I want to get maximize driver feedback for the car, so I want to mount a bucket seat to the frame in the car in a fix position. Anywhere I can look for some help on this subject, or is it better to pay someone to do it for me.
I think last time I quoted was about $1000 without seat. Since the bottom of the car had to be shaved, the seat has to be properly aligned, and a 5 point had to be correctly installed.
What car, and can't you get an off the shelf mount?
Information like seat and car would be very helpful.
Rx8, seats are going to between recaro spg and lotus Elise replica
I've got Recaro SPGs in my MR2 and I could fairly easily get off the shelf mounts. OK, they had to come over from Japan on a boat, but that wasn't strictly necessary.
I can see why the Elise seats would need custom mounts but unless you play basketball for a living you probably don't need to sit that low. Plus, the SPGs will hold you in better due to their higher bolsters.
Where would one purchase replica Lotus seats?
A guy name Ivan on the Miata forum makes and sells them. There is a used one on eBay right now. I like the lotus seat mostly because it has thin padding that is great for feedback and bearable to drive to the track.
This is how I did it in my Mazda 2:
Bought a pair of Planted seat mounts (I'm sure they make the bases for an RX8 too ~$150ea), got side mounts for the drivers side, passenger seat bolted straight to the base.
I positioned the seat for correct distance to the pedals, set the height and the rake, marked the spots to drill, drilled and bolted it all together. It might be harder if you aren't using an aluminum seat, but if it has side mount holes on it already - it shouldn't be so bad.
How is the pre made seat mount compared to custom floor mounting. I drove a car with custom mount before and it gave so much feedback in weight transfer and slip angles. I currently have the recaro speed that is used more for comfort and lateral holding, but the feeling is very numb.
I did mine all custom, however, I did maintain the ability to slide.
Pictures:
I fabricated mine out of the stock seat sliders and a piece of square box made the uprights. Like everything in my car, they are overbuilt. Including the zinc plating this slider cost me under $100 and gained 3-4 inches of headroom over stock seats. However, it did require approximately 10 hours worth of fabrication and assembly.
I'd try to keep the ability to slide if at all possible. If the seats can't even slide, it can make it impossible for other people to drive the car, including mechanics.
If you are ok with no easy adjustability, the planted mounts seem pretty good. You will need the specific mounts for your seat to bolt to the planted mount and to your seat. The planted mounts are fairly reasonably priced and car specific. I made something similar for the race car.
I initially adapted the race seat mounts to the factory sliders for the adjustability but this put me a little higher in the car than I wanted...that is why I build the fixed mount. Lots of people will weld in square tube to the floor after removing the factory seat mounts. I am not a big fan of this as the manufacturers spend a lot of time developing robust seat mounts..
Okay I think I am sold on the planted seat mounts. Now is it between the replica lotus seat or spg?
I want the lotus seat because it has thin padding feel more connected with the car. I like the spg because I like recaro seats, they are comfortable and functional. I love my speed but I want to feel more connected with the car. The lotus seat would feel more connected but giving up comfort and the spg is right in the middle and the speed is the most comfortable.
I'd like to give an alternative...you do not need solid racing buckets with fixed mount to get the connected to chassis feel. I initially wanted to go with a fixed mount (but with a nice Recaro adjustable seat) for the same reason, but coming up with a design proved to be challenging and near impossible for my car due to the chassis mounting points also interfering with the seat mounting points. So I gave in to using sliders and not getting the drop I wanted...and you know what - it still is almost like being in a fixed back racing bucket seat, but way more practical for daily driving. Taking the time to get the sliders to lock securely with zero play goes a long way as well - you have to hand tighten one corner at a time and slide the seat through its range to settle it and mesh everything perfectly together - then go back and torque everything down.
The stock FRS already has pretty good chassis feedback...but the stock driver's seat isolates you too much and doesn't keep you from flopping around. Installing the Recaro Sportster CS with custom fabbed brackets bolted up to an old Recaro slider from another seat has brought the driving experience to a whole different level. It almost feels like a completely different car, one that I am absolutely melded into the chassis with - the stock seats are like an american sedan bench seat in comparison.
Still not held in as securely as a race seat with harness, but if it's a car you drive on the street you really don't want a fixed race seat and harness - gets old really quick. The Recaro Sportster CS is also the most ergonomically comfortable seat I've EVER sat in, even more so than my ergonomic Recaro Trend that I've had forever and loved. The stock FRS drivers seat is a literal 'pain in the @ss' just like every other stock seat from a Japanese car. Could not stand driving more than the short 15-20 minute daily work commute in them - after a half hour they were a true discomfort. Still need to find tune the brackets, have another revision of them that will give more seat bottom rake to put the seat at a more ideal angle (it's still too 'horizontal') and center the steering wheel better.
I have experience with driving in race seats with a harness on the street. This is the most perfect seating position I've ever had - absolutely perfect pedal and steering wheel placement with seat in the perfect orientation and absoluted fixed to the chassis for solid feedback straight from the chassis (not the best chassis though...LOL):
Save it for a track only car. If you have a daily driver get a Recaro Sportster CS or any other similar seat designed to perform like a fixed bucket seat you will not be disappointed for street and track use. As excellent as the Camaro/Kirkey setup was...I'd still take the FRS/Recaro setup over it every time for street and not fret the different on track.
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