430 Sparco aftermarket seat installation

OK, so this was really a time consuming project which would have not taken nearly as long, but spent a lot of time trying to find information about how to do this. If I can help anyone in a similar situation, feel free to reach out.

Firstly, many thanks to @LorenzoR, as I was going through this process, so was he, in fact I was trying to keep up (as usual), as we collectively worked through, I couldn't have done it without him. Also many thanks to others who helped with the problem solve and contributed including @mwstewart @Qavion @GCalo @Flea7 @clean512

A couple caveats, if you have a US car with a COPD sensor in the passenger seat, there is a connector coming from the floor which connects to the sensor. Once you remove the sensor, you will likely get an AIRBAG light on the dash, though someone reported this not happening on an early model car. AIRBAG discussion is too complicated to go through here, if you have questions, feel free to PM me. In short, the best solution I would suggest, which Lorenzo implemented, is purchase a CPOD, install it in your manual seat and connect it.

My seats are Sparco SPX that have been re-leathered. They have holes in the base for seatbelt mounting, very convenient, not all have these. If you don't have seatbelt mount holes, you may need something different.
If you have Ferrari seats, or seats that have rails the same width as the floor holes, this would be a lot easier. You shouldn't need a mating bracket.

The Sparco seat rails are more narrow than the floor holes, so I made a custom plate that mated the two. This was as low down as I could get the seats to the floor.

They came with the Sparco 600 brackets, but they are heavy, have 'wings' that ate into the center console leather, and raised the seats almost 2", hence the below approach.

Make a template
First thing I did was get measurements of the floor holes, and make a template out of thin plywood, available in Home Depot, usually sold as sub flooring plywood, like 3/16" thick. This allows you to get your holes as close as you can to where they should be, then make the holes in the template, and install the seat to the floor and actually use them to adjust forward/back slide distance. Where you place the holes will determine minor forward/rearward closeness to the pedals.

Custom plate
Once I had the dimensions set, I made up a spec drawing, brought it to a metal worker, and had him make the plate.
I had to countersink the holes in the rear underneath the plate so they would clear the raised floor mounts. In the front, regular bolts were fine.

Once I got the plate back from the shop, I painted it black with gloss paint and glaze to make it look high end. Then I wrapped the edge with door edge guard that I got off Amazon. Looked really nice.

Mounting
Then, the plate got mounted to the bottom of the seat. All of the bolts, nuts and washers are black, I wanted them to look matching. Was a pain to find them all, but once I started, had to get them all.
Unfortunately, the front area of my carpet in front of the rails is cut out, no idea why, so still have to patch that or cover it somehow (open for suggestions). Ferrari sells a cover for the rail tips for sport seats, but with the way I designed the bracket, they don't fit as the bracket is in the way.

Hard to believe this is a fairly simple write-up considering the months it took to get information, try out different configurations, figure out the airbag, talk to seat bracket manufacturers, etc.

I've got lots of pics of details of the install, let me know if you want to see any of them.

Best of luck with your install!




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Here is a PDF of the drawing, I did it in Visio, if you want the visio file for editing, PM me, FCHAT doesn't allow upload of visio files looks like.

 

Thanks all, appreciate the comments, particularly from the likes of such an inspiring group!

Just realized I didn't post an update/pic of the whole car...here's some, cuz I just can't get enough!


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Actually they do. I find the electric Daytonas ridiculously comfortable. These are not as cushy, they are firmer, more supportive and more secure holding you in place, and to my arse and back, feel even better. They feel pretty perfect imho.

 

Great point, this was a particular issue for me and prompted this whole effort, and I had the same experience, very little info on this to be found.

The daytonas sit really low. Ferrari can put them low since they spec them for this car.

For commercial seats like Sparco, they make them to fit in many cars, and so they don't make them as low since in most cars they would be too low.

These do not sit as low as I installed them, seat surface is maybe 1-1.5" higher Than Daytona. I didn't measure, I go by my eyeline.

The seat cushion is about the same thickness as the daytonas, it is just higher in its base, so the only way to get the surface of the seat lower would be to use floor mounted brackets, no rails, fixed mount.

I considered this since I rarely move my seat, but wanted sliders and I'm kind of liking it a bit higher.

I'm 5'9", my eyeline is about 3/4 of the way up on the windshield which I like, I thought I was actually too low in the daytonas, felt like I was looking at the steering wheel and dash, not the road.

If the daytonas are a good height for you, or even too high as you state, I would think you'll have to find a seat specifically designed for a low seat surface (maybe racing seats?) and a low bracket situation.

I can take measurements if you like of mine.

 

You got it

I was thinking measuring from the floor to the top of the seat, since to your point, we have different roof heights I expect and that is the dimension you want to reduce and look for in other seat options

 

Wow @CoreyNJ , those look like your butt sits on the floor! Zach, this is the kind of thing I was talking about to get that extra height.

Corey, you make a great point, I don't think you can understate that aspect of the driving experience, greatly impacts how it fells to drive the car when deeply supported and properly positioned, puts you much more in command, imo

Sadly, I still have yet to experience driving a Scud, but when I do, I'll be sure and pay attention to that!

 

But will you be able to see over the dashboard at that point Mark?

 

Hi Zach,

Apologies for not getting back sooner, I was in the studio

So I get 4.75" from floor to top of seat, 6.5" - 1.75"

This is meazured at the lowest part of the seat, the stripe closest to the seat back


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