Race Prep Miata race-only chat.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

The Race Seat Thread

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-06-2017, 09:31 AM
  #21  
Elite Member
iTrader: (6)
 
ryansmoneypit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: A cave in Va
Posts: 3,395
Total Cats: 456
Default

You fit under the roll bar with a helmet on? ^^^
ryansmoneypit is offline  
Old 04-06-2017, 01:38 PM
  #22  
Supporting Vendor
iTrader: (3)
 
ThePass's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 3,303
Total Cats: 1,216
Default

Originally Posted by Bryan Z.
Model: HTE-R 400
Brand: OMP
Size of seat: N/A
Side or bottom mount: Side mount
Adjustable or fixed rails: Adjustable
Rail Model: PCI Version 2
Driver height and weight: 5'8", 135 lbs, 30 waist
Fit in car: Perfect
Driver fit: Perfect
Link to seat or source: OMP HTE-R 400 Seat
Link to rail or source: PCI Adjustable Seat Mounts - Driver for Miata
Certifications: FIA 8855-1999
Construction: Fiberglass
Weight: 22.4 lbs

Notes: Slight massaging required in order to fit the PCI bracket and allow full range of adjustment. Removal of NB1 door cards in favor for custom flat door panels. NA door panels should fit.
Great looking seat and good dimensions for a Miata. I have a Sparco Ergo in plastic waiting to go in my car, if that one doesn't torque my shorts just right I'll switch to the HTE-R.

On another note, hallelujah for PCI seat mounts. Fitting a race seat in a Miata has never been easy, with the PCI mounts we have very near to if not a 100% customer satisfaction rate with zero returns. They work.

A note on the PCI bracket design, old versions have a cross-bar between the two rear mounting holes (as seen in the first pic in that post) and that bar is what will block the bottom of the seat from getting that last 1/4" of low. At our request PCI made some adjustments to the brackets and removed that cross-bar so now you can get the butt of the seat pretty much on the floor with these brackets. If you have an old version and need every bit of headroom, you can cut that cross-bar out to get the same effect.
__________________
Ryan Passey
ThePass is offline  
Old 04-06-2017, 02:05 PM
  #23  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
dleavitt's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Salem, OR
Posts: 757
Total Cats: 223
Default

Originally Posted by ThePass
Great looking seat and good dimensions for a Miata. I have a Sparco Ergo in plastic waiting to go in my car, if that one doesn't torque my shorts just right I'll switch to the HTE-R.

On another note, hallelujah for PCI seat mounts. Fitting a race seat in a Miata has never been easy, with the PCI mounts we have very near to if not a 100% customer satisfaction rate with zero returns. They work.

A note on the PCI bracket design, old versions have a cross-bar between the two rear mounting holes (as seen in the first pic in that post) and that bar is what will block the bottom of the seat from getting that last 1/4" of low. At our request PCI made some adjustments to the brackets and removed that cross-bar so now you can get the butt of the seat pretty much on the floor with these brackets. If you have an old version and need every bit of headroom, you can cut that cross-bar out to get the same effect.
For me the bolts holding the side bracket to the base was the first interference point, not the cross bar. Of course I was dealing with a massive seat: Recaro Profi SPG XL. That might have had something to do with it.

I've basically given up on getting a race seat that fits me in the car with off-the-shelf mounts. When the time comes I'm going to pony up for custom mounts.
dleavitt is offline  
Old 04-06-2017, 02:17 PM
  #24  
Supporting Vendor
iTrader: (3)
 
ThePass's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 3,303
Total Cats: 1,216
Default

Originally Posted by dleavitt
Recaro Profi SPG XL
Found your problem right there

No bracket can work magic on a seat that is not Miata-friendly
__________________
Ryan Passey
ThePass is offline  
Old 04-06-2017, 02:19 PM
  #25  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
dleavitt's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Salem, OR
Posts: 757
Total Cats: 223
Default

Originally Posted by ThePass
Found your problem right there

No bracket can work magic on a seat that is not Miata-friendly


I have come to the same conclusion. Down 25lbs. from Jan. 1, but still have plenty to go before I can realistically fit in smaller seats.
dleavitt is offline  
Old 04-06-2017, 02:48 PM
  #26  
Senior Member
 
Roda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Sierra Vista, AZ
Posts: 1,204
Total Cats: 298
Default

Originally Posted by ThePass
A note on the PCI bracket design, old versions have a cross-bar between the two rear mounting holes (as seen in the first pic in that post) and that bar is what will block the bottom of the seat from getting that last 1/4" of low. At our request PCI made some adjustments to the brackets and removed that cross-bar so now you can get the butt of the seat pretty much on the floor with these brackets. If you have an old version and need every bit of headroom, you can cut that cross-bar out to get the same effect.
Good info. Thanks!
Roda is offline  
Old 04-10-2017, 07:46 PM
  #27  
Elite Member
 
doward's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 1,538
Total Cats: 745
Default

