Specialized racing seats are as old as racing cars. There were numerous
racing seats sold in the 1960s by Terry Hunter, Corbeau, Speedwell and
others. Most factory cars had special racing seats as well. Besides, the 1959
SCCA GCR allowed "all inside modifications for improving the comfort of
passengers, providing they do not reduce the weight." I know why some groups
object to new racing seats - having seen Porsche Speedsters and MGAs with
high-backed electric blue ultra-modern buckets that really look out of place.
However, there are seats on the market (or used) in both low and high back
that don't look that high-tech. At a minimum, when I used to run Minis I
would weld side bars into the stock seats for side support and then have them
recovered. I have articles written in the early 1960s on how to do this
yourself. Then I bolted them to the floor. Also watch your mountings. I once
"tested" the Mini seat mounts when I had a disagreement with a concrete wall
at a hillclimb - it almost completely ripped the stock screw threads out.
After that I ran Grade 8 bolts through the crossmember and used big washers
and lock nuts on the other side! I guess what I'm saying is that I would
recommend using the safest seats you can, but please make an effort to keep
them as period-looking as possible.
Harold Pace
CVAR Vehicle Regulations
|