Seat Question

[Pirate]

Which seat do you have? I like the high back seat but not sure if I like the one FFR sells. If you have a high back seat which one do you have and how do you like it?

Thanks,

Chris

[Jeff Kleiner]

I have what FFR used to offer as their "Street Performer" seat. They are essentially the same as Subesport's "Cobra Clubman" with a Factory Five logo in place of "Cobra" at the headrests.

http://www.subesports.com/images.products/cobra/cob1005.jpg

I love them however they don't fit bigger guys real well (I'm about 5'9/155) so be aware that when choosing seats alot depends on your size. FFR's only highback offering now is the Kirkey Intermediate in, I think, a 15" size. The same seat is available in 16" and 17" also. We recently put a set of 17's in my buddy Aaron's roadster. He can barely squeeze into mine and I can swim in his! Not surprisingly a larger seat can pose some fitment issues in the car so that is another factor to consider (it took some bending and careful placement to get the 17" Kirkeys into Aaron's car).

Cheers,
Jeff

[CraigS]

I would try hard to get the chance to sit in the FFR Kirkey seat before taking it out as an option. There have been several threads over the years where people installed them and planned to have another seat as a cruiser seat. They would just use the Kirkey for autocross or similar. Then they discovered the kirkey was much more comfortable than they expected and never removed it. I have a similar seat from Ultrashield and have put a little additional foam in the bottom and am VERY happy with it. One advantage of the aluminum seats is they are easy to modify. Takes three minutes to put a piece of foam somewhere to try an experiment. They can also be bent when needed to get a custom fit. I ordered a 14 inch seat and immediately knew the base was too narrow. 30 minutes later w/ the help of a floor jack I had spread the sides to a perfect fit for me.

[MPTech]

I agree with the previous post.
I looked at the UltraShield seats a couple months ago and I think I'm going to upgrade to them over the winter.
I'm trying to find someone local that sells them or someone that has them installled in their car that I can try a test sitting in.

http://www.ultrashieldrace.com Road-Race-Seats / Spec-Miata (http://www.ultrashieldrace.com/catalog/Road-Race-Seats/Standard-Road-Race-Seats/Spec-Miata-Seat/161)
http://www.ultrashieldrace.com/images/product/161_lg.jpg

[JL1958]

I like the classic look of the low back seats, but need to upgrade to get more thigh support. Who makes a good vintage looking lowback?

[Bob Cowan]

IMO, high back seats are a must have item. Particularly for the safety factor. But also for comfort. A low back seat is like sitting on a lawn chair. That upper back and shoulder support from a good high back seat really makes long drives more comfortable.

As mentioned above, the Cobra Clubman is is a well know seat. I'm 5-9 and 195#, and I found that seat to be very comfortable.

I have heard that the Scat seat fits easily into the roadster, and is also very comfortable.

I recently purchased an Ultrashield road race seat. Slightly different design than the Kirkey, and about the same price. For an aluminum racing seat, it's surprisingly comfortable. It's a lot thinner everywhere compared to the Clubman, so it's easier to install and move around where you like it.

I had to add some seat foam to raise me up in the seat so that my shoulders were better supported (and to make my butt happy).

[ClemsonS197]

Kirkey pro drags. I'm in east Cobb if you want to sit in them.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/FinlayZJ/Factory%20Five%20Roadster/DSC_0120_zpse58b2b3c.jpg

[CraigS]

Kirkey makes a classic seat
http://www.kirkeyracing.com/index.php?link=browse&code=Series41V
If you look at each shop drawing, this is what you will discover. Start w/ the intermediate roadrace which is what FFR uses
http://www.kirkeyracing.com/index.php?link=browse&code=Series47
then cut off the shoulder wings and you have the pro drags
http://www.kirkeyracing.com/index.php?link=browse&code=Series41
then cut off the headrest and you have the classic I listed first.

[JL1958]

I like what you've done so far.
I may take you up on that seat test offer.
I considered high backs. but I'm not racing my car.
I use it for car shows and cruises. I would have to upgrade my brakes to race it, and not sure I want to go that route. I would probably just sell it and buy one ready to go .
The safety factor if I get rear ended is a concern around Atlanta traffic.


Kirkey pro drags. I'm in east Cobb if you want to sit in them.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/FinlayZJ/Factory%20Five%20Roadster/DSC_0120_zpse58b2b3c.jpg