seats?

[msmith6773]

what do people think about he different seat options from ff? help me out do the Vintage Low-Back Race Seats get uncofortable and how easy is it for a someone who is not really big but lets say 36-45 in pants to fit into the seats? what do people think about the comp-high back seats? are they more of a pain or are they as nice as they seam to put in a car like this? also i am wanting to put in a short throw shift, i really dont care for the original angled look, do the seats get in the way of shifting or is there arm room?

and are there any other seats like the comp-high backs that work as well that are not from ff?

[msmith6773]

oh anyone have pictures of theres?

[Gumball]

I have the Kirkey low-back vintage race seats that I bought separate from the kit and then did some modifications. They are really comfortable as I was able to dictate the amount and type of padding. In addition, I added inflatable lumbar support and seat heaters to both.

Details are in this thread: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?11261-Kirkey-Vintage-Low-Back-Buckets-with-Custom-Leather-Covering

[Bob Cowan]

I would not remmend any kind of low back seat, simply for safety. There's a reason you don't find low back seats in any car built in the last couple of decades.

FFR use to offer a nice igh back seat, calledthe Street Performer (or something like that). It's relly a Cobra Clubman seat. Very comfortable on a long ride, look good, and a lot less expensive thatn an aluminum racing seat.

[Gumball]

That reason is the NHTSA, the USDOT, and the Highway Safety Act of 1966. But, you also don't see all the old cars with them on the road being outlawed. Lowback seats are less safe than a properly installed, quality made highback seat, but that is something that should be left up to the builder / owner.

Stepping off my soapbox now, sorry for the hijack.

[MPTech]

I installed Ultrashield - Rally Sport seats last week and really like them. I mounted them with Kirkey seat mounts on Summit sliders. I raised them a little so the wings clear the body. Location was a bit tricky, and I did install a 12" x 18" x 1/4" aluminum plate to stiffen the mounting. My wife & I finished an extended cruise (about 150 miles) on Saturday and the seats were so comfortable, that my wife actually fell asleep as I was driving, for about 10 minutes! :rolleyes:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/MPTech/IMG_2381_zpsc4cf3b83.jpg

[CraigS]

You will also find the kirkey race seat that FFR sells to be comfortable. Do some searching here and the other forum regarding your waist size vs seat width. They are available in maybe 4 widths but I 'think' the 17 is the widest that will fit in the car. Also, it takes some leverage but the seats can be made wider or narrower because the aluminum will bend. I had to widen the bottom of my Ultrashield because I must have measured my self wrong. Another nice thing about these seats is that the cover snaps into place. So, if you decide you want a little extra foam somewhere, it's very easy to do. I remember a thread from a few years back where a guy went to a lot of trouble to make a mount system that would make it reasonably easy to swap from the kirkey for autocrossing to the standard seat for the rest of the time. Turned out that he never did swap in the standard seat because he was happy w/ the Kirkey.

[rlhobt]

Has anybody tried the FFR GTM seats in the roadster? I currently have the Kirkey intermediate road race seats that FFR sells. They are fine for me, but my wife really hates the lower side bolsters, so I too am looking at a different setup. She sat in the 818S (with the GTM seats) at Huntington Beach last Saturday, and really loved them. But I don't know how well they would work in a MK3, and they are expensive!

BTW, she liked the 818 so much that we may be looking at another project. Wish me luck!

Thanks,

Rich

[68GT500MAN]

I have the low back seats in my roadster and the comfort lever is about the same as my 65-68 Mustang seats. I need to stop about every 2 hours of driving to stretch and use the bathroom. I do not even want to step into the safety issue, but know that I have NOT replaced the seats in any of my Mustangs to make them safer either. Butt, I do like the Rocaro seats in my 2012 BOSS 302 very much!!
Doug

[chopthebass]

This is all quite interesting. I have opted for the Tall & Big seat option as the low back really looks good. Personally I think a high back seat looks odd. I may consider adding a head restraint pad to the roll bar, as I have read a big issue is banging your head on the roll bar in a collision, and not rolling the car! I am guessing this is why some here choose high back seats.

[Broadwaydan]

I chose to go with the Kirkey hi back. I am tall and wanted to have support behind my head - besides the roll bar!. They do fit snugly, which I like, but since I am fairly thin I may end up doing some bending as others have done to make it a bit more comfortable for others but for now they are working fine. I installed them with the FFR adjustable tracks on both sides to aid in leg fit, esp when driving.

Here is a link to some photos of the installation: http://gallery.roadster.mightypirates.com/seat-installation/

The one issue I ran into - which I expected - was the first time I re-installed them after putting on the body. Even with the tracks, which raised the seat, the "wings" on the seat came in contact with the body. So, I had to go back and install some 2" square tubing to lift the seats some more. This works fine and actually gets your "seat" above your feet, which is comfortable, but it also put my line of vision near the top of the windshield. It has not proven to be a problem, but I would not want to be any higher, and a bit lower would be nice if it fit. Here is another link with some additional photos when I added the square tubing

http://gallery.roadster.mightypirates.com/fitting-body-panels-and-other-work/

At the end of the day, whatever works for you is the best choice.

[Gumball]

I have a removable headrest that is sold by Cobra Earl. It allows me to have protection (at least for the driver) that is removeable for shows.

Stock photo from his website -

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/CobraEarlHeadrest.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/CobraEarlHeadrest.jpg.html)

[msmith6773]

Has anyone used tall buckets like the ones f5 offers but a different seat from someone else?