Aftermarket Seats

[landrovered]

After my first track day it became pretty clear to me that I need seats with more support so I can spend more time concentrating on driving and less on bracing to stay in the seat.

I have looked at some of the options out there and there are a lot of really pricey options that don't seem to fit the bill for my budget...like GT3 seats or any OEM seats for that matter.

My question is twofold: Are the cheap Fleabay seats worth the time and trouble? and What is the policy on stock seatbelts VS multipoint harnesses and if you do install a harness, where do you bolt it too and is it street legal?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by landrovered

After my first track day it became pretty clear to me that I need seats with more support so I can spend more time concentrating on driving and less on bracing to stay in the seat.

I have looked at some of the options out there and there are a lot of really pricey options that don't seem to fit the bill for my budget...like GT3 seats or any OEM seats for that matter.

My question is twofold: Are the cheap Fleabay seats worth the time and trouble? and What is the policy on stock seatbelts VS multipoint harnesses and if you do install a harness, where do you bolt it too and is it street legal?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

I'm no expert when it comes to aftermarket seats . However, it's my understanding if they're not FIA approved the powers at be won't let you on the track . Here are a couple of sites worth checking out . Although the seats are far from inexpensive, they're much more reasonably priced than oem GT3 seats .

Motordrive Seats Motordrive Seats
Status Racing - Status Racing

[landrovered]

Originally Posted by Johnny Danger

I'm no expert when it comes to aftermarket seats . However, it's my understanding if they're not FIA approved the powers at be won't let you on the track . Here are a couple of sites worth checking out . Although the seats are far from inexpensive, they're much more reasonably priced than oem GT3 seats .

Motordrive Seats Motordrive Seats
Status Racing - Status Racing

Thanks for the links, I have seen a lot of Corbeau seats in cars at DE's and I don't see where Corbeau seats are FIA approved. Can anyone shed any light on this? I am looking for PCA approved DE seats and harnesses.

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by landrovered

Thanks for the links, I have seen a lot of Corbeau seats in cars at DE's and I don't see where Corbeau seats are FIA approved. Can anyone shed any light on this? I am looking for PCA approved DE seats and harnesses.

Again, I am out of my depth with regard to aftermarket race seats. However, it's my understanding that in certain applications (maybe not DE's), an aftermarket race seat must meet FIA approval. Hopefully, someone else will chime in .

JD
p.s. From what I can tell, there's been some inconsistencies over the years with regard to what FIA approved seats Corbeau exports to the US .

[wulfgang]

If you're in a race event, you'll probably need either FIA seats/brackets or else the seat back must be supported by a brace. But then you'd probably also have a full roll cage, fire suppression, etc.

However, that's not at all true for most DEs. I've never been to a DE (including PCA) where FIA seats (or seat back braces) were required. So for daily driving and DE, no, you don't need the FIA sticker or the brace.

Someone will inevitably post on here implying that you're taking your life in your hands if you don't get a FIA homologated seat. Unfortunately, FIA does not certify the process (like ISO does, for example), and it is not difficult to find FIA stickers on seats that have obvious manufacturing defects (Sparco, Cobra, etc.). Maybe some day that FIA sticker will be meaningful, but for now, it just means that *some* examples of a particular seat model are able to pass FIA tests. A FIA sticker coupled with a quality name like Recaro is certainly meaningful, but a FIA sticker on a Cobra seat may or may not mean it is safe due to poor quality control, in my opinion.

If you are on a budget, you might also want to check out grey-market seats from FIA manufacturers like Recaro and Sparco. They are cheap, they are real (they are not replicas), and they are probably safe, even though they may not come with a valid FIA sticker.

Corbeau does not make FIA certified products.

[Topless]

Competition seat and harness rules vary quite a bit between different sanctioning organizations. Some require FIA seats & belts, some only require entry fee payment and safety is entirely up to you. The first step is to figure out who you plan to run with and what they require... then go shopping.

If you want to run DEs and keep your stock seats, consider a CG lock. I use them with students and it really helps to keep you in place while still running a stock car and street legal belts.

Lots of different opinions on FIA certification. FIA rated seats are not necessarily stronger, faster, or better. The sticker just means this seat model has been independently tested and meets FIA standards. Having seats tested is expensive and FIA seats always cost more. Ultimately it's your butt in the bucket so you gotta decide how important spending the extra $$ for a seat that has been tested is to you.
About FIA testing and regulations:
FIA Standards Regulations

Personally I wear Snell helmets, SFI shoes and clothing, and sit in an FIA seat. YMMV.

[thstone]

I was in your same position earlier this year and decided to install a FIA-approved seat (Sparco Pro 2000 Plus). I kept the stock 3-pt belts which was a good DE solution and greatly reduced the sliding around. This was a HUGE improvement.

Recently I went the next step and installed the 6-pt harness and added the Brey-Krause roll bar extension for added safety when I'm strapped in upright. The 6-pt harness combined with the racing seat goes the next step further to keep you in place so you can drive the car rather than hold yourself in place.

Like Topless, I haven't tried saving money when it comes to safety; Snell 2010 helmet and SFI-rated driving suit, shoes, and gloves. My wife and kids think that I'm worth it.

Here is a pic of the seat (prior to the harness install):

[wulfgang]

Originally Posted by thstone

Here is a pic of the seat (prior to the harness install):

Wow, nice setup. And good to know that the Pro 2000 Plus fits in the 986. But that does not look like a Sparco slider... can you give more details on your setup (base, sliders)?

[thstone]

The mounting brackets are manufactured by Brey Krause, not sure who manufactued the slider.

[ChrisZang]

I have NEVER, NEVER, NEVER been in a track event where anybody checked the (expired) stickers on my seats (I have Momos by the way)

About the mounting for a 5/6 point harness:

Get the Brey-Krause seat mount (that's the thing which bolts to the floor)
It has a bar to which you attach the sub belt(s)
The shoulder belts sling around the rollbar.
For the left anchor of the lap belt there is also a Brey-Krause kit to install it at the anchor point for the seat belt. You will notice that the seat belt receptacle is attached directly to the seat, meaning Porsche did not provide an anchor point for the seat belt on this side, so you must attach the other end of the lap belt to your seat

Originally Posted by landrovered

After my first track day it became pretty clear to me that I need seats with more support so I can spend more time concentrating on driving and less on bracing to stay in the seat.

I have looked at some of the options out there and there are a lot of really pricey options that don't seem to fit the bill for my budget...like GT3 seats or any OEM seats for that matter.

My question is twofold: Are the cheap Fleabay seats worth the time and trouble? and What is the policy on stock seatbelts VS multipoint harnesses and if you do install a harness, where do you bolt it too and is it street legal?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[thstone]

My sub belt is mounted to a steel plate that is bolted into the floor of the car, not the seat itself, per the mfg's instructions.