Aluminum Race Seats

[Jonathan427]

Hi! Does anyone have any feedback regarding the Aluminum Race Seats as an option for the Roadster? I used to drive a Porsche 944 Turbo with the optional seats which were terrific on the track, but a bit of a pain on the street. To be honest, I'm a little nervous about driving a car without head/neck protection. Am I just being a wimp?

[AZPete]

Jonathan, I put Kirkey seats in my Mk3 and love them. They are comfortable and give a nice secure feeling in corners, plus the safety of high backs. They are a little more difficult than others for getting in and out but they have the advantage of sitting lower which means they are great for tall guys and give normal guys more choices for positioning and mounting them reclined slightly. I also found that the high backs cut the reverse-flow wind from pounding on the back of my head. I bought mine from Factory Five.
Pete
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/AZPeteCobra/May26interior044.jpg

[efnfast]

I love my Kirkeys - no complaints here.

[Joe]

I have the FFR Street Performer high back seats, BUT, if I had it to do over I would go with the Kirkey seats. Just make sure you get the correct width. If you're going to drive your car, you want head and neck protection. On the street or on the track, it doesn't matter.

[3kcarbon]

Almost every reason exists to use the Kirkey type seat. The head rest is a safety item, the wind reduction is good. They go back further and sit lower. The only down side is they don't look correct for the car if that is the look you want. I'm using the standard seats for now because I prefer the look but I also see the logic and advantages.

[efnfast]

w0000t kirkeys

http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww89/efnfast/hs1.jpg

[slaga]

Efn,
Your camera seems to put a funky arrow in your pics.

BTW, I went with the Kirkey high back too.

[Ophitoxaemia]

Kirkey very comfortable for me. The rear-wind protection you mention was a really nice, and unexpected, benefit for me.

[DougR]

I also have the "Street Performers". It was the only high back seats that FFR offered in 2005. If I had extra money laying arround I'd use it for the Kirkeys in a heartbeat. The extra support is well worth the trade-off in looks to me.

[CraigS]

You might want to look at these
http://www.ultrashieldrace.com/prod.php?id=7
I installed my Christmas present that day and am very happy.The shoulder supports feel like they wrap around my shoulders more than the kirkeys which is great cause I don't usually use the shoulder belts.

[Vince Baxter]

It was mentioned that the Kirkey seats "go back further ".
How much is "further" ?
I could use all the leg room i can get.
Moved my pedal assembly forward 2" to get some added room and still my knees are up at the dash.
Thanks, Vince.

[Bob Cowan]

You can gain 2-3" of leg room, maybe a little depending on your current set up. They will also sit your butt about 2-3" closer to the floor. I know that doesn't sound like much, but it really is in a small car like this.

Personally, I prefer the Ultrashield over the Kirkey. The side bolsters are a little lower, and they're easier to get in and out of.

[Dewey McBride]

99321

I love my Kirkey's. Driving through the mountains and you feel planted. Not to mention pretty comfortable.

[CraigS]

The problem w/ standard seats is they think they need 3 inches of padding on the backs. You need 3 inches under your butt to absorb your weight. But the back is fine w/ 1/2 inch or so which is what the aluminum seats have. You pick up all that extra room. The other advantage is due to the design of the cover, it is easy to slip a little extra foam in somewhere if you need it. A small piece in mine adds lumbar support.

[Vince Baxter]

Thanks for the replies, 2-3" could make all the difference.