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My proper newbie thread :D


Quinten

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I remember it, distance put me off a bit but I kept coming back to it, nice car!

Mmm daily commute - I had exact same thoughts as you at first as I have a 60 mile round trip. Then got one and thought no way til summer. I have been blatting around lots now and once my new seats are in I shall be using it all year with hopefully at least 1 work trip a week.

The sidescreens make a huge difference and I'm getting a draught screen made for the roll bar (in fact I may get 10 if theres interest?).

I just love driving mine now and sure you will be now!!

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Another nice shiny red car this week.   Like your temporary seat Quinten.  I guess there is a permanent plan underway.

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Nice looking car - hope you're very happy with it.

 

Just an observation: that front number plate must be murdering airflow through your rad.  Just a small bit of newspaper I "caught" (maybe 1/3 of the area covered by your plate) made a very noticeable difference to water temps (10 degC+).  Quite a few folk fix theirs to the bottom of the nose instead, and running a 3/4 sized plate to regain lost ground clearance isn't unheard of either...

 

If you find yourself running hot when summer rolls around (assuming we get one!) then that'd hopefully be a quick and easy fix.

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It's probably OK in the winter. If it gets too hot in the summer do as Wile suggests.

 

This may be a good way to go (other than a very bent chassis)

accident1.jpg

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Another nice shiny red car this week.   Like your temporary seat Quinten.  I guess there is a permanent plan underway.

 

Well, nothing yet, but has got to be number 1 on the list :d

 

Nice looking car - hope you're very happy with it.

 

Just an observation: that front number plate must be murdering airflow through your rad.  Just a small bit of newspaper I "caught" (maybe 1/3 of the area covered by your plate) made a very noticeable difference to water temps (10 degC+).  Quite a few folk fix theirs to the bottom of the nose instead, and running a 3/4 sized plate to regain lost ground clearance isn't unheard of either...

 

If you find yourself running hot when summer rolls around (assuming we get one!) then that'd hopefully be a quick and easy fix.

 

Yes, the number plate is a sore sight, and will be subject to some alteration.  I would prefer a sticker, but will have to see what my friendly MOT tester will say ;)

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Incidentally, if you're worried about fitting your full size plate lower down, you can always use velcro so that if it takes a knock the fixing won't damage your bodywork.

 

Some people will say they're always falling off if you do this.  I've only ever lost one, which by coincidence was on MoT day.  I suspect was because I must have knocked it with my shoulder whilst doing my pre-MoT checks on the front end of the car.

 

Fortunately another member spotted it by the roadside for me (I kid you not).

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I ran with a stick on plate for day to day driving and at mot time cable tied the full plate to the grill . Never had a issue with mots or the police

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Car is at NMS for pampering, and having discussed a seating solution, all they can offer are the Westfield GRP seats (http://parts-shop.westfield-sportscars.co.uk/seats?product_id=616).  I really like the JK seats, but at £400 (ish) they offer no real discount over the Westfields.  Having now spend an evening on Google, I found these at Kit parts direct (http://www.kitpartsdirect.com/item.php/store/85/c1/330/c2/3851/sn/KAD-GBSP-B/w/KAD_GRP_Bucket_Seats_-_Pair_-_Black) which are significantly cheaper than anything else...  but is it a false economy?  I'm not doing trackdays (well, I maybe once or twice in the future, but nothing planned), but I am planning on  spending 400 miles a week in them...  and the garden chair wants it's cover back ;)

 

Alternatively, anyone with some other brand of shell seats care to point me to something decent that doesn't require me to win the euromillions?

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you'll do track days :d :d :d

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what darve said and i beieve in having the best kit possible. 

 

If you are in it 10 - 12 hours a week you need comfort and safety.  I would be aiming for Tillett seats from David (xtr2) as they are top quality with 20% of this month to WSCC members. In the event of a crash i would also want a lot of back support.  My car has pads and wooden sheet and I hate it.  just trying to find something that fits my weird back shape.

 

secondarily JK's have a very good reputation as well.

cheers

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one big vote for the comfort of jk's here! Way more comfy than the sports seats- they fit the contours of your body much better... not easy to fit though if you don't use adjustable rails- but worth it in the end

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The biggest issue with shell type seats is flex. And this is one of the key things that sets otherwise similar looking sears apart, it's also one of the things that seems to get worse the cheaper you go.

 

It's very disconcerting when you feel the seat twist and move underneath you in fast corners or under hard acceleration/braking. But then I guess you've already got a unique perspective on that!

 

You can get rid of, or at least massively reduce the flex, by bolting the seats down very thoroughly - usually at the very front of the base, then in the middle, where they dip down to touch the floor, then you need to fit brackets to the back to bolt them to the rear bulkhead. Of course, this then means you can't have the seat on runners, it's heavily fixed in position.

 

The better the seat, the more extensive a second skin it will have built in to the back. This is what gives support and rigidity, compared to single skin seats.

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I think you should try the Westfield race seat, they are more upright than the JK seat so you can get your rear end further back against the rear bulkhead, will give you more leg length( you are tall and slim looking at your photo). 

   The JK seat is more laid back and more suited to us lardy geezers and I don't think you'll fit your legs in.    The guy who owned my car before me had  the Westfield seat fitted, he was tall and slim,  6' 3" and said it was the only seat he could get his long legs in the car. 

Actually I think you should try the Westfield race seat and the Triton seat  they are both more of an upright seating position.

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Yes, Bernie makes a good point. The JK's have you in quite a reclined position, but this does, on the bolt in versions at least, mean that you're whole body is effectively rotated, bringing the level of your head down, but raising the level of your knees up.

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Aarggh, I'm just going round in circles... JK... Westfield... JK... Westfield... Anyone in a 50 mile radius of HP19 or NN5 with either of these fitted willing to let me have a look?

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