headrest/safety seat

john bevan · Post by **john bevan** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:17 pm

I am intending to start sprinting this season.
I understand I need to have a headrest on my 4/4 seats to go sprinting. Having looked into it the replacement headrest would be more expensive than buying a cheap seat from sparco. Does anyone know what type of seats the 1987 4/4 come from? If so I could by a secondhand headrest on e-bay.
Or should I just spend £100 and but a new seat?
Advice please,

thanks,
John Bevan

Chris Acklam · Post by **Chris Acklam** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:45 pm

Well, I have a Plus 8 which I use for racing rather than sprinting, so my advice may not be totally relevant but I think that a race seat is a good investment.

First it will mean that you are more relaxed on the course as you will be held firmly in position and won't need to brace yourself, and second, if anything does ever happen, you will be much better protected than in an ordinary seat.

However few, if any, of the seats fit in to a Morgan without being hacked around a bit. The Sparco Rev is one of the narrowest, but even that needs to have the front left side cut back a bit.

Chris

Richard Smith · Post by **Richard Smith** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 12:56 am

John,
Have you got a roll bar, or do you plan on fitting one?

Because you can fit a head restraint to this, as opposed to a seat headrest.

Then you can keep the same seat.
might work out cheaper and less hassle

Charles Neal · Post by **Charles Neal** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 2:03 pm

I'm fairly sure that the seats are made by Morgans, so there isn't a cheap source of replacements.

If you don't mind going to the hassle of working out mountings and cutting the corner around the gearbox, I'd second Chris' suggestion - it's a better solution for driving. As he says only a few are narrow enough to fit between the chassis rails.

However, I followed Richard's advice on my car and it works fine. If you have a rollbar with a removable diagonal it's much easier to mount a headrest (which you can buy cheaply from Deon Tweeks etc) off the bolt at the top - you can also fit it at the correct height for you.

Charles

john bevan · Post by **john bevan** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:29 pm

Thanks for the advice. I don't have a roll bar (yet) but I think I will investigate getting a proper seat. I have seen a Sparco rev and mounts on e-bay- is it safe to buy a second hand seat or should I just stump up the money for a new one? Presumably then I also have to buy a harness- any tips on harnesses and 4 seater Morgans?

thanks again,

John

David Frow · Post by **David Frow** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:55 pm

i have a harness for sale , see for sale section,also i really wouldn't waste my money on a race seat for your first season in the speed championship,
have you tried ringing around the dealers for a secondhand headrest, a couple of years ago i got seats and headrests from Lifes motors, try Simmonds they are always converting peoples cars i 'm sure they will have something.

David

jack bellinger · Post by **jack bellinger** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:26 pm

Be Careful seat belt and seats overauls and helmets are date stamped if they are out of date you can be turned away a scrutineering

check MSA blue book and with event organisers
before getting second hand.. what was the usage ? have they been involved in accident?
Modifiying with new seats that are not standard for car have to have larger retaining bolts agian check MSA blue book ..

Sorry dont mean to be Killjoy but Be safe not sorry

love jack

Frank Grimley · Post by **Frank Grimley** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 11:59 pm

Just had to replace my harnesses as they were out of date. Harnesses are date stamped on the label. They can't be used after the end of the year stamped. Mine were stamped 2006. Get 6 point if possible.

MSA told me there is no age limit on seats for national racing. However I would not suggest a second hand seat from e-bay. Buy new its your safety at stake. Also get a neck brace. Use 25mm diameter fixing washer to spread the load through the fixing points.

Helmets need to be SA2000 approved for racing up to end 2008 and SA2005 upto end 2012 I beleive. Again not second hand.

Fire extinuishers dont have to be serviced but MSA suggest every 2 years is advisable. Cost about £40.

Frank Grimley · Post by **Frank Grimley** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:00 am

Above applies to racing. Not sure of sprinting rules.

Tim Clark · Post by **Tim Clark** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:44 am

Hi

I was also looking to get a new seat - the Sparco one seems to be the one fitted in most cars (the Rev/2000?); is it possible to get one that doesn't need modifying? Is the one fitted to the Roadsters a modified Sparco that will go in a +8?

Also does anyone know if it's lower that the standard seat as I really need to be sat a bit lower (we've already taken most of the padding out of the standard seat and I'm still a bit high)...

- tim

Chris Acklam · Post by **Chris Acklam** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 7:19 am

The Rev still seemed to be the narrowest when we did mine a year or so ago (though it might a bit narrow for those with child-bearing hips...

) and yes you can get them quite a bit lower than the standard seats. You'll need to make up some brackets for it to sit on and you might need to install some aluminum sheeting so you can fix it to the floor (lower than the chassis rails). But, as Jack points out, once you put in new seats you have to be in date and with minimum fixing tolerances specified by the Blue Book in Q2.2.

chas windridge · Post by **chas windridge** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:25 pm

Hi
Having squeezed my lanky expanding frame into various competition 4/4's and +8's over the years,and once paying the price for using a c**p seat, as well as fitting many seats for customers, I strongly reccommend a proper race seat for any reasonably serious competition. They're safer and quicker (you can just steer with steering wheel rather than hanging on as well!!)
If you're a "racing snake" or built built like a jockey you'll fit in a Sparco Rev, if not try before you buy ! -- they're pretty narrow. I've fitted Sparco Evo's and a Pro 2000 into +8's but they need trimming down in the usual place (as do Revs but less so ) and adaptions to mounting brackets (which I "over-engineer") to get seat lower and back. I have even just squeezed a Sparco Evo into my old 4/4 Tomcat which I've just aquired back! Roadster L/wt seat isn't a Sparco but almost exactly same dimensions as a Rev i.e. I can't fit in it as well !!
I would not fit adjusable seat "runners" under a race seat (you can buy them), in my accident as well as the c**p seat breaking up, the runners tore out.
Hope this helps,

Chas

PS Don.t buy a s/h race seat, you don't know where it's been !!

Tim Clark · Post by **Tim Clark** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:59 am

Thanks Chris & Chas,

Hm.. I'm certainly no jockey however I hope I don't fall into the CBH category

I guess the best thing to do is to get along to GPR and try out the seats and then worry about getting it in the car. Lowering the height is definitely required. Are there any advanatages or differences (other than being able to fit!) of the Evo / Pro 2000 over the Rev / others?

- tim

chas windridge · Post by **chas windridge** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 7:13 pm

Tim
Good idea to go to GPR.
Outer dimensions of EVO and Pro2000 bigger than Rev, so more "cutting and shutting" to fit, possible to get all of them close to the floor but will have to flatten spring cover and better to use side mount on outer side to chassis (as the lightweight Roadsters).
Good luck !!

Chas

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