OlderThanMe Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 I am now looking for a good seat to put in my Z and have been looking at a few choices. The Kirkey intermediate road racing seat is my favorite so far. Buying a seat seems to me like buying shoes and I don't know what size I want. I have a 32" waist and am 6 feet tall (yeah really skinny...). I am trying to figure out what width and degree of reclining I want. Short of making a jig out of plywood and seeing what width I would want how can I tell what size seat I should get? I usually like to sit upright and relatively close to the steering wheel so 10* of reclining seems like what I want but I'll tilt the seat back a few degrees so that I can move the seat closer to the steering wheel with my rediculously long legs. I will be putting some serious miles on my Z so the seat has to be right. The passenger seat will be wider so bigger people can fit and I'll make some foam wedges that attach with velcro for the skinnier people that don't want to slide around the seat. Are there any reccomendations or general rules of thumb for width sizing numbers? Thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 If this is a street driven car, do not get a race seat. It will get old very quickly. If this is a track car, try these guys. http://www.butlerbuilt.net/customseating.html THey will make a seat to fit you and it is not much more that a kirkey. THey did one for me and it is the first time I have FIT in a seat. I'm 6'4" and skinny also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMWHYR0HEN Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 well, I dont know about any numbers when it comes to seats, but i do know that you should get something a little wider so you have a little room to grow. As for me i'm only growing horizontally and my recaro is getting a little tight, ha so consider that. If you want a reclineable I sugest a Recaro, because of its high quality and comfort. If you want a non reclineable, Go with Sparco. Good quality name for the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 thanks guys. here is a picture of the seat I am looking at. I really don'tmind the hastle of getting in and out if it will be a lot safer than the stock danger seats. I will be using a roll cage as well as these seats and the "cam lock" type harnesses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 olderthanme: I asked a similiar question a long time ago. The thread was call 'road racing stuff' or something like that. (I'll try to find and link) My car is not a street car but being prepared for SCCA ITS. The general consensus semed to be that the Kirkey was a good seat and a good buy. I think Jon and Mike both had direct experience with it. I think in the same thread they also disscussed fit and how big they are. Reason I'm chiming in is that I ordered my cage about two weeks ago (autopower for now) and am ready to buy a seat as well. So I'll be watching this thread. Mark: just curious, and not that I necessarily disagree with you, by why don't you like a race seat for a street car? EDIT here is old thread http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=102401&highlight=road+racing+stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 I have experience with the Kirkey Intermediate, but not the road race version, which is similar but has larger side bolsters and no shoulder "wings". The Intermediate I wasn't terribly fond of. I think I'd like the road race version a lot better, but I haven't sat in one yet... I like the Ultra-Shield Rally seat I bought a lot. It doesn't have side bolsters that are as large as the Kirkey which means it should be easier to get in and out of (hoping I can squeeze in and out without going to a removeable steering wheel). It's also about 1/2 to 2/3 the price depending on where you look. Here's one link to it: http://www.saferacer.com/ulshrarase.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 I went to summit store in Atlanta and sat in all the seats. Find one that you like, is comfortable and buy it. But that's my $0.02.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 The nice thing about the seats we're mentioning is that they are built to your measurements. If these were Sparco or Momo or some other seat where you just buy it off the shelf I would think that sitting in it first would be ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Well, if you go kirkey like I did then you can afford steak and potatos the rest of the week. I typically put more $$$ into the drivetrain, but for track guys I would think the seat would be very very important. The nice thing about the seats we're mentioning is that they are built to your measurements. If these were Sparco or Momo or some other seat where you just buy it off the shelf I would think that sitting in it first would be ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinOlson Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 So for a daily driver what seats do you guys like? I would think some kind of reclining recaro would be really nice. Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 Well since I am in Atlanta I guess I'll have to go there and test them out. Summit carries the intermediate road racing seat so their store should have one. jmortneson: that is a great price for a seat like tat with the cover! I'll have to look into that seat. mom'sZ: thanks for that link. Useful information! Doc: Thanks for your 2 cents. I'll take them... Jmortenson: I have sat in the rice seats at pep-boys and learned that if it looks comfortable it isn't always actually comfortable. That is why I think of it like buying a shoe...it can look comfortable and cost a lot but if you have the foot of bigfoot then it won't work...you would need a custom shoe. I think I would be in a 15" or 16" wide seat but I want to get the right one. It is hard enough to find pans that fit...too many people have a bigger waist size than inseam so with my grossly skinny (under 150 Lbs.) and tall(6') self I spend hours looking for a good pair of jeans that fit...I hope finding a good seat will not be too hard. Plus I will be taking plenty of 350+ mile trips so seat support is definitely important. I figure I'll spend $900 on a good pair of seats and harnesses easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Well since