"SEATS"
"SEATS"
THIS MONTH WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SEATS.
A GOOD SEAT NOT ONLY KEEPS A DRIVER SAFE BUT CAN ALSO MAKE HIM FASTER. BY KEEPING DRIVER MOVEMENT TO A MINIMUM THERE IS MORE TIME TO CONCENTRATE ON WHAT THE CAR IS DOING UNDER YOU THAN HANGING ON TO THE STEERING WHEEL FOR DEAR LIFE!
RIGHT UP FRONT "THERE IS NO STOCK OEM SEAT THAT SHOULD EVER BE MOUNTED IN A RACE CAR"!!!!!. FOR YOU BRAIN DEAD GOOF BALLS, ONE MORE TIME "THERE IS NO STOCK OEM SEAT THAT SHOULD EVER BE MOUNTED IN A RACE CAR"!!!! COME ON GUYS. TRUE, AN ALUMINUM DOUBLE WRAP AROUND MAY NOT BE THE WAY THEY DID IT BACK IN THE TWILIGHT YEARS, BUT ARE WE GOING TO SACRIFICE DRIVER SAFETY FOR THE PURPOSE OF A "THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS" MENTALITY?
FIBERGLASS...GREAT FOR BOATS, LOUSY FOR RACING SEATS. AT LEAST MOST GROUPS ARE MAKING GUYS WHO HAVE GLASS SEATS MOUNT THEM TO STEEL PLATES. IF YOU HAVE A WRAP AROUND STYLE OF GLASS SEAT PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE...DON'T BRING A PIECE OF PIPE UP TO THE WRAP AREA TO SUPPORT IT!!! WELL NOT UNLESS YOU ENJOY THE PAIN OF BROKEN RIBS AND PUNCTURED LUNGS. BRING A BAND OF LIGHT GAUGE STEEL OFF THE MOUNTING PLATE AND CONTOUR IT TO THE SHAPE OF THE WRAP AREA.MAKE SURE THAT IT'S HEAVY ENOUGH TO HOLD UNDER NORMAL RACING LOADS BUT GIVE SOME UNDER SIDE IMPACT. THE BEST IDEA IS TO JUST PASS ON A FIBERGLASS SEAT, NO MATTER WHAT THE PRICE IS.
ALUMINUM SEATS ARE THE ONLY WAY TO GO. WHETHER IT'S A SINGLE WRAP AROUND LOW BACK SPRINTER STYLE OR A DOUBLE WRAP AROUND HIGH BACK LAY BACK KIND. I PREFER THE LATTER. SURE A RIGHT SIDE WRAP KEEPS YOU IN THE SEAT BUT WAIT TILL YA DUMP ONE ON IT'S SIDE AND IT SLAMS THE GROUND ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. WHEN I GET IN MY CAR I JUST SLOUCH DOWN IN THE SEAT AND RELAX. YA ALMOST FEEL LIKE YA OUGHT TO HAVE THE TV GUIDE IN ONE HAND AND A REMOTE IN THE OTHER!!! WHEN YOU'RE THAT COMFORTABLE IN THE SEAT IT IS MUCH EASIER TO FOCUS ON WHAT THE CAR AND THE COMPETITORS ARE DOING.
WITH THE WAY MANY QUALITY SAFETY ITEMS ARE COMING DOWN IN PRICE THERE IS NO WAY YOU SHOULD BE DRIVING WITH A SEAT OUT THE 50'S! YOU CAN GET AN EXCELLENT SEAT WITH COVER FOR UNDER $120 BRAND NEW AND MANY AT SWAP MEETS THAT AREN'T PRETTY ANYMORE, BUT STILL DO THE SAME JOB, FOR UNDER $70. WHETHER YOU BUY A NEW OR USED SEAT, SIT IN BEFORE YOU BUY IT. ALL SEATS FIT A LITTLE DIFFERENT, ESPECIALLY WERE IT RAPS AROUND THE RIBS AND UNDER THE ARM.
ONE LAST THING. I STARTED USING ONE OF THOSE RIGHT SIDE MOUNTED HEADRESTS THIS YEAR. MAN I'M TELLIN' YA, GET ONE. ONCE YOU GET USED TO IT YOU'LL FIND THAT BETWEEN THE SEAT AND THE HEADREST YOU WILL BE ALMOST LIKE A RAG DOLL IN THE SEAT. THE BIG BENEFIT TO USING ONE IS THAT IF YOU PANCAKE THE OUTSIDE WALL IT ABSORBS MOST OF THE SIDE WHIP OF YOUR HEAD AND NECK.
photo courtesy of jb haas
WHILE I'M NOT A CRASH ENGINEER, I HAVE WRECKED SOME CARS ALONG THE WAY. THE ONE THING I'VE FOUND OVER THE YEARS IS YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON YOU OR THE CAR. ALWAYS BETTER TO SAY,"IM GLAD I DID", INSTEAD OF,"I WISH I HAD"!!!
NEXT MONTH WE'LL GET IN TO WHAT IT TAKES TO MOUNT A SEAT IN YOUR VINTAGE RACER. SO UNTIL NEXT MONTH......
SEE YA AT THE RACES!!!