• Registered: 2023-01-12
  • Posts: 13

Topic: Seat question

I'm reading through the rules and posts on the forums, and am trying to make sure I understand and purchase the correct type of seat. From what I understand the seat must be fixed back, and cannot be made molded plastic. I'm curious if seats like the 2 links below would pass tech assuming the install is done correctly. Both are fixed back and say they are constructed with fiberglass.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185598376290

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234096417949

Thanks in advance!

  • From: Chicago-ish
  • Registered: 2010-04-19
  • Posts: 3,500

Re: Seat question

I'll be honest...I'd be wary of buying safety equipment on eBay.

The absolute best way to make sure you pass tech is to spend a little extra money to buy a known brand from a reputable provider of safety equipment. A similar Corbeau is $500 from Summit. I'd spend the extra $100-$150 on that.

Eric Rood
Everything Bagel, 24 Hours of Lemons
eric@24hoursoflemons.com

therood's Website

  • From: Tustin, CA
  • Registered: 2010-12-30
  • Posts: 3,275

Re: Seat question

I'd be very wary of that "NRG" seat.  NRG seems to be one of those companies whose products get counterfeited a lot.

Still think the BiMarco is the best value for a quality seat.

https://bimarco.eu/en/bucket-seats/16-9 … _logo-none

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)
  • Registered: 2023-01-12
  • Posts: 13

Re: Seat question

therood wrote:

I'll be honest...I'd be wary of buying safety equipment on eBay.

The absolute best way to make sure you pass tech is to spend a little extra money to buy a known brand from a reputable provider of safety equipment. A similar Corbeau is $500 from Summit. I'd spend the extra $100-$150 on that.

But does Corbeau have a sick baby blue seat with gold flake in the the fiberglass frame?!

JK - Thanks for the quick response. I'll definitely check that out and look for something from a more known brand. That said - Other than potential ebay quality fuckery, those seats do meet the criteria for tech, right?

  • Registered: 2013-11-15
  • Posts: 670

Re: Seat question

Sleepybear wrote:
therood wrote:

I'll be honest...I'd be wary of buying safety equipment on eBay.

The absolute best way to make sure you pass tech is to spend a little extra money to buy a known brand from a reputable provider of safety equipment. A similar Corbeau is $500 from Summit. I'd spend the extra $100-$150 on that.

But does Corbeau have a sick baby blue seat with gold flake in the the fiberglass frame?!

JK - Thanks for the quick response. I'll definitely check that out and look for something from a more known brand. That said - Other than potential ebay quality fuckery, those seats do meet the criteria for tech, right?

That is the general type of seat that will pass tech.  Avoid ebay, except if direct from manufacturer like the Bimarco Chesero linked above.

You should consider a halo seat with head side impact protection.  Many HANS devices don't protect against side impact.

If you have a car that is tight on space, you might mention what it is to get better recommendations on a seat.

Finally mount the seat before you build your cage to make sure your tallest driver will be lower that the cage as specified in the rules.

Those colors are super sweet though.

Team whatever_racecar #745 Volvo wagon
  • From: Chicago-ish
  • Registered: 2010-04-19
  • Posts: 3,500

Re: Seat question

Sleepybear wrote:

JK - Thanks for the quick response. I'll definitely check that out and look for something from a more known brand. That said - Other than potential ebay quality fuckery, those seats do meet the criteria for tech, right?

Assuming they're made of the materials they claim to be and the quality is not subpar, they do appear to meet the letter of the rule.

I would similarly caution you not to buy belts from eBay and to buy them from a reputable dealer like OG Racing or Summit or Winding Road.

A little OT, but talk to your teammates about belts. You want to use belts that fit all of your collective head restraints and you should all use a latch you feel comfortable with. I think most Lemons people prefer a camlock-style latch, but some people like the latch-and-link.

Anyway, long story short: Buy the best safety equipment you can afford. This is a hobby for us idiots and people should go home from their hobbies intact.

Eric Rood
Everything Bagel, 24 Hours of Lemons
eric@24hoursoflemons.com

therood's Website

  • From: Camarillo, CA
  • Registered: 2021-03-26
  • Posts: 385

Re: Seat question

Used seats sell for a fraction of new... usually lots of cheap local options from people wanting garage space.

Full Ass Racing
#455 Piñata Miata - 1990 Miata
#735 BMDollhÜr 7Turdy5i - 1990 735i

8 Reply by chaase (edited by chaase 2023-02-14 12:59 PM)

  • chaase
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: East Meadow, NY
  • Registered: 2009-08-06
  • Posts: 1,558

Re: Seat question

Don't shop for seats by price. You want a quality seat that is safe and comfortable. In the grand scheme of your build and race fees the cost of the seat is minimal and a quality seat lasts many, many seasons.

