just got racing seats... $100/pair

blkongry · 01:17 PM

I don't want to get too 'mod-happy' with my ride, but I can never leave enough alone. I'm always striving to clean up this, improve that, shed a little weight here, etc., etc. I did the chip/intake/exhaust thing, and now I really wanted to drop the factory seats. Not only are mine starting to look a bit worn (mainly cracking on the driver's side), but one of the power drive lines has snapped. Also, they just don't grip me like I like, they sit a little too high for me, and lastly... that freakin' hard leather gets buck-a$$ cold in the winter... new seats are a must. I love modifications and upgrades, but not at huge expenses for each one... so I am forever looking for the 'right deal'.

I like to do as much research as possible on things before I buy, and I've been looking for months at seats. Their pricing is all over the place... some as much as $500 per seat. Their styling is also very different... some with MASSIVE bolstering that would be ridiculous for the street, some with no adjustment, some hard as a rock (stricktly for racing), and so on and so on...

I came across some 'janer' street racing seats going under the name AXE II, but could find little to no info on them... no reviews and very few retailers (all using the same ads). The AXE II have the styling and features I want, plus they are less than 20# per seat (vs. the anchor weight of nearly 70# per seat on the factory powered sports seats). Some seller under the name Importwholesale1 was peddling them on Ebay. I went through this seller's feedback and found a handful of post-buyers for the item I was looking at. I dropped them an email and asked what they thought of the seats, and all were very positive... no negatives or even partials. So, at $100 for the pair I had to try it. What I got was pretty impressive. Here are a couple pics.

They appear to be of a pretty high quality tweed-type material with reinforcing patches on the edging (which is nice, because when it wears, one can replace just the reinforcing patch area). The fit is nice and snug, but comfortable. They are lightweight, but rigid. They came with runner tracks, too. The only thing I am not sure of is the upper bolstering at the shoulder... don't know if that will start to bug because of interfering with shifting movements... I'll have to see.

They also have dual gearing tilt adjustment (meaning both sides are tied into the mechanism... not just one side being supported). The only other thing I can say I don't like is that they are positively locked in position... to tilt the seat back, you have turn and turn the side knob (not a 'lift up on the handle and spring-adjust the seat into position' like factory seats). There appear to be saftey latches at the very back of the seat base, but each are individually operated, and seem to be a pain if I need to quickly tilt the seat up to have passengers ride in the back seat. I'll have to see how that all works.

Anyhow, I just thought I would pass on my experience (which was a positive one) with this brand/style of seat. For a hundred bucks for the pair, I can't complain.

1.2gees · 1.2gees's Garage

Yes but the auctions site over $100 of shipping w/madatory $30 insurance. Any comments?
Ahmet

blkongry · 01-04-2004, 01:19 PM

Let's see... two oversized boxes weighing about 30# each sent ground... about $50 shipping per box is within average. From a seller's point of view, mandatory insurance would be preferrred, that way, once it leaves the store the seller isn't responsible... I'd do the same if I were selling.

When looking at buying anything, the total end price is definitely something to look at. When buying mail order, shipping is a necessary evil. Rolling all the pricing together, it equates to about $115/seat... delivered to your door. That is still cheaper than any sale price for any aftermarket seat I have ever seen, so I can't complain.

I do a lot of purchasing of specialized equipment for my work. Sometimes, with relatively heavy equipment, shipping expenses are higher than the actual item... but that doesn't mean you are getting a bad deal.

Larry F. · 01-04-2004, 06:24 PM

blkongry:

Keep us posted on developments. Importwholesale1 certainly has lots of these posted to sell, and I would certainly be interested if they aren't too cheezy. I am interested #1 in side support, and #2 in the weight loss.

The description says it comes with a "slider" - I am very interested to hear what it takes to install them.

Thanks in advance,

blkongry · 01-05-2004, 07:26 AM

Preliminary testing (which consists of my sitting in them on the porch like a 'tard) has shown the seats to be very comfortable with very nice lateral and lumbar support. Now, those upper bolsters seem a bit strange, but I think they will come in handy for shoulder support in cornering... I just hope they don't start to bug for everyday driving.

The seats did come with sliders. I have yet to open them, but I peeked in the box. they look pretty simplistic and basic (I'd really like to get a hold of some manual BMW sliders with the tilt function). I'm curious and excited to see how it all goes together. Although, with this nasty cold snap we've had, and reports of heavy snow on the way (which I hear is heading down from your area, Larry... I hope you didn't get hit too hard up there), it may be a bit before I can get my hands dirty and make the change over.

