THSCC Forums

I'm splitting this off from the other thread Jason had on OMP but would like to add some of the comments back in.

Let explain my situation. I have back issues. I just had surgery for the 2nd time. 1st time was a minimal thing to try and fix the problem. Almost worked. Until I got in a fight with FedEx. Z06 vs 18-wheeler. You guess who lost... So 2nd surgery this time is fusion with hardware. This in my lumbar spine, very low, L5-S1 for those who understand. About where your belt goes for the rest of you. This causes lower back aches at the very least. You need to have really good support under your butt and lumbar and under the thighs. The main 2 are lumbar must help maintain curve of the spine properly. Under thighs to help keep your support takes load of the tail bone and that helps lumbar issues.

Now I'm being realistic. I'm not gonna duct tape a LazyBoy into the Vette. But I do need a seat that offers great back support. Usually these are the ones Enduro folks get so it doesn't kill them driving umpteen hours. Fit in the Vette can be a problem. However I'll cut up the car to make it work. It's getting cut up now anyway for other things.

I have a Corbeau FX1 PRO now and an FX1 on passenger side. These are fine as cheap entry level seats. For 20 min DE sessions they are ok at best. They are not good enough any more with my issues. I'm willing to go up to about $1K on the seat to make it work. Forget ubber CF seats. Fiberglass is fine. Not sure I want any metal shells like the Kirkey. FIA approved would be good. In a Vette there is not much need to bolt the back of the seat unless you get metal shell. The car will have a roll bar to attach it if needed so I'm not sure those NASCAR style wrap-around head seat tops will fit right in the Vette with a bar/cage. I have to measure. I will have side mounts and the seat will be about flat on the floor for headroom.

I'm 6'.0" and 180lbs. The FX1 PRO no longer fits that good in the hips. The lateral support on thighs was never that good. Worse in a Vette. Need higher sides.

Denis B. said he has an OMP Pista and loves it. Denis do you get good support for your back in it? I'd like to try that seat if you weren't far away. And if I don't have to climb through the window. I'm on a bend/twist limit right now.

Jason why are you interested in OMP? What is about them makes you interested?

Anyone got other ones? How about Cobra? Not sure about Sparco. I did see Recaro.

So I need ideas guys. Back support is absolutely key. I may need to drive the car to the track in 2010. Maybe. Might have a trailer by then. But I need to able to drive that car for at least an hour in one of those seats.

Thanks.

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http://www.greywinds.com

I have a Cobra, and it's OK for a 20-25 minute DE session, and event OK for an 1.5 hour road trip. I'm 99.9% certain it won't work for you (at least the one I have) for a 1 hour track session.

I haven't sat in every seat out there, but of the ones I have, the Sparco is by far the most comfy.

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Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

i wanted a fia-certified seat with head protection from a reliable vendor that wouldn't break the bank. apex is a great vendor, has free shipping and a thscc discount but they only carry racetech (too expensive) and omp so that's why i wanted to try one out.

my buddy evan has a sparco pro adv in his car and it fit me great so i ordered one from saferacer (also free shipping and discount) about ten days ago. as of this morning it had not shipped, nor had they contacted me with any sort of follow up, so i canceled the order. i have a very low tolerance for poor customer service.

i believe most of the higher-end seats have removable covers and padding so you could probably shape it to fit your particular needs. my r3 came with a big "cutout pad" designed to be inserted into the seatback to improve comfort, i imagine you could do something similar. and i agree with vk, i've generally found sparcos to be the most comfortable (although i haven't had the opportunity to try omp yet).

Graham,

Do you need "soft" or do you need "conforms firmly with my back"?

If you need "conforms" you might experiment with the formula car 2 part foam approach or the more expensive bead seat approach. The 2 part foam seats are foamed in place using garbage bags in the intended location (which could be a regular seat like the fiberglass shell in my car). Might take a couple of try's to get the technique down. The foam is easy to trim after it sets. You can then cover it with whatever you like for more padding and/or protection. I used heavy duty "naugahyde" with all the seams/racer's tape on the back side so no tape against clothes.

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/foam-seat-inserts.asp

FYI: For our formula car seat inserts Kelly and I did them ourselves with very little mess . . . however we didn't need much foam and the inserts are relatively small . . . like us.

Dick

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Vincent,

Which Cobra do you have?
I am looking at Cobra Evolution S or Sebring Pro. They are $1K. Right at my upper limit. I've just never sat in one or even seen someone who uses them.

Graham

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http://www.greywinds.com

I have three (yes three) compressed vertebrae from three (yes three) separate incidents.

Lower back issues in particular, presuming we're discussing the lumbar area. You need lumbar support that is 'correct for you'. And not just for racing seats, but all vehicles. If you've noticed, just about every 'lumbar support' cushion you'll see are wayyy too thick and never fit worth a hoot anyway and except in some high end cars any lumbar support ends up being too much, too little, or worse, the wrong height.

Got tired of this major uncomfortable situation.

I knew what I needed. A 'thin' and 'custom shaped' cushion that FITS ME and can be taken with you to work with most cars / seats. Oh yeah, use of the right cover material which differs on each side does a pretty good job of keeping it in place. FWIW, you can also use this technique to make a permanent custom lumbar support for seats that have the 'center back' cushion as a separate 'panel' from the side bolsters that's open on the sides, whereby you can slip whatever you want under it and locate as needed. In the same type setup as mentioned above.

Without going into the details right now, let's weed out those what 'gotta have' something that's real spiffy and expensive. Cause this technique definitely ain't even that. It can, however, be made to look quite presentable. It does require a minimal bit of time and effort. Uses rug underlayment foam or similar, say ~3/8 inch, and a proper cover sewn up that fits the thing.

I made mine over 10 yrs. ago and it's still holding up and working, although the foam has eventually gotten a bit misshapen. I wouldn't trade it for anything else purporting to provide the comfort needed for ones lumbar area. Given my po ol memory one of my worse nightmares is leaving it somewhere, like in a students car.

So instead of worrying about the finer points right now, anyone left after all those who ain't even interested, and those ingenious chaps what probably already figured it or something comparable, I'll be happy to help out since I figure only one or two, if that many, give a rat's arse. Now don't mistake this as a slight to the forum and its members just cause I don't feel like elaborating right now after going into the why and the what. You see... now right there's the problem... too dang much 'less than succinct' elaborating getting to here... but then that's just me and a lot ah y'll already knew that.

If there are a couple folks interested, it would be easier to discuss via phone, at least for me, and I'm quite a bit more likely to get to it that way in lieu of a written composition. (Yeah... yeah... I know... just what the hey is all this). If there are more than just a few, I'll see what I can come up with after clearing my head from 4 HPDEs in 5 weeks. Problem is the usual forget to when there's time and think about it when they ain't.

Interested Parties can email me at scoleman69 - at - gmail.com with number(s) AND times (24 / 7) that I can reach you. PM will probably be overlooked.

Note to Graham: If something on this order interests you I will do whatever I can to help you out, since you and Steve R were especially accommodating way back when I needed a lil help and was otherwise only getting lengthy posts about 'alternate' methods.

Steve 'who don't mind 'is students running into things or going on me head, but please... please... no 'pancaking' over the whoop-de-whoops' Coleman

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See nothing... Know everything.
'ol corps rac'r...