Full containment seats

#1

Is anyone here using an aluminum full containment seat in their e30? I’m wanting to get a Kirkey, Butler, LaJoie, or Ultrashield and am curious to know what kind of shoehorning is required to get one in or if they seem to fit OK. I am working out the details of the halo in my cage and figured the larger seats might come in to play.
Any pics would be appreciated.
thanks in advance,
John

#2

Im no expert but those things look like about 100 sheets of aluminum foil pressed together.
Get a real seat man!:dry:
That being said I noticed john allen has one… but you can tell from his driving that safety is not a high priority:P :wink:

#3

My car came with a Kirkey aluminum seat. It wasn’t so large that getting it in and out presented any problems. It had a right side head restraint (half a halo?) that bolted on. To install the seat the origonal owner took some rectangular cross section bar stock and fabricated a frame that would bolt to an E30 slider. Then he bolted the base of the seat to the fab’d frame.

I think that you have to use a back brace with one of these seats.

I sold it because the seat had been made to fit the PO, and it didn’t fit me very well.

So if the halo pieces can be bolted on, that gives you a lot of flexibility for exactly where you place them, and when you choose to do it. For example, if the halo peices made it difficult to get the seat into the car, you could install the halo pieces after you’ve installed the seat.
[file name=seat2.jpg size=112917]http://spece30.com/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/files/seat2.jpg[/file]

#4

unless it is something that I haven’t seen, I wouldn’t recommend those add-on side flaps on an aluminum seat. They are meant to stabilize your head in corners, not to be restrictive in a side impact. I have seen video of a person’s helmeted head pushing through one and the person rebounded on the outside of it. Not pretty.
thanks,
bruce

#5

I literally just had the new Kirkey full containment seat put in. It fit fine with the Nascar style door bars. I don’t think it would have fit with the X door bars (or it would have been tight). I haven’t taken pictures yet, but will very soon. I’ll get them posted here by the weekend.

I had it inspected at tech this weekend at summit point and they said it was more sturdy than any seat they had ever seen, so the comment to get a “real seat” is uneducated.

The Kirkey full containment seat head restraint is very strong and is required to be bolted to the seat and the cage, as are the shoulder bolsters.

I am very pleased with the comfort and sturdiness of this seat and look forward to changing some of the negative attitudes about aluminum seats as people sit in and try out my seat.

Pictures to follow…

Jason

#6

Aluminum seats have come a long way…but of course you get what you pay for, I had a seat with some of those bolt on head supports…ran them once, I am sure no one uses that style anymore. The LaJoie seats range up to 10k I believe…you go to the factory and they custome build it for you. I havent seen any of their off the shelf stuff, I am sure it is pretty good.

Al

#7

I thought the aluminum seats were far superior in a crash since you figure the metal would hold up to multiple impacts in a bad chunt. Rather then FG, kevlar, or CF which IMO only seam good for just one chunt.

#8

I’m no structural engineer, so I take let the FIA do my crash analysis for me. :blink:

I have a Sparco Circuit seat and I have been very happy with the comfort and secure feeling I get nestled down in it. I don’t think I could go back to a seat without side head restraints.

The instructions for my seat did not recommend a seat back brace, so I don’t have one. Please be careful to follow all the instructions - those designers/engineers make a bunch of money for a reason!

I don’t have any experience with aluminium seats, but I would caution you against re-using ANY safety equipment after a big hit (helmet, belts, seat, HANS). If they are doing their job, they give up some of their life to save yours!

Steve D.

#9

Just recently pick’d up a sparco circuit. now I can move my cobra imola over to passenger duty.

#10

I too use an FIA 8855-1999 standard seat - a Cobra Sebring Pro (diolen)

www.cobraseats.com

I’ve only ever seen alloy seats in speedway and oval stock car racing - most circuit cars in Australia run composite seats, and wrap around head restraints (e.g. wings/ears/hoops) are becoming a lot more common.