Randy LaJoie's Former NASCAR Shop Turned Racing Seat Factory! (How Its Made: The Joie of Seating)

We won my first championship from here. You could even park a truck on it. I did a lot of things in that old bathtub. come on. Yes Yes. And Mark Donohue had a hand in it too. We've been molding ever since. So, we're at Randy LaJoie's shop, 'The Joy of Seating,' and we'll learn how he got started making seats for race cars and how he does it. Quite amazing. They have all kinds of old interesting things here. I am very excited about this. Yes, he has a cute dog too. What's going on? How are you? Very good. We're here to learn safest seats around. It's not as easy as you think. But I'll give you a little glimpse into why we do it. Yes. First of all, to save lives. First I wanted to save my life. Now it belongs to my children , and now it belongs to everyone else's children. I used to be a crash test dummy. And I used to bump into things, and my dad bought this seat from the late Mark Donohue. Really? He was not deceased then , it was in 1971. Have you heard of Mark Donohue, who used to drive for Penske? He had this seat in his Camaro with which he won the Trans Am championship in 1970-71. And me , my dad, and my brother went to an auto show in Hartford, and my dad got into Mark's car. And Mark said, " Hey, you're the same size." " Sit in this seat." And my father said, "I like it." "I want one." So, Mark said, " I'll sell you one. " So, then they did just that. So , man, that was in 1970. I did n't start until 1979. So, when I started , my father said, "Just use that seat." "That's good." am. Ok. So, I did that , and then the more you do it , the more people want you to drive their cars. He would say come drive my car. Come drive my car. Ok. I soon discovered that everyone else's seats weren't very comfortable. You know, she did n't hold me by my shoulders and hips. I was used to sitting in a good seat. My shoulders used to fit , my waist used to fit. And then suddenly I was sitting in a milk crate with only my ribs to hold onto. There was nothing on my shoulders. My upper body would sway from side to side and I would have trouble controlling myself in cars and I would wonder, "How do these people do it ?" So, I usually took my seat with me. And so, I'm using this seat. And people used to make fun of it because in the old days it was fiberglass , and it had no cover. And when it was made, it was white when it came out of the mold. So, I never painted it. And he said, "Man, that looks like a bathtub." I said, "Yeah, okay, no problem." One night I did a lot of it in that old bathtub. And for years I always thought it was a comfort thing. But then in 1994, NASCAR came here. I had just finished putting it on when he said, " Hey, you can't use that fiberglass seat anymore. " I said, "Why?" "I've been using it my whole life. " He said, " No, no, no more fiberglass." I said, "Oh brother, okay. " I asked, "What should I do?" See if someone can mold it for you. So, he said, " No carbon fiber." At that time, you know , it was the early 90s and they were like, " We don't want to mess with carbon fiber. " So , I took my seat to two aluminum seat makers in town and one of them tried it and Darrell Waltrip eventually used that seat and he did n't like it. I did n't like it. And then the guy said, " Hey, this is very difficult to make. " He said, " This thing is very difficult." And the other person did n't even try. So, it took me a few years to meet someone in the stamping business. And luckily through one person, two years later we started making parts and that's what we've been doing ever since. So you had to find a way to convert the original shape of your fiberglass seat into metal. Aluminium. Whenever you try to mold aluminum or steel , it is not easy. So we had to work with our aluminum suppliers to figure out what aluminum was right to stamp because you know you're expecting a lot of things to be done with one piece of aluminum. It's a flat sheet and you want curves in it. For this, the molecules must have the right softness and the right thickness. You have to use dice and all that stuff. So luckily, the guy I met in Ohio has been manufacturing there for 25 years. He's a very smart guy and he helped me move forward , and honestly, because of him we saved many lives , including mine. So , let's see. Yes, it is really great. I love this story because it was a business born out of personal need. Like and you found something through it. This corner, here are the cars my dad drove. His first car that had this style seat was the Gremlin on the left. This is about the 70s. He won five consecutive championships. am. Yes, from 74 to 79 he won. Where did this 7-11 come from? Well, he drove someone else's car. She was number 10. One man wanted 11 , but someone else already had it. Then he said seven. That was already there too , so the crew member said just combine the two. Ok. So I said, " Okay." And that's what we did. 7-11 has become our family's number one. You know, it's really weird how numerology works. Yes. But it's always 7-11. I started at the age of 17. This was the age of my brother who was killed in a car accident. So 17, 7-11, I mean, you walk into any Lejoy house in the country and you can probably go in because it's 17 or 7-11. am. What is this thing here? This was an original fiberglass template. The mold they used to make the seats. This part was the smooth part. And they built on that basis. am. This is one of the original molds from around 1970. So is this a mold of the Donohue seat? Correct. Really? Yes. Which was probably modeled after Mark Donohue. Absolutely. This seat is still the same size. In the end, it was Mark Donohue that we've been molding ever since. Wow. Yeah, you know , he was about a 185- pound guy , maybe 5'11" or 5'10". And a lot of people fit into that , you know. Yes. But I mean, I had to make it big for myself and for others. As you can see, we have standard sizes available from 14 inches to 18 inches , because at the end of the day, not everyone is the same. The neck is different. The slope of the shoulders is different , I mean some people don't have shoulders at all. It starts below the ears. And some people are just straight. And all of this makes a difference in the way the seat is made. Otherwise, it wo n't fit. We'll use these for sizing. 