Racing Seats for a 2004 Boxster S - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

BubbaRSA · 02-08-2015, 09:31 PM

I have recently purchased a new to me '04 Boxster S and I come from years on the track in an assortment of 911's. I have a tall torso and I am looking for a solution keeping my head below the typical broomstick measurement between the roll hoops and the top of my helmet. Do any of you know of a seat and mounting track for it that will accomplish what I seek. I am trying to avoid the BK roll bar extension so I can keep the OEM padding on the roll hoops. Any experienced advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

The Radium King · 02-08-2015, 10:18 PM

i think you might be sol. i'm 5'10" and have gt3 buckets mounted direct to the floor with bk mounts and i'm still 1/2" above the broomstick. that's about as close to butt on the ground as you can get. when i have to, i remove the seat padding to be legal.

JayG · 02-09-2015, 09:01 AM

What type of tracking are you planning to do. I know for our PCA events, depending on how many performance points (mods) you have, in most cases unless you are doing full BSR prep, it is exempt from the broomstick rule.

That being said, it certainly would be better to not have your head sticking out over the roll plane in the event of a rollover.

Have you looked at full race seats on their own rails

BubbaRSA · 02-09-2015, 09:07 AM

Thanks for the input. I run the RS America with GT 3 seats and also take out the padding for helmet clearance in that car. Do you also have that BK roll bar extension?

j.fro · 02-09-2015, 09:11 AM

Some tracks/organizations will pass you with a hardtop installed instead of the rollbar extension. It's a bit pricey, but it's better than the BK bar.

BubbaRSA · 02-09-2015, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayG

What type of tracking are you planning to do. I know for our PCA events, depending on how may performance points (mods) you have, in most cases unless you are doing full BSR prep, it is exempt from the broomstick rule.

That being said, it certainly would be better to not have your head sticking out over the roll plane in the event of as rollover.

Have you looked at full race seats on their own rails

I am not planning any real racing, just tracking with my friends in the Porsche Train at ORP in Oregon and the Ridge in WA. I will get over to my race shop and see what we can accomplish. I put some OMP King seats on the floor of my old SC track car and they did the trick, as well as the GT3 seats in the RS America. I'm just learning this car and will be getting the suspension geometry set up as well as losing the secondary cats. My race guy has a map for the ECU from his days of racing with Porsche as well, and that is why he wants me to dump those cats. I am glad to have found this forum for some invaluable information. Thanks.

The Radium King · 02-09-2015, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BubbaRSA

Thanks for the input. I run the RS America with GT 3 seats and also take out the padding for helmet clearance in that car. Do you also have that BK roll bar extension?

no, that is with the oem roll bar, no seat sliders. my side mounts are fixed so I can't change the cant of the seat. perhaps if you had side mounts that let you lean the seat back you might be able to get your head a bit lower.

thstone · 02-09-2015, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Radium King

i think you might be sol.

I think that King got it right. ^^^

In order to be seated at a normal driving height with a helmet (looking over the instrument cluster) it is very likely that you'll need the BK extension to pass the broomstick test.

And even though it might be allowed by some track groups, I would not rely on the factory hard top because it is not designed to provide structural protection in an accident.

While you might be able to play games with the seating, think about why this rule exists and what it is trying to accomplish; then act accordingly.

BubbaRSA · 02-09-2015, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thstone

I think that King got it right. ^^^

In order to be seated at a normal driving height with a helmet (looking over the instrument cluster) it is very likely that you'll need the BK extension to pass the broomstick test.

And even though it might be allowed by some track groups, I would not rely on the factory hard top because it is not designed to provide structural protection in an accident.

While you might be able to play games with the seating, think about why this rule exists and what it is trying to accomplish; then act accordingly.

Oh, I respect why this rule exists and will never compromise my safety, I like my head a lot. I appreciate all of the feedback on this thread and that is why I have asked the question. The answers and experience here will send me in the right direction to accomplish what I seek. A real racing seat will be necessary for autocross, along with a 5 point harness anyway and it probably means a custom built roll bar in place of the hoops. Thanks for your guidance.

cmacduff · 02-09-2015, 04:46 PM

FYI for what it's worth I am 6' tall and had custom brackets made for my Recaro seats that lowered me 2+" in the car. I had a similar situation where my helmet was just about even with the Brey Krause roll bar extension. HRG in Laguna Hills, CA made them and I'm sure if you called Eric there he could hook you up with a set.

949-458-7223

BubbaRSA · 02-09-2015, 05:37 PM

Thanks cmacduff, I just may do that.

Topless · 02-10-2015, 07:48 AM

My brother and I bolted Cobra racing seats to the floor on BK seat mounts and while we might be under the broomstick, I kinda like having the BK roll bar ext up there. I hope I never have to use it. Removing the stock roll hoop padding is simple and completely reversible in a few minutes so don't let that be a deal breaker.

The Radium King · 02-10-2015, 08:18 AM

fyi, I sent you a pm regarding my Safety Devices bolt-in roll cage. might be just what you need:

Porsche 986 Boxster 6 Point Bolt-in Roll Cage | Safety Devices

i'd consider selling it for not too much, and shipping within canada wouldn't be too bad (as opposed to bringing it in from the uk or us). mine has two bolt-in door bars on each side as well. works with the soft top, and you can remove any bars you don't want for day to day use.

56 Spider · 02-12-2015, 06:34 AM

I am deconfiguring my track Boxster today and have 2 OMP seats, BK bar and one-year old Schroth belts for sale. As you can see from the photos the OMP seats fit with custom made base plates that allow the sliders to be used and also the normal lap belts for non-track use. I don't know how tall you are but I am 5-10 and I have plenty of space below the BK bar. I would definitely fit the BK bar for the track. It only takes 10 minutes to install.

BubbaRSA · 02-13-2015, 08:46 PM

I am 5'11" but I have a tall torso compared to some. You have what I conceive to be the way to go. Could you let me know what you would like for the items you have and where you are? My wife wants to keep her heated passenger seat but I am interested. My direct email is fleet@camclarkmail.com . Thanks.