Seat Recommendations

[RedBeard02]

Hello everyone, this is my first post and immediately I'm asking for help, imagine that? Ha!

Anyway, I've looked around and searched this forum but haven't found anything yet on this.

I am building a 1989 CRX Si for SCCA SOLO competition in STS class. The car currently has the factory seats which of course have a great bit of wear.

So, I'm looking for a seat and rail setup that will keep me low in the car and held still. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance.

[kevbo82]

I have a kirkey fixed mounted in my car. I love it, but everyone else hates it lol I'm 5'10" and like to sit close to the wheel so ingress and egress SUCK and one of the fun new ways to pass the time at events has become "who can fit in the CRX?"




If you haven't seen Andy Hollis' notes on the Hollis racing Facebook page, go there now and read all of his STS notes! but he has article about mounting a kirkey to stock sliders, but his was an 88 and the sliders sit level left to right unlike my 89 so that idea didn't work for me...

the past few events were too cold and I really need a tire warmer (co-driver) to keep heat in the tires so I put a friends Corbeau forza in the car with corbeau sliders. It's nice and comfy for hour plus rides, and when you pull the bottom pad out (velcro's in place) you sit deep enough to not have headroom problems with a helmet, and also get held on the sides. It's still too loose for my tastes, but my co-drivers raved about how much they liked the seat. Good price, decent quality and comfort. Both seats needed ballast to make legal weight.

[kevbo82]

side question, what do you have planned for the car setup wise? Where are you located?
Here's a video of mine, pretty much a mix of the redshift STS cars and Andy Hollis notes

https://youtu.be/6fyTGi35IJU

[RedBeard02]

Thank you for your time!

I'm 6'1" and oversized for a STS driver! Lol. So I'm instantly at a disadvantage with these cars but I still have fun in the class. This year I spent my time in a 1990 Miata in STS. I was a co-driver that was faster than the owner. We were 77/177 at Nationals this year. I was good Day 1 (25th in class) but the rain on Day 2 with no wet setup killed us. My first year in a RWD and I won the season championship with my local region, Central Carolinas Region.
Now I'm just wanting to buy parts and build my own car again.

Having a sunroof can be very beneficial at times! Haha!! I see the orange and blue CRX in the background, I take it your around Milwaukee area? I'm a hour and a half North of CCR in Winston Salem, NC.
It'll also be my 2nd autocross Honda (first being an '85 Civic in SMF with 4 local championships).
I'm not a great driver, just less mediocre than some, haha!! And Jinx Jordan runs Pro class. lol

I'll be honest, a fixed back for the driver side wouldn't be too bad but I'd like it most on a slider. I've made brackets before but that was for parallel and level sliders which these are not... I do need to take the time and read all of Hollis' notes. Get a better direction of where to go.

I may look into the Corbeau seat. Was it a bracket/rail setup for the 89 CRX? I like that about the seat bottom. The Miata I was in had a similar style to it. We'd take the seat bottom and place it for lumbar support.

Setup wise I'm still looking and learning what everyone else is using. Koni, Bilstien, Moton, etc. The Whitener setup has my interest but $$$ isn't as flowing as I'd like just yet, haha.

Also, what tires are you running? I've liked the RE-71Rs on the Miata. I had thought about trying others out next year though.

Thank you for posting the video! I like that camera angle. I may do that on mine. I like having video with a good view of the course and driver.
BTW, speaking of video, here's one of mine in the Miata.
It was enough for the class win and Fastest Time for Street Touring.
https://youtu.be/6K0IZK7RcBw

Sorry, I can get winded...

[kevbo82]

I used the same seat bracket I use with the kirkey, which is pretty much just like the wedge engineering type. Bolted the corbeau sliders right to that. I'm going to spend some time this winter seeing if I can get some sliders to work with the kirkey, would make life easier for me.

I'm in the Philadelphia region, the blue/orange car is Mike Snyder's. He and co-driver Ian Baker are usually top 5-10 at nat's. I only did one event with them this season and I finished between the two of them so I was happy just to be close if only for that day! Last event of the year in Mikes home region Mike broke his tranny in his first run so didn't get to compare.

I'm on Konis/ground controls. Great bang for the buck, I'm also really interested in the Whiteners in the near future, I believe they're very close in price to the Koni races valves

[RedBeard02]

Oh okay. I got to looking around on the Corbeau website and found that they offer brackets with double locking sliders cheaper than Wedge. I have a Wedge bracket in my 85 Civic and love it with the ProCar fixed back seat. I do like the idea of being able to remove the seat bottom to get lower with the Corbeau though.

Oh! I feel like an idiot! I thought it was someone else's! Lol. Wow! Great job man! I honestly want to trophy at Nationals at least once. Then I'd be happy, haha.

Nice. There's one local that runs a CRX in STS, just one... I've driven the car a couple of times and it's on the Koni/GC setup and I like it pretty good. His is an 88 with 313k miles and never been rebuilt. It's a smoker like it's owner, lol! He was going to be at Nationals this year but his work messed him over on his vacation.

[Mista Bone]

How "oversized" are you?

I have a Kirkey Pro Street, 20" wide I think with cover. It is notched for roll bar clearance from the car it was in, but I only have $50 in it.

I'm headed your way next weekend, but with four BFG race tires and a transmission I doubt I'll have room. When I make the trip back with the transmission, I might have room depending on how much I have to haul to CT.

I'll get pics sometime this week.

Also. be forewarned, STS is hard on stock diff pins.

[tommy]

If you need extra width, Cobra seats are offered in wide versions. I have one in my CRX. However, someone here tried a Cobra wide with "normal" bracket and sliders, and couldn't get it to fit (though you can easily remove the fabric and shave down the shoulders on the seat). Mine fits fine with plenty of room on my custom non-slider bracket (Wicked Innovations made it). With sliders and a non-custom bracket, head room will be an issue, no matter what crx you have, at 6' 1". I'm 5' 10" have have tons of room in my Si with my setup the way it is.

[kevbo82]

How "oversized" are you?


Also. be forewarned, STS is hard on stock diff pins.

If you have a moment could you elaborate on this a bit? I've never done anything more to a trans than replace the whole thing or change fluids lol would be interested to learn something. What are the pins and is there any preventative measure to take with them or just nature of the beast when you run an old econo car in street touring?

[Mista Bone]

Due to STS rules and the legality of swapping in the improved 92-00 version, might be kust the nature of the beast.

I'm dropping off a STS spare trans I built this weekend, except it is now the #1 bullet as the diff pin broke not while autocrossing but while pulling into the garage just before Halloweeen.

My old pics.

88-91 non coated pin, worn through by the spider gears



92-00 coated pin



At a speed of about 25 mph when diff pin goes boom

[kevbo82]

Ok I see what you're saying. Thanks for the info. I wonder if they still make/sell the original pins? If not I would think the newer ones would be legal? Ironically I just saw Mike Snyder post this shot of his that broke a few weeks ago and I see exactly that pin wear you're talking about

[RedBeard02]

I'm just over 270# with a 40in waist size. I can fit in smaller seats after a few bumps the tighten the belts, haha.
Thank you for the warning on the different pins. I may have to look into it at some point for reassurance.


Tommy, I've been looking at Cobra as well. They have some nice seats, that's for sure.

Thank you guys for your time and input.

[Mista Bone]

Ok I see what you're saying. Thanks for the info. I wonder if they still make/sell the original pins? If not I would think the newer ones would be legal? Ironically I just saw Mike Snyder post this shot of his that broke a few weeks ago and I see exactly that pin wear you're talking about

You cannot buy just the pins, but I have a few laying around from parted out transmissions. I should have Mike's fixed by spring, he is in no rush since the spare I built for him is now installed in the car. The busted teeth also punched a hole in the case. The case could be welded, but I have spares.

[tommy]

I'm just over 270# with a 40in waist size. I can fit in smaller seats after a few bumps the tighten the belts, haha.Tommy, I've been looking at Cobra as well. They have some nice seats, that's for sure.

The wides should fit you fine, then.

