Fitted new seats...

[Akira2506]

"Coming to a McDonalnds near you..."

haha, okay, now that that's out of the way... yes, some people may find them chavtastic, but flying around a corner absaloutely strapped to the chasis of the car is amazing. You can feel exactly what the car is doing. Truely didnt know what I was missing. I wanted harnesses, buckets are just a bi-product. (which also rock)

I started looking at buckets... Cobras, Sparco, etc... and I almost died when I read £350.... EACH. Then u have to buy subframes, yadda yadda, etc etc. Being the budget-bodger modder that I am, I sourced some generic seats with "universal" subframes from Makro (cash and carry place) for £100 FOR THE PAIR. Bargain. They recline & slide... they're not the lightest in the world... they're lighter than OE, and I'd estimate about 6-9kg each.

Then it was a matter of subframes. The "universal" subframes dont fit Clios... added to that if it was bolted onto the chasis... you couldn't see over the dash. So, home-made subframes was zee answer. Got my dad to do all the hard work, he's a tooling engineer, and CNC'd all the holes, got it welded, etc etc. Again... they're pretty heavy, at about 2kg each subframe... but... its solid steel, and not going anywhere.

All was going well, however... all measurements had been made using the passenger side... which... apparently.. doesnt have a steering wheel. After installing the driver's side...WOOOPS... the steering wheel wasnt infront of the seat! Argh! It was out by about 5cm, but soooooo annoying, undriveably. Anyhoo, 5 drill-bits and lots of swear words later...new holes! and the seat was in it's rightful place.

3-point Harnesses slapped in, original seatbelts kept for optional use. (The misses gets friskey if she's straped in places not good when driving! )

All in all i'm a very happy bunny. My apex -60mm kit is in the garage, Ideally I wanted it lowered BEFORE installing the seats, but i've been arsed around with the suspension... and couldn't be bothered to wait. cant wait to get slammed and REALLY feel the benifits!

Pictures:

^Even the resident lamb was impressed.

Not bad for £100

-Akira

 

[Remedi]

Not bad at all mate!

Strip the rear seats:evil:

 

[kully]

nice

 

[Akira2506]

LOL, the rear seats are an ARSE!
I've taken the bench out, P of P... but the rear backsupport, its a HUGE torx screw!!! Neither me nor vinny have abit big ebough. We even tried bodging it with a flat head... it ain't budgin'!

Im gonna have to source one from else where... or grind/drill it, but I preffer the former of those options! :]

Gonna strip it then re-carpet it :] remove the spare, then put my sub a bit more tidy...



-Akira

 

[James.]

Look good mate. Funny, was gonna PM you a couple of days ago to see how your car was gettin on - Keeping an eye on the RT competition

 

[Akira2506]

Hehe! I'm loving my RT... I have my suspension in the garage, and I also have a tiny wee spoiler that I need to paint and fit... after that... who knows! :]

Oh, and bad points of harnesses:
-When fully strapped, I cant reach the buttons on the farside of my H/U
-If something falls into the passeneger footwell... it may as well fall into a black hole.
-No chance of getting tickets at car-parks / M6 toll
- Cant turn around to reverse
- Cant lean forward at junctions to see whats coming

So...pretty impractical... but when ur bouncing around a corner, fully moving with the car... it really feels great :]



-Akira

 

[Remedi]

^^LOL at that list!

Your car will look sweet lowered 60mm

 

[ajketley]

Dude the rear back support doesnt need a torx screw to come out, if you tilt the seat forward there is a leaver each side that just lifts up

 

[ajketley]

Oh and looks good

 

[Akira2506]

Oh...umm.. *feels like an idiot*

I'll have to have a look. The "hinge" between the two seats-backs was bolted into the chasis with a huge Torx... I assumed that it had to be removed for the seats to come out... shows what assumption did!

I'll take care of that tomorrow then!

Now... interior carpet (grey preff) anyone know a good place to buy?


-Akira

 

[ajketley]

Halfords did some but I think it was purely accoustic?

Anyone else please, I need black

 

[James.]

You can get a big roll of it from Motor World i belive

 

[GarethM]

nice seats fella cant go wrong for £100

 

[RSi Dave]

where was the seats from for £100?

 

[Akira2506]

A place called Makro. It's a wholesale place. They sell everything onto shops, who then sell to customers. Do lots of generic / unbranded stuff (often made in the same factory as the real thing) and yea...uber cheap :]

They come in black w/ red, blue or grey.


-Akira

 

[RSi Dave]

i see them every weekend. Always wondered what they would look like...

Did they fit ok?

I get 10% off aswell

Edit: Just read the post properly LOL....

 

[ollie_yesclio]

looks good mate. you need to strip it out now and get the harnesses bolted to where the rear seatbelts was about half way down the rear quart [thanks edde!] ill get a pic if u want, at work 2moro or something.
can post a pic of mine stripped out aswel if u want, bein a phase 3 an all

 

[Akira2506]

@ RSi Dave: You can buy "propper" subframes off the web for about £40 each... but I found this a bit silly... £80 on frames when the seats were only £100...lol.

@Ollie: I dont like that mounting point... I've seen people use it, and I don't like it. I also read all documentation that came with my harness, and where it's mounted currently is fine in terms of safety, etc. Your CoG is closest to the lapbelt, so thats what takes most of the impact... I think the angle of the rear strap is much more trivial...no doubt I'll regret it if I crash! *touch wood*


-Akira

 

[RSi Dave]

thats the problem with generic seats, look good tho. We have a set on show at my store and they look ok. No colours which would match my car tho

 

[ollie_yesclio]

i know what your saying, thats why just about everybody iv seen with harnesses has them where i used to, but then edde got a diagram up in another thread and it made sense, so i did it, looks different aswell!

 

[Leeshez]

Im worried for you i have seen a sheep and a pair of green wellys in your photos some thing you have to tell us? Oh BTW great photos

 

[Akira2506]

LOL ^_^

The joys of living in a cottage, apparently we have to have "Cottage attire"

The sheep is obviously made of clay, however... those weelies are made out of IRON!!!!!! haha! When I first saw them and tried to move them inside the house I almost crapped myself!



-Akira