Competition Steel Framed Seats
#1
Posted 29 March 2013 - 10:42 AM
Nowdays, most manufacturers seem to offer 'budget' - around £150 - £180 each so still not cheap - steel framed seats now and I know many people feel they offer better protection than GRP ones (but probably not carbon fibre). My problem is in getting my OMP TRS ones to fit into a mini tub - the shoulders or 'ears' are just too wide in my shell, either ahead of or aft the B post.
Sure this is a problem others have faced and overcome so I will appreciate any advice as to how you did it.
Bob
#2
Posted 29 March 2013 - 11:27 AM
I'm using Cobra Monaca S seats as i got them cheap off ebay to go in my Mk1 Golf. Fitted fine in the goof, but when i put them in the mini they were rather a tight sqeeze and as you say its the ears that are the problem. Mine now fit fine....it took some fitting....and then re-fitting. Eventually sat the nav's seat slightly lower and further back to allow a slight overlap but nothing major.
To give you a comparison....the widest part on my cobra's (ear to ear) is 21 3/4". Might give you a starting point.
Motordrive are a good company to deal with if you want a more slim seat....they'll custom make you one to fit both you and your car like a glove (....well.....seat actually!) but they ain't cheap!
Hope this helps Bob.
Dave
#3
Posted 29 March 2013 - 11:32 AM
#4
Posted 29 March 2013 - 12:15 PM
#5
Posted 29 March 2013 - 12:24 PM
#6
Posted 29 March 2013 - 02:03 PM
Bob
#7
Posted 29 March 2013 - 02:54 PM
#8
Posted 29 March 2013 - 05:18 PM
I don't think it's a problem with the mounts Summs. Jon Betts made the mounts and they are right angle ones so changing them won't make any difference.
Thanks anyway.
Bob
#9
Posted 30 March 2013 - 09:00 AM
Which way have you got the mounts mounted....for want of a better expression!
I have mine with one of the feet (the bent bit at the bottom with holes which mounts through the floor) facing under the seat and the other facing out. It looks funny when the seat are out of the car but it allows the seat to be moved inward a wee bit as the feet dont come into contact with the exhaust tunnel. Just an idea that might help you move the seats around a bit.
I think you will definately have to mount your seats over lapped...so the nav will most definately have to be behind the drivers seat.
Try mocking the seats up without the mounts in the car (put on blocks of wood roughly the right height) and see if you can get the seats to even fit.
Failing that you might have to return them and get some narrower ones (just as a last resort!).
Good luck Bob and come back with any photo's so we can help a bit more.
#10
Posted 30 March 2013 - 10:01 AM
Frustrating because it is only an inch or so (as the actress might have said to the Bishop) so I will try compressing the ears and see if that works. As for returning them, I have had them stored at home for a few months until the shell was ready, mine, not the dealer's fault, so I don't feel that returning them is an option.
Anyway, the sun is shining so some work in the car-port should be possible today.......
Bob
#11
Posted 30 March 2013 - 11:12 AM
#12
Posted 31 March 2013 - 08:54 AM
I try and get a pic of my old passenger seat
#13
Posted 15 May 2013 - 01:37 PM
I bought a steel framed FIA seat for mine (Corbeau one, can't remember the model off hand), it was reasonably priced but now I just use it as a passenger seat for track days because it's soooo heavy.
For fitting, I've got base-mount seats, so I just made some bars with captive bolts and drilled holes in the floor behind the cross member, so the seats are basically just bolted flat to the floor - but then I'm tall enough to do that, in fact I had to to get enough clearance under the roll bar. I had to drop and extend the steering column a bit as well, but I ended up with a really nice driving position.
Edited by adamg1380, 15 May 2013 - 01:40 PM.
#14
Posted 16 May 2013 - 10:17 AM
Edited by iTomKart, 16 May 2013 - 10:17 AM.
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