Ottawa Fiero Club Forum

Looking at putting new seats in the car to go along with a racing harness (thinking about trying out the Solo I stuff in the spring...at the very least, attend the driving school). 

What seats are the best fit/easiest to install (or are they all pretty well standard)?

Cheers, Derek

These are presently on sale thru one of the vendors on redliners.ca

300.00 for a pair is a decent price.  Bear in mind that you will need to modify something to use as brackets/sliders.  This may raise or lower the seat from stock.  Also the Fiero seat is about 19" at the bottom and anything too wide will not fit.

Aftermarket seats differ a lot and I would recommend that you try the butt test before buying any.  What looks comfy may be pure hell, and vice versa.  I've sat in a few, but not in a Fiero so I don't know what to say.

From what I hear you may run into ticket trouble with a harness.  Some officers frown on a non stock setup nomatter how good it is.  You may need a bar or some plates to provide mounting points behind the seat as well.

Oh, and a harness is made to hold you in while racing.  You may find you can no longer reach the radio, drinkies, ashtray, switches, your wife, etc while driving.  :-\

Hmmm.....given the amount of restraint, perhaps a racing harness on the passenger side only.   :P

Maybe I'll stick with the stock seat and just have it recovered.  As for the seat belt, I guess I can just get a new one in a different colour and then stick with speakers in the seats (I was going to put mount speakers where the seat belt attaches near the sail panel).

Thanks for scaring me off Gary.  ;)

Cheers, Derek

No problemo....... that's what we're here for.    >:D

They do look nice and you don't need a harness for the street.  It's just a matter of finding ones that feel good.  Like that chinese XXL shirt that looks like a ladies medium.

There is room in the side panel for a speaker.  they did come with the speakers there, just cut a hole where you want .  door, side panel, dash, custom pod, all pretty easy to do.

There are also Corbeau and Sparco seats (click (http://www.racing-seats-usa.com)) ... and from the research I've done on both of them you can get adapters that work with the current bolt locations and/or the sliders for the stock seats.

What I'm considering once we get back to doing car stuff, is getting the racing seats but also keeping the stock seats.  Do what needs to be done to put in the 5 point harness in, but don't remove the stock seat belt.  Only put the racing seats in when they are needed... the rest of the time the stock seats stay in the car.

If you are looking at getting your seats recovered I can not praise MrMikes enough (click (http://www.mrmikes.com)).  We did the seats in the red car, and I am definitely getting them for the white car when I get a chance.  Excellent service and the quality is top notch.

-S

Mr. Mike's has a Christmas sale on now.  I sent Santa a link to the black Vette style seats.   O0

Cheers, Derek

Yes, yes, yes...if you install a racing harness make sure you also keep the stock unit for regular driving.

Aaron


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I see from the Mr. Mike's site that you can convert the stock Fiero seat to accept a racing harness.

Cheers, Derek

I installed a NHRA approved 5 point harness in an S10 along with a roll cage, every thing was done nice and strong. The first cop that noticed the set up gave him a ticket for improper seat belts and forced him to have the truck towed home so I would be carefull with after market seat belts. Dan

Hmmm....I'll have to ask someone at the police department in the town that I work about this, as well as consult the Highway Traffic Act.

Cheers, Derek

This is why if we ever get the car to that level, we intend to switch between racing seats and the OEM's "as required".  Original seats & belts shouldn't draw any attention from the cops, yet the 5-point gear & extra support will be there for track days.  Besides, it's not not as if it's difficult to switch out a seat.

I just heard back from a Police Chief who consulted with yet another Ontario Police Chief who both say that a racing harness is indeed legal is it meets the requirement of having shoulder and waist restraints. 

Cheers, Derek

If it will make you feel better, then get it in writing.  That way you'll have something to show in court when you have your 'say'.  Chances are pretty good that if you get the right (wrong?) officer, you will get a ticket.

