Ridgard seats

[105 Mad]

Does anyone know how much Ridgard seats are new, I have a couple of race seats with headrests in good condition & have some one wanting to buy them.

No idea how much to sell them for.

Any ideas?

[simon drabble]

Are they FIA approved seats? If not then I would imagine not very much as they are only suitable for road cars

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by simon drabble

Are they FIA approved seats? If not then I would imagine not very much as they are only suitable for road cars

I thought we only need FIA approved seats for FIA events, they are not required by MSA for club racing here? Or have I been asleep.... Plus, Bob Ridgard's seats, being of 50s/ 60s design, probably tick the FIA box for use in period F or earlier cars anyway?

In answer to the OP, think you would be best to phone Bob and ask him.

[simon drabble]

I was under the impression that belts, seats and other safety equipment has to be FIA approved regardless of event but happy to be proven wrong!

[terence]

As Bobs seats are not dated,they comply anyway.
Age therefore isn't the problem but the overall condition is-were either ever involved in any kind of shunt etc? Depending on the appearance ,possibly about £100 each,maybe less.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by simon drabble

I was under the impression that belts, seats and other safety equipment has to be FIA approved regardless of event but happy to be proven wrong!

Nope, not all. Belts, extinguishers and racewear yes. Belts only are dated / lifed. It is, however, mandatory now in UK Historic Stage Rallying to fit FIA homologated seats, but in racing they are only required for events run to FIA regs. On top of that, Pre 62 and Pre 66 (period E and F) cars can use either an in date FIA homologated seat or an 'original' period one.

Other money saving tips available.......

[105 Mad]

Thanks for everyone's input, I was thinking £100 ea as well.

Ref the other discussion about legality etc. Although they aren't FIA marked, they did come straight out of my FIA Alfa which is slightly confusing. I did use the Alfa for a season in the HSCC/HRSR with these seats fitted, no questions being asked. Mind you, I did run the car in the App K class so presumably the scrutineers took the FIA papers as accurate?

Anyway, I have a friend whose restoring a Cortina Mk 1 GT as a road car, ideal for him.

Thanks again, see you all at Donington, hopefully, with it being a few weeks later it won't be snowing like the previous 2 yrs.

[terence]

Bob has,in the past,had various discussions with the powers that be concerning the date/label thing and was told by the MSA that the seats are totally OK for all events.Chosen seat for vast numbers of B owners who never had any questions asked at events like Spa 6 hr.Of course a non FIA event,but there were some FIA sanctioned events as well,never a problem there either.

[Mike Bell]

105 Mad- as stated in post #6 your Alfa is from a period that doesn't require a homologated seat, so Ridgards should not be questioned. I've raced two pre 66 cars of my own in FIA events around mainland Europe, plus others as well with non homologated seats, and never had them questioned. But if you choose to fit an 'FIA' seat, then it is lifed and will need changing every 6 or 10 years, depending on it's homologation.....

Yes, it is confusing!

[simon drabble]

ironically Terry the only place I have heard pulling people up for non FIA seats was at Spa! A mate got pulled in his GTA but when he said he would go home rather than buy a seat at the track as his seat was fine they relented.
Krkham seats have the same potential issue as Ridgard seats which is ridiculous as they are good seats

[zefarelly]

There was a big hoo ha at Chimay in '05 re seats, Gabriel Konig vented some on the scrutineers (a memorable scene) as they failed her A40 with a Ridgard. and about 30 others, myself included, with an assortment of pews , as the FiA dates had recently changed apparently, eventually JT calmed all (It was a Top Hat race) and we all had fun.

[simon drabble]

Chimay/Top Hat... them were the days

[apriliadriver]

Simon,
Ah ! Chimay ! Where the track surface finished, the Armco started ... not a track to be trifled with.

I raced there in 2002, '04 and I think a third year. Local authority road surfacing added to the fun and one of the right-handers at the North of the circuit went through a farmer's front yard ... first time I raced there, the farmer was climbing a ladder to clean his front windows with the foot of the ladder on the apex of the corner. Aaargh ! I didn't see him in subsequent years, so I assume he didn't survive ....

The organiser's snatch vehicle would just tow a car in during a race - no white flags or anything. During the race, on the fast downhill right-hander on the return leg I discovered the towtruck with a defunct Lotus Cortina on the blind apex doing 10 mph...

Good fun, but after the third visit, I concluded I had used up my fund of good luck at the circuit. And I was tiring of the giant wasp swarms in the paddock.
Nick

[simon drabble]

I recall on one of those occassions being in some type of control tower (have no recollections as to why!) and you telling me about a GTA you had just bought...

I think it was the same year the Lanfranchi Lotus Cortina rolled on that top right hander, post reshell I briefly owned the car and still see it around various paddocks.

I think I only did it twice, 02 and 04 sounds about right. Shared my Alfa with Robert Parker on both occassions, once successfully and once disastrously if my memory is correct!

[Farbrooke]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

There was a big hoo ha at Chimay in '05 re seats, Gabriel Konig vented some on the scrutineers (a memorable scene) as they failed her A40 with a Ridgard.

Happened every year Gabriel went to Chimay - was that not the year they forgot to switch the timing on during practice?

[Robyn Slater]

Just to get things back on topic

Just seen this ad.

Not sure if its relative to Paul's question.

http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showthread.php?t=437904

[simon drabble]

these look like road car seats - if his are the same he might have morre success in teh classic car section?

[Peter Mallett]

In order to view the range available take a look here: http://www.ridgardseats.co.uk/HOME.html

[Jeremy Hall]

Hmmm Ridgard seats eh!
Appendix K allows period seats in both Period F and G. I have never been convinced that the Ridgard type seat was available pre 1966, but my Mini Cooper sure had one fitted by 1971. So I think they are a Period G seat.
What I don't understand is how you can run the seat in Period G but not Period F. Appendix K needs to be amended such that all these sorts of stipulations are retrospective IMHO.
Further as I understand it the seat testing is done only in modern cars , all of which have the contemporary crush structures-thus the seat is required to be a non crush item within a crush structure. By their own confession FIA are unable to devise a test for a ''crushable' seat in a non crush structure like a Mustang or a Mini, thus it seems in the event of an accident with an FIA seat there is the danger that the impact goes all the way through to the sitters pelvis which is the final crushable structure.
Maybe the FIA have this wrong.