Seat Identification

[JT191]

I have seen these in Nissans, and would like to ask for details if anyone knows anything about them:


This is from a Skyline. I have seen only a few references, some calling them a "BRE Racing Seat". It is sort of a classic style, fixed back, racing seat. Does anyone know brand names or sources for classic Japanese style seats, reproductions, history, or anything at all?

[JT191]

I stumbled across these in a Bellett restoration blog:

[JT191]

Second picture. It says these are Nismo.

[65bellett]

I had a set of seats exactly the same as those in my first Bellett. I borrowed them off another forum member while I was finding a pair of my own. The pair I had were pulled out of a Manx buggy. I know where they are so the next time I see them I will have a close look to see if they have any branding on them.

Just as an extra note, when I used the seats I also had 4 point harness and they were a pain as the belts went around the seat so when you took them off they would fall on the floor.

[BELLQLD]

hi seats are great ...but look at that brand new handbrake cover . wonder if he wants to sell it regards dave

[RobSA]

You can find similar seats in kitcar magazines.

An example from one of the cobra kit manufacturers is at this link.
http://www.interiorsseating.co.uk/world ... X1110.html

There are various different versions, unfortunately I haven't got a magazine to hand.

Cheers
Rob

[JT191]

The originals might be some kind of early seat by the Japanese counterpart to Recaro.

Bride came out with a retro seat called "Historix". They list them only in leather and the price is something like 150000 Yen.

The best lead so far is:
http://www.classiccarseats.com/
This company makes classic reproduction seats in several styles, centered around Porsche style from the 1960's. They have several fixed back seats that look very similar to the Japanese racing seat. They also have a folding back seat that could probably substitute for the original Bellett seats except for the lack of chrome hardware.
They do custom orders, so they should be able to match stitch and cushion patterns. Not sure how the upholstery matches, if the leatherette grain is similar or the basket weave pattern. They show some with the eyelets like the Japanese racing seat, but those might be hard on clothing. They also do side passages for the seat belt and headrests.
The big thing may be the size difference. A 60's Japanese seat is going to be built for a very small person in today's world. I'm not big and the people around me seem to get wider and wider all the time, but I checked a Recaro racing bucket some years ago and it was too narrow for me to actually sit in.

[dave]

Solid-back items would be fine in a Bellett sedan!

[JT191]

Found!

Kameari.



Now all I need to do is figure out how much it will cost to ship it from Japan. They retail for $871 US in Japan, but the US distributor charges $1,440 US. I think I can beat $570 in postage.

The only thing that worries me is that it is probably built for skinny little Japanese butts. I may not be as wide as the rest of the people in this country, but that still leaves me between the two extremes.

[PR91]

problem is with Bellett's and deep bucket seats is exactly what you're worried about.... the width to sit in it.
the probs arise when you find a seat that fits the car sometimes doesn't fit you, and as the seat area of a Bellett is fairly narrow, when you find one that fits you, it can be a reall pain to make it fit the car!
why do some things have to be so difficult?

[JT191]

I noticed the tall seat mount pedestals in the floor of the Bellett. I hadn't really gotten that far into the worrying phase.
I looked at a Recaro racing bucket several years ago. Recaro had/has a relationship with Isuzu, and it seemed like a good choice. I tried to sit in it, and my behind would not fit between the sides to rest against the seat surface. Designed for skinny little Italian men. Just like the Italian sports car seating position: Pedals close to the seat, knees against the chest or under the arm pits, arms fully outstretched to reach the steering wheel.
I looked at Momo, and most of their stuff was designed for the same skinny little Italian men, but they had a seat model called "Nascar". I found one of those with more generous width. But I don't think a Nascar fan could fit into one of those.

The description of this Japanese retro racing seat says it is made to fit cars with high seat mounts:

The KAMEARI GT Seat is a great way to combine form and function. It was designed specifically for use in early model Japanese cars, where most modern performance seats are either too wide, or once installed, place the driver very high in the interior. The KAMEARI GT Seat places the driver in a more optimal position, and is designed for the narrow seat mounting locations common in classic Japanese cars.

