Racing seat help wanted Options

[Porsche Rescue]

Is there a race type seat which will fit in a 914 without removing the back pad and using the stock seat tracks (with adapters) and stock 3-point belts? I want the extra support for autocross but do not want to install a harness or remove the back pad. I intend to install the seat for events and return to stock seat after. Anyone on the board got one? How about a picture?

[Demick]

I think your only real option is the Renegade Hybrids seat: (scroll about 2/3 of the way down)

http://www.renegadehybrids.com/accessories.htm

Demick
'74 2.0

[Van914]

Jim,
I have this type of setup mounted in my 914. OMP race seats using a modified stock rail that bolts to the bobbins in the seat bottom. They are very easy to remove and install by sliding in or out. I will have to locate the picture of the seats. I am also using a 5 point harness with the snap in feature and a harness bar. It does make it easy to go back to the stock seat and belts when not on the track.
Van
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/MDB2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[drew365]

If your innovative you can make a lot of seats work. Chris Cambell wrote a tech article on the Pelican site showing using a homemade cross bar to adapt the different width of the stock rails to the mounting holes of a seat. John Rogers has an article there too but I don't think he used the stock rails. I installed a Sparco Rev on the stock rails leaving the back pad in and it felt fine for leg room, I'm 6'1", but I was sitting too high so I removed the rails and bolted straight to the floor. I was able to leave the rail attachment points in place so I could go back to stock set up if I ever wanted to. You only have 18.5" in width for the seat and still be able to use the e-brake so you have to be careful on the width of the seat you choose.

[kdfoust]

I looked and looked at race seats for my car. Finally after really thinking about how I plan to use the car and how much energy I wanted to put into mounting a pair of seats I went for the Renegade Hybrids Seats. The installation and fit is a no-brainer since Renegade uses an OEM seat shell. The bolsters are plenty big enough for AX and TT type stuff.

Good luck,
Kevin

[Porsche Rescue]

Kevin,
Which model do you have, the "touring" or "track"? My use will be almost always for autocross.

[Dave Cawdrey]

The Corbeau, pictured, fits w/ backpad... Dont know what model tho

[ChrisReale]

That is the "Classic". I didnt like the feel of those particular seats, not enuff support for the lower back. I might get a Corbeau Forza(IMG:http://www.corbeau.com/brochure/images/forza_with_chrome.jpg)

In the $200's for the seat pictured, whick I think is a great deal

[Dave Cawdrey]

That is the "Classic".  I didnt like the feel of those particular seats, not enuff support for the lower back.  I might get a Corbeau Forza.  In the $200's for the seat pictured, whick I think is a great deal

Jim is an "older" fella (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) From the "Old School" He's prolly got a strong back...

[ChrisReale]

I guess us youngsters aren't made like they used to be, huh (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol2.gif)

[Lawrence]

I like the Corbeau classic that you have Korijo. I looked around for used set before I decided to recover my stock seats.

-Rusty

[djm914-6]

I have the Corbeau Forzas in my car. If you buy an extra set of seat rails, changing from race to street is a 15 second job. I'm sure they won't fit well with the stock back pad, but for those uf us short on height, it souldn't matter. I actuall have about 6+" behind my seat when I'm driving agressively. The down side is that using the stock rails plus the adapter will put you rather high in the car. I don't believe I would be able to run helmeted with teh roof on, but I haven't tried either.

On a side note, I have an extra Corbeau seat adapter for sale if anyone needs one. Bummer that Tweeks didn't tell me I only could use one with in my '70.

[914werke]

The Renagade seats look nice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)
Do they require you to send them yours to recover?
How much did they cost and was there differance beteween the Sport and Touring vers?
I recall AA also provided a supposed OEM seat like these in the past, but they wer SERIOUSLY expensive and required yours seats :toilet:

[kdfoust]

Jim: I've got the "track" version of the seat.

rdauenhauer: They do need a shell to work from. My original seats were 9/10 condition so I bought a set of shells for $20 to send to Renegade. The lead time was 6 weeks and they did deliver on time. The seats were $400/each. I thought the price to be a bargin because the only other seat that I really liked was $900 (Koenig RS1000). I don't really remember what the Renegade touring version looked like.

