| Rally seat install |
| A must purchase for rallying was a proper race seat seeing as the standard GL spec ones are completely devoid of support once you start throwing the car around. My biggest problem was finding somewhere to sit in a range of available seats so I could find the best seat for me (not just the best looking or label!!!) Demon Tweeks showroom proved to be the best spot for this, and was convinently located near our route on a Wales holiday. I found the best seat for me was a Cobra Suzuka. Unfortunately when I came to order it later they messed up my order so I got it cheaper from a local Carnoisseur (UK accessory chain)! |
| Step2: Mounting The race/rally specs call for some substantial seat mount strength so I decided to get some thick box section to give the extra required height. On advice from a veteran rallier it put the 30x30mm (2mm wall) box section across the car from the sills to the center tunnel. This provides extra side impact strength and adds mounting strenght due to the ends welded to the vertical sill and tunnel sides. <- pic showing the front box welded at the ends and across the floor along with some additional welds for the factory crossmember. |
| Step1: Trying to get the position right! Installing a very nonadjustable seat can be a nightmare - or so I've been told by others. I didn't find getting a reasonable position to be too difficult though. I first tried the seat at a mid height (on the sidemounts) sitting directly on the floor. Opps! I couldn't see the bonnet at all! I then tried the max height. Better but I still had to strain just to see the bonnet. Maybe ok for circuit racing but no good for rallying. I then tried some blocks of wood. An extra inch in height sorted the problem (At least it seems ok for now). Front/rear setting also didn't seem to difficult (again, for now anyway!) |
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| Step3: Making and Fitting the Mountings The box section was cut down to size and the short tube sections were made to a close fit in the box and taped down inside to the bolt holes. This stops any crushing of the box section when the seat mounts are torqued to the floor. I managed to tack weld the short tubes inside the box to ensure they will never move if the seat mount bolts are ever removed. The box was then welded across the floor. |
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| Step4: Protect and fit seat side mounts After all the welds are cleaned up the box section and floor are given a couple of coats of primer and the same to top coat to give good protection and a little bit of a clean factory look. The seat side mounts are then bolted down. I had some 8x60mm bolts but these weren't long enough at the rear so I got some M8x70 12.9 cap screws. These are stronger so I'll probably upgrade the fronts to this spec as well. I also made up the backing plates for the seat fixings. 3mm plate steel of minimum 40cm^2 is required by regulation so I made up four plates of 80cm^2 or more to be safe and fitted these under the floor. <- In the pic you can see the side mount bolted down along with the LH side belt and on the floor pan the eye bolts for the 2 harness crutch straps. |
| Shows the front box section finished and painted and the rear box just welded into place at each end |
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