Model: Evo
Brand: Sparco
Size of seat: regular Evo, not EvoII or EvoXL, so its smallish. I'm snug w/34" waist.
Side or bottom mount: Side
Adjustable or fixed rails: Both
Rail model: PCI single piece setback bracket. Required spacers to make up for seat width vs bracket inner width, 5mm front, 10mm rear on each side.
Driver height & weight: 5'9" 190lbs
Fit in car: Yes. Square and centered on the steering wheel!! Required a bunch of hammering to the trans tunnel. First contact is shoulder wing against doorpanel, then main hoop with deleted door panel.
Driver fit : Shoulder harness holes slightly low when using butt pad.
Certifications: FIA
Construction: Fiberglass

89-05 Mazda MX-5 ? PCI Racing

Name:  F66363CF-710B-4167-B9BB-6AC90FE832CE_zpsyrelfhqn.jpg
Views: 15650
Size:  181.2 KB

Name:  1C7B26DB-38BD-4C41-8D0B-968E6599AC96_zpsb2hglwwz.jpg
Views: 15597
Size:  229.7 KB



Name:  5785E783-16A1-4997-AEAC-4C9B262E6096_zpsg88kbk08.jpg
Views: 15829
Size:  199.8 KB


Because of the shape of the bottom of the seat, removing the cross bar on the PCI bracket was of no benefit. This also means that the mount bracket is about 1" shy of putting the seat as low as possible. Custom 2 piece side mount brackets could go slightly lower, but not farther back(for me). Eventually, the square bottom of the Evo would run into the floor humps and/or mounting bolts. For ultra lowlow, you'd need a narrower seat to fit between the floor humps, or remove the floor humps. Either of which precludes the use of the PCI bracket in the first place.

Last edited by doward; 04-10-2017 at 07:59 PM.
doward is offline  
Old 04-10-2017, 08:37 PM
  #28  
Senior Member
 
2slow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: San Diego
Posts: 557
Total Cats: 54
Default

Model: Sprint SKY V
Brand: Sparco
Size of seat: Regular/Standard
Side or bottom mount: both (tried both with different brackets, side ones get you lower)
Adjustable or fixed rails: Tried on Sparco rails, worked fine, but raised me 3/4 of an inch
Rail model: Sparco
Driver height & weight: 6'3" 165lb
Fit in car: no issues, fits very well like a regular Sparco Sprint
Driver fit : It fit me fine, but shoulder wings would dig into the back of my shoulders
Link to seat or source: Sparco Shop Racing Sprint Sky [008232NRSKY] Tubular seat with washable vinyl cover
Link to rail or source:
Certifications:FIA
Construction: tubular frame
Weight: 19lb i think


Picture before roll-bar and 5 point harness went in.
Name:  sw5RscIh.jpg
Views: 2223
Size:  110.5 KB

It is a good seat if you re not daily driving your car. Otherwise it lack lumbar to stay comfy on longer drives and caused me some back pain. Of course shorter drivers may not have this problem as I looked like a Pretzel in a Miata before dropping the rails and going fixed mount.
I had it installed on Good-Win bracket and Sparco rails originally.... shorter drivers liked it.

Name:  uAhkz9lh.jpg
Views: 2100
Size:  117.9 KB


Then I went to ...

Model: Pro Road Race 16" 10*
Brand: Ultrashield
Size of seat: 16"
Side or bottom mount: Generic steel side mount
Adjustable or fixed rails: Fixed
Rail model: Custom fixed bracket
Driver height & weight: 6'3" 165lb
Fit in car: Was right at the front of the seat, but had to BFG the tunnel to get the bracket in anyway.
Driver fit : Fit was excellent - really hugged my body and held me in place.
Link to seat or source: https://store.windingroad.com/ultras...over-p503.aspx
Link to rail or source: custom
Certifications:
Construction: sheet aluminum, fixed
Weight:

Name:  nnemP9Jh.jpg
Views: 2574
Size:  137.8 KB

This seat was more comfortable initially, but would also get uncomfortable for me on a long drive due to lack of lumbar and very thin padding. It got me lower than, and really held me in place like no other seat I've tried. I didn't need to brace myself against the door or T-tunnel because side bolsters and shoulder wings hugged me so well. I actually think that I could drive the car better because i didn't have to worry about my position and shifting on my seat in corners. Again - good seat, but not ideal for tall skinny drivers.
2slow is offline  
Old 04-17-2017, 01:01 AM
  #29  
Senior Member
 
