High back seat question

[John Ibele]

Now that I’m moving forward with the car again I’m thinking about seat options. While I’m not dead-set on high back seats I’d prefer it from a safety perspective if I can find one that is comfortable and also looks ‘right’ in the car. I’m not looking for everyone’s input on their favorite seat - there’s only one I’ve seen that looks right in the car to me, and that’s the Cobra Clubman. I’m 6’0” but <170, so the width should at least be okay. I’m not looking for better legroom than with the standard seats, but I wouldn’t want less.

My questions about that seat:



work okay for a trim six footer?
the front width dimension says 19.75”, which leaves almost no room to grab the e-brake. Would I have to move the e-brake to the top of the tunnel?

[Gordon Levy]

Cobra Monaco is the most comfortable high back seat I have used for those over 6" tall

[Hacksaw84]

Now that I’m moving forward with the car again I’m thinking about seat options. While I’m not dead-set on high back seats I’d prefer it from a safety perspective if I can find one that is comfortable and also looks ‘right’ in the car. I’m not looking for everyone’s input on their favorite seat - there’s only one I’ve seen that looks right in the car to me, and that’s the Cobra Clubman. I’m 6’0” but <170, so the width should at least be okay. I’m not looking for better legroom than with the standard seats, but I wouldn’t want less.

My questions about that seat:



work okay for a trim six footer?
the front width dimension says 19.75”, which leaves almost no room to grab the e-brake. Would I have to move the e-brake to the top of the tunnel?


1) I am 5' 10" and have driven a car with clubman's (The owner, Steno, is taller than 6 ft). I don't think it would be a problem but I do think its less leg room than a standard low back seat. Other than a kirkey, no matter what high back seat you sit further forward in the car (I am pretty sure).
2) To me the problem with the e-bake is just being fully strapped in, in general. No matter what seat or its width. Its very hard to reach if at all. I relocated mine to the top of the trans tunnel.

[John Ibele]

Thanks Gordon and Michael, that's good input. I do find the roadster seats comfortable, and if I can't find a high back that's as comfortable and looks right, I'll stick with it. Moving the e-brake ... I'll have to decide if the world's longest build can stand another detour!

Cheers,

-- John

[Bob Cowan]

work okay for a trim six footer?
the front width dimension says 19.75”, which leaves almost no room to grab the e-brake. Would I have to move the e-brake to the top of the tunnel?


The fit might be a little tall for you. The bottom cushion is rather thick. That makes it pretty comfy, but does raise you up a bit. The seat cushion can be trimmed.

You standing height is not really the issue. It's your sitting height. When sitting, how far is it from the seat to the top of your head? For me, it's about 34.5", and I find that to be almost perfect. Any higher, and the top of the windshield frame obstructs some of your line of vision, and the top of your head is in the slipstream. Much lower and it's difficult to see the nose of the car.

https://i.imgur.com/lXHkVkm.jpg

If you're using the stock Mustang parking brake, it will be in front of the seat, and fairly easy to operate (without being strapped in). If you're using a Lokar handle, it doesn't work well to begin with; you won't be using it, so you don't have to worry about it.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Does the Monaco have a pass through in the seat for the 5th belt?

[Gordon Levy]

Kevin, yes it does

[John Ibele]

The fit might be a little tall for you. The bottom cushion is rather thick. That makes it pretty comfy, but does raise you up a bit. The seat cushion can be trimmed.

You standing height is not really the issue. It's your sitting height. When sitting, how far is it from the seat to the top of your head? For me, it's about 34.5", and I find that to be almost perfect. Any higher, and the top of the windshield frame obstructs some of your line of vision, and the top of your head is in the slipstream. Much lower and it's difficult to see the nose of the car.

If you're using the stock Mustang parking brake, it will be in front of the seat, and fairly easy to operate (without being strapped in). If you're using a Lokar handle, it doesn't work well to begin with; you won't be using it, so you don't have to worry about it.

