curly

iTrader: (25)

I'm trying to get rid of some height and weight. I previously had my old bottom mount MOMO Start seat bolted to some stock rails.

Has anyone chopped up a stock rail and used it to make some rails?

I've got the top part off, I just have to grind off the rivets, cut a piece to length, and bolt it to the old rivet holes.


Bad idea? Just make it new out of the same steel strips?

Bad picture, I know, but it's of the bottom half of a stock rail. I'll be cutting bits off to only leave the front and rear pieces. Hoping it'll save me about an 1" of height, letting me pass the broomstick test without chopping up the floor.

falcon

iTrader: (13)

For the amount of work it is to make a solid mount out of flat steel I wouldnt bother with the stock one. And it won't get you very low

falcon

iTrader: (13)

Btw I pass the broomstick test with helmet with 2" to spare and I'm 6' tall. That's with my custom mount that was designed to have the seat as low as possible without cutting the humps. The rear part of the shell on my seat touches the floor.

curly

iTrader: (25)

Glad to hear it can be done without cutting the humps. It's still street legal, I wouldn't mind throwing a stock seat in there for a summer or spring for some DD comfort. Of course now I need new rails.

curly

iTrader: (25)

Just in case anyone is reading this in the future, y'all were right. It's much easier and more beneficial to just use two strips of metal.

I used the front and rear brackets from the stock rails, and although it took away about .75" of height, it still wasn't enough, and I couldn't access the rear bolts to tighten them. Waste of $4.89.

$9.78 later, I had two more strips of metal, and drilled some holes about 4" further back from the stock rear holes, so I could bolt it up behind the seat. They're lighter, lower, and easier to make. Lesson learned.

Now to sign up for a track day so I can actually use my new broom stick test passable car.

kotomile

iTrader: (24)

Pics of your fab work?

curly

iTrader: (25)

I'll take a few, they won't be great though. It's a pain reaching under the car for the two back bolts. I was planning on painting them, probably won't because of that. I'll snap what I can.

falcon

iTrader: (13)

Haha.. yeah it takes a while to get my seat bolted in. I have a shorty 14mm spanner. And threading the bolts is annoying.

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

I got some spare rails in my garage if you really want them. Shoot me a pm.

njn63

iTrader: (4)

Sort of off topic, but what thickness of steel are you guys using for the seat mounts? I need to mount mine soon.

curly

iTrader: (25)

I used 1/8", for the short length that's required it seems strong. If I did it again, since I'm now using a slightly longer length, I might have gone with 3/16" or 1/4". Would've been a bitch to bend though.

FatKao

I used 3/16, bent it with propane no problem. Threw it in the vice heated up the joints and pushed where I needed it. Would have been even easier with MAPP gas. I'm a tiny ****** too.

xcoldricex

iTrader: (3)

so you made two new rear holes? did you get any pics?

curly

iTrader: (25)

Its not terribly interesting. Rails had to extend behind the seat since there's no way a wrench was getting under it to the stock rear holes.

njn63

iTrader: (4)

I just used a hammer/bench vice.

mx5-kiwi

I'm also struggling to picture this, if anyone has pictures of the brackets mounted, would be appreciated.

curly

iTrader: (25)

Seats out of the car, so this is the best I can do.
Endless tire pile:

mx5-kiwi

Aha, thats great, thank you. That doesn't seem so hard.

spoolin2bars

iTrader: (1)

i made the same but was able to bolt to factory locations. i have an aluminum seat though, so i used hardened steel washers and bolts to attach the seat to the rails. theres enough room to reach under the seat to bolt them on. i just have to bolt the rails down first, then attach the seat. beacuse i have an aluminum seat, i also made a bracket for the seat back that connects it to the roll bar and makes it rock solid.

mx5-kiwi

Those home made brackets would work well/better with side mount seats. I presume you could then mount the seat in afterwards.... giving beter access to the seat mount to chassis bolts ..............?