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(Continuing from this thread http://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/326464-best-place-to-try-racing-seats-in-melbourne/ )

Ok so I went and got a new seat for the R34 today, a Sparco Sprint V fixed back. Now I just have to get it mounted it in my R34 GTT Sedan :)

Here's what I've learned so far by having a look around (see pics below too):

  • The Sparco is both FIA and ADR approved
  • The OEM seat is secured by bolts not rivets so theoretically it could be replaced with another
  • The seat belt receptacle moves with the seat, which I'd love to retain with the new seat
  • The OEM seat bolt pattern is 325mm wide, 350mm deep
  • The Sparco bolt pattern is 345mm wide, 270mm deep, so it'll need offset plates at least
  • The bottom of the OEM is curiously shaped – the front is higher than the rear to clear the height/tilt control mechanism. I'm not sure if you can just drop in a flat bottomed seat but perhaps worth a go. With the rear of the seat at its highest I think a flat seat would clear the cross bars (see pic).

I didn't buy the Sparco slider yet as I'm keen to try mounting on OEM rails and slider if possible.

Has anyone mounted the Sparco or a similar fixed back seat on the OEM rails in a 4door GTT?

Is there any chance of retaining the OEM height/tilt controls without breaking the original seat? Would the new seat fit next to them? The controls go through the fabric but I'm sure the knobs come off somehow.

If OEM rails are not possible what's the recommendation?

I've read somewhere that Bride rails might work but I want to be 100% sure as this is a sedan and apparently the coupe floorpan is different. With the sedan the rear end of the LH rail bolts onto the transmission tunnel (side) whereas the front end and both ends of the RH rail bolt onto the floor.

Also what do you do with the seat belt receptacle (which I must retain for the street) on an aftermarket rail...?

Thanks heaps!!

Sparco bolt pattern:

21508974326_4b24ca913d_z.jpg

OEM seat bolt pattern:

21347137600_47e9ea8585_z.jpg

Seat adjustment mechanism:

21524013442_5a193b5616_z.jpg

Seat adjustment knobs:

20912425274_95b393380c_z.jpg

Sparco Sprint V:

Sprint-01%20%28Large%29.jpg

I'm planning on running normal 3-point belt on the street and a 4-point harness on the track, a bit like this (notice how the seatbelt receptacle is slotted through the side of the seat):

4865473831_dabe65d725_z.jpg

On the track I'm planning on running the harness to the rear seat belt points as a harness bar is not an option in this car:

TAKATA-2-680x453.jpg

One more photo of the R34 GTT sedan driver's side rails, see how the LH rear bolts to the side not the floor:

21350185379_aa2a83e3a7_z.jpg

Edited by V28VX37

Ok I pulled out the OEM seat tonight. I'm 99% confident that there's no way to reuse the stock rails, at least not without binning the rest of the seat, which I don't want to do.

The under seat bolts that I measured previously are just for the seat part, the reclining seat back is another separate piece. Also the seat part mounts onto separate 'rotating' L brackets that sit too close together across for the new seat to fit in between. The new seat is about 410mm wide at the bottom.

Any recommendations for aftermarket rails for the sedan? I've seen Bride and Powerails, leaning towards Bride but I want to confirm that they suit the car and the seat 100%, with no mucking around.

...

Underside of the seat

20942766164_290dce7155_z.jpg

Space between rails. You can see how the seat brackets and bolts sit a lot further in still.

21378625609_5f8d9c927d_z.jpg

Seatback adjustments

21565701155_b0aa2ee2ba_z.jpg

Seat rails mounting points

21554282192_ed9cf53f0a_z.jpg

Seat rails mounting points, see the curious hump up front and the holes for the twin 'alignment pins' next to the front left leg:

20942763754_b069d3b69b_z.jpg

I've tracked down the following Bride rail on sale:

BRIDE bottom mount seat rail type-RO drivers R/H side for NISSAN R34 GTT, W405mm x D260mm/235mm bolt holes
Details off the sticker: Bride Super Seat - Model R34(RWD) - Type RH - Code N105 - Parts list B
> Can anyone confirm if this rail suits an R34 GTT sedan?
I've found two older SAU for sale ads for 4door Bride rails and they had the following details on the (older style) sticker:
Bride - Model R34 - Type RH (T) - Code N105SO - Parts list SN*1
I can't find a clear answer if N105 and N105SO are for coupe and sedan, or whether the N105 is just a newer version of N105SO?!
...
Here's the approximate bolt pattern measurements off the floor pan that I need:
21406280038_3feb3aa019_z.jpg

Ok I've ordered this rail, fingers crossed: Bride Super Seat - Model R34(RWD) - Type RH - Code N105 - Parts list B

Next problem: The eyelet bolts supplied with the Sparco harness are M11x1.25 and fit nicely at the rear seatbelt mounts, however the seat rail bolts are M10x1.25.

Any suggestions on where to get high tensile (grade 10.9 Metric) eyelet bolts in M10x1.25 in Melbourne or online??

4501.jpg

I've tracked down the following Bride rail on sale:

BRIDE bottom mount seat rail type-RO drivers R/H side for NISSAN R34 GTT, W405mm x D260mm/235mm bolt holes
Details off the sticker: Bride Super Seat - Model R34(RWD) - Type RH - Code N105 - Parts list B
> Can anyone confirm if this rail suits an R34 GTT sedan?
I've found two older SAU for sale ads for 4door Bride rails and they had the following details on the (older style) sticker:
Bride - Model R34 - Type RH (T) - Code N105SO - Parts list SN*1
I can't find a clear answer if N105 and N105SO are for coupe and sedan, or whether the N105 is just a newer version of N105SO?!

I got the Bride N105 and I can confirm that it suits an R34 GTT (RWD) sedan. It's good quality, just needs offset plates to suit the Sparco seat.

In hindsight a side mount rail might be better to help go a little lower and allow for tilt adjustment too.

As someone with a sedan, looking for a decent seat in the future.... please keep posting cause this is super useful :P

Haha thanks Greg, I knew someone must be reading!

Let me know if you ever want to check the seat out in car, it's quite different to just sitting in one in the shop, let alone browsing eBay for cool Bride copies... :)

Some initial impressions of the Sparco Sprint V in the R34 GTT - it's certainly night and day between that and the OEM seat:

Pros:

  • Great fit around the hips and shoulders
  • Lateral support is brilliant
  • Standard seatbelt doesn't foul the seat shoulder
  • Solid fitment on the Bride rail with custom offset plates
  • Excellent restraint in track setup with the 4-point harness

Cons:

  • The front thigh bolster is pretty high, which means I need to sit pretty close to the steering wheel to reach the pedals well. Side mounting would help as it would allow tilting the seat forward a little.
  • It could be a touch lower, currently it's very similar or marginally higher than the OEM seat - which goes really low for a stock one! Again going side mount would probably allow another 5-10mm drop.
  • Getting in and out of the car is like gymnastics but I'm getting used to it :) A bit hard in tight car parks though

So the main potential improvement is moving from bottom mount to side mount for more adjustability.

I'm also looking at getting the lumbar support pads that come standard with the Sparco Pro 2000.

I'll try to report back after some longer term use.

Thanks 75coupe.

Just to add to this thread, this is a great introduction to race seat fitment from OG Industries:

http://www.ogracing.com/blog/2013/06/race-seat-fitment-introduction/

http://www.ogracing.com/blog/2013/06/race-seat-fitment-sparco-evo-series-and-pro-2000/

Seat-mounting-schematic-copy.jpg

This picture shows the difference between what you use to bottom mount and side mount a seat. The red arrows point to what the item above is attached to.

  • 2 weeks later...

...

Next problem: The eyelet bolts supplied with the Sparco harness are M11x1.25 and fit nicely at the rear seatbelt mounts, however the seat rail bolts are M10x1.25.

Any suggestions on where to get high tensile (grade 10.9 Metric) eyelet bolts in M10x1.25 in Melbourne or online??

4501.jpg

Ok I'm having trouble finding high tensile harness eye bolts in M10, any suggestions? I only need two to replace the two seat rail rear bolts with.

I realise that this is not going to be an FIA spec solution but I'm not keen on drilling holes through the chassis and installing M11 mounting plates for a couple of track days a year...