Padlock's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 1,140
Total Cats: 558
Default

Model: Sparco
Brand: EVO2
Size of seat:
Side or bottom mount: Side
Adjustable or fixed rails: Fixed
Rail model: Garagestar
Driver height & weight: 5'9" 180 lbs
Fit in car: Transmission tunnel hammering required to sit seat on lowest setting. Door card hits shoulder bolster on the seat. Requires firm shut of the door to close.
Driver fit: I fit perfect in the seat. Wouldn't want anything any tighter on a DD
Certifications: FIA
Construction: Stainless (Rails), Fiberglass (Seat)
Weight: 22 lbs (seat) + ~2 lbs (rails) = ~24 lbs

Name:  20170416_200229_zpsfja5ak8j.jpg
Views: 17086
Size:  171.9 KB

Last edited by Padlock; 05-02-2017 at 10:58 PM.
Padlock is offline  
Old 05-01-2017, 05:11 PM
  #30  
Newb
 
tankrust's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 30
Total Cats: 5
Default Sparco Evo II (Non-US)

Model: Evo II
Brand: Sparco
Size of seat: N/A
Side or bottom mount: Side Mounted
Adjustable or fixed rails: Adjustable
Rail model: PCI Adjustable base plate with Sparco side mount brackets
Driver height & weight: 5'11" 195 pounds
Fit in car: Required quite a bit of transmission tunnel hammering. Top of headrest hits the Blackbird Fabworx roll bar, which limits rearward travel. Getting the seat farther rearward would require removing the rear seat bosses and going with a different bracket setup to lower the rear. Doing this will move my shoulders too low relative to the harness bar, so it is in the optimum position for my height as is. The seat hits the door card at the top.
Driver fit : Good. Legroom is good for heel/toe and stock steering wheel is in a good position. The seat is slightly (~.5") off center relative to the steering wheel, but I knew it would be going in with a seat this wide.
Link to seat or source: Purchased from Sube Sports in Huntington. Chad was super knowledgeable and very helpful. They had a great showroom with a bunch of seats to try out.
Link to rail or source: PCI mount purchased from Good-win Racing
Certifications: FIA
Construction: Fiberglass shell
Weight: Much less than the driver


Last edited by tankrust; 05-02-2017 at 07:45 AM. Reason: Grammar
tankrust is offline  
Old 05-04-2017, 02:00 PM
  #31  
Junior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
sicklyscott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 226
Total Cats: 1
Default

Model: TDR Ultrashield Rally
Brand: TDR Ultrashield Rally
Size of seat: 16
Side or bottom mount: bottom
Adjustable or fixed rails: fixed
Rail Model: TDR low drivers, regular pass.
Driver height and weight: 6'0", 185 lbs, 33 waist
Fit in car: Perfect
Driver fit: it's a little big, 15 might have fit more snug but may not have been comfortable
Link to seat or source: http://trackdogracing.com/TDR-RallySport.aspx
Link to rail or source: http://trackdogracing.com/TDR-RallySport.aspx
Certifications: none
Construction: Aluminum
Weight: I've read 14 lbs but didn't weigh it

I have done 2 track days and driven 2 hours to the track at a time. The seats have performed well overall so far. Decently comfortable for longer drives to the track, supportive when on track. There are some things that nag at me. I wish I got the smaller size as the top doesn't really hug me. The problem I have though is with how I sit in the car my knees are spread apart and as it is are annoyed on longer drives with the side bolsters on the bottom of the seats. A smaller seat would have made this section more irritating. I also wish they had a longer bottom for better thigh support.

If you go this route please plan to install a seat back brace!

All in all great seat, great customer support from TDR. I'd recommend this to anyone.

https://flic.kr/p/QqM2amhttps://flic.kr/p/QqM2am by https://www.flickr.com/photos/sicklyscott/, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/SmPoUthttps://flic.kr/p/SmPoUt by https://www.flickr.com/photos/sicklyscott/, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/S82U4Nhttps://flic.kr/p/S82U4N by https://www.flickr.com/photos/sicklyscott/, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/SmPoXehttps://flic.kr/p/SmPoXe by https://www.flickr.com/photos/sicklyscott/, on Flickr
sicklyscott is offline  
Old 05-04-2017, 04:59 PM
  #32  
Senior Member
 
2slow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: San Diego
Posts: 557
Total Cats: 54
Default

Originally Posted by sicklyscott
I wish I got the smaller size as the top doesn't really hug me.
You can actually fix that part. I had to bend the shoulder wings on my seat (see a pic a few posts up) for them to clear the door card and to hug me. I used a ratcheting strap and all the wimpy 170lbs I have on me to bend it just a bit, BUT ... after that it held me really nicely on the track. I could completely relax my body and not brace against anything.
2slow is offline  
Old 05-09-2017, 02:01 PM
  #33  
Newb
 
