Fitting a bucket seat?

[JdmFanBoy]

Looking to fit a fixed bucket seating but nobody seems to know how to mount them?!

I don't mind if it doesn't slide just need a cheap way of mounting a bucket seat

[Hoobs]

What sort of seat? Bottom or side mount?

[ross_jsy]

Would recommend a side mount for track use and to do it properly. This is how mine is attached:

[JdmFanBoy]

Looks good, what mounts are they?

[ross_jsy]

They are fabricated from steel and the seat uses an OMP side mount.

You can buy a similar thing here:

http://www.topcatcustom.co.uk/?page_id=336

[rix313]

Do you have any pictures of there the spreaders mount to the sill? I have my spreader plates welded in the same place and want to make up some guessets to box them in to add some strength.

Those TC rails are the ones I'm using:

[ross_jsy]

Not really, could probably get some if you want?

Essentially like how they are mounted to the tunnel:



But they are also welded to the flat plate you can see for added strength

[JdmFanBoy]

I'll probably just bolt them to the floor

[ross_jsy]

It's going to be too low/no where flat enough to do it

[JdmFanBoy]

Its just a pain because I don't really have anywhere to get stuff welded. I need to think of some way to use the original bolt holes

[ross_jsy]

You will be lucky if you manage that. You could knock up some sort of adapter plate that bolts up to the standard location with holes for a side mount at a guess.

[UweM3]

Had the same problem and drew some mounts up in CAD and had them made.
Fitted directly to the E30 OEM floor points.
But it became difficult to get low quantities laser cut at reasonable cost, so I stopped.

[JdmFanBoy]

Looking at the one above makes me think something like this could work?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Bucket-Se ... 767wt_1344

Looks like there's some room to drill extra holes if needed aswell

[UweM3]

Looking at the one above makes me think something like this could work?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Bucket-Se ... 767wt_1344

Looks like there's some room to drill extra holes if needed aswell

I started off with some off the shelf seat mounts as per your link, but found that they are not fit where you you would want them.
Hence my effort to make some E30 dedicated mounts.

If I am not mistaken I have seen veeeery similar mounts to the one's I sold on another website. Maybe they still selling some.

[Demlotcrew]

Is weight a consideration?

Have you considered aluminium side mounts?

When side mounts contribute to almost 30% of the total weight of the seat, you really need to question if thats the best solution.

[UweM3]

The difference between a steel side mount and a alli mount is 600gramm = 1.2kg total (if mounts are identical design/shape)

Don't know the weight of a fibreglass seat.

If you need to weld some steel bars as shown on the cars floor to fit the Alli mounts, your weight will be equal.

[JdmFanBoy]

So how do these work?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HC-772-OMP-SE ... 675wt_1344

[UweM3]

So how do these work?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HC-772-OMP-SE ... 675wt_1344

you will need these AND some side mounts. Will raise the seat by the height of the U-channel.

If anybody has a friend who can laser cut and bend, I am happy to sell the drawings and flat patterns to make as many mounts as you want.

[Demlotcrew]

So how do these work?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HC-772-OMP-SE ... 675wt_1344

That's only half of the OMP kit for the E30, you will also need the rails that bolt to the floor first.

Have you seen Massive side mounts? Very light and will work with several seats.

I have a set of recaro steel side mounts that's come in at 1.8kg per pair on eBay for £35 right now, you would then only need a 4mm flat section to weld them on to and then simply drill the holes for your driving position and that's it.

Not as elegant as the mounts Uwe has as they have no provisions for belt anchors, but it might be another solution if you don't know anyone who can laser cut.

[milescook]

In addition to the advice here, I bought a second hand cobra seat that came with cobra side mounts,the mounting holes had been enlarged slightly. With them slightly loose on the seat I could bolt them to the original holes then tighten the seat bolts.

This tip came from people that race e30s, so I'm mostly happy with it. Rock solid, shouldn't be going anywhere.

[UweM3]

Not as elegant as the mounts Uwe has as they have no provisions for belt anchors, but it might be another solution if you don't know anyone who can laser cut.

I wouldn't advise anybody to mount the belt anchors to the side mounts. I deleted the holes in the later versions.

I had the belts mounted there, but this was my own choice.
The plan was to weld a tube/brace across the anchor points and some gussets near the rear mounting points to transfer the loads as per OEM seat mounts.

[Demlotcrew]

Not as elegant as the mounts Uwe has as they have no provisions for belt anchors, but it might be another solution if you don't know anyone who can laser cut.

I wouldn't advise anybody to mount the belt anchors to the side mounts. I deleted the holes in the later versions.

I had the belts mounted there, but this was my own choice.
The plan was to weld a tube/brace across the anchor points and some gussets near the rear mounting points to transfer the loads as per OEM seat mounts.

I know its not something that a few like doing and I didn't want to point this out, but this Recaro side mount has holes you can punch out for the seat belt anchors (M12 thread).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Recaro-Pole-P ... 236wt_1328

Andrew

[alan1272]

it looks a bit agricultural in this photo but this is how i base mounted my buckets on the original floorpan mountings. i used a few lengths of 4mm angle iron obtained from a local steel merchants/welding company. one bolted to the floor and the other to the seat.


after i had sorted the positioning i tidied them up a bit with a friends plasma cutter.


total cost about £20 with paint and some new bolts.

[Motorhole]

Expensive but looks up to the job. Worth checking against Blue Book regs perhaps?

http://store.vacmotorsports.com/vac---e ... p2568.aspx

[Demlotcrew]

Expensive but looks up to the job. Worth checking against Blue Book regs perhaps?

http://store.vacmotorsports.com/vac---e ... p2568.aspx

I have these floor plates and I went one step further and used BMW Motorsport side brackets, making the perfect driving position. Not sure if it will pass regs.

Andrew

[crossie]

Had the same problem and drew some mounts up in CAD and had them made.
Fitted directly to the E30 OEM floor points.
But it became difficult to get low quantities laser cut at reasonable cost, so I stopped.

Quality Components (UK) Ltd
18 Hoyle Mill Road, Barnsley, Pontefract, South Yorkshire WF9 5JB
01977 618160
sales@laserprofiling.co.uk
Uwe - Speak to Richard at this company they do loads of brackets for the company I work for!