The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Tech → Good seat value?
I need to get a new seat for the soon to dominate Chevy Cavalier.
Suggestions on seat brands? What should I be looking for in a seat?
Why are some seats so much more expensive than other seats? What options do bring? Which of these options are mandatory?
Thank you.
Trevor
There are tons of options for seats at a wide range of prices.
There are really like two main types. You can cat an aluminum seat or a composite bucket seat.
Aluminum seats are like this one. They are very cheep and a lot of people run them. They require a seat back brace in order to be ridged enough to pass tech. You also should get a seat cover so it is a bit more comfortable but it is not required.
Another option is the one piece composite seats. There are your more typical racing seat. There are many options but the common ones are the Corbeau Forza (or Forza Sport for FIA rating) and the Sparco Sprint. Both are good option form what I hear. You can spend a lot more if you want it usually just add lightness and some comfort.
What else you want to look into are "Full Containment" seats. These have protection for you head in a side impact(A HANS does not protect against side impact). They are more expensive but you can't really put a price on not being paralyzed.
Here is aluminum
Here is composite
There are also options from Sparco and other manufacturers.
^ that pretty much covers what I was going to say. Biggest thing is to make sure you get one wide enough for your big ass and your teammate's. If you have too narrow a seat, you're gonna hate life. Another main type is tube frame seats which are the cheapest. I'd avoid those as while legal, are not favored by tech. They also can be uncomfortable. I have one sitting on the shelf and it left bruises on everyone's ribcage who used it. Also note that backbraces are not required with aluminum seats as long as the seat can't move more than 6" from the main hoop crosspiece. The type that definitely need bracing is the oval track type where there isn't a bunch of seatback strength because in their normal application the seatback is bolted to cage tubing.
Also note that I have found most of my seats on craigslist. All it takes is some scenester's GF to put a cigarette burn or tear in the BF's JDM ride and the seat ends up on CL.
If it maters to you, the forza is a tube frame seat. Some people have a preference one way or the other on those.
We use the FX1 Pro, which does not have an FIA option, but it has passed tech every time, and is very comfortable.
All it takes is some scenester's GF to put a cigarette burn or tear in the BF's JDM ride and the seat ends up on CL.
About 17 years ago, I got a killer deal on a slightly used Volvo 850 turbo because the GF had spilled nail polish on the white leather seat. Sadly, four days later, some a-hole didn't see that traffic had stopped in front of him and totaled it. 
With Craigslist seats be careful to not get a counterfeit seat. They exist for some of the bigger brands and I'm guessing their construction will be rather questionable.
If it maters to you, the forza is a tube frame seat. Some people have a preference one way or the other on those.
We use the FX1 Pro, which does not have an FIA option, but it has passed tech every time, and is very comfortable.
Which is to say, there are really 3 kinds of seats: aluminum, tubular frames, composites. Each of these also come in standard or halo configurations. Which really means there are 6 kinds of seats.
Halo seats protect your head from going side-to-side. If you don't have a halo seat, you should have an interior net close to your helmet on the right side. Halo seats can make it difficult to get out of the car. I was on a team where the car door got mildly hit, and it caused the door latch to fail and lock in place. The halo prevented the driver from leaving the car on the normal side, and he had to crawl through the car to get out on the passenger side. This would have been dangerous in the case of a fire.
I have an aluminum seat in my Miata. I put foam rubber under the cover and it's very comfortable. If you have a bony back and an aluminum seat without padding, your back will end up so bruised that you won't want to get in the car the next day. The nice thing about aluminum seats is you can drill right through them to mount them.
For my Yaris, I went with a Corbeau FX1 Pro. I had a lot of room to put the seat in so I figured I'd try a composite seat. Comfort-wise, it's pretty similar to a well padded aluminum seat. On the passenger side, I have a Corbeau Forza. It's not as comfortable because of the tubes in the frame. I wouldn't want to drive long stints with it (but apparently I will subject a passenger / co-driver to it).
Also note that I have found most of my seats on craigslist. All it takes is some scenester's GF to put a cigarette burn or tear in the BF's JDM ride and the seat ends up on CL.
... Or some drift monkey doesn't like that the fabric color has faded slightly so they end up on CL.
I have two Corbeau Forza's I bought for ~$100/ea (one included a steering wheel that I unloaded for $90) off CL and we have a back brace for added support on the driver's side. They are comfortable enough.
