Ultimate DIY Drivers Seat (lotsa pics)
03-02-2008, 06:43 PM
#1
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Ultimate DIY Drivers Seat (lotsa pics)
I'm 6'4" and although I fit in a Miata, it's far from ideal. I've done a couple 5 hours stretches only because the stock seat is so comfortable... and because I've done every single "big guy" mod there is:
Bent seat rails
Foamectomy
Removed arm rests
Custom dead pedal
Steering column raise
Parking Brake tilt
... and a lot of slouching.
But I think I've gone as far as I can go with this one.
The seat is a drag racing seat, standard ABS plastic, with a padded pleather cover.
The idea is to get the seat lower and move me closer to the backwall. I don't need to recline anymore than the stock seat, but there is room, just need the seat to be thin enough. Lower turned out to be NOT A PROBLEM... but the seat isn't really a whole lot thinner than the stock seat.
In any case, it's one more step towards making full use of the space available in the cockpit. If you want to know exactly how much room there is, just remove the drivers seat and sit down. It's practially spacious. I don't know where I'll go from here for more room, but I'm open to suggestions.
Bent seat rails
Foamectomy
Removed arm rests
Custom dead pedal
Steering column raise
Parking Brake tilt
... and a lot of slouching.
But I think I've gone as far as I can go with this one.
The seat is a drag racing seat, standard ABS plastic, with a padded pleather cover.
The idea is to get the seat lower and move me closer to the backwall. I don't need to recline anymore than the stock seat, but there is room, just need the seat to be thin enough. Lower turned out to be NOT A PROBLEM... but the seat isn't really a whole lot thinner than the stock seat.
In any case, it's one more step towards making full use of the space available in the cockpit. If you want to know exactly how much room there is, just remove the drivers seat and sit down. It's practially spacious. I don't know where I'll go from here for more room, but I'm open to suggestions.
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03-02-2008, 06:45 PM
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First pics are a comparison of the stock seat vs. the drag as it came.
You can see the drag seat is considerably wider at the shoulder. That’s the problem with all aftermarket seats. It makes it impossible to get the seat to lay back next to the seatbelt pillar.
Next series of pics simply shows the progress down to the end result. I cut bit by bit away until it fit.
The seat now rests on the mounting brackets for the rear bolts of the stock seat rail. There’s no reason to remove those as I’m also prevented from going lower cause the hip-bolsters are pressing real hard against the tranny tunnel and doorframe.
It still isn’t bolted to the floor, that’s this weeks project… but I’ll post good pics of the brackets I make when I make them.
You can see the drag seat is considerably wider at the shoulder. That’s the problem with all aftermarket seats. It makes it impossible to get the seat to lay back next to the seatbelt pillar.
Next series of pics simply shows the progress down to the end result. I cut bit by bit away until it fit.
The seat now rests on the mounting brackets for the rear bolts of the stock seat rail. There’s no reason to remove those as I’m also prevented from going lower cause the hip-bolsters are pressing real hard against the tranny tunnel and doorframe.
It still isn’t bolted to the floor, that’s this weeks project… but I’ll post good pics of the brackets I make when I make them.
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03-02-2008, 09:06 PM
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I'll take pics tomorrow of me sitting in the stock seat (foamectomy'd) and sitting in the new one. I'm gonna say I'm about 1.5" lower.
The mounting bolts for the new seat were cut away. The bracket I will fabricate will bolt through the bottom of the seat. The seatcover will make sure I never feel the boltheads poking me in the butt.
The bottom of the seat will have 2 bolts in it, with a couple huge washers to disperse the load on the plastic, and I'm going to bolt the seatback up high near the shoulders, but will probably have to fab a bracket for that too.
The mounting bolts for the new seat were cut away. The bracket I will fabricate will bolt through the bottom of the seat. The seatcover will make sure I never feel the boltheads poking me in the butt.
The bottom of the seat will have 2 bolts in it, with a couple huge washers to disperse the load on the plastic, and I'm going to bolt the seatback up high near the shoulders, but will probably have to fab a bracket for that too.
