Seating position

[DanEC]

Hard to believe but although I've been working on #782 for two years, I've never dropped a seat in it before and tried it on for size - so I set the passenger seat in it tonight since I could get to that side. I'm 6'2" with a 34 inch inseam so I'm not planning to use seat tracks. I seemed to sit low enough, but I'm surprised how far forward the factory punched seat mounting holes in the floor boards placed me. At least on the pass side the seat could easily be mounted several inches further back. I think the driver side is a little further back than the pass side.

So . . . have most of you w/o seat tracks ended up drilling additional mounting holes a little further back? I know the floor boards have a reinforcement at the factory locations so I would have to do something equivalent for anchorage.

How much do the seat tracks actually raise the seat up? I seemed pretty low - but I think they cut the padding down somewhat in the seats at my request.

Thanks

[Got the Bug]

Dan,

Get in touch with Tim (TKB289) on Club Cobra. He recently built an ERA FIA and has some experience with seat choices and installation methods in an ERA. I'm the same height and have the same inseam, and have my seat istalled in my Superformance without rails as far back as poosible. Just works for me, but it wasn't back far enough for Tim when he sat in my car.

[DanEC]

After a little thought - I think I can take some 3/16 x 1-1/2 in wide steel strips, drill some holes and countersink them to secure it to the factory reinforced seat mounting holes. Then drill some holes a little further back in the steel and countersink them on the bottom to secure to the seat. Paint them black and bolt the whole thing through the floor and go on. I believe the driver seat sits a little further back than the pass seat. I'll have to try it out and see where it sits first.

Dan

[wolf k]

Dan, I am the exact same height as you. Yes, I re-drilled seat holes to push the seat as far back as it would go in my FIA. I just plugged the holes with flat rubber plugs.I have comp seats with no tracks and still wish for more leg room. I should have modified my pedals for more left leg room.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by wolf k

Dan, I am the exact same height as you. Yes, I re-drilled seat holes to push the seat as far back as it would go in my FIA. I just plugged the holes with flat rubber plugs.I have comp seats with no tracks and still wish for more leg room. I should have modified my pedals for more left leg room.

Thanks - if the home made steel brackets turn out to be too much trouble I may just do the same.

[Legless]

Just remember if you have your seat pretty well against the rear deck and have the seat rails installed it can actually give you a more comfortable driving position as it allows the seat to be reclined further back giving more distance between your shoulders and and the steering wheel. On my car the rails are minimal height and I dont think removing them would get you more than half an inch lower, if the seat goes lower it has to move forward unless of course you want to sit bolt upright.

[cscobra]

I'm using the seat tracks for both driver and passenger. With them and the shims used for height adjustment, it seems to me that eventually one can find the best spot with regard to legroom and seat height above the floor.

[DanEC]

When I get a little closer to completion (instrument panel, steering column and windshield installed) I'll try it out again and see where I seem to fall and make a decision on the tracks. I was planning on reclining the seats by shimming the front mounts.

So the ERA tracks are only 1/2 inch tall?

[strictlypersonl]

The seat tracks raise the seat by roughly 3/4".