Building an aluminium race seat FF

In this video we create a new aluminium race seat for the RP-30, could be for any Formula Ford or any other car

[@marchutchings8834]

Hey Steve, I thought at first you were making a very simple design, but as the video progresses, what a very nice job. Bespoke and beautiful.

[@D3Sshooter]

Thank you

[@scattkiwiman]

nice work ! I think 6 hours is not a lot to make this piece of art. Amazing the weight of that glassfiber seat. I think it is the resin that brings the weight to it. Maybe a vacuum bagged seat would weigh less

[@D3Sshooter]

Thanks for the comments, or carbon do make it lighte

[@dunmail7744]

Nice work. I used modern auto adhesive to stick the slitted aluminium tube over the panel edges. Fill the tube through the slit (or via an extension tube) and push it on. Never comes off!

[@D3Sshooter]

Indeed that is also a way to do it, I use sometime the glue used for glazing in cars. Thanks for the comments

[@brianparkinson1594]

Excellent attention to detail, super result!

[@D3Sshooter]

Thanks for the comments

[@TotoGuy-Original]

great job it shows how even with cheap tools you can make something like this. keep doing video's i love watching them

[@FrancoiseJacquemin]

Hi Steve, very nice work and satisfying to watch 👍👍👍. David.

[@D3Sshooter]

Thsnk you `david

[@General813]

Hi Steve, wow what a very nice seat. I also think the idea of ​​the edge protection in aluminum is very well done. Nice clean work down to the last detail😀👍👍👍

[@D3Sshooter]

Thank for the comments, wel we try

[@badad0166]

Hey, Da Klunk here with food for thought: The right kind of foam just might keep you safer. Especially if you keep the bottom thick for flat spine landings. I don't know my specs but I'm big on the theory. Look at American sprint cars and don't do that. Find out the foam F1 uses, follow their lead and I won't see you in the hospital! (Plus you get to build another seat!). Impressive freehand work with the cutoff wheel. Cheers and Ciao.

[@D3Sshooter]

Thnanks for the comments...

[@gregorymacneil2836]

Great Video! Aluminum is such a fun material to work with - very malleable!

[@D3Sshooter]

Thank you

[@jtg2737]

Lots of patience to this type of job. Very nice!

[@D3Sshooter]

tell me about it... Thanks for the comments

[@richardkleihorst1304]

welding aluminium with comfort will require some (private) lessons, That is the best way to approach it IMHO. I did that and it made all the difference. Your AC welder looks like a proper one.

[@D3Sshooter]

Thanks for the comments, and indeed it takes a lot of time to get it right and I did not wanted to take changes.. on thick ALU its not to bad , but on this thin stuff I can get the puddle to flow correctly... That is why I need to get some smart guy to show me

[@jeffhildreth9244]

Well done. Thanks for the tutorial, I am inspired to make one for my 63 MGB.

[@D3Sshooter]

Thank for the comments, go for it .. its not all the difficult

[@54mgtf22]

Hey Steve. Love your work 👍

[@D3Sshooter]

Thank you

[@Andrew-vx2ls]

This is a very interesting video. One of the problems of welding aluminium is that although the welds are strong, the properties of the aluminium around the weld can be dramatically weakened by annealing (which then leads to overspecification). This is why the Lotus 25 aluminium tub (the first modern F1 car) was (aircraft spec) rivetted and glued aluminium. The use of beading was a good reminder. I can see a use for these techniques for another project and appreciated the ideas below to use adhesive to avoid the parts becoming unseated by NVH. With your Lotus Elise repair experience...I was holding my breath waiting for this to reappear! Might I suggest for the next video: (a) making a head rest (b) that you wear gloves (I often use cheap gardening gloves!) as aluminium can give nasty cuts.

[@D3Sshooter]

Thansk for the comments Andrew, and indeed Alu can cut as I have found out when I walked into a panel... some time ago 10 stitches.

[@Andrew-vx2ls]

@@D3Sshooter Thanks Steve. I'm going to put some of your ideas into practice for my project.

[@roberthertel5565]

That seat turned out very, very well !

[@Darryl603]

Excellent work, Steve! It looks really nice!

[@D3Sshooter]

Thank you.

[@andreichichak5242]

will you be putting a head rest pad on the roll hoop? I was a corner marshal that had a Formula Ford spin and hit an embankment backwards in my corner. The drivers head whipped back and his helmet collapsed where it hit the roll hoop diagonal brace. Luckily the helmet did its job and the driver was fine, but the head rest pad would have helped a lot.

[@D3Sshooter]

Indeed, that is a must and I have already build one... not in the video... Thanks for the comments

[@juanbenech7313]

Very nice work. Also learning about tools that I didn't knew about. Thank you.