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03-02-2008, 09:33 PM
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damn sam. you could probably get a paint-on seat that's a little lower. heh.
I wish there was an easy way to mount a stock seat directly to the floor... but i'd have to get rid of my center console so I could shift.
I wish there was an easy way to mount a stock seat directly to the floor... but i'd have to get rid of my center console so I could shift.
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03-02-2008, 10:01 PM
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Brain, I'm sorry you had to find out this way... I'm sure in a few days you'll realize it was less painful though. I saved all the shavings if you'd like them back.
I just had another epiphany on the seat project... but it's too damn late and I have a 0630 simulator event. I will get back to y'all tomorrow.
On another note... it's supposed to be 65*tomorrow and 72* on Tuesday. That's is shweet!!!!
I just had another epiphany on the seat project... but it's too damn late and I have a 0630 simulator event. I will get back to y'all tomorrow.
On another note... it's supposed to be 65*tomorrow and 72* on Tuesday. That's is shweet!!!!
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03-02-2008, 11:17 PM
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I would get ahold of Flipside. They got a buddy of mine who is 6'7" to fit comfortably in an NA. If you can go with a Sparco Sprint seat, it will get you the lowest since its essentially an *** hammock. I did the same and used thin gel pad under my butt.
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03-03-2008, 06:28 AM
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Low is cool, but I don't wanna look like a Nascar driver with his arms bent at 90* cause he's 6" away from the wheel.
This seat is for daily driving, my all-the-time seat.
I have been to the end of the internet and back, and there isn't a single production "racing" seat made where the shoulder area is narrow enough to fit behind the seatbelt pillar. Racing seats need to be wide at the shoulder to hold you in the seat while cornering.
Sparco Sprint... still to wide at the shoulder, but I will PM flipside:
This seat is for daily driving, my all-the-time seat.
I have been to the end of the internet and back, and there isn't a single production "racing" seat made where the shoulder area is narrow enough to fit behind the seatbelt pillar. Racing seats need to be wide at the shoulder to hold you in the seat while cornering.
Sparco Sprint... still to wide at the shoulder, but I will PM flipside:
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03-03-2008, 06:31 AM
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I just drove to work (about 15 minutes) with the seat unbolted. I tried moving it around underneath me to find the best compromise of tilt-vs.-closeness and still don't know exactly where I want my *** to be.
Since you sit a little more "down" in this seat, the hip bolsters press against my thighs a little more (need to lose 30lbs). Overall it's not as comfortable as the stock seat, but I've got some more magic to work tonite, so more pics to come!
Since you sit a little more "down" in this seat, the hip bolsters press against my thighs a little more (need to lose 30lbs). Overall it's not as comfortable as the stock seat, but I've got some more magic to work tonite, so more pics to come!
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03-03-2008, 09:17 AM
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I am planning on bolting the seat practically to the floor and the backwall. It won't need to move cause the wife refuses to drive it. Whatever I rig up will be easily reversible to throw the stock seat back in.
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03-03-2008, 10:05 AM
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you can throw her a pillow if she needs to drive it. or a phone book.
sam, next time you're in NoVA stop off at OG Racing near Dulles and sit in their showroom seats.
sam, next time you're in NoVA stop off at OG Racing near Dulles and sit in their showroom seats.
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03-03-2008, 10:50 AM
#20
A kirky aluminum racing seat or an ultra shield is going to be your best fit if you are looking for low and all the way back. Nice thing about the aluminum seats is they can be ordered in a lot of different sizes and configurations. Oh ya, and cheap too.
http://www.kirkeyracing.com/index.ph...&code=Series16
http://www.ultrashieldrace.com/prod.php?id=9
I don't think I'd trust an ABS seat that looks like it came out of a video game. I'm not sure why, but it just doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling.
http://www.kirkeyracing.com/index.ph...&code=Series16
http://www.ultrashieldrace.com/prod.php?id=9
I don't think I'd trust an ABS seat that looks like it came out of a video game. I'm not sure why, but it just doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling.
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