nat3970

Excellent point/idea...Was hoping to address both aesthetics and function but if I decide that I'm willing to forgo aesthetics, your idea is a very practical solution. It would also save $$$ by not having to purchase second seat.

The only other disadvantage involves passing up the weight savings, but with exception of GT2 seat almost any other seat with a movable backrest (Recaro etc) will likely be 10-15 lbs heavier than a fixed shell and therefore will offer very little weight savings versus factory seats.

P.J.S.

One thing to consider when doing the "one seat" solution... the rules at my track days are that the instructor has to have "equivalent" equipment as the driver... meaning driver cannot be in fixed back race seat with harness and instructor in stock seat with stock belts...

food for thought or worth checking into if you are considering the one seat option...

I see many "one seaters" out there... they do not get instructors.

nat3970

That would be a definite fly in the oitment for this alternative...I use an instructor on roughly 30% of my track days. Even if the rules don't require it, I think they should. Its a good rule. Wouldn't want to signal to anyone that they rate a different safety setup than as I have as the driver....

Based on the collective feedback (thanks again, gotta love this forum...) and some follow up research, I've decided to give up on easy access to rear storage and go with the Recaro Profi XL (preferably in leather) just like your posted photos (PJS)

Next step is to research cage setup and avoid whatever pitfalls await in that department....

P.J.S.

The leather was a tough sell, but Speedware was able to get Recaro to do it... PM me if you want contact information for the guy at Speedware that can get it done.
travel light and you will not need that "back seat" storage anyway... good choice!

Now my 2nd piece of advice -- have a custom bar made as most options are not nice for tall people... ie the bar impedes rearward travel of the seat.

Your off the shelf options are:
DasBar
Stable Energies/Security Devices
Porsche (tequipment, clubsport, and RS)
GMG
and I am sure some others that I cannot think of right now...

I went custom and I was glad that I did -- I wanted seat travel, bolt in, 6 point and I got it.
Here are some bar pics





Just trying to help out the big/tall crowd as my search was not very easy...

RaiderDoc

I'm 6' 5" 220 had a 996 gt3 with gt3 seats. Pretty tight fit. Bought 997 gt3 with sport adaptive seats, I checked out gt3 seats for 997 and they were tighter than 996's . I checked out the Sparco line and their evo 2 plus was my answer. The Ev0 2 is wider ( and fits within the gt3). the plus means it is designed for taller drivers. The shoulder belt slots are higher than reg evo 2 and perfect for comfortable track use. Even though it is not a "porsche seat", the wider width(evo 2) and taller back (plus) and decent thigh support make for a seat I use all the time for track and daily driver. I had to buy the porsche 996 oem manual tracks. The 997 manual tracks did not work with The Brey Krause side supports. If you do this correctly, the sliders still work and the brey krause adapters have multiple positions for seat Ht and angulation.

CWay27

Although I find your roll bar pretty neat, I find the big bend at the bottom of the leg pretty strange.

TRAKCAR

Thanks everyone, the EVO 2 plus might be a good option for me!

I just took out the seat cushions and tried strapping myself into the 996 GT3 seats.

The width is OK, except for my shoulders, but I do not see how a wider shouldered seat would fit in a 997. The seat cushion is too short, the seat back is too short and the holes are too low, I think.

I doubt that these are going to work, even if I can get low enough with my helmet with the new brackets, maybe I am waisting my time and should get different seats and brackets and give up on these seats?

My main concern is safety.

The top of the seat back holes are 1/2" below to top of my shoulders and that is without Hans device.
The seat belts are mounted on the techquipment bar and are about the same hight as the bottom of the holes. Would my spine compress the distance from the top ofthe holes to the bottom of the holes?

Also; I stick out about half a head above the seat back.

TRAKCAR

Another question:

In my other car I have a custom roll cage the is above the bottom of the holes in the Kirkey seat and my shoulders are equal with the bottom of the holes, so a little higher with the Hans device.

This feels very comfortable as I am snug against the back of my seat, but not pushed down, but is this the right position?


If I can not find seats the have the holes up high enough to keep the seat belts abover or equal to my shoulders, will I need a custom rol bar, or are there other roll bars or cages like the Porsche one or DAS that have the hortizontal bars for the deat belts higher up?

Anyone 6'4" that has the correct setup in South Florida?

GelbGT3

I'm also 6'4". To get more headroom with the 996 GT3 seats, I substitued the BK side supports. They lower the seats an inch and enable my helmet to clear the roof. There is also a BK product that allows the seats to be mounted directly to the floor, thus further lowering the seats by eliminating the height of the sliders, but then the seats do not slide fore and aft.

I installed the GMG roll bar to allow the driver's seat to sit further back and thus provide more leg room. The horizontal center bar on the GMG bar is bowed to the rear to provide more space for the seat to slide rearwards.

Larry Cable

I'm 6'1" and I found that the 997 pan americana bar with the 996 GT3 seats doesn't allow the seat to go far enough back to get into the optimal position for 'heel-toe' ... I have a GMG bar which claims to avoid the problem of the seat rails colliding with the lower bar mount, I haven't yet got round to installing it yet.

Has anyone found a good solution for lowering/raking the 996 GT3 seats - the B-K seat mounts aren't an option as they do not allow the 3-pt belt to be reinstalled for street use

Larry Cable

I tried those (I think) but I was unable to use the 3-pt belt due to that "goofy" square bolt hole on the inside of the BK mounts ...

how did you get round this?

Alan Smithee

Is this different from the RS/clubsport bar?

The GT3 Panamericana images I found appear to have full cages.

Larry Cable

Yes it is a different part entirely. The RS and the GT3 Clubsport (RoW) option comes with a full "cage" installed (usually minus the bars from the top of the cage behind your head, along the roof line and down into the foot well next to
the doors).

The roll bar I have installed is the Techquipment part which is not a cage, just a bar.

I can post pictures of it if you like. Mine is for sale if you are interested, I am installing the GMG bar in order to get full travel on the seat sliders

Larry Cable

how did you install the 3-pt belt for street use, the BK sides I tried had this huge square hole in the position where the seat belt mount would go next to the transmission tunnel - a non starter for me!

Alan Smithee

Thanks. I am familiar with the Tequipment bar; just never heard it referenced as the Panamericana bar.