INTERIOR, SEATS, HEADLINER
ETC
Braum "Advan" reclining Racing
Seats
HEADLINER
AC VENTS FROM
AUDI
These are Braum ADVAN
reclining racing seats. Having researched hundreds of seats,
these were the only ones that had the combination of looks,
dimensions and functionality I felt was worth a shot. I
ordered them from CarDid for $649 for the set. They are far
better in terms of craftsmanship than the seats that come with the
GTM. They also recline, allowing some adjustment in terms of
fitting and head heigth
These are the brackets I made from 10 Gauge steel. I set the angle at the slope the seat rests at when positioned correctly in the fore/aft position. To do this I measured an approximate 6 degree angle from the edge of the drop off in the floor panel to the seat floor approximately 13 inches aft just in front of the bottom of the fuel tank cover/firewall panel.
Pictures are somewhat out of order here. This is the right side harness attach point after welding in a 10 gauge plate aft and underneath the frame square tube. This puts the load against the frame instead of relying solely on the weld.
On the left side I cut the forward weldment off and cut a piece of angle iron and welded it to the frame in a position as far outboard as I could. This area (where the nut goes) is open approximately 3 more inches outboard of the frame. This is enough to create a box approximately 10 inches long, 3 inches high and about 5 inches outboard from the inner frame edge. This allows access to the nut, room for your hand when adjusting the recline handle and adequate space for the body. I'll take more pictures of the sheet metal modifications that surround this area later. Some will require riveting after the body is in place. None of this has to be done but the angle needs to be in this location in order for the harness eye holt to clear the recline mechanism and so the harness doesn't obstruct or ride hard against it.
These are some paper templates I made to help visualize where the seat mount points were in relation to the seat sides and front and back limits of the upholstery & recline handle. They help for this and can also be used by taping them to the seat, moving the seat into position and then taping the template to the floor and mount points once positioned correctly. I used just enough tape to keep it on the seat bottom without moving when I positioned the seat. Then I pulled the tape down away from the various positions on the seat, while simultaneously taping alternating points of the template to the floor pan - sides, fore and aft. One done with the tape, I carefully lifted the seat. The template remained against the floor and mount points. Then I marked through the mount holes in the paper to where the bolts had to come up through the floor.
This is a no modification picture of the seat after dropping it into the car the first time. I did have the corvette seat belt bracket cut off. You do have to cut it off first. This is when I decided I'd cut out the sheet metal to create room for my hand and the recline mechanism.
With the seat positioned in a comfortable position as far aft as possible, this is what it looks like. Getting the seat centered would require moving the steering column weldment left. They really made this a pain on this car. All seats seem to suffer in this respect. The angle of the tunnel at the floor simply prevents centering of most seats. Only extensive frame cutting and modification can change this. I was okay with it and made the adjustments I could with the bolts on the steering column. I may do more later. Another thing to consider is fore/aft position of the pedals and your leg room. When sitting in the car, it feels somewhat like a cross between a go kart and a sports car. Definitely tight but okay. As for controlibility, it's better simply because your arms and legs cannot be fully stretched out. I feel as I would on a race track....but not in a position I'd prefer driving down the interstate for hours.
The recline mechanism after I cur some of the sheet metal.
I beefed up the edges
of the floor pan that has the steel lip on the forward side.
I was dissapointed there wasn't a square tube here. It would
have provided additional strength. The seats are solidly
mounted and with the harnesses there's really no concern. I
decided to bolt the mounts on using 1/4" allen bolts and large
washers on the backside under the car.