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner
  • Registered: 2023-01-12
  • Posts: 13

Re: Seat question

rb92673 wrote:
Sleepybear wrote:
therood wrote:

I'll be honest...I'd be wary of buying safety equipment on eBay.

The absolute best way to make sure you pass tech is to spend a little extra money to buy a known brand from a reputable provider of safety equipment. A similar Corbeau is $500 from Summit. I'd spend the extra $100-$150 on that.

But does Corbeau have a sick baby blue seat with gold flake in the the fiberglass frame?!

JK - Thanks for the quick response. I'll definitely check that out and look for something from a more known brand. That said - Other than potential ebay quality fuckery, those seats do meet the criteria for tech, right?

That is the general type of seat that will pass tech.  Avoid ebay, except if direct from manufacturer like the Bimarco Chesero linked above.

You should consider a halo seat with head side impact protection.  Many HANS devices don't protect against side impact.

If you have a car that is tight on space, you might mention what it is to get better recommendations on a seat.

Finally mount the seat before you build your cage to make sure your tallest driver will be lower that the cage as specified in the rules.

Those colors are super sweet though.


Understood, will definitely stick with either known US authorized sellers or direct from the manufacturer.

The build is on an E46 sedan. And good call on the seat install before cage, thankfully our team is all the same height (around 5'8/9) except for one guy who is 5'11.

I wish there was a race seats'r'us so we could go test sitting in them etc.

  • From: Columbus, Oh
  • Registered: 2020-05-19
  • Posts: 314

Re: Seat question

Sleepybear wrote:

The build is on an E46 sedan.

*yawns loudly*

Not too late to find something more interesting...

1989 Merkur XR4Ti: Project Merkur Space Program - Wins: Class C - Colonel and the Sinkhole 2023 | "Heroic Fix" The Pitt Maneuver 2023 | "Halloween Meets Gasoline" The Pitt Maneuver 2022
1980 Dodge Challenger: Most Extreme eLemonAtion Challenger (Rust Belt Ramble 2021 Dishonorable Mention)
  • Registered: 2023-01-12
  • Posts: 13

Re: Seat question

therood wrote:
Sleepybear wrote:

JK - Thanks for the quick response. I'll definitely check that out and look for something from a more known brand. That said - Other than potential ebay quality fuckery, those seats do meet the criteria for tech, right?

Assuming they're made of the materials they claim to be and the quality is not subpar, they do appear to meet the letter of the rule.

I would similarly caution you not to buy belts from eBay and to buy them from a reputable dealer like OG Racing or Summit or Winding Road.

A little OT, but talk to your teammates about belts. You want to use belts that fit all of your collective head restraints and you should all use a latch you feel comfortable with. I think most Lemons people prefer a camlock-style latch, but some people like the latch-and-link.

Anyway, long story short: Buy the best safety equipment you can afford. This is a hobby for us idiots and people should go home from their hobbies intact.

Makes sense - will be sticking with known sellers/dealers/or directly from the manufacturer. Haven't got to belts yet but will do some research on that as well as we get cage/seat locked down.

#1 goal is for everyone to make it home in one-piece. I'm trying to make sure we don't have any reason to fail tech long before we show up to any race. I won't be putting any money into performance parts; just safety, reliability, and making sure my investment into the chassis isn't for nothing (fixing rust etc).

  • Registered: 2023-01-12
  • Posts: 13

Re: Seat question

KeiCarMike wrote:
Sleepybear wrote:

The build is on an E46 sedan.

*yawns loudly*

Not too late to find something more interesting...

I am well aware of the super subtle disdain for BMWs. Fact of the matter is even though this is a cheap way to get into racing, it is a lot of money to me, and I wanted something myself and my team has experience working on, and has plenty of build options/support. I wouldn't be surprised if we end up running multiple cars in the future, and try to get a bit more exciting then.

  • Registered: 2012-09-06
  • Posts: 22

Re: Seat question

Sleepybear wrote:

I wish there was a race seats'r'us so we could go test sitting in them etc.

Where are you located? I have such a place local to me (Akron, OH) and there are others, though not quite as ubiquitous as Walmart.

