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DIY Ultimate Track/DD Race Seat Install

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Old 10-06-2013, 09:40 PM
  #1  
joenationwide
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Default DIY Ultimate Track/DD Race Seat Install

Here's how I made the ultimate Track/Daily Driver race seat install into my C5 Z06.
This thing holds you in like any great race seat, yet is comfortable and easy to get in/out of for street driving.

Background
My Z06 sees triple duty as a street/track/autox car.
After a weekend at Summit Main in the stock seat, I knew I wasn't going to deal with that again,
it was exhausting doing just a few laps at a time trying to hang on.

I needed a better seat, but after searching on the forum, there didn't seem to be any options that would hold you in tight,
while being very easy to get in and out of for normal street driving.
So I came up with my own idea, and it worked out beautifully.

Kirkey Road Race Seat + OEM Seat Bracket = Win
I bought OEM power seat brackets with motors and the switch, and mounted it to a Kirkey Road Race Intermediate seat.
This is by far the best option I've seen for a DD/track car.
All you have to do is toggle the power seat switch to move it back when you want to get in and out.
Almost as easy as getting into the stock seat. I love it!
I was considering reinstalling the OEM seat in the off season, but now I might just leave it.
The Kirkey is amazingly comfortable on the street and on the track.
The power seat allows me to adjust the angle of both the front and the rear, to get it situated exactly as I want.
I couldn't be happier with this setup.

I am only 5'10", and I run the power seat near the highest vertical setting, and I have inches of room to spare with a helmet on.
If you put it as low as it goes, you could probably fit even if you were 6'2" or perhaps taller, and thats with a helmet!

I'm still using the OEM 3pt belt, and have no plans to run a harness.
I suppose you could argue its not optimal for safety without a 4pt roll cage, seat back brace and harnesses,
but I'm not really looking to do all that with my street car.

Here are some pics of my seat install:
Here's the finished product. As you can see it fits nicely. This is the fat guy version (17") and its a tight fit but no interference.






Here it is after I finished mounting the seat to the bracket.
I'm convinced the Kirkey Road Race Intermediate is the greatest seat ever and by far the best option for a true track seat that can also work on the street.
It is super light weight, and it can be bent into shape to suit your needs, unlike a fiberglass shell seat.
In fact, I bent the two shoulder tabs inward to give me more support.
I can't say enough good things about this seat.




Test fitting to the car, since it was such a tight fit, I mocked it up first and then tried to mark where it should mount side to side.
Ended up biasing it maybe 5mm toward the trans tunnel, which made for a tight fit with the seat belt recepticle,
but gave plenty of room to clear the drivers side seat belt "box" by the door sill.




Here is the mockup with the simple custom bracket I made. Its just two steel strips (1/8" thick x 1 1/4" wide x 14" long).
I drilled holes and mounted to the OEM seat bracket using M8x1.25 bolts (OEM bracket threaded for that size) and to be safe I ran nylock nuts (not shown in this photo).
To mount to the seat I simply drilled holes in the base and mounted the same way (M8x1.25 w/nylock nuts).




I just mounted the seat this Friday just in time for some testing.

Friday night
Drove it to Walmart to buy some velcro strips to mount the switch to the side of the seat.
It worked great, and the seat was super comfy, and to get in/out I had set the DIC to automatically drive the seat back for me.
Ahh the luxury.

Here you can see how it looks when it is moved back on the rails.
You can also see the seat switch in its convenient location, held on by velcro.



Saturday
Took it out for the first time on Summit Point Shenandoah.
Two weeks ago I took it out for its first track day (first time for the Z, not for me) and it was miserable because I could barely hang on.
Well this time, for the first time ever, I could focus on just driving the car.
The seat held me in so well I never had to worry about anything but driving. I was so happy.


Sunday
Took it out for the first time autoxing.
You could argue that autox is even more violent as you spend much more time transitioning from left to right much more frequently.
Never a moment where you aren't tossing the car side to side.
The seat performed great once again, and I was able to focus on the driving rather than hanging on.

Last edited by joenationwide; 10-07-2013 at 09:46 AM.
Old 10-07-2013, 06:47 AM
  #2  
fatbillybob
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Your install looks nice. This is a fun sport but can be a dangerous one. Please do some research on seats. Aluminum seats are among the worst seat choices if run unsupported. Aluminum folds and deforms in a crash. 5 year FIA plastic seats are designed to survive "X" g's supported only by the seat base. Think about how easy it was to bend your seat to the shape you wanted. Then realize a 35mph crash delta is 20g's. Now take your weight times 20. If you hit the aluminum seat with a pulse of that magnitude what would it look like? Second look at your oem seatbelt angles. The lip of the aluminum seat may change those and how the belt sits on your hips. You may have changed the entire dynamic of how the oem 3pt belt works and you may have done so to your disadvantage. It is extremely difficult to get a 3pt to work right with a seat never designed for them. We want you to have a long life enjoying the sport.
Old 10-07-2013, 08:49 AM
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davidfarmer
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I also LOVE Kirkey seats, but you do need a rear support if you don't have one.

However, the seat is not your restraint, the belts are. It's your choice how supported you want to make it, but I feel the back needs support.
Old 10-07-2013, 09:49 AM
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RDnomorecobra
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Hmm, maybe wish I had done that.

Not that much of a stretch to add a harness bar which you could also use to establish a seat back brace. Add proper harnesses run through the seat slots and a HANS and you have greatly increased your safety and did not ruin your street car.

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