Thanks, Bob! It may not work for me; sitting on a hard surface I get 37" or so. This decision is maybe best left for later, after I have a chance to see how the roadster seats work in terms of height w.r.t. the windshield. When I have them tilted back a bit they are quite comfortable and still give me adequate leg room. I'll remember that about the Lokar handle.

[Rdone585]

Don't completely rule out the Kirkey seats. They are more comfortable than you might think. Here are a couple of pics.
136874 136875

[Hacksaw84]

Don't completely rule out the Kirkey seats. They are more comfortable than you might think. Here are a couple of pics.
136874 136875

Unrelated question... can you share a couple more pictures of the VRaptor Speedworks vents? Including of the underside of your hood?

[Blitzboy54]

Don't completely rule out the Kirkey seats. They are more comfortable than you might think. Here are a couple of pics.
136874 136875

Your car is sick. I love it

[Bob Cowan]

I agree. I had one in my FFR for many years and thousands of miles. I added a little extra padding here and there, but not much. Since the seat is less bulky, it's easier to fit in the cockpit where you want it to be. If you have long legs it will also give you more leg room.

https://i.imgur.com/nRzmVaI.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nHllxc8.jpg


My Exocet (a track only car) I have spec Miata seats from Ultrashield. I'm really surprised how comfortable and supportive these. I think they might be more supportive than the road racing seat. And certainly easier to fit in the car, and easier to get in and out of. If I was going to put an aluminum seat in the Cobra, I would consider these first.

https://i.imgur.com/vtigPfe.jpg

https://www.advanced-autosports.com/collections/seat/products/ultrashield-spec-miata-racing

[Bill_VA]

Don't completely rule out the Kirkey seats. They are more comfortable than you might think. Here are a couple of pics.
136874 136875

I agree. I have the road race seats too. I added some aircraft seat foam to the seat and seat heaters. I can ride for hours in comfort.

[John Ibele]

Lots of good options and observations, everyone. I'm getting used to the look of the Kirkey's (doesn't hurt to have them displayed in your car, Rdone585!) and will keep an open mind based on the comments about comfort. Bob, hadn't heard of those before, how does the height compare to the Clubmans, per your previous input? Do they sit lower?

[Rdone585]

Michael,
Here are some more hood vent pics.
136914 136915 136916

[Bob Cowan]

Bob, hadn't heard of those before, how does the height compare to the Clubmans, per your previous input? Do they sit lower?

Yes, they do sit a bit lower. The bottom of the seat is very similar to the road racing seat. Mounting is the same, too.

[magicmarto]

I too have the Kirkeys, love them
Im 6'2" 190lbs no issues, fit great.

[MPTech]

Gordon, how well does the Cobra Monaco fit? Does it require a seat mount bracket or come with something?

[MPTech]

Nevermind on the seat mount, I see it on Jegs ($120 + $13 for hardware).
https://competitionmotorsport.com/cobra-monaco-pro-racing-seat?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjw8-78BRA0EiwAFUw8LELkCZwAwryTWxA-94Vs8mOeD4qHGSu_JW18AsJ8xa8HTfwkOmSwuhoCpIEQAvD_Bw E

[John Ibele]

Gordon, how well does the Cobra Monaco fit? Does it require a seat mount bracket or come with something?

Well, no preconceived notion goes unchallenged on the forum, which is the way it should be. I'm backing off my 'Clubmans only' stance with all the options listed. Aesthetics / safety / comfort ... all a balance. I've got a bunch of these options bookmarked.

I eventually found a thread with a separate post (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?24791-seat-replacement-with-headrest-for-roadster&p=282992&viewfull=1#post282992) from Jeff K listing the other options from Cobra Seats beyond what Gordon had mentioned. Unfortunately, based on the dimensions listed most look like when pushed all the way back in the cockpit, the front of the seat will be well ahead of where the front of the standard roadster seat ends in its rearmost position, leaving less foot room getting in and out, and likely less leg room. Like the look, not sure they'd work for me. The Monaco looks like the one exception, so an option for me.