I am in Atlanta I guess I'll have to go there and test them out. Summit carries the intermediate road racing seat so their store should have one. If you buy one they'll build it to fit you. With your tall skinny frame I doubt the one in the store is going to feel too good. Jmortenson: I have sat in the rice seats at pep-boys and learned that if it looks comfortable it isn't always actually comfortable. That is why I think of it like buying a shoe...it can look comfortable and cost a lot but if you have the foot of bigfoot then it won't work...you would need a custom shoe.I think I would be in a 15" or 16" wide seat but I want to get the right one. It is hard enough to find pans that fit...too many people have a bigger waist size than inseam so with my grossly skinny (under 150 Lbs.) and tall(6') self I spend hours looking for a good pair of jeans that fit...I hope finding a good seat will not be too hard. The Ultra Shield isn't "as custom" as the Intermediate. I think the specs I gave were width at the hips and then width 1" under the armpits. You would probably get a better fit out of the Kirkey, because they measure the torso length and thigh width and a couple other things. I was a full 6' tall and 121 lbs for a couple years before I finally filled out at around 20. Just beware, if you're anything like me you might have to buy a couple seats before its all over. Now I'm 6' and close to 200 lbs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 If you're interested in the UltraShield seats, contact Herbert at Screen Printers Unlimited, 336-667-8628. He is a distributor for them, and has some good prices. He tracks a awesome Porsche 930, so he knows about road racing seats, and is a first class guy to deal with. jt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 ...too many people have a bigger waist size than inseam so with my grossly skinny (under 150 Lbs.) and tall(6') self I spend hours looking for a good pair of jeans that fit.... olderthenme: I used to have that same exact problem... years ago... many... At six feet tall I wore a 28" waist 34" inseam. Weighted 138 lbs.!! From your name, olderthenme, I'm assuming your z is older then you, well that would make you youngerthenme. All I can say is ENJOY IT!!! like jon says, we all tend to 'fill out' eventually. Personally, they weight the cars in my class with the driver in them. (SCCA IT) I quit smoking about two years ago. Well we all know what happens next, I got up as high as 230, (had NEVER been over 180) got down to 220 for a long time, but now as the car gets closer to being ready I'm pulling out all the stops for an all out racing effort and have gotten down to 190 yeah... and still dieting. Sorry for the thread jack... great info on seats guys, lot to look at! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 Yes I am much younger than my Z. The day I bought my Z I was 15, turning 16 the next day, and the car was 30...lol I am now almost 19...one of these young whipper snappers. PLUS I have already graduated from a local technical college with a diploma in "welding and joining technology". Now going for a degree in Mechanical Engineering at a 4 year college. I got a little ahead of a lot of people in knowing about welding by starting welding school at 16... Hey I lost 13 pounds in 10 days! I had this jaw surgery to wire my jaws together so I can only eat liquids for another two weeks. I had to withdraw from college because that kind of weight loss is not good for me. That was about 8% of my weight gone in 10 days! not good. I have started eating better by being at home though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katman Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Unless you get lucky, none of the aluminum race seats will feel good after an hour in the seat. They're like sitting on a park bench. However, you can use the two part expanding foam method to fill in the gaps or custom fit them like I do- sit your arse in the seat and beat on it with a sledgehammer until it contours your body. Viola! Custom fit! When we had the money we installed Momo's, when we didn't we used the above method on Ultra Shields. You also have to cut and bend the area's around your armpits, because they won't fit worth a hoot either. I always used Recaro's for dual purpose cars. I'd highly recommend avoiding a race seat (or a roll bar) in a street car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 i have matrix racing seats in my 260.they are realy comfortable,and fit me(34" waist)perfectly.i could drive the z cross country with the matrix seats in it.the only down fall is that it is not custom made like you want although it is fully adjustable. i would recomend them. http://www.shophyperformance.com/store/001295.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotimport Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 I see, you guys like all that custom made stuff. What about Bride seats like the Brix 2 seats. I was actuall even thinking about scoring some Recaro TomCat edition seats in gold and they are sure comfortable for me and i would even say for anyone thats a bit over 6ft tall. But the Bride Brix seats i think are perfect fit and they sell diffrent types of brackets that sit you high or low specially for the S30 chassis. Something a bit off subject, was browsing e-bay looking for some seats and found these brand new bride brix seats bid on them won the auction for $610+$100 for shipping e-mailed the seller. I was so happy in process to score them so cheap, next day get a responce "dont send the payment the seats were sold" What should i do now? Just keep looking, but should i leave him a negative feedback he had 0 to begin with? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy85 Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 I'd highly recommend avoiding a race seat (or a roll bar) in a street car. Katman - You mean rollgcage no? Shouldn't rollbar be far enough back to be out of the way? PS - sorry to threadjack Thanks Cameron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SR240Z Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 i wouldnt use anything but a race bucket seat in our Z cars, anything else just doesnt hold me when im having some fun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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