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aftermarket seats

To: Spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: aftermarket seats
From: tobisj@aud.alcatel.com (Shawn J. Tobin)
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 97 12:34:35 CST
Reply-to: tobisj@aud.alcatel.com (Shawn J. Tobin)
Sender: owner-spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
Ulix,
I had some frames made by a local welding shop to bolt to the floor and
give about 2 1/2 to 3 inches  rise in the front.  This effectively puts
the seat bottom at about the same tilt and elevation as the original
seats and supports under my thighs better than being flat on the floor
with my legs straight.  With my knees slightly elevated I've noticed no 
less legroom even though the seats had to be positioned a bit forward 
of the heelboard to accomodate the seatback clearance in this reclined
position.  I found this to be the most comfortable cruising angle 
through many hours of testing on various thicknesses of phonebooks
while watching TV in them.  Also I have more distance between my 
shoulders and the steeringwheel now because of the semireclined back
which I don't necessarily like personally since I like the white-knuckled
top of the wheel grip using a stock steeringwheel.

I'm not a racing style driver but more of a spirited cruiser so these
seats provide me in my 5'9"/150# frame enough lateral support as there
is some.  I doubt it would be enough for real slalom work but these
seats are easier to climb into and out of than ones with real side 
support.  They'd probably be best in something like a Lotus Seven where
your kidneys are fighting the centerhump for space anyway.  Again,
there's almost three inches left in the compartment on each side of each
seat.  Even with that, though, I had to angle the backs of each one 
toward the center to keep from rubbing on the street rollbar because
they recline between the sidebars.  I may have to adjust the angle if
I keep hitting the back of my head on the bar.

Sorry this has been so long.

Shawn

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