Big guy ... tiny car ... which race seats? Advice from Miata folks?

So, I've recently bought a Triumph TR6 that I'm building up on essentially a Challenge budget. I'm 6'2" and barely fit in the car.

I'm trying to find the absolute lowest profile seats I can get my hands on ... like one (small) step above siting right on the carpet. If possible, I would even mount the seat directly to the floor. No need for sliders since my wife won't come near the car (and I have no friends).

I was looking at Ultrashield Rally Sports, which seem to be the narrowest seats that offer some actual shoulder support. They've got low sides and a short seat-base, which makes them a good choice for the Miata:

I noticed that Ultrashield also offers a Spec Miata seat, which looks a little goofy. Not sure what makes it any better than something like a Kirkey Intermediate.

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The blingiest option would be a one-piece Tillet seat. Popular upgrade with the Lotus Elise crowd. Looks great and supposedly very comfortable, but a pair of them would totally blow my budget

Does anyone have experience with any of these options? Are the Ultrashield seats actually tolerable for road use?

I have a set of US rallye sports in their widest mode (18"?) in my 911.  Very sturdy yet light.  Offers decent lateral support but not as intrusive as a road race spec miata seat.  Offers really nice shoulder support.  Very low profile on seat bottom.  The shoulder wings are a bit wide...in my 911 there is only about 4-6" between shoulder support wings between right and left side.  Foam seat bottoms can be trimmed or even removed.  Fairly comfortable for daily use but I would want to take a break every few hours as they hold you in place pretty well.

Ask if anything else you wanna know.

I'm 6'2 200-220 depending on gym season and fit just fine in my NA with a kirkey  seat (same price as the intermediate but with halo). Only seat that fit my shoulders.  A drop floor also does wonders but I haven't needed it. Removable steering wheel helped tremendously.

https://i.imgur.com/BOavut8.jpg

Where was that build thread for the TR6?

akylekoz said:

Where was that build thread for the TR6?

Just got the car last week. Will start a thread soon. 

FWIW...I had to add a 1" spacer between seat bottom and stock sliders to raise seat.  Still have head/helmet room in sunroof 1989 911. I found the 20 degree lay back more comfortable than 10 degree.

I'm 6'1" and 250lbs.....if you have short torso and long legs you may find seat bottom slightly short.  Seat bottom is contoured for thigh support. Shoulder supports can be "tweaked " slightly to fit you.

Ovid_and_Flem said:

I have a set of US rallye sports...The shoulder wings are a bit wide.

The wings are what worries me. The TR6 cabin is very, very narrow. Not sure if the wings will clear. Might be less risky to go with Kirkey Intermediates or the US Spec Miata. I just think they look uggo.

From a comfort point of view, is it crazy to think of installing them in a street-driven car? 

Lots of people drive kirkeys or ultrashields on the street, and that's probably your best bet as far as size as long as you're not planning on dailying the car. Marrad in CT is making an aluminum seat now too, which looks nice but is not cheap. 

I have these corbeau le pros in my Miata. They would probably fit well but don't offer quite as much support as a full race seat. They're not cheap either. 

I'd post a picture but apparently I'm not smart enough to figure it out on my phone. 

LanEvo said:

Ovid_and_Flem said:

I have a set of US rallye sports...The shoulder wings are a bit wide.

The wings are what worries me. The TR6 cabin is very, very narrow. Not sure if the wings will clear. Might be less risky to go with Kirkey Intermediates or the US Spec Miata. I just think they look uggo.

From a comfort point of view, is it crazy to think of installing them in a street-driven car? 

I'll go measure wings and width of 911 cockpit for you.  The  RS seat is more attractive and more comfortable IMO.

Are you trying to look through  the windshield of a TR6?  Let me know what that's like...I've only ever looked over any I've driven.

Ok...seat width at bottom 17 3/4".  Shoulder support including upholstery is 23 1/4 ".  Width of 911 from door to door card is 53 1/2".  Dayum, I forget how narrow and small a 911 interior is.

Hope this helps.

FWIW.these seats are much more comfortable than Kirkey intermediate seat I had in my road race car.  Almost as supportive but without the hassle of rib cage support to climb around.  No need for quick release steering wheel with rally sport.  Mandatory with kirkey.

We run the rally sport in our RX7 Chumpcar.  I REALLY like it.  It is fairly inexpensive and pretty comfortable.

We took the cover off and added memory foam to some of the spots that create pressure points after hours behind the wheel (every seat has them I think).  Put the cover back on and boom SUPER COMFY seat.  Our drivers are 6'2" and 300# down to 5'7" and 135#.  The smaller driver would like something beside his leg and inside of the seat (he kinda slides back and forth a little).

Hope this helps!

Rob R.

Look at that, I figured it out. Sorry the picture is dark.

Those Corbeaus look just like Exige seats. I think they might work well in a TR6

Elise seats are a great solution for these cars imho.

They're direct drop replacements for lotus seats, so you'll need mounts as if they were stock Elise seats. Contact corbeau USA directly for a better price. 

I'm 6'2" and 280. I use a 17" Ultrashield seat in the Spitfire. It is a tight fit on me, the car and the seat. The floor pan and the transmission tunnel needed some massaging to get it to fit. 

Edit to add: This is not a combination you want to spend a lot of time in. If you are going to be doing any cruising, buy a different seat. To get the seat back far enough for my long legs, it sits almost vertical. 

I use the same seat in our Lemons Civic. The Civic has a lot more room in it, but 2.5 hours is about the max I would want to spend in the seat.

Do they have to be racing seats? Otherwise, 1st-gen RX7 guys swap in Porsche 914 seats.

I'm 6'2" and 280. I use a 17" Ultrashield seat in the Spitfire. It is a tight fit on me, the car and the seat. The floor pan and the transmission tunnel needed some massaging to get it to fit.

I'm a little thinner (about 220 lbs) and the TR6 has a bit more room in the cabin than the Spitfire, so I think I should fit. Can never be sure until you try, though.

This is not a combination you want to spend a lot of time in. If you are going to be doing any cruising, buy a different seat. To get the seat back far enough for my long legs, it sits almost vertical.

That's what I'm most worried about. I don't plan to drive across the continent in a low-buck TR6 project car, but I'd like it to be comfortable enough for road trips. I was thinking that with a 20-degree layback angle and the extra shoulder support of the Rally Sports, I might be OK.

I'm also planning a quick-release steering hub and smaller Momo wheel. Hopefully leg clearance will be less of an issue for me.

TheRX7Project said:

Do they have to be racing seats? Otherwise, 1st-gen RX7 guys swap in Porsche 914 seats.

I didn't even think of that! Actually, 914 seats would really fit with the aesthetic of the TR6.

The reason I was looking at race seats is because I do plan to add roll protection (probably the Safety Devices UK bar) and run 5- or 6-point harnesses. I just feel safer with that setup than the stock seats and 3-point belts. So race seats make sense. Also, I figure they'll be easier to custom mount. Not sure how I'd go about adapting 914 seats to work in the Triumph.

I'm not that far from you and I have a Kirkey Intermediate Road Race seat for sale if you want to stop by and try it out. I'm 6'1", 225.

$175.