Mark:
I used a completely stock seat in my ' 67 Midget for the first few years I
raced it. The rest of the car (engine, suspension, etc) was also completely
stock. I had a few learner's spin-outs due to learning the dynamics of
racing and old, used, hand-me-down tires. Never had a problem with the
stock seat while I and the car were relatively tame. The next upgrade to
the car resulted in more power and more speed. The driver was also upgraded
by experience. I went to a Fiberglas seat, figuring it would be better than
stock and not quite as radical as a non-vintage, aluminum racing seat. All
the replies to your message about mounting a fiberglas seat applied in my
situatiob as well: rivnuts in the Fiberglas in the bottom, little side
support, etc. While using this seat, I had a close to a roll-over episode
at the old turn 11 at Road Atlanta. It was a left rear pirouette, slam back
down, backwards across the track, no impact with any other cars or the
landscape type of ride. I distinctly remember seeing the horizon to
dashboard relationship get wierd and saying to myself "Bob, you're going
over". I scrunched up and took my hands off the wheel and waited for the
impact.
I came out of the seat sideways to the right, getting the front of my right
shoulder BEHIND the crossbar on the roll bar! Seems impossible that your
body can bend like that, but that's what the doctor figured out at the med
shed. The back of my shoulder was all scraped from the front edge of the
seat. My belts were as tight as they could be. They may have stretched
some, but the point is that I came out sideways, a direction neither the
harness nor the fiberglas seat are designed to protect you. It took weeks
before I could extend my arm enough to shake a hand. It was only a deep
muscle bruise, but the episode convinced me to get a better seat.
I bought an aluminum seat from Racer Wholesale for about $100. When I had
the car checked for damage by Jon Stamps Racing, I asked Jon to fabricate
seat attachments that would withstand a worst case accident. His solution
involved two welded bars from the trans tunnel to the inside rocker panels,
which gave the seat rake, and braces at the head rest to the roll bar and
at the mid point of my back. It will not fold nor will it move forward. The
seat itself has fairly substantial bolsters at the shoulder, especially on
the right side, and at the thigh. The seat is as low in the car and as far
to the right as it can go. It is fairly comfortable, but, more importantly,
I feel it gives me the protection that neither the stock nor Fiberglas
seats did. I have fortunately never tested it in an extreme situation, but
it feels like it would work like I would expect it to.
It may not be vintage correct, but, like a number of respondents have said,
it's my butt I'm trying to protect and the seat is one of a number of
interrelated elements in the safety configuration of my car. Because of the
bolsters, the seat also keeps me better positioned relative to the steering
wheel, gear shift, mirrors, etc.
It was well worth the reasonabe cost of purchase and installation to know I
am better contained than either of my previous seat configurations.
Consider something similar, please.
At 02:24 PM 02/29/2000 +0000, Mark Palmer wrote:
>Listers,
>
>Since we're on a safety trivia kick (clutch blankets & driveshaft loops),
>here's another question.
>
>An SCCA Tech-type recently told me my factory-original seat would not be
>acceptable in SCCA events (I don't run with SCCA so it doesn't really
>matter, but I'm curious). The reason, he said, is because my seat back
>hinges forward. The Techie said "SCCA outlawed hinged seat backs years ago,
>because in a crash the seat back will fold forward and cut you in half".
>
>This doesn't make any sense to me. My shoulder belts hold me firmly against
>the seat back. My torso can't go forward (except a little due to belt
>stretch), so the seat back couldn't go forward either. The only negative I
>can think of, is that the shoulder belts have a little more mass to stop
>(torso + seat back). But the mass of the seat back is pretty small compared
>to mass of my torso, head, etc.
>
>BTW, my seat back is prevented from going BACKWARDS in a crash, because I
>have a brace in the roll bar that runs directly behind the seat back. So no
>problem there.
>
>Comments anyone? Please note, my primary race club strongly prefers
>factory-original interiors (less carpets), and so do I, so I have never
>wanted to install some modern aftermarket racing seat.
>
>Regards,
>Mark Palmer
>MGA #185
Regards,
Bob Spruck
Sharpsburg, GA
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