Shopping

Typical shell-type seats cost from $250 to $1,500 each, depending on

-

 Design

-

 Construction method

-

 Weight

-

 Certification by either

• FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, which is French for

International Federation of Automobiles)

• TUV (Technischer Überwachungsverein, which is German for

Technical Inspection Association)

Neither sanctioning body’s approval is necessary for a safe, high-quality

seat, but a manufacturer that goes through the expense and red tape of

submitting a seat for approval with these organizations definitely has

done its homework.

Safe installation of aftermarket seats often requires use of model-specific slid-

ers. Sliders are what connect the seat to the car, and allow the seat to slide

forward and rearward in the cabin. A major consideration for many, especially

those long-limbed folks, is helmet clearance. Different seat and slider combi-

nations yield unique headroom. For this reason, some dedicated (and tall)

racers forego sliders altogether, and simply bolt the seats straight into the

floor pan (with appropriate hardware). Even shorter drivers often use this

approach to lower the center of gravity of the car.

When you’re shopping for a racing seat, make sure that (if the car will be

driven on public roadways) the stock seatbelt latch carries over to the new

seat (many have a mounting spot specifically designated for this purpose).

Most seats can be installed in under two hours with basic hand tools, using

the factory mounting holes where available.

Racing seats usually are made to hold you closely and securely. When you buy

a seat, make sure it fits you around the shoulders, waist, and (ahem) hips.

Popular posts from this blog

 Tuning for the real world Many tuners spend quite a bit of time going for a perfect power curve on the Dyno. The problem with this approach is that the Dyno is an artificial environment. If no time is invested in logging data on what the car is doing in the real world, you may end up with terrific full-throttle acceleration maps and horrible part-throttle maps (where you’ll likely be doing the majority of your driving). Tuning is a science, and a good tuner works with you to ensure that your car is set up to meet your goals: -  If your car is nothing but a straight-line drag racer, then the only time it ever goes any- where, the gas pedal is buried in the carpet, and part-throttle response may not matter much to you. -  If your tuner is accustomed to going for the gusto with wide-open throttle (WOT) tuning only, and your car is only driven at WOT a fraction of the time, then spend the extra time to ensure that the part-throttle response is tuned properly for your driving...
Read more
 Free Advice As the old adage goes, free advice is worth what you pay for it. People edu- cate themselves and train to carry out expert modifications, and when they have become competent and recognized in this arena, tend to charge for their services either as tuners, crew chiefs, or build consultants. If someone offers you their advice on how to create the perfect fuel map, properly set up your suspension, or take out a stain on your hood with a Brillo pad and a jar of mayonnaise, they may know what they are talking about, or they may be certifiably insane — but one thing remains clear: They will not take liability for any harm you cause to your car or yourself. This point may seem fairly obvious, but too many people rely on free advice because it is free and available everywhere. Your mailman, your mom’s friend, and your local priest probably all have opinions on what would look/work great on your car. Are you going to listen to them? The funny thing is, if you are getting your i...
Read more
 Warranty Concerns Modifications that are easily reversible and undetectable are also of para- mount importance when it comes to maintaining your new car’s warranty. Let’s face it: Cars break. They are mechanical objects consisting of highly complex systems, some of which fail prematurely. If a new car dealer can find a way to void your warranty — even if in outright violation of the Magnuson- Moss Warranty Act — you better believe that it will. If a number of cars are suffering from, for example, a main bearing failure which would otherwise be covered under the manufacturer’s powertrain warranty, and your car happens to have a modified air intake — something that has noth- ing to do with the longevity of the main bearing — you better believe that your local dealership service center is not only going to deny the warranty coverage that would otherwise have applied to fixing your car, but is going to log a note in your file accessible by all dealers in your region (some can even do ...
Read more