I am planing to do about 7-8 track events per year. I have only done one track event so far. For now I am doing advanced driving schools on race tracks to get some basic skills. Will probably progress to solo lapping of Mosport and maybe some other tracks in the area, not quite sure what's next, but I have a feeling the tracking bug is here to stay.

I have decided to buy a bucket seat that will be used only for track days. The main reason for getting the seat, is that there is not enough helmet room with the regular seat, although no doubt as I advance in my driving skills and start doing more serious courses other benefits will come into play.



I have visited a local Sparco dealer http://www.jrponline.com/ and tried some seats.
I am about 78kg and 184cm. (6ft)

The seat I really like was the EVO and from the cheaper seats, TEC seamed all right although it might be too loose.

One of the sales people told me that if I am after headroom than I can only go for seats that have side mounts and will be able to gain about 2 inches in headroom (hence some of the lower end seats are out). While he was on the phone however another sales person at the same company said that for our car the max I will be able to get from a seat would be about 1.5 inches. Both of them don’t have any specific experience with RX-8’s so I have decided to seek the advice of people who do.

I know that perhaps the best solution will be just getting an un-upholstered seat like the type expo1 (I forgot the name of the company) but I am more inclined towards an upholstered.

For those that have an upholstered full bucket seat or have experience with such seats.

How much headroom did you get from that seat?

What are my options;

Are sliders definitely out (because they increase height)?
Do I go to a custom mount fabricator to get a special lower mount?
Can I get a custom made rails (similar to that of low-max from Bride) made for a Sparco or Momo seat?

How tight should the seat be?
Any method for feeling out if the seat is right for you? (similar to right foot on clutch guideline for proper driving position)

New vs. Used. My first preference is a used seat, are there any drawbacks to this?

Does anyone have any recommendations based on experience with particular seats?

Any and all overall advice will be appreciated

 

I'd NEVER purchase a used race seat.
Will you be using the race seat in conjunction with a roll/harness bar and harnesses?

 

personally I would say that the first problem is figuring out where you are going to put your harness bar

 

a race seat give you 1.5 inches lower, because they don't have any springs or cushions.
if you special made your own bracket and no sliders, you could get 1 more inch.
side mount is better because you could still mount the seat even it is sitting on the floor.
if you just want to do auto cross and some HPDE then buying a used seat is ok for now, but I will get a new one because there is a FIA date on the seat, and when it expired the seat is junk.

 

Being a genius, for some reason I never thought about the harness bar. (Or buying a car without the damn sunroof.)

Are there harness bars that are simply bolt on and fit our car?
Is using the stock seatbelt with an after market seat dangerous or simply insufficient?

As for the seat itself, I am on very tight budget that's why a used seat would be preferable.


I am new to this, so I apologize if any of the question are dim-witted.

 

Problem w/ a used seat is that you don't know what kind of stresses and impacts that seat has seen. You don't know if that seat has been through a significant incident already.

Being that you're lapping in HPDE events doesn't reduce the significance of safety IMO either, since HPDE's run at speed in the higher divisions, off track incidents have full impact and many cars on track have full track safety preparation (roll cages/ seats/ harnesses).

There's even the debate whether you stay full OEM seat/seatbelt or go full roll bar/harness, as many see a harness bar alone not a safely appropriate compromise.

 

Thanks for the response.

I understand that, ideally I should get a new seat, with roll cage+harness system. Unfortunately this type of investment might not be possible (justifiable) at the moment.
I found a Momo steel frame seat with sliders from an acquaintance who also happens to be an instructor.

He is willing to sell me the seat with the sliders for 150CAD (about 120usd). I am going to check it out on the weekend and might buy it if it can be positioned correctly.


I understand that a fiberglass based seat is more rigid. Are there any other disadvantages to the steel frame?

 

how are you planning on running the belts? with the bigger side bolsters in a race bucket, I doubt the OEM belts will work

 

^
Not sure will have to try this particular seat and see if the stock belts can used, I thought about this problem but as I have no actual experience I am guessing it will depend on the particular seat. The guy who is selling the cheap Momo seat, said that in his MR2 he used stock belts without any problems.

 

you can make em work without much difficulty (depending on the depth of the race bucket).

Chris_Bangle...if your MOMO deal doesn't work out, I can supply you with sparco seats at a discounted price.

Cheers

 

What about the electrical systems built into the OEM seat. Airbags, passenger sensors and what ever else, when disconnected, will send errors to the computer.

 

Bad Cop: I doubt if they make one wide enough to fit your fat, too lazy to search *** in it

Good Cop: https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=109108

 

1) PM’d him about a 5 days ago, (before I went to jrp) still no reply.
2) Searched almost every thread on seats/lowering seats, etc.
3) Sparco Evo L is too wide if I fit perfectly in a regular Evo. (Which I state in the original post.)
4) If your comment referred to me (I assume this) then you just made yourself look arrogant and ignorant.


Thanks for sharing your breadth of knowledge.

 

who me, look arrogant and ignorant?

let me see if I can find his home phone number for you, that will show you my breadth of knowledge

 

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Messages: 3 Today
03-12-2007 Re: Track Day
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That's too easy, find me an regular EVO seat, in the Toronto area instead. And then convince my significant other that it a worthy investment

Cheers.

 

pm'd you the info, you'll get fatter with age, ask me how I know

 

Thanks for the help. PM'd you back with a question.

 

i hope that we can get some good info....

 

Well it looks like am going to be getting the Sparco Speed that I found locally through MaxBimmer, the seat was never installed (used) for 200CAD. (Retails for about 400CAD plus tax)

http://www.sparcousa.com/pseats_street.asp?id=192


I will be going to a shop to manufacture a custom bracket. (Will not be getting the rails.)

For those who have a similar set up (no rails);
How much of a trial and error process was is it to get the position (distance from steering wheel and pedals) set up correctly?

(I really don't want take a couple of laps on the track to understand that the seat should have being an 1inch closer or whatever.)

I am assuming this is fairly trivial.

BTW, the seat should work with my oem belts.

 

just put the seat in, sit in and move around and find your position, then mark the seat and mounting bracket. take it out and drill the hole and mount the seat.
sparco also make a slider that is very low profile. it is like 1/2 a inch.
you could also add washer in front to tilt the seat back.

 

Thanks for the advice, based on estimations there will be not enough height for sliders, but once I take it to a shop this might change.

Can't wait till track days

 

Got the seat, will post pictures once the mount is done.

 

Seat still a tad too high for helmet. Guess the Kirkey is the only option for me.

 

you literally have tp drop the bottom rear of the seat below the rails like the OE seat to get the necessary clearance