I got mine from HMS (showrooms outside of Boston and in NC too) - if you can swing it, definitely sit in the seat you're going to buy before you plop down the clams.

[raffaelli]

I'm just over 270# with a 40in waist size. I can fit in smaller seats after a few bumps the tighten the belts, haha.
Thank you for the warning on the different pins. I may have to look into it at some point for reassurance.


Tommy, I've been looking at Cobra as well. They have some nice seats, that's for sure.

Thank you guys for your time and input.

I am that size. I fit in a Kirky 17", no issues.

[RedBeard02]

Hello everyone, I know it's been a while since I've posted.

Ended up going with a Kirkey 16800 seat mounted on a Corbeau slider. Some washers to space up the front to clear but it's working great so far. I've done one event so far with it and tomorrow will be number 2 for me.

As for a follow up on the suspension I was going to use, I ended up buying a Whitener setup. I must say it is pretty awesome! My setup is showing up to the event, putting in the stiffer rear springs, adjusting tire pressures and then driving. It's pretty nice for me. Haha.


Here is a video from my most recent event. First time with the Kirkey and second time with the car on the new Whitener Racing Shocks:
https://youtu.be/5aXs6TYmzV4

[kevbo82]

Hello everyone, I know it's been a while since I've posted.

Ended up going with a Kirkey 16800 seat mounted on a Corbeau slider. Some washers to space up the front to clear but it's working great so far. I've done one event so far with it and tomorrow will be number 2 for me.

As for a follow up on the suspension I was going to use, I ended up buying a Whitener setup. I must say it is pretty awesome! My setup is showing up to the event, putting in the stiffer rear springs, adjusting tire pressures and then driving. It's pretty nice for me. Haha.


Here is a video from my most recent event. First time with the Kirkey and second time with the car on the new Whitener Racing Shocks:
https://youtu.be/5aXs6TYmzV4

I was strongly considering the Whitener shocks, I was at the Oscoda pro and was pretty much the only car in grid that didn't seem to be on them (including David's miata) his car looks awesome, and he definitely knows his way around a shock and autocross cars so for the price it's a hard to beat setup. After doing my first three national level events this year (all pro solo's) and managing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in class and only being off by one and two tenths some of those times while still feeling like the least prepared car I decided it's time to do some upgrades and see if I can find these tenths (also need some work on the light where I was leaving time) I've decided to go with some custom stuff Chris Shenefield at Redshift is building, pretty excited for next year!

On the seat front I finally worked out some sliders for my Kirkey using the stock sliders, which as i'm sure you saw in an 89 is all different levels of height at the floor mounts. Ended up welding together some 1" square bar along the drivers side and some cross pieces with spacers that all bolt to the stock slider and then flat to the Kirkey. Got the seat onto the stock sliders without ruining anything and being totally reversible and gives the seat a HUGE range of adjustment front to back. Even gained me maybe 3/4" of headroom compared to my old fixed mount as well. I think I snapped some photos of it as I was making it, i'll post them if i can find them incase it ever helps anyone

[88k_crx]

Im running bride low max with PCI side mounts and brackets and the lowest setting. With my full cage and helmet on i don't have much room. Ive seen people lower the mounts on the floor and build their own rails to get the seat low. Also im 6 foot.

[AttackCRX]

Im running bride low max with PCI side mounts and brackets and the lowest setting. With my full cage and helmet on i don't have much room.

Good to know, I'm in the process of doing this now except with a Corbeau FX1. Haven't mounted the PCI bracket yet...

[88k_crx]

Im running bride low max with PCI side mounts and brackets and the lowest setting. With my full cage and helmet on i don't have much room.

Good to know, I'm in the process of doing this now except with a Corbeau FX1. Haven't mounted the PCI bracket yet...

Here is the best picture i have of that setup.

[AttackCRX]

Oh wow that's low! That's really good info since my next option was running the Low Max seat and I'm about the same height as you. Thanks for the pic!

[88k_crx]

Oh wow that's low! That's really good info since my next option was running the Low Max seat and I'm about the same height as you. Thanks for the pic!

No problem man.