Which Race Seat?
 

I'm a big guy (6'2" 240 lbs) which eliminates about 95% of he available race seats on the market. I'm currently considering either the Sparco Evo2, a Kirkey seat of some sort, or an Ultrasheild seat. I like the fact that the Kirkey and Ultrasheild are available in differnt widths and laybacks and I really like the fact that the Kirkey intermediate seat is only about $200 with cover. I have no idea much the Ultrasheild seats costs. The Sparco checks in at $580. So, is there any reason to buy the Sparco? I believe the Kirkey seat is perfectly safe (every dirt tracker in the country can't be wrong) but I'm worried about comfort since the seat will be going in my daily driver. Any thoughts? Has anyone spent a few hours straight in any of these race seats? Am I crazy for putting one in my car?

Re: Which Race Seat?
 

Are you crazy for wanting a race seat in your street car? No, are you crazy for wanting to put in a Kirkey in for your daily driver...in my opinion, YES!! I'm also a big driver (6'4" 240) and I race my Z with a Sparco EVOII. You'll fit fine and will be much more comfortable then a Kirkey.

Another alternative you might want to look at if this car is a daily driver, is the Sparco Milano. They are a little more expensive, but you'll get some features of a fixed back seat and a much more comfortable seat for daily driving.

Give BJ a call at 350EVO.com...I think he can order one for ya.

Good luck!
J

Recaro also has race seats with extra width for bigger drivers, go to Speedwaremotorsports.com and look under seats. Dont go with the Kirkey, they are very uncomfortable (remember those Sprint car races are not very long), the Sparco and Recaro are designed for long distance racing (ie: 24 hours of LeMans and Daytona etc) so they will be better for a daily driver.

It's been said already but - don't get a kirkey if you plan to drive the car on the street. Kirkeys will kill your back.

If you order a seat, be forewarned that most places are sold out of the Evo2, and now carry the Evo-L. It could be a bit different than the Evo2. I discovered this recently as this year Sparco made their regular Evo seat narrower than last year's model.

John, who will be purchasing a Evo for the driver's seat, and an Evo-L for the passenger seat sometime this winter.

What about the Bride seats? How are they?

Mike, I agree with the others that a Kirkey's are a bit .....unforgiving for street use.

Check out NorthstarMotorsports.com in Barrington....they have a nice selection of seats for you to try on.

John, sounds like you made a wise selection!
:cool: I MAY do the opposite! Or, I may go with a specific German seat from a speedy German roadster from the near past.......

There was a good article in SCC a while ago that had different sized drivers try on various seats. The OMP looked good to me.

I wouldn't run the Kirkey or any other aluminum seat for safety reasons alone! They aren't made to withstand side impacts like the Kevlar/Carbon shell seats are.

Another thing to consider is that many seats such as Sparco, Momo, Bride are made of fiberglass shell (not very strong)... For that reason I recommend running the Cobra seats which use a Kevlar shell (much stronger) for about the same price. They offer the Imola and Suzuka both in "GT" (wider) versions. www.subesports.com

Enthuz: Thanks for the tip on Northstar Motorsports. I'll have to take a trip there and try out a couple seats.

Would anyone else care to comment on 03Z33's opinion on fiberglass seats (i.e. the Sparco)? I see Sparco seats in competition all the time (including the fiberglass Evo). Is the Cobra really a better seat (although I have to admit that I like the idea of Kevlar)? Anyone care to comment on which wil last longer?

On a side note, are the mounting kits available for the seats from the manufacturers of good quality? I've heard that the kits tend to be substandard. I willing to try fabricating my own but I have trouble beliving that I (or an indepent fab company) could do better than the manufacturer.

I would recommend that you seriously consider the Sparco Milano seat. It has infinitely adjustable rake, and an adjustable lumbar support. It is much more comfortable than the stock seat, but also has the flexibility that is not available in a shell. I think it is among the best of the "high performance street" seats you can buy, especially if you are a tall or big man. Shells are great for the track, but getting in and out of them for a daily driver is hell after awhile.
Learning to live with an LSD or lightweight flywheel is one thing. Having to live with a racing shell in your daily driver is quite another. The former lead to improved grins on your face. The latter leads to a clenching of the teeth. Not the way to go.
If you dedicate the car to the track, fine. Otherwise, take care of your back and get the Sparco or Recaro.

Like you said, many true race cars even run the aluminum seats, but this does not always say it is safer... sometimes safety is compromised for weight savings, cost, etc.... most of the Sparco/Momo seats I see in compettition are the carbon shells (which are light, strong, and VERY expensive;) )

If you go with a shell/bucket style seat, they mostly all use a universal side mount, which you should purchase from the seat manufacturer. Being taller, you will mostl likely want to hard mount the seat to the floor using your own base for the side mounts, or you may be able to squeeze a thin slider in there.

Out of all the 350Z specific bolt on sliders I have tried the Bride ones fit the best, but I beleive they would raise the seat up too high for you. I hear the Recaro ones are pretty nice as well but have not tried them. DO NOT buy the Sparco or the Cobra (wedge engineering) slider brackets they fit horrible and are made poorly.

Another nice non slider bracket I have seen is made by the Japanese tuning company Esprit, and sells for ~$180 per side. This is the lightest side mount I have seen, but is difficult to purchase in the US. HTH

Thanks for the info everyone. Looks like I'll either be getting a Sparco or Cobra seat before next spring. I'll show you my homemade mounts at the track!

try corbeau fx1 wide seats.

Get the EVOII. I loved mine.

Did you build custom mounts for yours or did you buy them from somewhere? I'm thinking of having 350 evo fab up a mount for me and ship it along with the seat.

I sat in a bunch of seats at the PRI show. Kirkey seats were nice and snug......I liked how they wrapped around the chest, instead of using your shoulders to hold me. BUT....getting in and out would be a royal b*tch! Also, their padding squished to nothing, once seated! Must be awesome for racing, but on the street?????? Forget it!:eek:

Good luck with your selection!

Check out the Sparco Fighter...I run one. Do a search...I did posts on this ages ago. For reference, I'm about 6'3" 200lbs.

Make sure it's FIA rated.

This thread died over 3+ years ago and you decided to reincarnate it!? Aren't you a bit late on your comments? :icon18: