jevs Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Today is shop for seats day. I have some in mind I am going to research today, but I am open to some suggestions of something I may have not seen yet or feedback for ones I do already know about. I am looking for light weight & decent look without breaking the bank (no $1000+ seats suggestions please). I really want to stay below $500 each and less is better. I am not planning to use sliders because I want it to be as low in the car as possible unless there is something with no height penalty (side mounted sliders or something). Brunton Recommends the Kirkey 41 series. I am also looking at the Ultrashield spec Miata (trying to find some dimensions now). The Ultrashield Rally Sport is also one of the ones I have marked for consideration. I am also open to something nicer looking with more padding as long as it does not add much more weight. I am trying to sell myself on the Kirkey, because functionally they fit the bill and the cost is good. For some reason I am just not crazy about the looks. Anyone agree/disagree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcarguy Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 jevs, Cerainly enjoying your (and toedrag's) build. I run the Ultra Shield Rally Sport; good all-around seat for the money. Where I to build a new Stalker today, these are the seats I’d use. However, this is one of those areas where you need to get what YOU want depending on the car's primary use. My car has migrated from mainly street driving to mainly track, so the Rally Sports serve me well. For long distance cruising (which I don't really do much of) they aren't the most desirable, but for the track, good bang for the buck. Whenever I decide to do a few highway miles, a small seat cushion goes along way. My Rally Sports are rigid mounted and sit atop two rectangular tubes that have been welded in place (laterally) on the steel tube frame; the forward seat bottom is bolted to one bar and the other is there for peace of mind as the only other thing that separates my ‘a$$’ from terra firma is a thin piece of aluminum flooring. A mounting tab is welded in place for the back to mount to. The link below pertains mainly to seatbelt mounting, but the photos also show where/how the seats mount. Having said all of this, if you plan on tracking the car at all, get a track-worthy seat with good lateral support for G-loading in the corners . . . . You’ll want that. http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=21959 :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jevs Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 After plenty of research and looking at my own needs/wants I have decided to go with the Kirkey 41700. The only issue now is....black tweed or black vinyl. I am not crazy about the tweed look, but many think it is more "comfortable" for various reasons. However I saw some pictures of the black vinyl and they look nice to me in the car. Of course this is just pictures. I have no idea how they look in real life. Any opinions? Either way it is $210 if I change my mind later. I am tempted to try the Vinyl just for the look and see if it bugs me. I am just not sure if it looks cheap in real life or not. In pics it looks a little more OEM I suppose because I am used to having black leather in a high end car. I have not had cloth seats in anything for a long time. However, most everything has had a top of some sort and A/C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcarguy Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 (edited) jevs, I'd like to ‘very respectfully’ caution you on using the Kirkey 41700 seats. As you already know from researching seats, the 41700 is designed solely for drag racing applications; straight line acceleration and positive longitudinal G forces with no lateral support above the rib cage (at the shoulders). Again, if you plan on tracking this car at all, trust me when I say you will want good above-the-shoulder lateral support in the turns beyond what the 41700 will offer. Essentially, you’re putting a straight-line seat in a car designed to turn left and right with great authority. When I’m on track, my straight-axle dinosaur is capable of pulling 1.5 G’s sustained in turns and has, per data logging, hit in excess of 2 G’s. Under such conditions, shoulder support is a huge plus, especially after several minutes of high performance driving. Have you considered something along the lines of the 47500 or 47700? As for tweed vs. vinyl; I’ve used both. Open top, no AC; I can’t scream loud enough TWEED!!!!!! :cheers: Edited September 10, 2014 by xcarguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOTTTCAR Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Mine are Kirkey also. The seats in the silver super Storker are also Kirkey but are setting in the car almost vertically. This is not the most comfortable position for long blats or bad bumps. The XL gives you room to recline the seats into a very comfortable recliner like position, and with a little “clearancing” and fabrication , side glides fit also. Gale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jevs Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 ...side glides fit also. Gale Depends how fat or stocky you are I need a 16-17" to feel right from my measurements. This means I will get a 17 and the outer size is 18.5. At 18.5 this leaves about 1" to play with on the drivers side Think a side glide would fit in a half inch? I was going to Rigid mount because I may add the seat back brace just in case I ever do anything that requires it. Probably never will knowing me, but I like to plan ahead just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jevs Posted September 11, 2014 Author Share Posted September 11, 2014 I changed my mind and bought the: 47700 Kirkey Seat, Aluminum, Intermediate Road Race, 15 Degree Layback, 17 in. Hip Width 47741 Kirkey Seat Cover, Highback, 20 Degree Layback, 17.00 in. Width, Black , Airknit Apparently Brunton is building an XL car with these and likes them. These were on my list initially, and after hearing that I decided to go back to them. As a bonus this eliminated the Vinyl vs Tweed decision also. There is only one option: Black Airknit (whatever that is). These are considered a road race seat instead of a drag race seat also. The 15º back is a good match too. They are also heavier gauge than the pro drag. https://www.kirkeyracing.com/product/10/47700/SEAT-ALUMINUM-17-INTERMEDIATE-15-LAYBACK-ROAD-RACE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOTTTCAR Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 (edited) I ended up with 570-41900. ...18 inch ....perfect fit for me. The wings on 47700 would get to be a pain {FOR ME} after a while but are great on the track. Would like to have a seat with removable wings Gale Edited September 11, 2014 by HOTTTCAR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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