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Lowered racing seats

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Old 09-08-2009, 11:25 AM
  #1  
SnoXRacer183
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Default Lowered racing seats

I know the information is on here somewhere but I can't seem to find it searching.

I want to put a racing seat in my 350Z but I want to know which seats or seat/bracket combination will help lower the seat in my car.

I am 6'3" so when I put a helmet on with the stock seat my helmet is hitting the roof.
Old 09-08-2009, 12:31 PM
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uglyduc
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Bump, have the same situation going on right now.

Picked up a Sparco seat recently and currently looking into custom bracket options. Interested to see what others have come up with.
Old 09-10-2009, 01:00 PM
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luv2bsidewaz
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Bump on this as well. Any advice for the tall guys would be much appreciated!
Old 09-10-2009, 01:02 PM
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djtimodj
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+1 me too
Old 09-10-2009, 01:15 PM
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luv2bsidewaz
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The more I think on this I wonder if it's going to be the seat that will lower the person and be more beneficial or would it be more of the mounting/sliding bracket that wil be the lowering aspect?
Old 09-10-2009, 01:24 PM
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Ataru074
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the sparco base is probably still at leas 1/2 inch higher than where it could be.. probably even 1 in the rear part...

I guess any fabrication shop can customize that without compromising the strength if they put few extra plates where they cut and weld.

another solution is to use a yoga mat as replacement for the foam... is thinner. ( I drove at one HPDE without the butt mat and was nice for the feeling while driving.. but my back was in pain the following day from running over the rumble curbs).

on mine I drill few extra holes to keep the base without sliders and be able to put the seat at the lowest possible position (sparco base, sparco side mounts, sparco evo L) and without the mat I'm close to look barely over the steering wheel... I have AT LEAST 5/6 inches over my helmet (I'm 5'11")
Old 09-10-2009, 01:53 PM
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luv2bsidewaz
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I've seen where the slider part of the seat base is sold seperately form the base mounting bracket. Would the slider add any more heighth than just the base bracket alone? If you didn't mind a non-sliding seat that could help as well if it works that way. I'm 6' 3" so I def need low.
Old 09-10-2009, 04:32 PM
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halfrice
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bride zeta iii xl, im 6'1 with a long upper torso and short legs i clear the headliner with my helmet on about 2 inches, was worried i wouldnt be able to find something low enough to fit me, but love the way my bride sits.

forgot to mention the zeta iii xl needs its own special bracket/sliders but even the standard zeta iii and type L sit alot lower than the stock seats

Last edited by halfrice; 09-10-2009 at 04:33 PM.
Old 09-10-2009, 08:03 PM
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garage-c
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<-- 6'4" 205lbs 34" waist. I'm running Recaro Pole Positions & Bride FG rails. Have about an inch and a half of room now. With the stock seats I could not even sit up straight with a helmet on. You can also try Buddy Club seat rails, they sit a small bit higher than the FG's.

Also worth noting, the Recaro's are FIA homologated.

Last edited by garage-c; 09-10-2009 at 08:05 PM.
Old 09-10-2009, 08:11 PM
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WXSigns
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Depends on the seat your looking to purchase. Sparco seats are either bottom or side mount depending on the model.

I have a Sparco Fighter seat with a custom bracket that I had made to work with Sparco's Universal Slider. I sit pretty low with plenty of head room with my helmet on.

Bottom mount seats are easier to build a custom bracket for.

Side mounts give you the option of where to mount it on the seat but the slider can add unnecessary height.
Old 09-11-2009, 02:17 AM
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mhoward1
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Motorsportseats.com also make low profile sliders and direct brackets for a few different brands.
Old 09-11-2009, 06:34 AM
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racerbob4
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Originally Posted by SnoXRacer183
I know the information is on here somewhere but I can't seem to find it searching.

I want to put a racing seat in my 350Z but I want to know which seats or seat/bracket combination will help lower the seat in my car.

I am 6'3" so when I put a helmet on with the stock seat my helmet is hitting the roof.
My driver is 6'-5" and we have a custom seat bracket made by a guy in Canton, Ohio named Mark McMahon. He makes a bracket that bolts to the holes used for the stock seat and then add 4 flanges that bolt to a racing seat. This bracket put the seat right down on the floor for maximum head room. He does great roll cage work and has done our last 3 cars. His work can be found at www.rollcageguy.com Take a look at his site and click on the "nissan" section and see a real quality cage.
Old 09-11-2009, 09:06 AM
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halfrice
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not my car, but im running the same setup

http://lotusa.wordpress.com/2009/02/...a-iii-type-xl/
Old 09-19-2009, 09:53 AM
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laze1
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Look at the http://www.ultrashieldrace.com/prod.php?id=2 or http://www.kirkeyracing.com/ Aluminum racing seats. You can order them to fit your size/shape with no problem...relatively cheap and really the only way to go in 350Z for big guys.

Hint; Don't buy a seat with big "wings", as they will not clear the interior. So I used the UltraShield "Spec Miata" seat in my car. But other will work.

Hint #2: Sliders are really nice, but take up about 2 inch, so if you are real tall, don't use sliders. If you do use sliders, get "dual-locking" sliders.

Use a side mount bracket and a http://www.wedgeengineering.net/ super low seat base, then you are good to go

Note: Aluminum seats need a back brace. So this will require a harness bar or roll bar to anchor the seat to...but you likely have these anyways of you need a race seat.

AND, you need the little resister that goes into the Air Bag connector on the seat connector if you car has seat airbags...just search for the various ways to do that..

Last edited by laze1; 09-19-2009 at 09:56 AM.
Old 09-19-2009, 03:18 PM
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Tac-M
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i am 6.6 bride vios III low max made it possible for me to take the car out to the track.
Old 09-19-2009, 03:33 PM
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Nackers
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My vios III is awesome and with the custom 1" flat bar brackets we made I barely see over the steering wheel and I'm 6'1". I also drive with the bottom out because I like to sit really low.
Old 09-21-2009, 07:11 PM
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SnoXRacer183
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I am not a "hardcore" tracker so I wanted some adjustability. After many hours of research I ended up purchasing a Recaro Speed seat (reclining) with Bride type RO seat base/slider. The slider mechanism on the Bride RO looks as if it hardly any height to the seat mounting location (according to their drawings)



Last edited by SnoXRacer183; 09-21-2009 at 07:14 PM.
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