#330 Rubber City Racing
#688 SHOuth of the Border
  • From: Elverson, PA
  • Registered: 2017-08-15
  • Posts: 1,127

Re: Seat question

The Bimarco Hummer I purchased last year I think was under $320 delivered (with the generic mounting bracket), and comes highly recommended here. I (5' 8", 190#) still haven't sat in it for more than a moment, but it seems comfortable.

I'll say this: if it actually gets delivered to you (the first "fell off the (USPS) truck" AFTER it left Customs), I think it'll be easy to sell if you don't like it.

  • From: Seattle, WA
  • Registered: 2009-10-28
  • Posts: 2,111

Re: Seat question

therood wrote:

I think most Lemons people prefer a camlock-style latch, but some people like the latch-and-link.

I'm among the few who prefer latch-and-link. I've found the camlock-style to be both more fiddly to use and easier to undo unintentionally (especially when in the middle of putting on the belts) but I also understand many people believe the exact same things about latch-and-link instead. For anyone who has the opportunity, try both a few times before deciding.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
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  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: Seat question

duthehustle93 wrote:

Used seats sell for a fraction of new... usually lots of cheap local options from people wanting garage space.

In California...move your search to the Midwest and 90% of the rare used seats for sale are single-hole base Kirkeys.  I am always on the search since we run 3 different cars and build new one about every other year. for 9 years I have looked twice weekly and ONCE a viable seat came up within 50 miles that was more than 25% less than new.

  • Registered: 2023-01-12
  • Posts: 13

Re: Seat question

collinskl1 wrote:
Sleepybear wrote:

I wish there was a race seats'r'us so we could go test sitting in them etc.

Where are you located? I have such a place local to me (Akron, OH) and there are others, though not quite as ubiquitous as Walmart.

I'm located in the Minneapolis area - I've tried searching but haven't had much luck near me.

  • Registered: 2023-01-12
  • Posts: 13

Re: Seat question

Lemon_Newton-Metre wrote:

The Bimarco Hummer I purchased last year I think was under $320 delivered (with the generic mounting bracket), and comes highly recommended here. I (5' 8", 190#) still haven't sat in it for more than a moment, but it seems comfortable.

I'll say this: if it actually gets delivered to you (the first "fell off the (USPS) truck" AFTER it left Customs), I think it'll be easy to sell if you don't like it.

That seems very reasonable - I'll look into that. I do like that the NRG seats come with the side mounting brackets/hardware, and only need the floor mount/sliders if you want them. Seems like it'll be roughly $1k+ with all the bits and pieces pretty much any route I go.

19 Reply by Lemon_Newton-Metre (edited by Lemon_Newton-Metre 2023-02-16 10:58 AM)

  • From: Elverson, PA
  • Registered: 2017-08-15
  • Posts: 1,127

Re: Seat question

Lucky you! Due to currency conversion rates, you can get:

Hummer seat @ ~PLN 1,079
QMS Side mounts @        147
OMP Sliding mounts @    210
                                       = 1,436 PLN

Or ~ $322

Which is roughly the same price I paid in January August, reshipped in January, but without the sliding seat mount.

Then there's probably a currency conversion fee. And, I suggest anyone use PayPal as they recommend, because there's buyer protection, and there wasn't when I asked my bank to do a wire transfer (conveniently, the transfer didn't go through, so the money was never actually sent the first time).

  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: Seat question

Sleepybear wrote:

Makes sense - will be sticking with known sellers/dealers/or directly from the manufacturer. Haven't got to belts yet but will do some research on that as well as we get cage/seat locked down.

#1 goal is for everyone to make it home in one-piece. I'm trying to make sure we don't have any reason to fail tech long before we show up to any race. I won't be putting any money into performance parts; just safety, reliability, and making sure my investment into the chassis isn't for nothing (fixing rust etc).

As the first team to report the fake Tanaka belts to SFI when they came without the date punched on the label (Their response was SFI gave them the approval to let the customers punch them as the date of the first race), seriously heed the warning of buying from quality sellers.

  • Registered: 2018-03-13
  • Posts: 16

Re: Seat question

If you want to try out a couple for size, I have a Sparco Circuit 2 containment seat and also a Sparco Sprint that gets used for passengers/instructors when the needs arise.  The race car is in storage in Hastings right now but access could be arranged sometime and if you really need something in a pinch you could borrow the sprint and its mounting brackets to get you through your first race.  I ended up trying to decide between the racequip containment seat and the Circuit when I upgraded from the Sprint as I didn't trust international ebay shipping to get anything here in time.  Anderson motorsports in Chanhassen has some Racetech seats in their shop RS5 and they are a Racetech dealer so they might have a lineup you could try too but they are not a budget friendly seat.