A moulded racing shell is shaped to one lumbar curve and that is the curve you get. When the small of your back needs support in a different place, the seat does not move to meet you.
Real Race part 13-001 is a single-cell inflatable lumbar pad. A flat bladder sits behind the backrest cushion of the shell and is connected by a hose to a hand bulb that you can reach while belted in. Inflate slowly and the bladder presses a low, rounded curve into the exact depth you choose. The single cell inflates as one shape at one height, concentrated at the base of the lumbar. If you can point to one specific spot that aches after half an hour in the seat, this addresses it.
If the ache spreads across the whole of the lower back, not just at one concentrated point, the 3-cell pad covers more height with three stacked bladders. It is a few pounds dearer and the taller of the two pads, so if both look like candidates it is worth measuring the space behind your backrest cushion before deciding.
Fitting on both pads follows the same method. On most moulded shells the backrest cushion is velcro-held. Peel it off, lay the pad flat on the bare shell, press the cushion back over it, and route the hose out at the side where your hand falls, away from the harness slots. No part of the shell is drilled or cut, and it removes in seconds.
Before ordering, confirm that the backrest trim on your seat is velcro-held rather than bonded or stapled to the shell. On bonded or stapled trim there is no gap behind the cushion to work with. Tell us which seat you have and we will check. Also measure the flat area behind the cushion, because shell dimensions vary.
If the car runs under a competition regulation that specifies the seat, check with your club or scrutineer first. For road and track day use it is treated as a cushion change. Lead time on Real Race lumbar pads is typically 3 to 5 working days from order. Browse the full Real Race seat insert range. Related: Real Race 3 Cell Inflatable Lumbar Pad, Real Race Spacer Fabric Covering.
