DrZ1

Since I plan to use the car for street and track, I want to go w/ an adjustable sport seat. I had planned to go w/ a nice fixed seat for the dedicated project and I would like to go w/ a nice Recaro adjustable seat, but I really can not justify the cost at this time.

W/O going into a long explaintion I have customized a sport seat to accept the shoulder harness. I plan to use a H style belt system. I have started w/ a late model powerd sport seat. I am mostly concerned w/ a comfortable driving position more then I am about weight of the seat. Esp head clearance.

My reason is I am 6'1 and w/ helment I am close to the roof. I know when I remove the power seat I have to raise the seat to get at the bolts, which makes me think that I can get more clearence w/ the power. Also I fiqure I can also have more leg clearence under the steering wheel. I do plan to have a second sunroof w/ no headliner to help, unless I can DE w/ sunroof up.

Is this assumption correct about the power seats having more head clearence the non powered?

Thanks
Steve

gregeast

Hi Steve,

I have the same challenges, 6'1" and long waisted. I recently installed sport seats and even adjusted all the way down they are higher than my old non-sport power seat. For me the helmet interference is with the sunroof latch on the driver's side. Better with the headliner removed but still had interference. By moving the seat back a notch and reclining the seat back a notch I was able to get my helmet behind the latch/crossmember in the sunroof.

I also had a non-power seat on the passenger side prior to the sport seats and it sat MUCH lower than the driver's side. So much so that part of why I went to powered seats on both sides was so that my short waisted wife could see over the dashboard w/o sitting on a pillow...

DrZ1

Thanks Greg,

Where the non-powered seats still late model. I was told there were early and late. What year was yours out of.

IIRC the early have 4 bolt holes where late have 6, which sounds better for track use.

Steve

gregeast

From an '87 951 so late model and yes, 6 bolts.

I'm sitting on it right now, it makes a lovely office chair

gregeast

Here's a thought for you, what if you put the modified sport seat back onto the non-power, non-sport seat bottom. The seat back is just two bolts.

Most of the extra bolstering is in the seat back and that way you get a much lower seat and your harness works...

docwyte

Just look for either a used recaro srd 5 point seat or a used fixed back seat. You can find them cheaply enough and then you can use a proper, safe harness and mount the seat to the floor for maximum headroom.

User 52121

I have (or, had) power sport seats in my '86 951, am 6'1, and ran into head clearance issues when wearing my helmet.

See this thread: https://rennlist.com/forums/944-turb...oom-ideas.html

I ultimately bit the bullet and bought a pair of Recaro Speed seats. I found one locally on Craigslist for $500 w/2 sliders and jumped on it... ordered the 2nd one brand new from a local vendor, should be here in a few weeks.

The sport seats offer great support, but were just too tall. If you're not in a huge hurry, just wait and keep an eye out here on RL for people selling seats. It seems that every few weeks someone has a Speed or SRD for sale.

DrZ1

If there is not much difference between the bolsters on the seat bottom I may just go that route.

I should have the upper finished next week. I will try them in the car the following weekend.

I had order a set of used Recaro's off Ebay, I think that they were knock offs, because the construction looked real flimsy. I did not hve to pay alot because there was a problem w/ upholstry and w/ one of the bases.

Basicaly I did not like the hinge design, compared to the stock seat. SO what I did was remove the base of the upper and had it welded to the upper Recaro seat back.

It is a bit more work then I would have liked to do, but I fiqured I already had the investment of the seats, and upholstery initial down payment. Although, after finishing the welding, If I think there is any safty risk I will abort.

I know many people DE w/ the stock seats and the only failure point would be the stock hinge itself failing, and it looks well built.

Also I will be installing a roll bar, so that will be behind me.

Thanks
Steve

odb812

Sparco Sprint V is around $320, FIA approved, and they've added a lot of nice features to this model. I put them in my car and I sit a couple inches lower than with the standard 4-way power seats I had in before.

DrZ1

OK, I really hate to post untill finished w/ welding. BUT here are some shots w/ tack welding. It may not look pretty, but I am confident that when finished there will be no issue of safty from what I have done. Other then if the stock hinge fails, as completly seperates. I have read where there is a possibilty of the seat extending back, but the roll cage will help w/ that.

DrZ1

I really don't want a fixed seat since this will be on the street, and I may go on some extended driving trips w/ it. I was planning on this route, when I was settig up another dedicated track car, that was to have full cage, no interior.

Steve

docwyte

Wow. You're going about this all wrong. That seat is just plain scary looking.

First, you really shouldn't be using a reclining seat in a car with a rollbar. If you decide to use one anyways, you should use one that's been designed for it, like a real Recaro SRD/Speed and not something you've hacked up.

Fixed back seats are inexpensive and are pretty comfortable. Find a used one if need be, they pop up on the forums all the time.

Don't skimp on safety!! Spend the money to get a proper setup where all the parts compliment each other...

gregeast

Here's a side by side of my non-sport seat (left) and sport seat (right)

DrZ1

I will agree it is scary looking at this time, but the only part that does concern me is the stock hinge and the roll bar. If the Adj speed seat proves to be much safer there, I will definately look into those.

I have no concern that the welded upper Recaro seatback will not seperate from the stock upper portion. Once the welding is completed. Only concern is the stock hinge. Be honest, I have only removed the top of the seat back and fitted this seatback w/in it. So actually it will stiffen the stock setup.

Also, curious why a stock reclining seat would pose more of a problem with a roll bar then w/o. it seems it would prevent the seat from folding back.


EDIT I did look at the Recaro speed seat, and I can see from the photos that there seems to be more focus on the hinge. Are the many reports of the stock seats hinges failing? I probably should have looked into this a bit more.

Thanks for the replys
Steve

docwyte

What do you think happens when the seat back hits the rollbar?

Your head hits the rollbar! That's definitely NOT a good thing!

Go with a tried and true setup here. Don't attempt to reinvent the wheel in order to save a few dollars. Your life is worth more than that.