Ok, I drive my car pretty solidly into the corners, and have attended a auto-X or 2; and had some issues in feeling secure in the seat, I was holding myself there with my arms instead of the seat holding me in.

So.. I added some support to the seat.

The Firebird seats can be easially removed from the car with 4 nuts, and 2 screws (watch the wires if you have power seats).

Then remove the seat from the sliders, and split the back from the base with 1 bolt on the hinge side, and a couple bolts on the adjustment/tilt side.

Remove the covers from the cushions, they just unclip and slide off. Slowly work your arm inbetween the cover and foam to seperate any inside velcro.

You can then remove the foam from the metal frame.

I then made a template out of cardboard that follows the shape of the seat boulsters, both lower seat and upper seat; ~2" in from the seam.

I then cut plates of steel, just something I picked up from Home Depot for like $6. Then welded the plates to the frames as shown below; being sure to place the plate right so it can slide into the boulsters and stiffen them.

Bottom Section:
http://www.diamonddetailing.biz/gall...0022.sized.jpg

http://www.diamonddetailing.biz/gall...0021.sized.jpg

http://www.diamonddetailing.biz/gall...0020.sized.jpg

Upper Section:
http://www.diamonddetailing.biz/gall...0017.sized.jpg

I then added this edging that I got from my brother at his shop. Check with your local bodyshop or interior supply store. It's just a U-shaped edging with some adhesive in the middle. If you can't find any with the adhesive, then I just suggest a small amount of RTV silicone.

http://www.diamonddetailing.biz/gall...0019.sized.jpg

Be sure to wrap all the edges of the plates that were just welded; this will prevent the metal from cutting the foam further than you do, and it wearing through and cutting you at any time.

You can see the black bead applied to the one side.

http://www.diamonddetailing.biz/gall...0018.sized.jpg

http://www.diamonddetailing.biz/gall...0018.sized.jpg

Now, Before you go weld the plates on you need to cut the foam to accept the plates. I used a combination of a razor on a 6" handle and a hand-held one.

http://www.diamonddetailing.biz/gall...2190023?full=1



Be sure to cut in the middle of the boulster foam, and create just a slice in the size and shape of the foam. Make this slightly small, do the final fitting after the plates are welded. Once they are welded, do the final fitting of the pocket on the plates, and make sure the foam seats completely as it did, just with the plates.

Then re-cover the seats with the old covers or replacement covers. The plates that I made are soft enough where you can bend it if you put some strength into it, but they are strong enough to hold me (6'3", 200#) in the seats a LOT more securely. Now this season with the 5-points, I'll be locked right in the seat. You can see how much tighter the seat is now by looking at where the plates are bent in comarison to how the plain foam sits which is how the un-supported seat is.

http://www.diamonddetailing.biz/gall...2190024?full=1

In all this took about 1-2 days of work, and could be done in a weekend with ease.

Only requiring a jigsaw with a metal blade, hand tools, a mig-welder, and the plates and edging.

 

any after shots?

 

Sounds great, but I doubt many of us have a mig-welder laying around the garage.

 

Honest answer? I don't know how to weld, I took the seat frames, foam, and plates to my brother who works at a shop and has the welding equipment.

I'll take some after shots tonite; from the outsides when the cloth is re-applied you can see a small difference, but when you sit in it is where you feel the difference. Instead of the plain foam just bending out of the way and compressing, the foam stays put due to the plates and holds you in the seat.

 

This is an awesome idea. Seats like Recaro and Sparco are WAAAY overpriced for what you get, and there's always that risk of being labeled a "ricer" if you go with any of the cheaper JDM type aftermarket racing seats that are mostly found in Japanese cars. This is the perfect solution. Just out of curiosity, were you still able to use the stock seat covers, or are you going with a custom set? If custom, how much were you quoted?

 

No mig welder? They are a dime a dozen now adays and extremely easy to learn with. You can get a decent lincoln for around $500 or so. I have one in my garage right now. I have been doing some header modification work with it just lately and welding some new brackets for my exhaust.

IMO, a welder, sawzall, aircompressor, and extension cords are a must with any type of project car.

Plus you will find you can do some neat body work with a welder.

 

Stock seat covers for now. I ran all last year with this setup and it was great.

I'm going to be doing some more modifications this spring to the seats, adding some shoulder boulstering, re-foam the seats, and sew custom covers; but that's a lot more advanced and time consuming project,

 

hahah... clearly your idea of a "dime a dozen" is different than mine. lol

 

Better to get a good gas welder.. you can do alot more with it. I have a nice one and I can weld anything a mig welder can just about, and do alot of other things it can not like form steel, cut it and so on.. tis a good investment. a full setup with a 5 year tank lease, A smith Medium duty torch, the first tank full of O2 and Acetylene is $533 . if you want to do aluminum then another tank would run about 75$ for the 5 year lease and about $35 per fill of hydrogen. (as per my receipt here)


As for the seats great idea.. would probabl;y look even better with a new foam and a new seat cover to facilitate the change

 

Well I noticed your in Alaska as well... If you need a hand some time just pm me.

 

About the only thing you can't do with a gas welder (do right anyway) is weld high strength and ultra-high strength steel on car bodies. No one wants you to anymore because the heat zones are too large. And get this-the high frequencies created by a tig can fry computers, So, MIG does the job and is really easy to learn.

If you can gas weld, great. I wish I could, but MIG has its place as well.

 

very nice write up. Any finished product pics?

 

this is true (and not trying to hijack i swear) but you can braze auto body parts as well, which is less heat by lots, and is stronger than either parent material. reallit it depends on what you are trying to do... but yes you are Right Fusion welding of HCC metal with gas is not good.. can cause cracks.. mig is very nice in that way.. and what computer lol.. I always remove mine (in the car i still have) if i am going to do any welding lol. prep.. prep..

 

Appreciate the offer, i just might take you up on that some time.

As far as the seat goes, this is extremely cool. I'm curious if doing this would bump you out of a class in auto-x. If i'm running in the stock class, would this bump me up to a street prepared class? I don't recall ever reading any rules against it, though.

 

Don't know, but this could be one of those... uhm... *SHADY* mods... I mean from the outside the seat looks stock to be honest. I've got the PS which is unmodded next to the DS which is modded; I'll take some pictures tonite and post them up.