What seats are you running?

[o2sys]

All airbags will deploy except for the side impacts because you removed them, so there is nothing to deploy. As a safety feature if there is any fault in any airbag, it will just deploy all of them.

Also where did you buy premade 2ohm resistor plugs that plug into the oem ford harness???

 

[sheizasosay]

What bottom mount bolts did you have to order from Sparco?

I got the Sparco Bottom Mount Hardware kit. It's basically a few M8 1.25 bolts and washers. I can't use them though because I'm trying to put a spacer between the seat and the slider brackets to sit the seat a tad higher and also because the slider will not work unless it is spaced out. So that will require longer bolts. The seat lip will will contact the slider handle and cause the seat to not mount/sit flush with the slider rails. Pain in the ass. On top of that, the distance between the seat mounting holes from the left side vs the right is almost an 1/8" off from one side of the seat to the other. So making two of the exact same drilled spacers is a no go. It is becoming a bit of a headache. I wound up having to extend the Wedge Eng slider mount hole too.

I made some mock up spacers out of wood and then decided to switch over to a non-tapered setup. I got things good to mount right now, I just need to get a slightly shorter screw for the back mounting holes.

The only thing that has me worried is the gap at the rear where the seat mounts. I'm not too crazy about that gap. The gap is due to the curvature of the seat.

 

[o2sys]

You might need since recaro bolts. Here is how they compare.

The bigger bolt is from Recaro the other is sparco.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[sheizasosay]

Finished. M8 1.25x45mm bolts worked.

Be nice to know torque specs

 

[sheizasosay]

All airbags will deploy except for the side impacts because you removed them, so there is nothing to deploy. As a safety feature if there is any fault in any airbag, it will just deploy all of them.

Also where did you buy premade 2ohm resistor plugs that plug into the oem ford harness???

All airbags will deploy? What? Are you saying without the simulator my steering wheel is gonna blow the airbag?

The 2ohm airbag sim I ordred has the wrong head. I think you/one would have to get the Ford sim plug and change the resistor to a 2 ohm. I don't know. I just know the system looks for about 2 ohms give or take a smidge.

 

[Whiskey11]

All airbags will deploy? What? Are you saying without the simulator my steering wheel is gonna blow the airbag?

The 2ohm airbag sim I ordred has the wrong head. I think you/one would have to get the Ford sim plug and change the resistor to a 2 ohm. I don't know. I just know the system looks for about 2 ohms give or take a smidge.

What he is saying is that the default will be that all airbags will deploy in a collision when normally only the ones for occupied seats would deploy normally. At least I think that is what he is saying.

 

[Mike K]

So I should have around 1000 for a set of seats. What would you recommend for a weekend toy/track toy? I'm thinking FX1 or some Cobra brand seats.

 

[sheizasosay]

So I should have around 1000 for a set of seats. What would you recommend for a weekend toy/track toy? I'm thinking FX1 or some Cobra brand seats.

I am not next to any "speed shops". If there was someone close to me like Rehagen Racing or Vorshlag, I'd definitely work with them. Long distance fabrication assistance is better than no assitance, but a solid, local, speed shop is golden. They do this kind of stuff all the time and there are no suprises they can't handle.

I have already purchased a $120 drill press, raw materials for spacers, a saw, multiple fasteners...etc. I haven't seen actual pics of spacers mounted to a similiar seat so my work could look like 2nd grade stuff...I don't know. I probably wouldn't complain as much if I would have had the tools already. Hopefully I will use them more than once.

$1000 for seats? No bullshit, I would get one Cobra Imola(or similiar "race" seat), the seat base, sliders, side mount bracket and put the seat in for track days and take it back out when done. One caveat:if you have a lot of tools (I don't), are into fabrication and welding or are close to a solid shop, consider a Kirkey, seat cover, harness bar and harness. If not, disregard.

There are four bolts to pull out the seat, a few connectors that you just disconnect and can leave under the seat until it's time to put the stockers back in. Screw the simulators and all that jazz.

When you get more than $1000, put a second seat in. That way you dont' have to pull them out once you are done with your track day. I say all this because I think it's fucking gay to have 1 race seat and one OEM seat. That's me. To each his own.

Get a really good seat and don't skimp. It's not that I don't like the Sparco Fighter. The seat is actually bad-ass. The only thing I wish was different about the seat is the mounting. I get it now. The adjustment you can make for the rake or incline and elevation, you would normally have to design a spacer for on a bottom-mount type seat. It's not impossible (obviously). It's quite common, but you asked me so I shall say my part. I just feel like I'm always buying tools to do a job that I originally thought I was "going the cheaper route". Like I said before, if I already had the tools I wouldn't complain as much.

My passenger seat is in. I definitely dig it. If you got tools and time, you can save money with the Sparco Fighter and get a good seat. Just know that you will have some work to do. Now back to drinking.

 

[sheizasosay]

What he is saying is that the default will be that all airbags will deploy in a collision when normally only the ones for occupied seats would deploy normally. At least I think that is what he is saying.

Thanks. I was about to start shitting egg rolls.

 

[csamsh]

So I should have around 1000 for a set of seats. What would you recommend for a weekend toy/track toy? I'm thinking FX1 or some Cobra brand seats.

Also- no $1000 won't do it. The good stuff is 800+ for one seat. Also- you need to factor in the following costs-

-mounting stuff (brackets, frame, slider(? if you want a slider))
-fabrication work
-mounting hardware
-harness
-harness hardware
-harness mounting (either roll bar or harness bar)

what you'll find is that, if you have a shop do your seat and buy something Cobra-ish, you'll be closing in on 2k for just the driver's seat faster than you realize.