One more thing to factor in: slider/brackets run ~$100/ea unless you DIY with a welder and some brackets for your car/existing base and I've found you still need to modify "exact fit" brackets (from Corbeau at least).
If I had to buy a new seat (or if I found a good deal on CL), I'd probably buy a Halo seat -- maybe Bimarco (check out their pricing).
-g
There are tons of options for seats at a wide range of prices.
There are really like two main types. You can cat an aluminum seat or a composite bucket seat.
Aluminum seats are like this one. They are very cheep and a lot of people run them. They require a seat back brace in order to be ridged enough to pass tech. You also should get a seat cover so it is a bit more comfortable but it is not required.
Another option is the one piece composite seats. There are your more typical racing seat. There are many options but the common ones are the Corbeau Forza (or Forza Sport for FIA rating) and the Sparco Sprint. Both are good option form what I hear. You can spend a lot more if you want it usually just add lightness and some comfort.
What else you want to look into are "Full Containment" seats. These have protection for you head in a side impact(A HANS does not protect against side impact). They are more expensive but you can't really put a price on not being paralyzed.
Here is aluminum
Here is compositeThere are also options from Sparco and other manufacturers.
There's another kind of aluminum seat much less erector set and tinfoil looking than the Kirkey.
https://www.ultrashieldrace.com/catalog … o-Seat/166
It is though in the same price range as a mid range composite seat. But they make fat guy sizes.
One other point, will your seat be fixed or on sliders? If you are planning on using sliders, take note that Corbeau sliders suck ass. I'd recommend you get pretty much ANY other slider. If you can adapt the OE sliders to your new seat, that's even better. Also be sure to get a DOUBLE locking slider, not a single locking version.
One other point, will your seat be fixed or on sliders? If you are planning on using sliders, take note that Corbeau sliders suck ass. I'd recommend you get pretty much ANY other slider. If you can adapt the OE sliders to your new seat, that's even better. Also be sure to get a DOUBLE locking slider, not a single locking version.
On that note, a number of OE...but maybe not for your car...dead flat and reliable sliders double-locking sliders have been mention here often. My suggestion is Volvo 240 and the other I see the most often is Jeep Cherokee. If you live in the Pacific NW, the former should litter local junkyards while if you live in the Midwest, the only more common PnP vehicle than a Cherokee is an Explorer (or maybe Buick LeSabre).
One other point, will your seat be fixed or on sliders? If you are planning on using sliders, take note that Corbeau sliders suck ass. I'd recommend you get pretty much ANY other slider. If you can adapt the OE sliders to your new seat, that's even better. Also be sure to get a DOUBLE locking slider, not a single locking version.
I've got a Corbeau double-locking slider and it seems okay to me. Maybe I should look closer.
Thoughts on either the Ultrashield Rally Sport https://www.ultrashieldrace.com/catalog … o-Seat/166
or the OMP RS-PT2 http://www.ompamerica.com/product_info. … cts_id/655
Both seem to be solid halo seats.
Trevor
VKZ24 wrote:One other point, will your seat be fixed or on sliders? If you are planning on using sliders, take note that Corbeau sliders suck ass. I'd recommend you get pretty much ANY other slider. If you can adapt the OE sliders to your new seat, that's even better. Also be sure to get a DOUBLE locking slider, not a single locking version.
I've got a Corbeau double-locking slider and it seems okay to me. Maybe I should look closer.
Ditto, my Corbeau double-locker has never given me an issue. What is supposed to suck about it?
Also, there are multiple types of aluminum seat even before you start talking about halos. The cheap circle-track kind with a single, wide shoulder belt slot is the kind that generally needs additional bracing for the floppy headrest. (This is distinct from seat back bracing, which is required for any seat with more than 6" of space to the roll cage bar.) The Kirkey Intermediate Road Race is an example of a more expensive but more solid aluminum seat that doesn't need headrest support. I can definitely confirm that more butt padding under the seat cover is advisable.
Thoughts on either the Ultrashield Rally Sport https://www.ultrashieldrace.com/catalog … o-Seat/166
or the OMP RS-PT2 http://www.ompamerica.com/product_info. … cts_id/655
Both seem to be solid halo seats.
Trevor
We run the rally sport. Way sturdier than the Kirkey, More comfortable than the Kirkey, Pad comes in Purple.