I foresee having to fabricate some new mounts to get the right position and angle, plus I need to relocate the receiver portion of the seatbelt. I will definitely take some pics and post the procedure/results when done.

Larry F. · 01-05-2004, 06:41 PM

I look forward to pics and hearing about your progress. Yes, it has been uncharacteristically chilly here in the Seattle area - I saw 19 degrees on my wife's Volvo this morning on the way to work - no way is the M3 going for a ride on this ice!

Is there any safety or testing information with the seat? It was pointed out to me that it might look nice, feel OK to the tush, but do something rude like cut you to ribbons in a crash (heaven forbid, of course!). Any info?

Later, Larry F.

87turbolook911 · 87turbolook911's Garage

blkongry,

How are the seats holding up? Was looking to get these for my 911.

Were they hard to mount?

supertack · supertack's Garage

I agree on the total cost thing for online auctions. A lotta times I see a 'buy now' at a real attractive price, but when you tack on the shipping cost, now your paying a more realistic amount. I think that's a way to market a product for faster sale. Most of these companies have gotta get bulk rates on shipping, so they hide some of the cost they want to recoup in an increased shipping amount. Either way, its usually lower than you'd pay retail.

I dunno about those seats. That material kinda cheapens the look of the car IMO. Gotta have leather or at least the leatherette.

blkongry · 01-13-2004, 12:11 PM

Unfortunately, I haven't had time to get the seats in yet. With ice storms in the past week and an extremely busy schedule, I haven't had time to dive into the project. The seats are sitting down in the basement. I'll get to them here soon.

As far as the cost thing for online auctions, the same holds true for anything you purchase through mail order. Some places tack on 'handling fees', which is a direct way of adding cost (since it only goes to the seller). Having sold stuff on Ebay, it can be a pain in the a$$ to judge shipping expenses, especially on oversized items... and some buyers can be a PIA when it comes to them trying to dictate how you should pack and ship something. There is the question of shipping insurance, etc., etc.

In a nutshell, all consumers need to be savy when making a purchase. Know all the fees involved, ask questions, and compare to market value. When it all came out in the wash, I still couldn't get new replacement seats in the style I like for any less... and definitely not delivered to my door.

Now, when it comes to the look of the seats in the car and potentially detracting from the quality of the car, that's always a tough call. I mean, it's kind of like these 'angel eyes' I've seen... are they cool and trick, or cheezy like these other cars running odd little lights on them (like the LED lights on the windshield wiper squirters). I loathe leather... it's bitter a$$ cold in the winter, sticky in the summer, and I slide around on it when cornering hard. Plus, mine has all these spider cracks on it... not to mention I have never been fond of discrete adjustable head rests. I looked at several modified cars before deciding on this style for looks and comfort. I color matched the seats (which will be a little darker than the OEMs, but matches the two tone of the interior. One interior I liked was the Euro Car Mags 325 (seen below), so hopefully my install will look similar.

I'm going with factory harnesses, so the install should look pretty unobtrusive. I'll post pics when I get everything installed. The biggest goal will be to shed some weight on the car, increase a little head room, and add some comfort.

Turbo ///M50 · 01-22-2004, 06:48 AM

Do these seats flip forward? also would you mind taking some pic of the reclining mechanism..

thanks

Quote:

Originally posted by blkongry
Unfortunately, I haven't had time to get the seats in yet. With ice storms in the past week and an extremely busy schedule, I haven't had time to dive into the project. The seats are sitting down in the basement. I'll get to them here soon.

As far as the cost thing for online auctions, the same holds true for anything you purchase through mail order. Some places tack on 'handling fees', which is a direct way of adding cost (since it only goes to the seller). Having sold stuff on Ebay, it can be a pain in the a$$ to judge shipping expenses, especially on oversized items... and some buyers can be a PIA when it comes to them trying to dictate how you should pack and ship something. There is the question of shipping insurance, etc., etc.

In a nutshell, all consumers need to be savy when making a purchase. Know all the fees involved, ask questions, and compare to market value. When it all came out in the wash, I still couldn't get new replacement seats in the style I like for any less... and definitely not delivered to my door.

