# Fitting aftermarket bucket seats



## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

I'm looking at getting some new seats to save a bit of weight and also to offer a bit more sideways support around the twistys!  Looking at a pair of Cobra Monaco Pro's which are base and side mountable.

I've never installed bucket seats before, and am getting a bit confused as to what is actually required for fixing. Is there any way to remove the slider rail from the OEM seats and bottom mount the buckets to the existing sliders for re-use? Or maybe with a little fabrication could a mount between the two be made?

I also am aware i'll need a 4.7 ohm 0.5W resistor for the seat airbag connection, are there any other things worth mentioning?


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## Kyle18uk (Jul 3, 2012)

I made my own, with the sliders on the seats just sat too high so I made my own rails and bolted the side mounts to them

I used some 8mm steel, the front ends have to be heated and bent down to the right angle and two holes drilled in the Oem positions so they bolt down the same as the original seats then just bolt the side mounts to the new rails

Saved me a bit of money and they sit really low down now which is perfect for me


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

Don't suppose you took any awesome pics? 8)

I'm quite tall at 6'3" so i don't want to be sitting too high either.


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## Von Twinzig (Feb 10, 2014)

I've done this a few times Nick.

I started out with the seats on side mounts to the sliders and sub-frames, but the whole thing sat way too high, so I dumped off the sliders and bolted the seats to the subframes in the right position and the frames to the floor. The tricky bit is always the seatbelt receivers. Made a couple of brackets for those and bolted them to the frames.

I'll take a couple of piccies in the morning and post them up.

VT


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

Argh that'd be brilliant thanks VT


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## Von Twinzig (Feb 10, 2014)

Here you go Nick....concentrate on the driver's seat.

No photos of this bit, but bolt the subframe to the floorpan finger tight. Bolt the side plates to the seat finger tight.

Sit the seat and plates on the subframe and get the thing in the right postion for you to reach the pedals. Mark the side plate position on the subframe. Get out and using that mark bolt the side mounts to the subframe. You may have to take the seat off the side mounts to do this. My subframes have multiple holes so I chose the closet set.










Next is the rake of the seat. I''ll be a bit of trial and error to get the best seat position vs the pedals and steering wheel. Use whatever holes on the side plates give you the best feel and bolt the seat finger tight to them.










Tighten everything up.

Remember the subframe will be a fixed point so you need to move the plates and seat to set the correct driving position. I'm a short arse so my plates are well forward of the front edge line of the frame (compare the front edges in the pic above and below)...on the pax side I was able to position the plates further back on the frame, being tall yours will be more like this I suspect....










Either before or after you'll need to figure out a fixing for the seat belt receivers. I had a couple of brackets knocked up and bolted them to the frames. The drivers one at the rear subframe to floor postion....



















The pax one I had to pinch under the side mounts as the seat was further back....










Which meant I had to make some spacers up to match the bracket thickness for the other 3 side plate to subframe bolts...










Simple enough, just take your time and don't tighten anything up until your're happy with the position.

VT


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

Great write up thanks VT! 

Would you say sidemounted seats are the way to go then over base mounted seats?


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## Von Twinzig (Feb 10, 2014)

For track use, absolutely. They give better lateral support to the seat under cornering loads.

VT


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## Rich196 (Mar 31, 2011)

NickG said:


> Great write up thanks VT!
> 
> Would you say sidemounted seats are the way to go then over base mounted seats?


Side mount seats are easier to mount than base mount, and usually can go as low. Unless you are directly bolting through a flat floor pan!

Things like a tillet will go the lowest, as they are just a composite mould!


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

With a little bit of fettling is there any reason you couldn't bolt the sliders directly to the floor?



Sliders:

http://www.kamracing.co.uk/car-tuni...es-accessories/omp-seat-sliding-rail-kit.html

Side Mounts:

http://www.kamracing.co.uk/car-tuning/a ... -733e.html

My thoughts are that the OMP subframes seem to add quite a bit of height to the seat position, so if you could bolt the sliders directly to the floor it would stop this (Although the mrs might need a booster seat if she were to drive! [smiley=bigcry.gif] ).


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## Von Twinzig (Feb 10, 2014)

Nick,

If you want to try sliders I have two sets of the OMP one going spare, if you want you could try them and if they worked we'd sort something out.

You're going to have to fix them to some folded steel plate though so you can keep the fixings in the existing mounting holes, the front one is at an angle don't forget. That area of the floor is double skinned so it's not like older cars where you can just drill the floorpan.

VT


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## infidel.uk (Feb 21, 2015)

This is something i am also considering, looks pretty straightforward :?