The RB Gemini has some annoying bracing under the seats which spans part of the way across the car at the height of the center hump. I made a regular style mount with the rails between the seat and the bracket, and my helmet was firmly against the ceiling of the car. I finally redid the mount, and moved the sliders to the side of the seat. I couldn't have picked up much more than an inch of height reduction, but it made a huge difference and now I have enough space to get my hand between the top of my helmet and the ceiling.

The thing that worries me about the retro Japanese seat is if it was designed for a 1960's Japanese man or a modern sized human being (and some of the younger people in Japan are taller than me). If it's made to fit a WWII Japanese infantryman, 5 foot 3 inches and 110-120 pounds, it'll be a problem.

[65bellett]

JT how did you go on your hunt for the seats? Although they are not cheap if they will accommodate those of us with a bigger date they may be worth it.

[JT191]

JT how did you go on your hunt for the seats? Although they are not cheap if they will accommodate those of us with a bigger date they may be worth it.

I;m to the point of joining all my window shopping customers, I've "clicked to watch". Until either I can figure out how to reclassify from retailer to entertainer, and start charging as pay-per-view, pay-per-click, or sell tickets to look at stuff, or people stop looking and start buying...

http://www.befree.sh came out out with a less expensive retro seat similar to the Bride Historix seat, but with a fixed headrest.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu13 ... eelb-1.jpg
It's available in vinyl, but less classic.

The Kameari seat looks the best, but is probably the size of a child's car seat.
My physical fitness program hit a wall with 7 1/2 months of freezing weather last winter, lots of bike repair time last warm season, and an ever increasing list of broken safety equipment that is out of budget. So tiny car seats would be an issue.

Ignoring the cost of repairing and polishing the big chrome hinges, it would probably be cheaper to reupholster the original seats. And/or have one or two of the classic Porsche style seats made with the matching upholstery.
But, there is no matching basket weave.
I found a place that can reproduce the fabric. They want a 2 inch square sample to examine. I don't see any piece in the seat wider than 1 inch. And I am not anxious to find out how many thousand yards the minimum purchase quantity is, or how many thousand dollars it would cost.

[65bellett]

I have had my eye on these for a while http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/200659765122 ... 751wt_1413

The price is right and they look the business, if only they had slots for harness belts.

[RobSA]

They're the cool seats ... I was looking at getting a set as well.
It's not a hard job to cut and retrim the edges for the belts, i've done it before on similar seats in my Mazda RX2.

What are the chances of getting a discount for a job lot.

PM me if you want to have a crack at getting some.

Cheers
Rob

[65bellett]

Hi Rob a group buy may be the go. I really want to get my hands on one of these seats and give it a test sit. I am starting to get to the stage where I am willing to buy an expensive seat if it looks the part and most importantly doesn't pinch my bum.

The Saas seat I have in my Sedan at the moment is a great seat but after about half an hour, ouch!

[Trevor Gore]

Hi, new here from Australia and I am also trying to fix the seas of my old Nissan. I have some extra decorative cushions and what do you think if I used them in my car seats and then stitch it???

[toomanybelletts]

You can get similar seats thru COXYS MOTORSPORT SPARES . Or you can do what I do - look arouind for years & have moiney ready .
Huntmasters out of brthers car - Lots of money & re-upholstering .
Recaros' in rally car - swapped for something (can't remember )
Nissan works seat - used originals as moulds & $1000.00 re-upholtering (out of Datsun Rally Team Datsun Urvan tow car !! )
Cobra seats - $500.00 re-upholtering
Corbeau seats - swapped for wheel alignment

The seats are out there !

[PR91]

Low back ones in black vinyl are about $500 a pair brand new....
I'm about to remove the cloth ones from the Wasp (that have been there since 1994 and are getting thin....) with a new vinyl pair because its cheaper in the long run.