Re: Rules amendments 2013
 

[QUOTE=Mark Yacavone;356613]I thought this was all about "safety" ?

It is about safety formost but sometimes you get an an added bonus. I would still add the aftermarket seats even if they did weigh the same as my bench seat so I could be safer in the car. Its a no brainer on that point alone.

Re: Rules amendments 2013
 

Just fabricate a notch into the seat frame, have it upholstered over and put the shifter where you want it...Been done for years

Right on Yac. Mom did that for me on the '50 Olds back in 1967.

Jerry

Re: Rules amendments 2013
 

I wonder how much safer a lightweight, seat, with lightweight home made mounting brackets , installed by a hobbyist in his garage , would be than a seat and track system designed by SAE engineers, crash tested by the factory, and meant to last for many years. This seat deal kinda reminds me of the aftermarket brakes that were lobbied for years by racers who removed the heavy factory front disc brakes their cars came with, replaced them with tiny 4 or 6 cylinder brakes, and then complained they couldn`t stop safetly anymore.

Re: Rules amendments 2013
 

The seats in our old cars are designed for 170 pound people in 45MPH crashes.

Re: Rules amendments 2013
 

Good point, Rory
Kinda makes me wonder if these people installing the new seats are the same ones who can't possibly notch an OEM seat for a shifter, weld up a seat track mechanism so it won't move, strip down a seat and gusset the weak points, cut a slot through the back for a Y harness, secure the seat back against the roll bar brace so it can't move rearward or beef up the ORIGINAL mounting, if so needed?

Re: Rules amendments 2013
 

The responsibility still falls on the owner/driver to do it "right" and hopefully tech can make sure. Same thing applies to stuff like roll bars. They can be exhaust tubing to save weight....fine until tech checks it or you crash.

OEM seats are fine as long as you're going straight. The real problems arise when the car is NOT going straight down the track. That's where the "sliding around" and possibly "slip out of the belts" comes in, when the car starts bouncing off walls, spinning, etc. Yes, it may not be common, but neither are trans explosions (shields), broken driveshafts (loops), roll-overs (roll bars), etc.

Aftermarket seats envelop more of your body plus provide belt slots to keep you in the seat. The faster one goes, the bigger the risk. Circle track cars require race seats and many of their lap speeds are slower than many stockers!

Now if one or two companies would step up as contingency sponsors..........!

It is unfortunate that Stock is getting further away from "stock", but sometimes it is a better idea.

I wonder if IHRA will follow suit.

Re: Rules amendments 2013
 

Yea because doing all that suddenly makes a 40 yr old seat not made out of 40 yr old steel. Btw who here can tell me without a doubt that their stock seats were never in a crash that could have compromised them?

Re: Rules amendments 2013
 

Hey Mark,
Do you have an extra factory bench seat for a 69 Cobra laying around that you could donate to this cause? I'm not going to cut up and alter the ORIGINAL seat for this car. You guys are worried about people installing the aftermarket seats safely and correctly but you are recommending that I cut up and the factory seat frame to notch it for the shifter? Which will more than likely be a weak point in a crash?

Re: Rules amendments 2013
 

x2

Re: Rules amendments 2013
 

Kris, pretty sure you wouldn't have had to use an original Cobra seat, the way the rules were.
...and as far as the notching...That all depends on who's doing it...same as the mounting of the new seats or seat , singular . I guess you don't even need matching style front seats any more...Just like Bracket II.