Have fun,
Kevin

PS - my only criticism of the Renegade seat is the bottom pad. It needs to have a little bit more thigh support. I plan to have new bottom pads built by a local upholstry shop.

[Porsche Rescue]

Thanks Kevin. Take a look at the link posted by Demick above. I assume you have the seat shown in the car with the larger bolster. I think the ones shown on the grass must be the touring version.

[JmuRiz]

I think the "touring" version looks exactly the same, only w/ a slightly less extreme bolster job on the seat and sides. I'd probably his the 'touring' myself...unless it's not that tough to get in and out w/ the 'track' ones, is it?

Nathan

[EdwardBlume]

I have a Renegade seat in my AX car and its nice. It has two cushions, one for street - the other for track (thinner), each with the hole for the 5th point.

Before I got the seat, I used the stock seat without the cushion - by far the cheapest alternative.

I was able to mount the 5 pt harness, still using the stock backpad by cutting into the backpad (carefully) from the back. I cut out enough room to push through the straps. The eyebolts are mounted though to engine bay. The fifth point is strapped around the stock seat rail front (instead of drilled into the floor).

I bought the Renegade seat off ebay, but I think you can get them through PP, or direct? The Renegade seat is an improved stock seat so everything fits and works although the seat hips make opening the center cushion console a little harder.

[Scott S]

Hi All -
I went through this for the past 6 months - I ordered several seats and returned several seats. Here are my results (FYI, I am 6'2" 240 with a 36 to 38" waist)

Corbeau Classics: The do not fit into the back pad, infact, they do not even fit into the steel recess on the firewall. You will lose 2-3 inches of length. The bottom seat cushion are much higher than the stock seats. I use a factory wheel with no problems with the stock seats. My thighs were tightly pressed against the steering wheel with the corbeaus - I couldnt even shift the car. However - if you are a smaller statured person, these seats do bolt right up to the factory rails - I think it took me 10 minutes to install them - and they look really good in my opinion.

Scheel/Konig - these fit the back pad firewall recess much better than the Corbeau (you only lose an inch or so), but my thighs were again pushed against the wheel.

The high back race seats were never really an option for my car as I really want it to look as much like a GT as possible. Also, I hade the red Forza's in my GTI and they didn't wear very well. They were nearly impossible to clean (an I'm pretty anal unfortunately...)

I thought about having the Scheel/Konig seats recovered and modifying the seat height, but the cost was nearly identical to the Renegade seats. So thats the way I went. They are built on my seats, so fitment is not an issue. I bought the touring seat (smaller bolster) and had them change the fabric inner bolster to vinyl to make them look as stock as possible. They will not build them without their logo, but they will do the logo in black so it is not as noticiable. I also spent the 50.00 extra to have them make a matching seat cushion for the driver seat that is nothing more than an upohlstered piece of very thin foam that drops you lower in the car. This not only increases leg and helmet room, but also makes the side bolsters higher on your body. The seats were also made/upohlstered with bottom cut outs for sub belts. Another feature I had done was to modify the back of the head rests (the part that goes up against the rear glass). They removed the padding on this section so that I will get 100% rearward adjustment without interfearance from the harness bar. Pretty slick. I will post a picture when the arrive. Scott called yesterday saying they would be shipping early next week.

[Porsche Rescue]

Rob, which model do you have, touring or sport?

Scott, looking forward to your seat pics. Suspect they will be as fine as the rest of your car.

[kdfoust]

Thanks Kevin. Take a look at the link posted by Demick above. I assume you have the seat shown in the car with the larger bolster. I think the ones shown on the grass must be the touring version.

Yeah, looking at the picture I've got the seat shown in the car (big bolsters). The seats require a little technique for getting in and out of the car. I've got a small (320mm) steering wheel, which requires the strength of ten men to turn, but lets you in and out of the car without too much of a struggle.

You ought to get some butt time in one before you buy. I was amazed at how different seats felt and how absolutely miserably uncomfortable some were to me.

The Renegades do have a nice OE fittment and appearance which draws many postive remarks.

Have fun,
Kevin