advice on seat eligibility

[steveng]

Some advice please gentlemen.
I was adjusting my seat and noticed it is ten years old. It is a Cobra Imola S. It has never been questioned by the scrutineers and is in perfectly good condition.
The car is an Alfa GTV6 1981. I am running in CSCC's Future Classics in 2008.
Do I need a new seat?
Many thanks.

[scrutineer]

Steve
There is no requirement to have an in date seat unless you are going to race in an FIA event. However it is always a good idea to check with your eligability scrutineer or check your regs as some championships call out additional requirements (however this is unlikley to be one). And having looked on the CSCC website your regs dont take to much reading
One thing though, as the seat has been in for a while make sure that the bolts are still tight and the backing plates are in a good condition, many drivers turn up with loose seats and belts.

[Farbrooke]

Are you sure you need a dated seat for an FIA event? - if it is manufactured with a date on it then it must be still valid - but if it has no date then does not apply - lot of sports racing cars do not have seats as such - the only dated seats are 'shell design' seats.

APP K - 5.22.1 For cars in GTS and CT of Period F (1/1/1962) or later, if the original front seats are changed, this must be for seats of period specification or for which the FIA homologation is valid. For other periods, these seats are recommended.

[Eddy V]

All seats need to be valid for FIA events.

[Farbrooke]

Originally Posted by Eddy V

All seats need to be valid for FIA events.

Most probaly its me but I cannot find an FIA rule which states such - App K doesn't, nor can I find anything in the sporting code or driver equipment?

Any guidance to the right section would be welcomed?

[Alan Cherry]

Originally Posted by Farbrooke

Most probaly its me but I cannot find an FIA rule which states such - App K doesn't, nor can I find anything in the sporting code or driver equipment?

Any guidance to the right section would be welcomed?

It's 5 years from the date of manufacture. I had to buy a new seat last year as I wanted to compete in Germany. It's on the FIA web site, unless they've changed it, it's published in both French and English, however, on the english translation, they've scanned it, and chopped the 5 years off the end of the page - try the French translation, and it's there . I can't speak a word of french,so I had to shove it through the Google Translation service, but you get the gist ! If you are planning on doing any FIA or foreign events, make sure you don't buy a seat that's been hanging round in the shop for 12 months !

[Alan Cherry]

got it http://www.fia.com/resources/documen...ition_seat.pdf
go to section 7 (seat life) page 6 - scanning still crap you also need to read the french half to get the whole picture.










edited - I can't spell french this time of the evening

[Farbrooke]

Thank you Alan - however that is to achieve FIA approval of a specific type of seat, including once approved it has to be dated - where does it say you must use an FIA approved seat ? - in the AAP K quoted above you can still use the standard car manufacturers seat - that will not be dated or FIA approved - not that I am saying you would want to but there are excellent competition seats available which are not FIA approved and therefore not dated

[terence]

Originally Posted by Farbrooke

Thank you Alan - however that is to achieve FIA approval of a specific type of seat, including once approved it has to be dated - where does it say you must use an FIA approved seat ? - in the AAP K quoted above you can still use the standard car manufacturers seat - that will not be dated or FIA approved - not that I am saying you would want to but there are excellent competition seats available which are not FIA approved and therefore not dated

Hmmm, Friend of Bobs eh.

[Eddy V]

Your ASN should have regs somewhere where it, at some point, will probably state that you have to use a seat according to FIA standard for such and such championship. The FIA just presumes that we all use FIA stuff, so they don't bother much trying to prove it is like they say.

Today I translated the Dutch regs (into German) for their Suzuki Cup and in their own regs it said at some point:
Seats have to be homologated according to FIA standard 1855-1999.

So if you don't comply, you can't even race something that simple.

[steveng]

Thank you gentlemen. The seat is in good nick, the bolts are tiight and the belts are new so it looks like I will be okay for UK club events.
Many thanks for your input.

[vjay48]

a worrying thought that comes to mind,is the seat not fia spec,because it did not pass the testing?

[terence]

No need to worry,the FIA do not test anything.

[vjay48]

seats are tested to gain fia homogation,i know the fia dont do it, the seat manufacturer has it done or not as the case,i would think any manufacturer who does not bother either has a very poor market or a problem?

[Eddy V]

Some seat manufacturers can't be bothered to take the test as they did not intend to use that certain type of seat for racing purposes. Doesn't mean it is an unsafe seat.

[vjay48]

i think some of you are dealing with a set of double standards,no one is prepared to race with seat belts,helmets etc. which have not passed a verication test of some sort,my point is i would be happier to race with a seat that has been tested,even the seats had the bottom end of the major uk manufacturers ranges are fia stamped, if the racmsa changed its mind over seats you would not have an option. Having seen the innards of some so called race seats,a very popular seat of some years ago,had for back and seat support two sheets of hardboard,as in back of a cheap wardrobe,these seats fixed to the frame with small upholstery hog rings.A basic spec should have been at least webbing and the hardboard sheets,this seat is no longer on the market,a lot of cars including mine had it!

[scrutineer]

Originally Posted by vjay48

i think some of you are dealing with a set of double standards,no one is prepared to race with seat belts,helmets etc. which have not passed a verication test of some sort,my point is i would be happier to race with a seat that has been tested,even the seats had the bottom end of the major uk manufacturers ranges are fia stamped, if the racmsa changed its mind over seats you would not have an option. Having seen the innards of some so called race seats,a very popular seat of some years ago,had for back and seat support two sheets of hardboard,as in back of a cheap wardrobe,these seats fixed to the frame with small upholstery hog rings.A basic spec should have been at least webbing and the hardboard sheets,this seat is no longer on the market,a lot of cars including mine had it!

Fully agree, but I know not everyone will (come on Al were are you )

Originally Posted by Eddy v

Some seat manufacturers can't be bothered to take the test as they did not intend to use that certain type of seat for racing purposes. Doesn't mean it is an unsafe seat.

But if they cant be bothered to test it what else cant they be bothered to do? Maybe they have not been tested as they know they will not pass, or as vjay says did they test it and it failed??

[Eddy V]

Don't worry vjay, I'd never, ever race in a car without a homologated seat. Best with ears as well, thank you very much. Same for belts or whatever.

Scrutineer, some, like OMP, have a "racetype" seat that looks good and works okay for road use, but was never intended for racing. Are they unsafe? Probably not, but some people will still use that seat as it is cheap.

Besides, anyone who "saves" money on safety is

[terence]

Out of the dozen or so Manufacturers,I doubt if there are more than three who do test Seats/Belts.These items are made to a known design,bit like re-inventing the wheel really.