OneTwo

iTrader: (2)

Just kidding!

Hi all, new guy from Mountain View, CA.

Finally decided to put on my flame suit and post over here. I am a long time lurker who generally frequents this site when I want the enlightened opinion on things. I have basic noob potty training in that I know that google searches will provide answers to most questions, and have a functional knowledge of spelling and grammar. On to my car.



1996 M Edition - 143k
Xida CS 600/400
15x8 Rota RKR (Flame away, 15x9 6uls in black will be going on in about a week)
RB hollow front sway bar
FM rear sway bar (this will be going back to stock)
Adjustable end links
Blackbird fab GT3 6 point
RB intake
RB header
Goodwin catback
R package replica front spoiler
KG works spoiler (only on there to cover a dent in the trunk)
Infinite Fab lotus reps (Don't buy these)
Schroth ASM harness
Basic lightening (airbags, spare, soft top, power door lock solenoids, head unit, bumper cut out)

My plan with is just to build a fun, reliable HPDE/trackday car, that I can still live in on the street. Future mods include going to 700 lb front springs (Should have done this in the first place), Supermiata 1.6 sport clutch and flywheel once back in stock, and an upgrade to 11" Wilwood/sport Mtuned rears with XP10s. I have a 99 head w/fidanza cam gears and an incoming square top for when I decide to start playing with the motor.

Hoping I can contribute some knowledge to the site, but, given the brain trust of tuning curmudgeons that live here, I will probably keep my mouth shut for awhile! Edit: except in the bike thread, just found that!

Whoring out more pics

TheProfessor

iTrader: (3)

Welcome! I like what you've done with the car so far. I love that paint code too... If it wasn't such a hassle to completely change paint color for the entire car I'd probably use that shade. How long for until some forced induction happens?

slmhofy

iTrader: (5)

Those seats look pretty nice. What didn't you like about them?

Ryan_G

iTrader: (8)

What seats are those?

slmhofy

iTrader: (5)

I'm guessing one of these.

Lotus Exige Style Fiberglass Seat ONE | Infinit Fab

But I'm just wondering why he doesn't recommend them.

OneTwo

iTrader: (2)

Thank you!

Im in total agreement on changing paint colors. I was a painter at a shop for a few years and always really frowned on color changes. The only right way to do it was to tear everything apart. That's a rant for another day.

As to forced induction, I will probably keep it NA for the foreseeable future and work on completing some supporting mods first. A Rotrex could be in the cards at some point.

Seats are from Infinit Fab Lotus Exige Style Carbon Fiber Seat PAIR | Infinit Fab

EDIT: Link above in previous post is right, I have the fiberglass version.

I used black suede dye on the gray sections on the sides.

From a function standpoint they are actually pretty great. Comfy, more supportive than stock, and light. The price is reasonable too. My big complaint is the quality of them. The fabric is cheap feeling and looks like it is going to fade quickly. The contact cement they used to put on the fabric lifted after the car was parked in the sun for a day. I had to re-glue them a month after I bought them. To me thats unacceptable after dropping $950 on a pair of seats.

Once they tear, or fade out really bad, I may just have them recovered with something nicer or sell them and step up to Exige seats.

Ryan_G

iTrader: (8)

Thanks for the review. I was considering those seats myself. There is nothing else on the market that can serve as well as a dd seat while still being able to accommodate 5 point harnesses. The fabric quailty definitely sounds disappointing though.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

Thanks for joining, OneTwo!

OneTwo

iTrader: (2)

I actually agree 100%, I was just expecting a little better quality. Oh well. They serve the intended purpose.

Chilicharger665

iTrader: (2)

Do those seats actually hold you in on the track? Is it more important to have big side bolsters to hold you in, or to belt up tightly?

18psi

iTrader: (76)

Welcome. Cool intro, and nice car.

TheProfessor

iTrader: (3)

It depends on your intended use of the car and personal preferences. The elise seats and their replicas have much smaller thigh bolsters than a "true" racing seat. This means they don't hold quite as well but that they are much more comfortable over time. Racing seats feel very comfortable initially but I drove my car distances to track days several times with them and it is amazing how uncomfortable it gets to not be able to rest your legs out to the sides.

If you're going to daily drive your car any distances, get something like an elise seat. If you're primarily doing track days, go for a real racing bucket.

Ryan_G

iTrader: (8)

Beyond just being comfortable to sit in they have ease of ingress and egress which is really important for me. I also don't want to make it difficult for passengers to fit or get in and out of the seat. They also sit rediculously low if you bolt them to the floor.

Chilicharger665

iTrader: (2)

I have a Marrad seat, which is $950 for a SINGLE one and it is pretty cool, but is insanely expensive, obviously. It has much higher bolsters than these Elise style seats and they are a pain to get over compared to stock seats. I have just been using the stock seat belt so far, which doesn't hold very well. I bought a 5 point harness from curly on here, but I have not mounted it yet (because I haven't researched how yet) and I don't think it will hold me in very well because of how high the side bolsters are and the fact that there is no cutouts on the sides for the belts to come through, so they must just run over the top, and I doubt that will hold me in very well.

I agree with how uncomfortable your legs can get with long-distance driving. Every track event I go to requires a minimum 5 hour drive. I submitted my post above because the Marrad seems like it makes it too much of a pain to use daily (which I obviously have for over a year now) versus the slight gain in track usability I might get with its high side bolsters. These elise seats seem like they would be ideal for my intended use of the car, but I don't know if I want to sink anymore money into seats, especially with the fabric being low-quality.

OneTwo

iTrader: (2)

I also like the fact that the low bolsters are much less likely to wear out from ingress/egress than with a typical racing bucket. The door bars make it so that I have to drop straight down onto them anyways, instead of "sliding" in.

I can attest these aren't awful on long trips, I have made 2 5+ hour LA runs in them, and while they aren't exactly plush, they were total livable.