Hi guys. Currently in my car I have a buddy club. It is a total joke. The shell is very weak, not approved by any sanctioning bodies, etc. I suppose it is better than a sprint or somthing i guess, but it needs replacment. Right now I am looking at 3 seats. For the next seat that I get, I was looking into one with an integrated helmet support. The 3 I am looking at are 1. sparco circuit, 2 OMP pista, 3 recaro SPG racer, all in a fiberglass shell. The sparco, being the most affordable of the 3, seems pretty good. Sparcos from what i have seen have had very rigid shells and the fabric holds up reasonably well. The only thing that is turning me off is the head restraints. Could somone tell me how is the visibility with a head restraint of this style? I dont have a shop near me with this in stock so i cant test for myself.

Continuing, the OMP pista has a similar build to the recaro (at least by appearance) whie costing much less. I like the open head restraint design more; it seems that this would allow for greater visibility, although honestly I have no idea. The side bolsters appear to be more agressive than the sparco as well. As for frabic quality and shell rigidity, I personally do not know of anyone with this seat. I was hoping somone could help out with this? Also I am guessing that I would have to have a bracket made for this seat, unless the seat is the same width as a recaro or bride or some such. moving on..

recaro spg racer. This seat is by far the most expensive of the 3, and also, in my opinion, by far the most agressivley designed. the bolsters are, to put it lightly, HUGE. So huge, in fact, that I have to wonder about their functionality. Does anyone know if they make it a hinderance to reach the shift lever? I do like the fact that they are large to the point of completly seperating the driver from the cage. As stated before, I like the open head restraint design. I also like the smaller belt runners, but that is purley aesthetic.

All 3 seats are FIA spec, made by repuatble companies, and I am sure perform marvelously. All are pricy, doubly so for the recaro, almost enough to make me wonder if I would be paying for the name plate. Could anyone with personal experience please speak up about these seats? I would love to hear some first person commentary.

Also, I have read measurments for all these seats, but if somone could comment about the fitment that would be nice too. I am roughly 150 lbs, slender build, 6ft tall.

 

I can only speak firsthand about the Recaro. It IS deep, particulary if you get the thin seat cushion for it. I really like the fact that I really fall into it. I have NEVER noticed either the side bolsters getting in the way of shifting (at all) or the head restraints restricting my view (on the track). Blind-spot checks on the street are made THROUGH those wings, though. The quality is excellent, of course, and the belt holes are well positioned for my size and the fact that I use 6-point belts.

I've used Recaro seats for almost 20 years and for a long time, the Sparcos et al. were nothing like as stiff. They have improved a lot in recent years.

K

 

if you're going to spend that much,and are worried about the head restraints on the Sparco,why not check into the other high-end Sparcos?i have the Pro 2000 and love it.i'm about 6' and 180-it's tight squeezing in,but perfect once i'm in it.as for the bolsters,anything taller than what's on the Pro 2000 would probably hamper shifting,at least for me.
do you have to have the huge head restraints of the SPG Racer and Circuit?seems to just be unnecessary,a possible vision blocker and more expensive than seats that are basically identical other than not having the restraints.
Chris

 

ah, you misunderstand my issue with the head restraints on the sparco. I like the addition of the head restraint on the circuit, but I was concerned about the visibility, compared to the open style, like the posted recaro.

knestis - so you feel that the price tag is justifiable on the recaro piece? and wow, youve driven that car on the street? I bet that felt pretty weird haha. So you can actually make proper lane changes with that seat? I guess that speaks for the visibility of the head restraints.

 

The car is inspected and licensed so I can use it for rallies/hillclimbs and drive it to the track. It just requires a little additional attention but I also have a huge convex inside mirror that pretty much eliminates blind spots.

K