  • 2 weeks later...

Ok I'm having trouble finding high tensile harness eye bolts in M10, any suggestions? I only need two to replace the two seat rail rear bolts with.

I realise that this is not going to be an FIA spec solution but I'm not keen on drilling holes through the chassis and installing M11 mounting plates for a couple of track days a year...

These are rare as hen's teeth. I've ordered a pair from Japan, hopefully getting them soon...

...

Hey here's one for the interior specialists. For the shoulder straps I've mounted the Sparco harness eye bolts at the rear seatbelt mounts. The left hand side can be accessed (just) via the seat belt slot/cutout in the seat, however the right one can't.

I'm not too keen to have to pull out the rear seat bottom part every time when wanting to use the harness so I'm planning on cutting a small hole through the seat foam, see pic below.

Any thoughts on how to tie down the upholstery around the new hole to avoid it tearing??

22441007731_1382122b9f_o.jpg

...

Hey here's one for the interior specialists. For the shoulder straps I've mounted the Sparco harness eye bolts at the rear seatbelt mounts. The left hand side can be accessed (just) via the seat belt slot/cutout in the seat, however the right one can't.

I'm not too keen to have to pull out the rear seat bottom part every time when wanting to use the harness so I'm planning on cutting a small hole through the seat foam, see pic below.

Any thoughts on how to tie down the upholstery around the new hole to avoid it tearing??

I had another another look at this today, it's a bit trickier than I thought.

I cut a hole into the seat foam - didn't cut the fabric just yet - to get a feel for how it might work, see below for photos.

The harness eye bolt is located in a spot that covered by a thick piece of seat foam so it sits deep, about 10 cm.

This means that I won't be able to get the Sparco hook directly onto the eye. Does anyone know if there's an extension clip/rod (?) and where I might be able to find one? I mocked up how this might sit below.

Also I'm still after some ideas on how to hook in/secure and protect the fabric around a 25mm hole once I cut it.

Photos

Sparco harness eye bolt and hook

22268152410_0170d2af05.jpg

Extension rod mock up

22442805622_7c9d20a691.jpg

Seat foam pass-through hole

22442805242_24d3b878dc.jpg

Seat foam pass-through hole

22430121696_3c3faa2a42.jpg

Seat fabric that needs to be cut

22456115865_a71b82ba5a.jpg

...

Lastly here's a 'side belt extension' I found online that could theoretically work:

sideBelt_bdf4c429.jpg

or this 6" bend angle bracket (I suppose one could make this too)

6-inch-bracket-seat-belt-right-1.jpg

Edited by V28VX37

I've ordered one of these, should be pretty easy to run through the seat trim and then hook onto that, fingers crossed. Also can be folded away when not in use.

truck-seat-belt-extender-8.jpg

  • 3 weeks later...

Well I can now run a four point harness without taking out the rear seat or adding any holes, yay!

I ended up running the seat belt extender around the rear edge of the seat bottom (rather than through it), works well. See pics below.

I've also got the standard Sparco harness eyelet bolt under there (7/16" UNF) so in case someone doesn't like the setup in scrutineering I can just hook directly onto that instead.

The D shackle is a 1 tonne item from Bunnings.

Just in case anyone else is looking for the eyelet bolts that go in the seat rails they are M10x1.25.

Very hard to find, I spotted them via this NASIOC thread (thanks!): http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2696767

They're offered by Moto-Rage in Japan: http://www.moto-rage.co.jp/product/partslist/hanyo/other/index.php

I tried contacting them directly but got no response, luckily Jesse Streeter sorted it all out for me, great service as always. http://jessestreeter.com/

I'd say the harness makes almost more of a difference than the seat, it's rad! Not a straightforward install but well worth the trouble.

Photos

Two M10x1.25 eyelet bolts, Sparco 7/16" UNF in the middle
22381598234_3e771466d1.jpg
M10x1.25 eyelet bolts installed
22612149429_cc1183ba55.jpg
Seat belt extender installed under the Sparco eyelet bolt
22586029838_d84a622c3f.jpg
Seat belt extender without harness
22978330266_8757455fcb.jpg
Four point harness installed
22990911882_0fd589e930.jpg

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