That said, a racing harness is far superior for racing use.  Regular seatbelts are infinitely more practical for street use.   ^-^

Try driving home from work with both shoulders securely planted into the seat back and don't move them forward at all.  For this test you could tie a noose around your neck and to the headrest.  I must warn you that this may cause some consternation for the medical examiner during his autopsy should something go awry.   ;D

If life were about being "practical", I don't think I'd have a Fiero.   ;)

Will  you be coming to my place next weekend Gary???

Cheers, Derek

 >:(

Freakin' seats are a pain to get out.  I got the front 2 nuts off of the drivers seat but can't reach the back ones with the socket wrench.  Got one front nut off the passenger and rounded the sides off the other one.  The passenger seat doesn't slide...not that sliding the drivers helped me reach the back bolts.

Gary...where's that angle grinder of yours?!  Let's cut the freakin' things out and weld in new studs for the seats.   :o

Cheers, Derek

If the seat will move forward, you can get the nuts.  If it doesn't move, make sure the cable from one track to the other is intact and that both tracks release so the seat can slide.

No workee?  Then you can grind the edge off off the nut.  Do not grind into the threads of the stud. Once it is flattened you should be able to knock it with an air hammer or screwdriver and hammer to rotate the nut.  I've had fairly good luck so far.

Try to protect the carpet and seat as the sparks will melt into them.   ^-^

For the rounded-off nut, invest in a nut splitter or one of those rounded-off bolt socket sets (http://www.sears.ca/gp/product/B000HU9AEA/sr=1-6/qid=1165845232/ref=sr_1_6/103-0570634-4161454?ie=UTF8&searsBrand=core&mqnodeid=16365111).  Or both.  :)  No sparks, no heat, just busted nut removal.

Use a combination or ratcheting wrench to get at the back nuts--even with the seat all the way forward it's a PITA to get a low profile socket on them.

I could never get my nutbuster on the nut (it may be too big), Yeah they are in a lousy spot if the seat doesnt move.

If you don't need to save the rail then you can bend it up and cut it off in pieces.

I've never done it, but putting a bolt thru the floor doesn't seem to be a biggie...I don't think there's anything there to damage.

I'm going to have to give this one a bit of thought.  If it's this big a pain to take out, won't it be an equally big pain to put back in?!

I'm not worried about saving the carpet (would like to put in black carpetting) or the rail for that matter, so maybe cutting the rail out would be the best thing.  I think this may be a spring project. 

Cheers, Derek

Not if you apply a little extra TLC, no.  :)  Once the seat is out, chase the studs' threads with a die to clean them up.  For the re-install, use new nuts & anti-seize. 

For an added bonus, sandblast & paint the seat rails before re-installing, but make sure you have a way to get the blasting media out of the moving parts...  Submerging the rails in a tub full of warm water & TSP while working the slider back & forth for a while seems to do it.  Chuck it in the oven at 150°F for about an hour to dry.  Paint, lube, re-install!

You can get carpet in any colour and a couple of types (fuzzy or loop) from The restoration place in Prescott.  You may find cheaper on ebay, if you look around.

As far as I know, all replacement carpet is manufactured by ACC no matter who is selling it. So price is the key....it's the same stuff everywhere.

Also note there is no driver's side dead pedal pad on any replacement stuff.

Two things you could try:
1. I often find that a good long handle pair of "channel lock" nutbuster pliers works almost every time.  They will hold better than any wrench in your set, since you don’t mind wrecking the nut.
2. Vice grip makes a pair of nut locking pliers as well.  They hold the nut on three sides.  Hack that on good and solid and work it back and forth for a while until the nut comes loose.  All you need is a nut that isn’t completely rounded yet.  These will also not round or damage the nut so it's usually the first tool I try!

You may have the problem where the stud brakes off.  In that case you will have to drill the floor and install a bolt through it.  Hopefully it won't come to that.

Good luck.


Aaron

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