Red m3 seats or Kirkey racing seats?

[lifeiskaos]

So I've got an opportunity to essentially trade my MINT red leather sport seats for some brand new in the box Kirkey Racing intermediate road race seats with black covers, and I don't know if I should do it.

This is for my "track" car, which won't be daily driven, but will be driven on the street. Note, my red leather seats are currently installed in my DD but will be installed in my track car.

The biggest benefit of the Kirkey seats is that I'll be able to mount them further back (I'm 6'4" all legs) and they weigh 13lb's each...

This picture is really crappy, taken at night with a flash, but it's the best I have ATM:



VS two of these:



What do you guys think?

[Zacm829]

Take the race seats, Esp if its a track car and not DD. The M3 seats are 20 years old after all...

[Fidhle007]

Take the race seats, Esp if its a track car and not DD. The M3 seats are 20 years old after all...

It they were a pair of Recaro SRDs or *maybe* Speeds I'd say do it but as it sits your M3 seats are worth way more then the Kirkey. Kirkeys are cheap and easy to obtain, if you really want on, wait around and grab a used one for a few hundos and be glad you didn't part with your minty red seats.

[AlarmedBread]

The seats are around $400 each with covers. Your sport seats are worth that possibly if you find someone willing to pay that much, or potentially more.

The kirkey seats are not anything special, expensive or hard to come by. The best part about them is having them custom fit to you, which is not the case in your trade. I would pass and buy a set of race seats that fit me perfectly, then keep the sport seats to swap out once in a while. It's nice to have options. I did a similar thing, sold my minty black sport seats and bought race seats. No one wants to buy a car with race seats in it, they want minty sport seats.

[lifeiskaos]

It they were a pair of Recaro SRDs or *maybe* Speeds I'd say do it but as it sits your M3 seats are worth way more then the Kirkey. Kirkeys are cheap and easy to obtain, if you really want on, wait around and grab a used one for a few hundos and be glad you didn't part with your minty red seats.

You have a valid point, but the "trade" isn't a direct swap. Someone wants to sell me the two brand new kirkey seats with covers for $400 shipped ($815 new from kirkey)

I'm not sure what my red seats are worth, but I'm considering just buying the Kirkey ones to try for a while. I don't think I can really lose money if I decide to resell them...

The seats are around $400 each with covers. Your sport seats are worth that possibly if you find someone willing to pay that much, or potentially more.

The kirkey seats are not anything special, expensive or hard to come by. The best part about them is having them custom fit to you, which is not the case in your trade. I would pass and buy a set of race seats that fit me perfectly, then keep the sport seats to swap out once in a while. It's nice to have options. I did a similar thing, sold my minty black sport seats and bought race seats. No one wants to buy a car with race seats in it, they want minty sport seats.

Also valid points. Thanks for your input

Keep it coming guys. You're only making this decision harder! :p

[SkinnyVT]

Remember that for the track the Kirkey seats will more than likely require a back brace depending on what club you are running with, that means you need some place to attach the brace to (rollbar).

[cactusjacks1]

Take the trade - those seats (while nice) appear to be recovered in vinyl based on the color mix of red & black.

[jlevie]

In a track car, race seats trump sport seats. However they don't work well (if at all) with the OE cross-chest harness, so you need 5/6/7 point harnesses and a harness bar or rollbar/cage. But then for a track car you want all of that stuff anyway.

Other than the hassle of getting into/out of the harnesses there's no problem with driving on the street in race seats. I wouldn't recommend it on a regular basis in a daily driver, but occasionally driving a track car on the street is no problem. Before I took up racing I put several thou on my track car going to/from DE's. Other than needing to get out of the car and stretch every 2-3 hours (you can't move around in a race seat) my Sparc Evo was quite comfortable.

[JRKOUPE]

seats

..good race seats are comfy....I second the Evo..I drive 4 hrs or so to the Glen......comfy enough.

but Kirkey do tend to be a bit skimpy on padding for comfort. I think some of the covers are more padded than others....

At 6 4 check your fit......!!!

but you can ALWAYS re sell them if you buy them right

oth......you can always get a new seat you love for the driver side, and go lo buck on pass side. Thats what I did......

new Evo for me...700 ish.......new tube frame Corbeau for pass....220 ish.....

but good used race seats can be had for 300-350 or so.....

there is alot to consider...... make sure you like the Kirkeys......but consider all the options. Hold on to the oe seats if you can before final decisions...you dont want to be stuck w/o oe seats and race seats you hate...

[AlarmedBread]

You have a valid point, but the "trade" isn't a direct swap. Someone wants to sell me the two brand new kirkey seats with covers for $400 shipped ($815 new from kirkey)

I'm not sure what my red seats are worth, but I'm considering just buying the Kirkey ones to try for a while. I don't think I can really lose money if I decide to resell them...

I'd do that, very good price for those seats with covers. Just don't ditch the sport seats until you are very sure ;)

Or PM me the info and I will buy the kirkey seats at that price. :D