Custom Seat Option?

[Michael Fling]

I have the interior tub in my car. Even with my RCR seat bottom against the floor, I am still limited on space when wearing a helmet. In my formula car, we poured a custom bead seat. Mix in the bag, sit in the car for about 30 minutes and let it mold shape to your body. remove, trim and cover.

So I wondered, If I poured a removable seat in my SLC, had then trimmed and covered in leather... This would give me maximum space.

Are there reasons this wouldn't work?

 

[Aaron H.]

Mike:

How tall are you? I'm 5'-10" and that seems about the maximum height you can be with the sunken pan, helmet and headliner panel installed. I'm running the Tillet seats too and the seat is on the floor. I might trim the side flanges of my headliner to make it thinner thus creating more headroom. Not sure how much there is to get thought. Maybe 1/4 - 1/2"

 

[Michael Fling]

Mike:

How tall are you? I'm 5'-10" and that seems about the maximum height you can be with the sunken pan, helmet and headliner panel installed. I'm running the Tillet seats too and the seat is on the floor. I might trim the side flanges of my headliner to make it thinner thus creating more headroom. Not sure how much there is to get thought. Maybe 1/4 - 1/2"

I am 6'. ( I used to be 6'.... now 5'111/2")

 

[John]

Michael,
Would you pour that in some kind of frame? I've used foam to get a custom fit, but never had that be the entire seat. How would you attach it to the chassis?

 

[Michael Fling]

Michael,
Would you pour that in some kind of frame? I've used foam to get a custom fit, but never had that be the entire seat. How would you attach it to the chassis?

My thinking is that it would fill inside the interior tub, get trimmed and then covered. It would be removable so another one could be inserted for my wife. Thus it would not be "attached". The 5 point harness would be the security.

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

Ask Dean Lampe or Will Campbell as they are both well above 6'
Dean used the stock slc seat and will used Tillet

 

[Scott]

Mike, I've sat in Will's car. His seats are pretty reclined. If you look at the picture below you will see that the seat appears to parallel the rear wall (tub wasn't available when he built his). I'm sure that he can clarify...

 

[John]

Michael,
I'm a bit taller than you and found the stock seats were good, but I modified mine to fit me better. When the seat was laid back far enough for my helmet to fit, the thigh section was a bit too high for my comfort. I cut the seat at the pivot point, cut a slit in the back and flexed the front of the seat down, then glassed it back up. It fits me perfectly now.
Might be something to consider.

 

[Frank Clark]

I cut the bottom out of the RCR seat - just the outside layer of fiberglass. Gave me a noticeable amount of additional room - maybe 3/4". My bars have foam and my helmet still regularly bumps the foam, but it's OK. I am just over 5'10" and my seat is well laid back. But my backside has more cushioning than most and I am a bit taller in the torso. So I probably 'fit' more like a 6 footer.

I will probably do something different seat wise down the road, but it's fine for now.

John's mod will be on my list if I stay with the stock seats.

 

[Tim]

I have Tillett B4 seats in my car and I easily clear the rollbars with a helmet on. Formula-like layback.

 

[Cam]

Mike - I don't think that foam will provide you with sufficient protection in the case of a crash. The material may deform causing you to become "loose" within your straps and allow your body to move excessively. A small amount of that stuff to customize a hard shell around you is less an issue than filling the tub with that stuff and only having it between you and the rest of the car. In your formula car, how much foam are you using as compared to what would be needed for the SLC?

 

[Michael Fling]

Mike - I don't think that foam will provide you with sufficient protection in the case of a crash. The material may deform causing you to become "loose" within your straps and allow your body to move excessively. A small amount of that stuff to customize a hard shell around you is less an issue than filling the tub with that stuff and only having it between you and the rest of the car. In your formula car, how much foam are you using as compared to what would be needed for the SLC?

Actually, my guess is similar amounts????

 

[Cam]

That's surprising to me but if that's deemed safe for your formula car then there's more to it than I understand. We used some Home Depot expanding insulation in college to make custom seat inserts but the stuff you're using has a lot more science behind it than what we were doing

 

[Aaron H.]

Chuckle.... This site is great Christmas reading. The key word is READING..
My wish for the New Year is replacement calipers, SL-C seats that fit a 6' + man and Ho ho ho..... Donald Trump for everyone.