I will say, you will want to deburr the thing when you get it. I guess that was where they drew the line on cost/build. Edges will be a bit sharp, but welds look great, the Halo doesn't interfere much. When I started the project I thought I would be swapping in the original seat for street driving, but it's comfortable enough to use once you have to climb over door bars anyways. And comfort means a lot in an endurance race build.
Highly recommend it, especially for the more "Midwestern" Bacon Lovers on your team.
We picked up an FIA certified Bimarco Futura from www.scamotorsport.com in the UK for 187.50 GBP + 99 GBP shipping, which comes to about $360.
http://www.scamotorsport.com/SCAFUT.html
Their pricing on certain items is almost unbelievable and with the exchange rate you can get some incredible deals. Even with the high shipping cost we still came out way ahead compared to what we would have paid state-side. Just make sure you pay with a no foreign transaction fee credit card and order a bunch of stuff at once if you can.
The seat itself is really terrific, if a bit bulky. Just the right amount of padding and it fits my 6'1, 190 lb frame like a glove. Everyone that sits in it loves it. It's a tight fit in our E36 but it's definitely going to work.
There was some initial confusion about shipping and they seemed a little disorganized at times but it all worked out fine and we're thrilled with the seat and the price.
I just ordered our Sport III Hans from there as well for 245 GBP, which is just north of $300. Compare that with $500+ from any U.S. source.
I just looked at that website and its almost too good to be true. We are looking at either the OMP TRS XL or the Sparco Sprint. The seat plus delivery (19 GBP for DHL Express) Anyone else order anything from them? We are very interested but don't want to give our money away.
I run that kind of seat and every one loves it.I am thinking of up grading to there top line with halo.
Thank for the link
Bob Mann
DRVOLKS
We picked up an FIA certified Bimarco Futura from www.scamotorsport.com in the UK for 187.50 GBP + 99 GBP shipping, which comes to about $360.
http://www.scamotorsport.com/SCAFUT.html
Their pricing on certain items is almost unbelievable and with the exchange rate you can get some incredible deals. Even with the high shipping cost we still came out way ahead compared to what we would have paid state-side. Just make sure you pay with a no foreign transaction fee credit card and order a bunch of stuff at once if you can.
The seat itself is really terrific, if a bit bulky. Just the right amount of padding and it fits my 6'1, 190 lb frame like a glove. Everyone that sits in it loves it. It's a tight fit in our E36 but it's definitely going to work.
There was some initial confusion about shipping and they seemed a little disorganized at times but it all worked out fine and we're thrilled with the seat and the price.
I just ordered our Sport III Hans from there as well for 245 GBP, which is just north of $300. Compare that with $500+ from any U.S. source.
I just looked at that website and its almost too good to be true. We are looking at either the OMP TRS XL or the Sparco Sprint. The seat plus delivery (19 GBP for DHL Express) Anyone else order anything from them? We are very interested but don't want to give our money away.
I felt the same way but took a flyer on them and it's gone well. I've spoken to human beings on the phone twice and often times they will email me after I put stuff in my cart to see if I want to make a purchase. Like I said, they don't seem very organized, but they are legit. Forgot to mention that we got our harness from them as well.
I was excited about the 19GBP shipping on a big seat, too, but it's actually going to be 99. If you place an order just be prepared for a little uncertainty and possibly having to keep after them but so far they've come through and we've saved hundreds.
Another option is a display seat from a race shop. I bought an OMP HTE-R XL from a local race shop display for 10 percent off because they didn't have a new one in stock. When a seat costs almost $1k 10 percent is a pretty big chunk of change. The dude was worried about scratching the seat - I'm like "dude, it's going in a (goes without saying - rusty - ) Gremlin!". So I have A NICE FIA containment seat for a decent price.
And it's new so I know it likely has not yet suffered an accident and the possible damage that might have caused.
No matter what you decide I would strongly recommend one with a halo. If you spin and get t boned it will hold your upper half up better and prevent ribs from getting broken.
Our next door neighbors at the last Sonoma got T-boned at Buttonwillow and they were running the base model Kirkey containment seat. I talked with the driver who was in the car when it got hit and he was very positive about that Kirkey and containment seats. He said no muscle pain the next day after the t-bone. The team now has Kirkeys in their two cars.
So I've been tasked to research containment seats for our car. In the initial stage of that right now.
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