[@kippyswedge4315]

Very excellent video. Well done and thanks for posting it. Michael

[@D3Sshooter]

Thanks for watching

[@D3Sshooter]

Thanks for the comments

[@DMAX_DIY]

Great Job on the seat Steve. I bought an aluminum race seat and still use it.. but it's too big in spots, too weird in other spots.. Now that I see how you did this (especially the tubes which cover the sharp ends) I am going to attempt a custom seat - Ive needed it for quite some time.. Thanks for posting all your videos..

[@Al-os2cg]

I like rivets, practical and easy to use. 👍

[@OKHansen]

And it can be taken apart again, unlike a weld

[@D3Sshooter]

Indeed , Thanks for the comments

[@magnusdanielsson2749]

Really nice 👍 Smart choice using rivets. Looks alot better than crappy welds. Id be very happy with such a result

[@samsdadalways888]

Another wonderful video, thank you 🎉

[@D3Sshooter]

Thanks for the comments

[@patrickdjebar9225]

it is always a pue pleasure to see your videos , thx,

[@D3Sshooter]

Thanks for the comments

[@olsonspeed]

Thanks, i am building a similar seat fot my cuclekart project, your information was very helpful.

[@salamander5703]

Lovely job! Suggest you run a little Loctite between those blind rivnuts and the aluminium panel. They have a habit when loaded or vibrated of becoming loose, then you can't undo the screw because it is tight in the threads and the rivnut turns instead. Very easy to install but a real pain to get out when this happens! Also, what are the rules in Europe about fuel tanks? In UK for racing it's not allowed to have a fuel filler in the driver's compartment. Not ideal for older cars because people then add a filler neck into the engine compartment and use rubber hose to connect it onto the threads of the tank neck. Leaving the standard filler cap (as you have) looks a much safer job to me. This is what I have done on my PRS FF1600 which I only use for track days.

[@D3Sshooter]

Thanks for the comments, and indeed very good practice... I know those are a PitB when they turn wild

[@user-yp9xy8uc9p]

Hi Steve where can I find the deep link press for the flanged round holes in sheet meal?

[@D3Sshooter]

at Mattheys... www.matthys.net

[@user-yp9xy8uc9p]

@@D3Sshooter thx

[@rickden8362]

That's some nice work you did there. Did you consider using the small dies to punch holes in the seat to make it lighter(and stronger). I had a similar seat and I still slid around in it until I glued down the padding. In the end my best result was using a foam fitted insert.

[@D3Sshooter]

I see, I used anti slip tape and put the padding up

[@rickden8362]

@@D3Sshooter That will help, but there's really no substitute for a nice, comfortable, snug fitting foam insert. And they weigh hardly anything.

[@OKHansen]

Just Wauw! Such a nice job, and you make it look so easy! This is why I subscribe here keep it coming!

[@D3Sshooter]

Thank you, well it is easy if you take your time

[@StefanMiniCooper]

Great result Steve! Looks really good. Where did you buy the tools for the holes?

[@D3Sshooter]

hi, at Mattheys

[@StefanMiniCooper]

@@D3Sshooter thnx!

[@tomm.1348]

Great video Steve

[@D3Sshooter]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@erichlausch9886]

Hallo Steve, sind auch Wasserablauflöcher geplant ?🙂

[@D3Sshooter]

yep

[@edwindeleonmarcano5140]

😮 nice 👍🏻

[@D3Sshooter]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@RallyeRacin9]

First time I'm not impressed by your work. This seat will not work. The forces will not be equally spread on your body und you will get bruises from pressure points. Unless you are driving very slow. But thats not your goal, isnt it? Please put in a foamed seat shell. Its not only more comfortable but much safer too.

[@D3Sshooter]

Thanks, I guess I will soon find out ... ..and yes a foam insert is far more suitable there is no doubt about that... August is time for its test in Spa Francorchamps , so i might come out all blue,,,,,

[@RallyeRacin9]

@@D3Sshooter Take some pieces of foam with you that you can stuff in on the sides. You will need them. Or a rib protection vest as used in karting. Anyway all the best for Spa. Have fun.

[@rickden8362]

I think you'r being bit harsh on Steve, but you're on point about a foam insert. The aluminum was a nice start, I would have added more dimple dies to lighten/strengthen as a base then add a foam insert. Although, as nice as all the work Steve did was, I'd just get as new glass seat and add an insert and save myself the fabricating work.

[@D3Sshooter]

@@RallyeRacin9 Thanks ... I will

[@RallyeRacin9]

@@rickden8362 Didn't intend to be harsh. Just wanted to be constructive and wrote from my experience.