cheetah mk3 help needed

[tom dandes]

OK, so I took the cheetah to Nicholson this weekend and after the first day of practice I had to put it up. It has the original flared seat and I slide around in it no matter what I do. If anyone knows of a more modern seat that will bolt up without to many issues please let me know. My ribs are killing me from just the one day of practice.

Thanks!

[Chris a Postiglione]

I run a concept seat on my mk3 karts. The single and the twin. The original cheeta seat holds me in better and fits like a glove.

Chris p

[Vince Rosanelli]

Tom,
As Chris pointed out, you definitely want a seat that fits snug. It may seem counterintuitive, but being held in firmly is better and more protective of your ribs than sloshing around in a loose seat, especially in the event of an impact. I might be wrong in saying so, but I’m pretty sure the Cheetah seats were a “one size fits all” type. If I am mistaken, then perhaps you can seek out one that is a size smaller so that you can keep the look of your kart as original as possible if that is a goal of yours.  Again, not sure if they came in different sizes, but if so, you may want to contact Samantha Weakley on the VKA resources list that makes reproduction Cheetah seats. Just curious, were you running your seat with or without the Cheetah upholstery? Have you considered perhaps buying and adhering to your seat some of the thick, black seat foam padding like you see on the Tillett and other modern seats? That padding is available from kart supply vendors and also eBay.

If keeping the seat look original is not a top priority, then your height, weight and waist size will help determine which aftermarket seat size will suit you best. I measured the mounting bolt positions on my Cheetah seat and found that the lower bolts are spaced approximately 15” on center and the top bolts are spaced about 10” on center. Based upon those measurements, any modern day seat from a size Large and up could be mounted effectively. Margay currently has the black fiberglass seat they used on some of their 70s-80s karts available on their website under the Vintage tab. It is only available in the Large size though. They also have a size chart that will help illustrate and determine what sizes would work best for individual riders. Keep in mind though that the Margay seat back fuel tank may not match up and mount as easily to an aftermarket seat.  If you ever get the chance, maybe you can post a photo of your Cheetah kart.  I hope this helps and good luck!

[ted johnson]

I have one of Samantha Weakley's seats in my Photon. I had upholstery custom made for it, and it works very well. I have only run the kart one three-day weekend, but had no trouble staying put in the seat, and no soreness afterwards. I'm a normal sized short guy. Ted

[David Luciani]

tom,
 i'm betting you've driven modern karts and are used to being locked into the seat.
the cheetah seat can't do that they were early fiberglass seats imitating the original steel tube seats.

i have zero problems with that style seat but i prefer to be less locked into a kart .
i mostly drive rear engine karts that are known for having loose seating.

In later years as the knowledge base got deeper the karts seats started to lock drivers in for better performance.
it wasn't even that much later , about three years into the cheetah production that the karts seats were changed.

i believe the margay concept was the first margay to sport a fitted seat as original factory equipment.
if you want to stay original you can add the later margay concept seat which were also usually found on the last cheetahs produced. 
the concept seat is much closer to a modern seat while still being margay and era correct .
keep in mind that seat has fitment issues for bigger guys so it's best to test fit before doing a final install.

if that doesn't work for you get any modern seat you like and use it.
if you want it to look vintage buy it in black or paint it black.
few but the most picky guys would even notice the difference.
hope this helps
D

[ted johnson]

Dean Kanocz painted ours with a urethane. I've painted fiberglass seats in the past with black Varathane. Don't know if it is still made, but whatever you use, CLEAN the fiberglass, then clean it again if you want the paint to stick. TJ

[tom dandes]

Dean Kanocz painted ours with a urethane. I've painted fiberglass seats in the past with black Varathane. Don't know if it is still made, but whatever you use, CLEAN the fiberglass, then clean it again if you want the paint to stick. TJ

The Margay seat I have is original to the kart and has the original seat cover. Its a large and I thought it fit pretty well until I got to Nicholson then I was all over the place. I would prefer the style seat that came in the later cheetah and first series of panther but to find one in a large size would be a miracle. Does anyone remake the later style?

[ted johnson]

Here's the seat the late Carl Weakley repopped, and his daughter, Samantha now sells. Nice job of repop. I did add the Comet Kart Sales reinforcing washer kits to the top seat struts. Seat feels good. Guy named Sonny in the Mesa, AZ area did the upholstery for us through Dean Kanocz. I'm pleased with the seats. we wanted the earlier look, so chose the Cheetah. TJ

[tom dandes]

Here's the seat the late Carl Weakley repopped, and his daughter, Samantha now sells. Nice job of repop. I did add the Comet Kart Sales reinforcing washer kits to the top seat struts. Seat feels good. Guy named Sonny in the Mesa, AZ area did the upholstery for us through Dean Kanocz. I'm pleased with the seats. we wanted the earlier look, so chose the Cheetah. TJ

Ted, another nice looking kart. I like what you did to it.  Here is a picture of the cheetah sprint with the same seat. it's the flare in the bottom that's causing me the issues.

[Chris a Postiglione]

Here’s my fathers