Now, when it comes to the look of the seats in the car and potentially detracting from the quality of the car, that's always a tough call. I mean, it's kind of like these 'angel eyes' I've seen... are they cool and trick, or cheezy like these other cars running odd little lights on them (like the LED lights on the windshield wiper squirters). I loathe leather... it's bitter a$$ cold in the winter, sticky in the summer, and I slide around on it when cornering hard. Plus, mine has all these spider cracks on it... not to mention I have never been fond of discrete adjustable head rests. I looked at several modified cars before deciding on this style for looks and comfort. I color matched the seats (which will be a little darker than the OEMs, but matches the two tone of the interior. One interior I liked was the Euro Car Mags 325 (seen below), so hopefully my install will look similar.

I'm going with factory harnesses, so the install should look pretty unobtrusive. I'll post pics when I get everything installed. The biggest goal will be to shed some weight on the car, increase a little head room, and add some comfort.

blkongry · 01-22-2004, 07:12 AM

I can get some pics of the recline mechanism here shortly. As far as the flip forward, that's the only thing I wish they had. They have a fully reclinable system, but it is a locked-in gear drive... you turn the adjustment knob and the seat back tilts forward or back. There are catch releases at the very base, but I have yet to really sit down and see if they work as a quick release.

I've tried to find information regarding automotive seat design and safety regulations, but it seems to be a black-box. From what I can tell, the quick adjust systems are only geared on one side of the seat back... the adjustment side. The seats I have are geared on both sides; I would presume making it stronger... perhaps because they are more for a racing type application. I'll get some pics and let you see for yourself.

blkongry · 01-23-2004, 09:06 AM

Just an update. I've found the seats relcining mechanisms are based on the double-locking Keiper/Recaro tilt mechanism, in which a knob on the side provides infinitely fine tilt adjustment, and a bar across the bottom of the seat back allows the back to tilt forward for rear passenger access. The tilt access is at the very base of the seatback and is a simple hook-and-striker system on either side. I'll get pics hopefully this weekend.

Turbo ///M50 · 01-23-2004, 10:40 AM

Sounds like a good deal... please get some pics

Quote:

Originally posted by blkongry
Just an update. I've found the seats relcining mechanisms are based on the double-locking Keiper/Recaro tilt mechanism, in which a knob on the side provides infinitely fine tilt adjustment, and a bar across the bottom of the seat back allows the back to tilt forward for rear passenger access. The tilt access is at the very base of the seatback and is a simple hook-and-striker system on either side. I'll get pics hopefully this weekend.

blkongry · 01-24-2004, 03:32 PM

So far so good on the install. I took out the factory seat... and good Lord is that thing a back breaker. I though it was still anchored somehow when I started to take it out... it weighs a ton!!

Once I got it out, the install looks like it will be pretty straight forward and clean. I test fit the seat in the car, and it looks good with the interior... it doesn't match the light gray of the factory seats, but it matches the darker gray of the two-tone interior.

I've attached a pic of the seat tilt mechanism and quick release. It is very simplistic and heavy duty, although the quick release tabs from either side of the seat need to somehow be connected via a single lift bar of some sort. A basic U-bar welded to each release tab should do the trick for quick and easy access.

I am going to need to have some custom mounts made for the seat tracks. The spread on the factory mounts is much too large, plus the seats need to sit a little above the floor. That will be the biggest challenge of this job.

blkongry · 01-27-2004, 11:56 AM

After exploring my options, I think I am going to mirror Wedge Engineering's design for a mounting bracket (sans the cross welded mount tube... not need with my sliders). Should be pretty simple, plus I get to keep my factory seat belt tensioner. Pic compliment of http://www.europeancarweb.com/projectcars/0311ec_proj325i/

blkongry · 02-20-2004, 01:54 PM

Just an update. I've been a bit swamped and haven't had time to put towards this little project, but I finally got off my arse and nailed down a concept with dimensions for the interface mount for the seats. It ended up being simple as pie... using just 1"x1/8" steel bar stock and 1" steel square tube. I used mild steel because if I am ever in an accident, I want the thing to bend and stretch under load... not snap and send my sorry a$$ out onto the roadway.

I've got a good bud in Vegas who is going to throw the thing together for me (thanks Dan, and have a kick a$$ season with the U-10 race team... I hope you guys take the circuit!!! http://www.usaracingpartners.com/u10teaminfo.htm ). I'll get picks when I get it in. For now, here's the platform

Later...