Sk8fe

iTrader: (5)

I just installed Sparco Pro 2000 track seats into my 03 Track Ed. Z in December. I am 6'2" and unfortunately the driver side Sparco bottom mount rail does raise you up and you sit higher than stock. I dik'd with this setup for a month elapsed time, what a major PITA! The Sparco bottom mount rail is higher than stock because it has to clear the guide pin by the trans tunnel at the back mounting point. I fired up my air compressor and cut that guide pin away. I took my Sparco bottom mount rail to a metal/fab guy and he lowered the front .5" for me and the rear 1.5"! How I fit in my Z with my helmet on with room to spare! Unfortunately the Sparco bottom mount rails aren't cheap to begin with and I had to spend another $90 on top of that to get the driver's side lowered.

The passenger side Sparco rail was (and is) a very poorly designed rail! I am so disappointed in that; especially for how much it costs! My front left "tab" didn't even line up to the stock mounting hole! Not even close! I had to take the passenger rail back to the metal/fab guy to have him fix that. Luckily that only costed me $27! The passenger side you end up sitting higher than stock as well (I think for both sides it is a combination of Sparco rail design and the thickness of the Sparco manual silders), but since I will never be sitting in the passenger side, I don't really care (meaning I am not going to pay even more to get it lowered; I've spent enough on these rails already!).

Finally a warning to all, the Sparco Pro 2000 seats, although awesome seats in their own right (very comfortable too for a track seat), are too wide for the 350Z. The shoulder "tabs" on the seat would dig into the door panels because the doors would no longer close without using force. The width of the shoulder area on a Sparco Pro 2000 seat is 23.5". Originally I was looking at a Cobra Suzuka S seat, which ironically its shoulder width is only 22.5 inches -- that .5 inch is all I would have needed (and I wouldn't have needed to move the seats closer to the trans tunnel)! But, I was able to get the clearence I needed (for several weeks I though I would have to run with "naked" doors) by drilling new holes in the Sparco bottom mount rails to get the Sparco Pro 2000 seats as close to the trans tunnel as possible. I succeeded in that, but unfortunately now that the seats are so close to the trans tunnel they can no longer be moved front or back (so the Sparco manual silders are pointless other than serving as the only means to bolt the seat to the rails). BUT, I got them in there. I dik'd with them WAY longer than I ever wanted to, but they are in there, they look decent as they will server their purpose when Spring comes I and get my Z back out on the track.

So anyway, that was my experience. Hope that was helpful. The Sparco rails definately raise you up higher than stock. I would be interested to know if your passenger side rail lined up and was a direct bolt-on because mine was anything but!

BlackSpec02

iTrader: (17)

my torinos shoulder area hit the doors too. Also too wide; another guy I know who had misanos hit the doors too and he used washers under the brackets on the door side of the bracket to raise that side slightly enough to clear the doors... I didnt do that yet because I took em out and am deciding what I want to do.

As for the passenger side sparco bracket I have heard from EVERYONE that they dont fit so I didnt buy one... I ordered mine from wedge engineering because I have heard that theirs fit perfect... about $125 shipped. I am still waiting on it though since they make them to order... they should come soon though, been about two weeks.

bb1314

iTrader: (62)

This is probably a really stupid question. But is there such thing called powered aftermarket seats? I saw the Bride leather seats and they look HOT! But I'd really want to keep the powered seat feature.

Sk8fe

iTrader: (5)

Not that I am aware of. Typically one is looking for more support and/or to shave weight with aftermarket seats. I shaved 34lbs with my Sparco Pro 2000 seats. manual sliders and rails (total) and my stock seats were the cloth manual kind. One could shave even more with the powered leather seats. If you want to keep the powered feature then just keep the stock seats. Probably not want you wanted to hear, but if there is a powered aftermarket seats option I would think that it would be a VERY expensive mod.

azula

iTrader: (12)

when i had my powered seats, i adjusted them like one time. its not like there is a back seat where you have to readjust the seats every time you get in and out. once their set, their set. IMO

azula

iTrader: (12)

my passenger side sparco bracket fit perfectly, but my passenger side seat does brush against the door.

Armitage

iTrader: (15)

Mine is not by a longshot either. Any chance you could refer me to the place or any place that could fab this up for me?

BlackSpec02

iTrader: (17)

wedge engineering they make custom brackets. Still waiting on mine, but I've heard good things.

Sk8fe

iTrader: (5)

Hey, sorry for not getting back to you sooner -- I couldn't get to the site in two days! I had Nate of Nate Dog Creations (www.natedogcreations.com) fix mine. He was able to do it while I waited. A friend of mine that I run out on the track with recommended him. Nate built and welded in a custom NASCAR-style full roll cage into my friend's 240SX. He runs in the SER-Extreme class in NASA. Nate is north west of Philly. You can get his address from his site and bring it up in Yahoo Maps.

Good luck!

Sk8fe

iTrader: (5)

Is your Z and automatic? The passenger side floor pan and stock seat mounting points are different (for some reason) between manual and automatic transmission 350Z's.

cellude

iTrader: (3)

Has anyone tired the Bride MO rails with their seats? The MO rails are suppose to be some of the lowest ones available. They worked great in my 240, which was a huge pain to get a low seating position with aftermarket seats.

http://www.aspecproducts.com/images.asp?theid=8668

azula

iTrader: (12)

nah, i have a manual

i'll take pics asap

Sk8fe

iTrader: (5)

Wow, ok. Maybe they finally realized that their passenger side rail was design crap and took the time to redesign it and what I got was leftover stock from somewhere and their older/original design. Sounds like Armitage is in the same boat as I was in (old design).

813motorsports

We made our own for the Corbeau seats sit a lil lower then stock only way I found to get stock height or lower

azula

iTrader: (12)

also, i did not do my own install, my local shop did it for me...maybe they fabbed something up but they didn't say anything to me....

hwcustoms

iTrader: (40)

Check out Cesar's Recaros in the thread below. I believe these are power.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread.php?t=246985

Sk8fe

iTrader: (5)

Could be, as it only took my metal/fab guy something like 20 minutes to fix the passenger rail tab for me.