Can you track and street a Bug?
- ps2375
- Posts: 397
- Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2014 8:04 am
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
Seat. Then you can relax behind the wheel and see what car is actually doing.
- SparksLP
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:28 pm
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
Ok, I'll have to look around. Anyone on here have any suggestions? I'd want to keep it simple and vintage looking, I wonder if there are any low back or medium height seats that have removable headrests? I love how the stock seats are even with the window line, looks clean.
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Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
Never heard of a seat with a girdle around the back rest which it sounds like what you are suggesting .ps2375 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2019 1:56 pm Great! That is a big bonus. The other thing that can make a big difference is a seat that holds you in place. When you aren't sliding around and/or having to brace your self to stay behind the wheel, you can actually feel and see what the car is doing. That is a big part of the battle.
A lot of the bug specialty shops do sell after market seat which may attach to the stock seat brackets but they are going to be $$$. The harder but maybe better thing is to go to a junk yard then either remount the seat on the stock mounts or use the seat's mount; you also need to know if there is going to be any class requirements on the seats that are involved. Get some measurments of your seats plus height limitation before you go though.
Sounds like you are entering into a lot of fun and maybe some expense but... good for you!
Lee
- SparksLP
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:28 pm
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
There's a swap meet this coming weekend, I'll look around at everyone's seats and in the shop there, see if I can find any to sit in, haha. I assumed I'd have to mount a new bracket for a seat instead of using the stock one, if only for increased safety.
- ps2375
- Posts: 397
- Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2014 8:04 am
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
Back in the day when I auto-x'd a car with less supportive seats, I (and others) made a strap that would go around the seat back and our chest to act as such a device. Just some 2" or 3" webbing and a buckle from a local camping supply store. Not the fanciest device, but served it's purpose.Ol'fogasaurus wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2019 9:29 pm Never heard of a seat with a girdle around the back rest which it sounds like what you are suggesting .
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Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
It's funny, I've thought of it before but never heard of it being done. Very interesting to say the least.
Lee
Lee
- ChadH
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2016 4:55 pm
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
When I started Autocross back in the 90's, the belt around the seat and your chest was a thing. I haven't seen anyone doing lately though.
On the seat - see if you can get a thrashed stock seat frame and cut off the bottom rails. Get a decent supportive seat (regardless of how ugly it is) and mount it to the original rail (preferably welded.) Just swap that seat in on race day, and use the your stock seat for daily driving.
Troll Craigslist for a used ricer/tuner seat if you don't want to spend the $$$ for a quality racing seat. The cheapos won't be as high quality as a Sparko/Momo etc, but they would be good enough for autocross and hold your butt in place. A supportive used factory seat from some other car might work, but they are usually very heavy with motors, adjusters, butt heaters, and other stuff you won't need.
Oh yah - check your rules too. For SCCA, a non-stock seat will bump you out of Street (stock) class. You might not care, but just FYI.
On the seat - see if you can get a thrashed stock seat frame and cut off the bottom rails. Get a decent supportive seat (regardless of how ugly it is) and mount it to the original rail (preferably welded.) Just swap that seat in on race day, and use the your stock seat for daily driving.
Troll Craigslist for a used ricer/tuner seat if you don't want to spend the $$$ for a quality racing seat. The cheapos won't be as high quality as a Sparko/Momo etc, but they would be good enough for autocross and hold your butt in place. A supportive used factory seat from some other car might work, but they are usually very heavy with motors, adjusters, butt heaters, and other stuff you won't need.
Oh yah - check your rules too. For SCCA, a non-stock seat will bump you out of Street (stock) class. You might not care, but just FYI.
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- Posts: 17731
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:17 pm
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
Good 'put Chuck. The insurance Co.'s that are used have a lot to do with safety requirements too which, in itself, often drives the class rules changes.
I agree with modifying the stock seat tracks for better supportive seat when possible.
Lee
I agree with modifying the stock seat tracks for better supportive seat when possible.
Lee
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
Funny you should say that. I'm going to run my '73 1303 at an SCCA autoX event on May 19th at Crows Landing here in N. Central California. I still have my G-Force Racing chest strap from when I used to regularly autoX my old GTI back in the late 90s/early 2000s. I was planning to use it.
Incidentally, I installed Miata MX5 seats in my car. The stock seats just don't get it.
H2OSB
- SparksLP
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:28 pm
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
I actually have an old seat rail that the previous owner "bolted" a cheapo racing seat to after he broke the stock driver's seat. But it's horrifically uncomfortable, not the right size for me. I might just try it out again and see if it works. Thanks for the tip on checking to see if it changes my class, I didn't think of that either. I know there's a ton of stuff I want to change now that I have the itch to drive it more, haha.
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Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
Can you post a pix of the seat and it's cover. There are ways of doing things that might be of some advantage depending....
Lee
Lee
- SparksLP
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:28 pm
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
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- ChadH
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2016 4:55 pm
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
I think you could work with that. Is it the angle, or width that's uncomfortable? Maybe just changing the angle of the bottom would help? Remember, you'd only have to deal with it for a day at a time if you swap back and forth with the stock seat.
- SparksLP
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:28 pm
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
It's the backrest under the shoulder belt, it pushes out into my back and feels like it kills my posture and pushes me forward.
Edit: having not measured anything, it's possible the seat is too short for me I guess? I'll try to check it out this week...
Edit: having not measured anything, it's possible the seat is too short for me I guess? I'll try to check it out this week...
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- Posts: 17731
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:17 pm
Re: Can you track and street a Bug?
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ho ... ORM=VIREHT
If it is an "older seat" I found this video as a quick fix. The bad thing is you will need some hog rings and specialty pliers to replace the cover on the seat. Look to see if there are some other more basic videos on how to upholster/re-upholster/reshape a seat by changing the foam. It is a fairly easy process when you see it (but to do it... takes practice) but you will also need a couple cans of special glue, some knives or sanding discs any maybe some other tools. If your careful you might be able to maneuver the old material over the new build by being very careful working down an inch at a time but be prepared...!
Get a couple of squares of 1 or 2" foam then sit in your seat and try adding the foam behind your back and at the bottom of the seat to make yourself comfortable... especially at the front of the seat. If you can do that then the cover will have to come off and you will glue in what you have figured out to build the foam up to please yourself. This is a very condensed description but a lot of people do accomplish it... eventually. A good start to learning how to play with cars.
I have to do the same with seats I have and plan on using.
Lee
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