sit there as the foam hardens .
there is not much work any way . you pour the catalyst into the bag of beads knead it up push it into the seat shell and have a seat . your friends will be there to push the beads to were they are needed or not needed .
the next day you trim the extra hardened foam from were it does not need to be then if you really want it to look like some thing get some nomex fabric and spray glue and cover the seat .
it will be the best fitting seat you will own and safe as hell .
I have made them for my self and customers paul newman said it was the best seat he ever had along with every customer I did one for .
the seating was so good for PLN he fell asleep in the car at LRP during pregrid .