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## cookbot (Apr 19, 2011)

I parked my behind in loads of seats and will be settling on these I think. easily the most comfortable of them all and more so than the pole positions.

http://www.sportseats4u.co.uk/mirco-rts-fibreglass-motorsport-seat/prod_3788.html


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## Von Twinzig (Feb 10, 2014)

I spent a complete day at Demon Tweaks trying every single seat in the place and they have got a huge choice. In the end it came down to the OMP ARS's and the Cobra Suzuka Pro's. The problem with the latter was like the ones above...the sides. They were really comfy, as were the OMP's I bought, but getting in and out over the high, straight sides, with the wheel in position was way too difficult. Fine for a race car, no good for a road based track car, certainly for me anyway.

Seats are like shoes, a personal thing. Without doubt the best way to go is with a custom fitted seat like the Motordrive ones http://www.motordrive.com/acatalog/catalogbody.html Made to measure and comfy as heck, but the OMP's are fine for me.

I've had Recaros before, not the most comfortable and you're definitely paying a premium for the name.

VT


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

Von Twinzig said:


> Nick,
> 
> If you want to try sliders I have two sets of the OMP one going spare, if you want you could try them and if they worked we'd sort something out.
> 
> ...


Thanks VT a very kind offer that I might take you up on at some point!

Looks like Itd be a good idea to try some seats out first, TRAX at silverstine tends to have a few sellers out in force so might be the place to try a few.


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## Von Twinzig (Feb 10, 2014)

Deffo try before you buy.

You need to be able to sit in the thing for a reasonable amount of time in the shop to see if it's comfortable, has any hot spots or pinch/pressure points. I went in thinking, "Yep, I know what I want" and ended up buying something completely different.

We're all different Shapes and sizes, and what suits one won't necessarily suit another. I bought unseen one time and ended up selling them on after a few weeks. They were comfy enough (Recaro SPG's), but too wide, so I wasn't held in place on the bends. Managed to sell them to a mate who was bigger than me, and for him they were fine.

VT


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## Kyle18uk (Jul 3, 2012)

Not my pic but I made mine the same as these-



Piece of 8mm steel the the front end bent to use the existing bolt holes, then bolted the side mounts to the bars, I used the rear bolt hole for the back mount hole just like the pic and I'm 6'3 aswell and it's perfect position


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

That's kinda what I was thinking of, no reason you couldn't bolt a slider rail on too though is there?


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## Kyle18uk (Jul 3, 2012)

NickG said:


> That's kinda what I was thinking of, no reason you couldn't bolt a slider rail on too though is there?


No you could if you want, I just thought they were a little high with runners aswell.

Best way would be to make the bars and drill the holes and bolt them in then place the seat on with and without and see what you think


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## Von Twinzig (Feb 10, 2014)

I had the side mounts on runners on the subframes and they were too high for me, felt like sitting in a bar stool. I've removed the runners and bolted the seat to the frame and it's just about right for me. I like the 8mm plate idea, but for me the mounts would be too far forward. I'd be fixing to just the plate rather than down through the rear floor mounting, not sure I'd be happy with that.

VT


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

There must be some way to do it, I say must be, I just can't imagine that all pole positions that people instal are ridiculously high?


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## infidel.uk (Feb 21, 2015)

what did you do in the end nick ? ive had to order cobra runners that fit my seat and bolt directly to the floor, my 'omp' subframes and unbranded runners weighed almost 10 kg per side ! I didnt even try to use them, now the seats are lighter too, i have to wait upto 2 weeks for them tho as they are hand made to order from GSM.

This is where cobra told me to go b.t.w


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

infidel.uk said:


> what did you do in the end nick ? ive had to order cobra runners that fit my seat and bolt directly to the floor, my 'omp' subframes and unbranded runners weighed almost 10 kg per side ! I didnt even try to use them, now the seats are lighter too, i have to wait upto 2 weeks for them tho as they are hand made to order from GSM.
> 
> This is where cobra told me to go b.t.w


Take a look at this thread, it's my 'how-to'

http://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=250&t=1251225


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## infidel.uk (Feb 21, 2015)

Very nicely done nick, i can certainly manage that, as long as i dont get impatient, lovely stuff thanks buddy !


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

infidel.uk said:


> Very nicely done nick, i can certainly manage that, as long as i dont get impatient, lovely stuff thanks buddy !


No worries at all 8)


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## infidel.uk (Feb 21, 2015)

NickG said:


> infidel.uk said:
> 
> 
> > Very nicely done nick, i can certainly manage that, as long as i dont get impatient, lovely stuff thanks buddy !
> ...


Im also thinking, as mine are base mount, if i get something like 50mmx5mm , i will be able to bolt the seats directly to the bar, with no runners , is it really so simple , lol


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