Let's talk about Kirkey seats...

[Rick Lee]

I just can't bring myself to spend the money on Sparco Evo II's or L's or whatever they're called now. Some have recommended Kirkey's. Imagine my shock when I saw OG has them for about $130 less per seat than Evo II's. Does anyone know which Kirkey model would best compare to a Sparco Evo II for my phat a$s? Any other comments on Kirkey's? Thanks.

[Wil Ferch]

Kirkeys come in a number of different flavors and designs, weights, applications.....

Positive....good race seats, their road racing style is v. nice....can get "bolt on" extras like add'l head and leg restraints...

Neg....really race looking, in a "crude", NASCAR, sort of way...lotsa aluminum showing, button-down upholstery, and hard to envision in a dual-purpose car ( dual racing and street seat belts, etc). But then again, Thom Fitzpatrick has it in his ever-changing/ evolving car. Maybe Thom will post....

Wil

[widebody911]

I have a Kirkey 'Deluxe' road race seat. I love it. It's a lot more comfy than even some aftermarket 'sport' seats.

One caveat on pricing - on the race seats, the 'base' seat price doesn't include the cover, so double check, unless you like sitting in an aluminum shell.

[Rick Lee]

Silly me. I didn't see the thing about covers being separate. Still, they're cheaper than Sparco Evo II's. Thom, how big's your a$s?

[chrisp]

I tend to trust FIA standards. So I go with FIA approved seats. I also have faith that the HUGE european firms are testing their products and making them better/stronger every day. Not sure a small-ish company like Kirkey does testing the same way the Euro's do.

Personally I don't think Aluminum is a great seat material. It doesn't flex, rebound, and stand ready for a secondary or tertiary impact. I am not an engineer so this isn't a scientific conclusion but from being around the material for many years I saw first hand how composites handle these types of situations much better than aluminum.

The great thing about aluminum is it's low density and it's stiffness. Yield and fatigue are not good. Even with low density in it's favor aluminum seats still end up heavier than composite.

They are cheaper though.

[widebody911]

I have the 17" wide seat; I hover between a 36 and a 38, and it's a little loose, but not too bad. I took up some of the slack with some firm foam.

[Rick Lee]

Ok, I'm a 36 and never go above that. Will 17" be too wide? 16" too narrow?

[kstylianos]

Richard,

Check this site:

http://www.kirkeyracing.com/customshop.html

Kirkey can also make a seat to YOUR measurements. Don't know if thats extra.

[Rick Lee]

Thanks. Kirkey's website has the seats cheaper than OG, but covers more expensive. It looks like they may be the way to go for me. I don't care about fancy looks. My SC is gonna be all business when I get done with it.

[widebody911]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Ok, I'm a 36 and never go above that. Will 17" be too wide? 16" too narrow?

I think I could have got away with a 16", which would have fit better without having to use foam. I'd lost some weight last summer (found it again - thanks!) and was a little loose in the seat on the track.

[dd74]

Are they as uncomfortable as they look?

[widebody911]

Originally posted by dd74
Are they as uncomfortable as they look?

The Kirkey seat? It's a lot more comfy than it looks!

[Az911]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
I just can't bring myself to spend the money on Sparco Evo II's or L's or whatever they're called now. Some have recommended Kirkey's. Imagine my shock when I saw OG has them for about $130 less per seat than Evo II's. Does anyone know which Kirkey model would best compare to a Sparco Evo II for my phat a$s? Any other comments on Kirkey's? Thanks.

Why are you worrying about $260? If you keep the seats for a while the price difference is marginal. That being said I have always used Sparco seats and have liked them.

[andycook]

You might want to check out these guys. I just got my new set from them. Price was right and they are really nice seats ($400 shipped for the pair). I cannot wait to get them installed. Service was great too. Quick ship! www.hunsakersports.com