Having now done three track days in the NC, I have absolutely concluded that the standard leather seats are utterly hopeless. I have to brace myself so much, that I end up with all kinds of aches and pains the next day.
So, I’m considering bucket seats.
However… the car will still be used as a daily, and as such I don’t want to have to rip out half the interior plastics to make them fit. So I’m looking for recommendations for seats that fit into an NC, without interior modification.
Doesn’t need to be mega cheap, but also prefer nothing too insanely expensive.
I fit well into a standard with recaro pole position, but not sure if the shoulder “wings” will clear the door frame of an NC.
A good concept and I agree entirely.
However, there’s quite an extraordinary cost mountain to get over in fitting track suitable seats in an NC. I did a full thought application on it and because (if) the seats needed to be slid, as per original, my wife who drives on road and track, has shorter legs than I, there was a slide frame available but it was barmy expensive for what it was (probably the only one on the market + the seat price) So…I swerved and cheated out with some of that swag that IKEA sell to stop rugs upending you on shiny wooden floor, between my leather seats and my 8utt cheeks and back - actually works a treat for me.
The other complete ballache to bear in mind is the inconvenience of getting in and out of bucket seats in a daily NC - quite the pain as would/will be “do I get a 5 point harness” (Yes, for track) or do I leave the OEM seat belt in place too and monkey about with it every time I scoot to Tesco for a 4 pint of milk.
I hear your problems fully but getting over them is a bit of pain to be considered.
(Or maybe my 55yrs young back/legs are the problem)
I should make it a little clearer that while I need the car day to day. Day to day to me means it’s used maybe once a week at most if I need a car or have to go further than legs Carry me.
This is predominantly a car for the track, I just don’t want it to become stripped out so that day to day becomes a complete drag.
That said I’m young enough (sort of at some 41 years young) and flexible enough (just about) that getting in and out doesn’t present much issue to me.
Mostly my concern is what fits without too much pissing around
Poke your head under the seat for a start, see how much of the car is wired up to it and work out how you’re going to get round that without endangering you and your wife.
Then take a look at what the seatbelt buckle is bolted to and the wires hanging out of it.
Then read this: http://www.duratecnc.co.uk/?p=555
I’m just watching the F1, I doubt Lewis Hamilton drags himself out of his car at the end thinking ‘Hmmm, I can’t wait to drive this baby home’.
An alternative is to fit a stock fabric seat and hack some of the foam out of it perhaps.
Maybe buy yourself some velcro trousers to go with it
Careful with MOT. Last time I checked, if you want to keep your car MOT approved, bucket seats need to be adjustable (ie distance to the pedals), and your airbags (which you are losing) need to be carefully wired to prevent the airbag lights from coming up (idk exactly what this requires, but I’ve heard this part is not too complicated).
I am going through the exact same thinking process as you: NC, 3rd track day, “daily” and leather seats not offering enough support (single reason why I considered bucket seats - capacity to install 5 point harnesses with them is good but not driving my attention tbh). I don’t like the idea of losing the airbag for road use - the car is super low and we see how many lunatic drivers are on the streets, and bringing undesirable attention. I started looking for any kind of work that could be done with the original seats, like increasing lateral support, but didn’t find much: you can easily mess the airbag or even use wrong stitches that prevent their proper use.
Worth noting i Intend to fit cybul roll bar and hence harnesses. So seatbelt buckle will be removed.
Again, I’m well aware of the technical challenges. Im just interested in what fits.
This is a car that is used extensively on track and the stock seats simply so not work. My other half (not sure she’d enjoy the assumption she’s my wife) doesn’t drive the car, but I would be fitting sliding rails anyway.
So assuming sliding rails, harnesses and airbags properly bypassed, I ask again….
You’re completely unaware.
The seatbelt buckle has a pretensioner, when you bypass everything you’re left with an illegal and dangerous road car.
To find out what will fit is really simple. Take a tape measure and measure the space at shoulder ‘wing’ height.
Buy a seat which fits within that measurement.
That’s as easy as that gets, it’s the other which is difficult.
It isn’t alarmist, it’s experience and realism.
Once you have managed to do it safely then the act of buckling yourself in and tensioning a multipoint harness just to nip to the shops or whatever is an absolute nuisance.
Then you get to a blind junction where you need to lean forward to see safely and find you can’t, because you’re strapped back in a seat.
As suggested above, I both live and work in the centre of the city. We have another car for “nipping to the shops”
However, the MOT tester piece is more troubling. While I think many may not notice the absence of an airbag on a 59 plate mazda, I do think fill removal of factory tensioner will raise eyebrows.
Look out for an NC Recaro, the seats in those will do the job nicely.
It’s like looking for rocking horse poo though. I did see a black one on Autotrader last year when taking a casual look, so they do pop up occasionally.
You’ll notice there are fixing on it for the original seat belts. Was an optional extra but well worth it as gives you the option of using either belt or harness.
I will soon be looking for bucket seats - first track day in 3 weeks time and no doubt the lack of support in my current seats will be an issue.
IF removal of factory fitted side airbags is an MOT failure then you could just keep your old seat and bolt it back in for its MOT?
As for seats I think you really need to sit in them to try them out.
These seem quite popular but look way to upright to be comfortable?
These guys were at the MX5 show last month and I tried out their seat:
Really comfortable! BUT probably 2-3 times the price of the Sparco. The one at the car show was a prototype but they reckon they should go in to production this month…
So, in the unfortunate occurrence of an RTA, how quickly you gonna be able to put that OEM seat back in then ?
Is there any chance of a reality check here ?
If your car is on the road under an “assumed” MOT, it’s not legal is it and your feet won’t touch the ground if it goes t!ts up !!
And I don’t think hot swapping a seat out is the way. Of course, inform your insurance people and after jumping into and thru a few hoops, that MAY be worth consideration but Hey !! Who knows !!
Might be worth considering retrimming/upholstering your current seats? You can have side support added, or switch to a less slippy material.
(I’ve just switched very similar seats in my daily, but the old one was a slippy cloth, the new one is alcantara and the difference on track is ridiculous, just because I’m basically stuck to the seat. But no comfort loss at all)
