Putting the Ultrashield seat in the Panoz

[Cobra4B]

My dad got into town last night... we've been worknig all day on the Panoz, then went to dinner, then went out and got a bit buzzed together with my buddies... twas a great evening (his 60th B-day is on Thursday).

Got all the fluids swapped in the panoz. De-greased the trans/differential, checked all driveline bolts, and started the ultrashield seat swap. Going to use my Hardbar aluminum seat mounts for the vette but custom drilled as the seat mount spacing is completely different. We will need to tack weld in the rear bolts so they can't turn when tightening the nut from underneath. The previous setup uses a sparco slider and seat mount on some sort of fixed seat. The slider acts as a trough that holds the bolt head in place like a carriage bolt.

Removed the 1/2" piece of wood and 1/2" spacers in the floor pan that was a floor board for some more room, plugging the holes, and laying down a coat of truck bed liner in the floor. The GTS race cars don't have the wood board in the floor, but we think it was either for people w/ small feet or to act as a floor board for the metal floor.






Will post more pice as we progress... going to get another ultrashield for the passenger seat, get my Panoz patches put on and get a flat bottom steering wheel. Being 6'4" 245 space/leg room is at a premium.

[Cobra4B]

Going to have to get the rear bolts tack welded in place... spent yesterday grinding away the rust and spraying a fresh coat of rustoleum.

Also found some great rubber/vinyl floor stuff to make new floor mats out of. When I get it all done I'll put up some pics.

[Cobra4B]

The rear bolts can't be reached w/ the seat in the car so I had to use some metal epoxy... it worked.


It fits... and the bolt held torque. Wanted to check that it would hold before putting the seat in just in case the epoxy broke free.


Passenger Evo 2back in w/ harnesses



Test fitting the Ultrashield




Drilled for seat back support


Mounts all re-torqued an installed


Seats are in


Made some floor mats from a vinyl/rubber material we got at home depot



That's all for now... taking the seat cover to an alterations shop to get a Panoz patch put on in place of the Ultrashield patch, then will re-install.

[panoz302]

The car gets pretty hot inside so the side carpets and heat shielding is good to have.

[Cobra4B]

^ I'm going to put the carpets back in... I pulled them out to wire wheel all the surface rust off and spray some fresh paint. Could add a layer of heat shielding under the floormats I made if my feet get warm.

The outside of the tub is shielded and the mufflers are wrapped in shielding.

[panoz302]

I have heard from a local race shop who ran a gts for 2 years that they sealed as much of the chasis as they can. I do feel the mufflers help but they are right next to your right leg and the heat goes thru. I was thinking about sealing all the holes with a/c tape I have done some of it, it is thin aluminum tape. and maybe some new light weight insulation on the outside.

I also heat wrapped my headers/exhuast pipe in front of the foot well and the rest of the headers, after I sprayed them with cermamic header paint.

[Cobra4B]

^ I had lots of holes in the passenger side floor from mutliple seat mounts. I replaced the hardware w/ grade 8 bolts, drilled a hole for a proper 4th bolt (passenger seat only had 1 front and 2 rears), then used Gorilla Tape (black duck tape on steroids) to cover the open holes on the floor. No holes into the chassis for me... we'll see how it goes as far as heat. If I'm hot I'll wrap the pipes... I have lots of black header wrap.

[Cobra4B]

Got the cover on, belts fitted/adjusted and crotch belts in. Ordering a flat bottom sparco tomorrow to replace this Fitipaldi.

[Blue Streak 21]

Your interior is looking sweeeeeeet!
I've stayed with the stock seats, but have removed the board in the footwell of the driver side. There was a little surface rust on the floor boards, so I sanded them and repainted with a Rustolum product that has a slight texture to it. Kinda like spray paint with fine sand in it. I didn't wnat my feet slipping around in the pedal box.
I need to tape up a few holes in the tranny tunnel, and the four holes i nthe floor board where the board was attached.

[Cobra4B]

^ Yep same issue w/ light surface rust in areas as well. Hit them wire a wire wheel on my drill, wiped down, then painted w/ rustoleum. I have a few cans of spray in truck bed liner that I was going to put in the foot wells, but we went w/ the rubber material from Home depot instead. The trans tunnel cover bolts and the anti-sub strap bolt hold it in place along w/ some spray glue.

I used push pins w/ black RTV for the holes left by the foot board (lots of sizes at advanced auto parts), but gorilla tape (black super duck tape) on the passenger side to cover the extra holes.

[DrBro]

What material are the side carpets made from and how are they held in place? I assume this is for heat shielding mainly.

[Cobra4B]

They seem like burbur carpet material cut to a custom pattern with a bound edge. They are held in place with snaps and have a heat reflective material on the back side. It also makes a nice arm rest.

[eric1h]

Sorry for the all the questions but I'm putting together a pats list for the car I'm about to buy. What model seat is that? Ultrashield has a bunch. TIA

[g8rbob]

If you remove the hood, doors and side rocker panels (just a few bolts- actually) you will find that most of the cockpit is pretty well insulated with metalic insulating material. BUT - you will also find NO INSULATION on the large horzontal surface next to drivers left and passenger's right elbows (carpeted areas in pics above) - nor will you find any insulation on the vertical surface just inside each door. These surfaces are directly above the exhaust system as well as extending forward toward the engine bay.

Glen and I added layered metalic insulation there - on the outside of the cockpit surfaces. What used to almost get too hot to hold skin against is now cool enough to rest and arm directly on - in the garage/paddock/pit of course!!!!

Always consider fire in material selection and application.

[Cobra4B]

How do you easily remove the side/rocker panels? Mine look to be riveted on when I open the door... looks like I'd have to drill them out to get that panel off.

I had no issues with heat in mine. My seat is an Ultrashield Pro Roadrace 17" width 20 degree layback.