Racin64's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Hastings, Ne
Posts: 3
Total Cats: 3
Default 17" Ultra Shield LW Halo

Model: Lightweight Halo
Brand: Ultra Shield
Size of seat: 17"
Side or bottom mount: Bottom w/ solid back support
Adjustable or fixed rails: Fixed
Rail model: N/A
Driver height & weight: 5'-10: / 290
Fit in car: Tight, but fits
Driver fit : Very comfortable for a guy my size
Link to seat or source:
Link to rail or source: N/A
Certifications:
Construction:
Weight:




Racin64 is offline  
Old 05-09-2017, 02:31 PM
  #34  
Elite Member
iTrader: (4)
 
hornetball's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Granbury, TX
Posts: 6,301
Total Cats: 696
Default

Nice safety system!
hornetball is offline  
Old 05-09-2017, 04:09 PM
  #35  
Elite Member
iTrader: (6)
 
ryansmoneypit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: A cave in Va
Posts: 3,395
Total Cats: 456
Default

love that trans tunnel patch mod. I really like it!
ryansmoneypit is offline  
Old 05-09-2017, 09:08 PM
  #36  
Senior Member
 
2slow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: San Diego
Posts: 557
Total Cats: 54
Default

Very cool setup man - the whole car looks well put together.
2slow is offline  
Old 05-10-2017, 12:51 AM
  #37  
Junior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
leboeuf's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Sandia Park, NM
Posts: 452
Total Cats: 50
Default

Model: Suzaka
Brand: Cobra
Size of seat: Std
Side or bottom mount: Side
Adjustable or fixed rails: Adjustable
Rail model: modified stock rails
Driver height & weight: 5'-10: / 185
Fit in car: Fits great with some sheet metal work. Rear humps removed/floor lowered. Tunnel massaged and reinforced.
Driver fit : Seat touches me in all the right places, lots of headroom
Link to seat or source:
Link to rail or source: N/A
Certifications: FIA/etc
Construction: FRP
Weight:

I got a track day in with my new seat. It was wonderful. The suzaka really fits my build well (soccer player type, broadish shoulders)
The floor sheet metal is exceptionally thin. I wouldn't be comfortable bolting anything to it.
I decided it would be best to weld a 16ga sheet in with captive nuts for reinforcement and mounting. This worked really well and it enabled some floor pan modification to fit my adjustable sliders.
The sliders are modified stock units (...), and are setup to bottom the seat on the floor when adjusted fully rearward.









leboeuf is offline  
Old 05-11-2017, 01:14 PM
  #38  
Newb
 
Racin64's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Hastings, Ne
Posts: 3
Total Cats: 3
Default

Originally Posted by hornetball
Nice safety system!
Thanks.. I definitely will feel much safer in it...

Originally Posted by ryansmoneypit
love that trans tunnel patch mod. I really like it!
Thanks.. Yeah, of course I did that after I had the master shut-off switch installed... LOL I can access it much easier now by removing the panel. Plus I think it looks better...

Originally Posted by 2slow
Very cool setup man - the whole car looks well put together.
Thanks.. We took our time this last winter and did it right. I'm pretty happy with it. Now just have to make sure its fast...

Planning to take it out to the track this weekend for some testing on an open track day... I'll let you all know how it feels.
Appreciate all the comments...
Racin64 is offline  
Old 05-11-2017, 02:32 PM
  #39  
Elite Member
iTrader: (3)
 
concealer404's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,917
Total Cats: 2,201
Default

Originally Posted by Racin64
Thanks.. I definitely will feel much safer in it...


Thanks.. Yeah, of course I did that after I had the master shut-off switch installed... LOL I can access it much easier now by removing the panel. Plus I think it looks better...


Thanks.. We took our time this last winter and did it right. I'm pretty happy with it. Now just have to make sure its fast...

Planning to take it out to the track this weekend for some testing on an open track day... I'll let you all know how it feels.
Appreciate all the comments...
Wow that thing is gorgeous! Is that one of the Spec Miata cage kits? Or all custom?
concealer404 is offline  
Old 05-11-2017, 02:58 PM
  #40  
Junior Member
 
freedomgli's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 230
Total Cats: -23
Default

Originally Posted by ryansmoneypit
love that trans tunnel patch mod. I really like it!
This has been on my Wish List for a while now
Miatacage.com. Transmission Tunnel Notch out Panel
freedomgli is offline  


Quick Reply: The Race Seat Thread



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:12 AM.