[Rdone585]

With the Kirkeys I've found getting in to be easier than the old FFR high back seats. I basically stand in the base of the seat and then slide down the back. You'd have to try it to really appreciate how easy that is. The shoulder side braces give a leverage point to lower yourself down. It's also easy to repeat that process in revers to exit. The Kirkeys unlike other seat options have a removable / replaceable cover. They can be customized or replaced with new ones easily. They just snap in place.

[EbourqueIII]

I am looking to replace the low back roadster seats in my MKII, I am 6-5 200 lbs. I have been giving the Kirkley’s a lot of thought lately. Now that I have read this I am definitely going with them. Unfortunately they are out of stock at F5. Any other suggestions on where to buy? Or is it better to wait for them to be restocked?

[Rdone585]

I purchased mine from Jegs for the same reason. Part Number 570-65160KIT for the 16" wide seat.

[Andrew Davis]

Ordered highback Kirkeys with original my original order. They feel good, once I get my 65yo, 5'9'' 226lb. self into the seat. Only issue was making angled pads so I could use the adjustable seat tracks from Jegs. They seem to work okay.

[CraigS]

Guys don't forget other Kirkey and ultrashield options. W/ the kirkey look at the roadrace seat like FFR supplies and think remove the shoulder wings- that is one of their drag race seats. Now think remove the headrest- that is their classic. If you look at the shop drawings you see that the basic part of the seat for all three is identical or nearly so.
https://www.kirkeyracing.com/category/Series55/55-series---pro-street-drag
https://www.kirkeyracing.com/category/Series55V/55v-series---vintage-class-bucket
Keep in mind also these are modifiable. I ordered too narrow a seat so I got my floor jack and made it wider. If you want to reduce the size of the wings for example. Order 2 feet of the edge aluminum, cut your wings, fit the edging, and take it to someone who can tack the edging into position. It is just as easy to shorten the height of the headrest too. It will take some effort and best done after they are bolted into the car but the wings can be bent somewhat. Wider or narrower is your choice. The cover snaps into place so this offers a couple of advantages. 1- like Bob said it's super easy to add some foam if you want to. 2- The snap part on the seat is held there w/ a pop rivet. So if you mod the seat, often you can pull the cover into a better position and just move the snap a little.

[jrcuz]

I have 2 of the Kirkey High Back seats I'd be willing to sell to someone close to me (50 miles south of DC) I don't have the box they came in so no shipping. They are brand new never installed. I decided to go with the classic seats from FFR. I did install the seat base mounting brackets and they have holes drilled for seat heater wiring in the inside corners of the seats. Price negotiable. PM if interested.
JR

[AngelB]

Are adjustable seats possible ? I read an article about airplane seating & the most comfortable position was "the next position". In other words no matter how comfortable the seat is we want/need to move the position at some point.

[Rdone585]

Adjustable seats are possible. However, you should tread carefully if you might track the car in the future. While I've never heard of any issues, the adjustable rails commonly seen are not to be used at the track (per most race seat manufacturers). So I made a bracket where I can unmount the seats and choose one of three positions. It takes about 5 - 10 minutes to move the seat to a new position. 137459

[Hoooper]

I recently fit a set of Corbeau FX1 Pro seats in mine, using side mounts. Depending on where you sit in the car, height, etc. they fit. I was expecting to do some door trimming and didnt mind that, so I put the seats where I wanted them and figured I would sort the rest later. Well, when it came time to fit the body and doors I found that the seats actually fit and no trimming needed. These are excellent comfortable, light, and supportive fixed back road race seats kind of like the kirkey high back. Fitment is tight though, I am about 5-10 and set the seat fairly close to the pedals for more of a track fitment, shorter people I think would fit fine, but taller could become an issue if you were to set the seat far enough back to interfere with where the door starts to come inward