THSCC Forums

So after letting my dad drive my MR2 in an autocross, and taking him for night series ridealongs, he's finally committed to drive his 280Z in the 04 season. Super... except for one problem. My dad is 6'4'' and has a really long torso, and hence he doesn't fit into the datsun with a helmet on. (he had to sandwich himself very uncomfortably into my MR2, and hang his head out of the t-tops)

The stock 280Z seats are relatively low profile, but he still needs about 2-3 inches of headroom in order to fit, so I was thinking that there must be some kind of extreemly low profile racing seats out there that would keep his head from scraping the roof. I went to the junkyard and got an extra set of seat rails, which raise the bottom of a seat about 2 inches off the floor of the car. What would be the best way of attaching a thin racing seat? What types/brands of seats would you all suggest (the cheaper the better)?

Is there any other simpler solution that we're overlooking?


Another issue is that I'm 5'6'' and we'd both like to co-drive the car at events. I can't fathom any way for me to see over the steering wheel if the seat is made low enough that my 6'4'' dad will fit. Is there anything in the rules about sitting on phonebooks?

Thanks for your thoughtful input!
Eric

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Eric

88 MR2 SC
75 280Z
87 CRX Si

hey Eric.

I dunno what aftermarket seats offer, but I don't recall them having a height adjustment. If you feel comfortable with some custom metal work (or can find someone to do it for you), you could find some seats from a junkyard that have height adjustments. take the seats and rails, attach rails at your leisure and it might just work. Only problem is finding a sports car that your dad would fit in to begin with that had decent seats.

good luck, see you 'round.

pat

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www.ncvw.org
1993 VW Corrado VR6 - DSP15 (RIP)
1986 MB 190E 2.3L 16v - STX (SOLD)
1997 BMW M3 3.2L - BS for now

When I put a set of Corbeau Forza's into my '73 Celica I was lifted about 1-2" and went from barely fitting with the stock seats to not a chance in the race seats. Since then I've removed teh sliders and now have enough room.

These seats are bottom mount and that contributes, a side mount seat might go lower. If I want to use sliders (and I do) I'll have to do some serious cutting/fabrication to get the seat to set lower.

Scott

Eric,

Man do you have a dilemna! Here is an idea for you though. My daughter owns a 99 GrandAm. The driver seat has a power adjustment but only for up/down. You still manually grab the handle in the front of the seat to move it forward/backward.

She is about 5'2" and I'm 6'. We can both easily fit in her car. Never tried it with a helmet on. But the up/down adjustment does go a long way. Enough so to equate to that phone book you had your eye on

Pontiac made so many of these cars that I'm sure you can find some in the salvage yard and yank the rails, motor, switch and retrofit.

I think the phonebook thing is a bad idea for safety reasons.

Graham

Geoff Zimmer and Chris Petersen are about the same size as you and your dad respectively. They use a seat insert for the short driver that they made out of hard foam. It looks just like a low-buck version of the seat inserts you see the ALMS drivers swapping out during driver changes.

--Kevin H.

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2003 WRX (again!)

If you go the junkyard route, I feel like the good majority of VW's I have been in have a height adjustment on the drivers seat. Maybe something to look for.

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Stephen Westerfield
2009 Infiniti M35 | 2007 Honda Fit Sport | 2005 Ford Mustang GT |2000 GMC Sierra |1992 Acura Integra LS | Super Westerfield Bros Acura Integra

To fit under the rollbar with my helmet on in the Miata, I had a 2nd Miata seat I'd switch in for track use with padding cut out of it. That provided as much drop as the padding I removed. Cheap. Easy. Effective.

Also, remember that a race seat will take a stock car elsewhere. SP I think. He may already be SP, but if not it's a consideration.

Diane

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Diane (Hall) Bundas
1992 Spec Miata #48 - 1997 Chevy Tahoe - 2007 Honda Civic Coupe

Well there is an option for your dad. While the Seats are low profile themselves, the brackets in the 280Z's are a little high. So placing fixed seats in it will lower the seat about 2" to 3". But this means problems for you though. It can also be hard to find good aftermarket seats to fit the 20" width of the 280Z, but Sparco and Kirkey will fit.

If I'm not mistaken, if you buy a race seat for that 'Z' car, and get the slider mounting kit, then remove the seat cushion, you will end up as close to the floor as you can possibly get.

I installed a Corbeau in my CSP Miata and it lowered me about 1". If I take out the removable cushion, I'm down another 1-1/2" and my ass is right on the floorboards. Next step to get any lower would be to beat the hell out of the floorboard with a sledgehammer.

After that, may be remove a couple of vertebrae, use Loctite 495 to fuse everything back together, take up the slack in the spinal cord... etc, etc.... Simple!!!

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Brad