I don't care about having one regular and one race seat. It leaves the passenger comfortable on the road, and I don't want to spend that much money to not go any faster on track.

 

[Mike K]

I was thinking FX1 seats because they are cheaper and I can get mounts with seats for under 1k. I know they are not fia approved but I don't plan on running in competitive races that it would matter.

 

[Bob]

I just installed an fx1 ($350) with a sparco seat base ($80) with some used sidemounts ($25 ebay) and some sparco sliders ($45). That's about $500 for the seat. Mounting is a relatively easy DIY.

I used it with the schroth rallye 3 harness ($175) mounted to my rear seatbelt shoulder ancjor.

That was about the least expensive way I could get my ass strapped in for the occasional track days.

 

[jayh007]

I just installed an fx1 ($350) with a sparco seat base ($80) with some used sidemounts ($25 ebay) and some sparco sliders ($45). That's about $500 for the seat. Mounting is a relatively easy DIY.

I used it with the schroth rallye 3 harness ($175) mounted to my rear seatbelt shoulder ancjor.

That was about the least expensive way I could get my ass strapped in for the occasional track days.

Did you use the single anchor strap to attached to rear anchor or double? How do you like the construction of the fx-1 seats? Are they set up for a narrow frame person or a wide body?

 

[neema]

I got the Sparco Bottom Mount Hardware kit. It's basically a few M8 1.25 bolts and washers. I can't use them though because I'm trying to put a spacer between the seat and the slider brackets to sit the seat a tad higher and also because the slider will not work unless it is spaced out. So that will require longer bolts. The seat lip will will contact the slider handle and cause the seat to not mount/sit flush with the slider rails. Pain in the ass. On top of that, the distance between the seat mounting holes from the left side vs the right is almost an 1/8" off from one side of the seat to the other. So making two of the exact same drilled spacers is a no go. It is becoming a bit of a headache. I wound up having to extend the Wedge Eng slider mount hole too.

I made some mock up spacers out of wood and then decided to switch over to a non-tapered setup. I got things good to mount right now, I just need to get a slightly shorter screw for the back mounting holes.

The only thing that has me worried is the gap at the rear where the seat mounts. I'm not too crazy about that gap. The gap is due to the curvature of the seat.

Mr. Sosay, are you running 5 or 6 point harnesses? If so, where are you locating your lower belt mounts

 

[Bob]

Did you use the single anchor strap to attached to rear anchor or double? How do you like the construction of the fx-1 seats? Are they set up for a narrow frame person or a wide body?

I used the single strap to the rear seat belt shoulder anchor. i was worried it would be to asymmetric, but it sorta turned out just fine. Cheaper and much easier to pull in and out of the car than a harness and harness bar. Beats the shit out of the oem seatbelt.

The FX1 seat seems okay to me. When side mounted, it's really quite stiff. It comes in three sizes. I don't know if it lacks any structural elements that make it less crash-worthy than an FIA-approved seat.... so that sticks in your mind a little... but seems like an acceptable seat to me.

 

[sheizasosay]

Mr. Sosay, are you running 5 or 6 point harnesses? If so, where are you locating your lower belt mounts

I'm using stock seat belts for now. Running out of my "allotted" funds. It will be a 4pt harness when I do it though. Those seats will not submarine.

 

[SoundGuyDave]

First off, it's not the seat that would "submarine," it's your body... The 5th/6th/7th point belt is there to positively locate the lap belt across the pelvic girdle, so that in a crash it won't ride up into your abdomen and all the squishy bits inside. You know, like the liver, spleen, intestines, etc. Nothing important to protect...

The cost difference between a 4-point and a 5-point harness set just isn't worth talking about.

OG Racing: SFI certed from $149.99, FIA certed from $179.99. Roughly THIRTY DOLLARS MORE than a budget 4-point set, and less than the high-end 4-points. Do yourself a favor, and eliminate the concept of a 4-point from your worldview...

 

[sheizasosay]

First off, it's not the seat that would "submarine," it's your body... The 5th/6th/7th point belt is there to positively locate the lap belt across the pelvic girdle, so that in a crash it won't ride up into your abdomen and all the squishy bits inside. You know, like the liver, spleen, intestines, etc. Nothing important to protect...

The cost difference between a 4-point and a 5-point harness set just isn't worth talking about.

OG Racing: SFI certed from $149.99, FIA certed from $179.99. Roughly THIRTY DOLLARS MORE than a budget 4-point set, and less than the high-end 4-points. Do yourself a favor, and eliminate the concept of a 4-point from your worldview...

I must have misunderstood. The Sparco website said it supports a 4 point harness and that it doesn't have a slot for submarine belt. I was thinking I didn't have the option for a 5 point or more.

 

[2013MustangGT]

4 point harness suck. When you tighten up your shoulder straps it pulls the lap belt up high. I had 4 point when I had my stock Recaros seats. I switched the seats out and went with 6 point harness for both sides. Best move ever.

 

[SoundGuyDave]

I would first talk to Sparco and see what their position is on adding a slot for the belt, and then talk to your harness manufacturer (if not using Sparco), and determine what angle they need to see for the anti-sub, then grab some beer and a power tool or two...

Seriously, I have yet to see ONE 4-point belt that isn't a death trap. When I instruct and students show up with them, I invariably grab the OE belt... It seems like there is just no way to get enough tension on the lap belts to prevent the buckle riding up when you snug the shoulder harnesses. This includes the vehicle-specific DOT certified setups as well (BMW fitment).