70% might fit just fine. Hmm. But for 30% you will have to adjust , and that's okay. We have to raise it , lower it , or widen it. Some people sleep in a funnel. Some people do n't have a neck. Some people have necks as long as giraffes. So I mean how you create your finished product matters a lot. And when did this building start as a race shop ? Yes. We used to race from here. It was from this building that we won our first championship. When did it go from a race shop to a seat factory? In 98, 99. Yes, this place used to be a wash bay earlier. There was a lift here. Cars used to come here. This was the wash bay , but this is where all the initial process begins. These are all my core stamps that I get. This is the strength we apply to the shoulder blades. When we created this , we reached the next level. Because you can also park a truck on it. It will not tilt back. So, that's what I put on the outside of my shoulders. And it really is a game changer. This is where everything starts. This is very interesting. Trying to find the right mix of aluminum. Yes, I have sizes in 12, 14, 16 and 17 inches and the middle row is all custom pieces. They're all my Cup cars. That's where I started. I used to start with four pieces. And everything was custom. Hmm. This was not the most economical method. Aah. Because it required a lot of hard work. So, over the years we've created standard sizes , such as 12- inch. This was Cory's seat when he was 110 pounds. I said there will always be 110-pound kids. So, this is the blueprint for Corey's time at 110 pounds. And then when he turned 150, we made another one. And that one here is still pretty close to the original. It's still pretty close to the original. Donnie here is the 15-incher. So, did you just make yourself this amazing seat and then other people said, "Hey, who made this?" And you said, " I did. Do you want one?" I wanted it to fit me first. You know, because I need five of these. Now, when you talk to people in this business , they say, "You can't make five seats. You have to do 5,000 pounds. " Well, okay. I do n't need £5,000, you wouldn't think so. But, here we are. After 22-24 years. And we use about 10,000 seats. Wow. And it's not a lot, but it's enough. Yes. Compared to some people who sell 10,000 seats a year. Yes. But they are cheap and hurt you. You know, 99% of the time if our seat is in place correctly , you'll be fine even if you hit something. It is difficult to stop infiltration. Things often come in and collide with people. But we have made the seats much better. Meaning, in addition to being a crash test dummy himself for years , Corey is now doing it, but I ca n't call him a dummy because he's now a data acquisition technologist. Yes. Yes, you have to be politically correct. So. So, when you take , you take the individual pieces , what's the first step to making it? That is the first step. After the trimming is done, he looks at the blueprints and decides their size. So, he gets the size right. And then we add the front part of the legs. We need to add parts to the legs. So, once they're hanging on the wall here, this is all waiting to be routed. am. Putting tubing around it, that's the next step. And we bend all our own tubing. He'd have to put tubing on one now. This is a modified team that has been upgraded. Yes, this is our second best option that we have. am. Putting the puzzle together. So, you fold them all up and mark them and do everything else right here? Yes. Wow. Yes. We have a repairman who does a lot of repair work. We get a lot of baby stuff. Children keep growing. So, we have a program for kids. It is not the children 's fault that they grow. Yes. And people trouble the parents because they have to buy a seat every 6-8 months. Yes. I I won't do that. You join the program and we'll upgrade the seat a few times. It's not your fault. But, you do have to buy boots, pants, fire suit and helmet. Oh God. I will help. I'll help rebuild a few times. You know, it works and some kids never quit, and some kids say, "Oh, give it a try. " They will try it. They say, "Oh, my back hurts." it's good for you. Shouldn't have left. This is welding and installing the headrest. We're waiting for the headrest. Headrest Department and Welding Department. Repair department. Repair department. What did this room used to be ? We have added everything. This is Cory's bandolero room. That's the old bandolero plate. Hmm. The seat has to be installed in the customer's car and they start working from there. Those that are powder coated come here and wait for the Mastercraft upholstery department. So, they are powder coated, not painted. Oh, yes, powder coated. Yes. Well, I think we have 40 more waiting to be powder coated because he's busy right now. Hmm. So, you do all the upholstery here too ? Yes. Seriously, it's like everything is in-house. This is very good. Yes, that's true American manufacturing. As close as possible. Yes. Yes. I mean, so what parts do you actually get done outside ? Just powder coating and stamping? Because you do n't have large molds and so on, right? nobody . I'm sure in a few years, I'll have something to look at because the gentleman from Ohio is getting older. Hmm. So, after a few years , I have to find a local stamping company because I have all the molds and so on , so they all belong to him. And again, that's what he's doing. He did a great job. So, I hope I never lose that, but you know , all of us, we're not getting any younger. And so, yeah, once we get here, meaning, all of our tubing is American made. All of our aluminum is American made. You know, I wo n't take anything from abroad. I had trouble a few years ago that almost put me out of business. Aluminum was not available. Really? In the country. And I said, "I'm not going out of the country. I'm not going to do that. " We finally got some, but of course, you had to pay four times the price of last time. Was this also a wash bay? No, it used to be outside before. This is where everything went wrong. Yes Yes. So, the second one had you mill those grooves in the concrete so the water could drain. The one here, you know, we did it later. Hmm. So, we were thinking , “Okay, that one that led to the road, there was a drain.” So, I said, “ Screw it, just cover it up.” When it rained, we didn't do well with the slope. So we had to grind it out a bit. And it sometimes floods here. What is his job ? What does he do? Barking and eating. Yes. Yes. Playing with a basketball. Yes, he's our little mascot. Occasionally he leaves us a 'golden' pile. We get those too. So we have all of these. Here are some finished products that are about to be shipped out. The people here are waiting to be picked up. To be sent , wow. The small ones. Did you know anything about upholstery before doing this or I still don't know. I did n't, I did. I have people who did the work. Oh, he's ready to play with the basketball. Bring it. Bring it. Bring it. Can I have this ? Can I have this ? Go get it. Let us go. Let us go. It's amazing how good they are. Yes. Yes. I mean, he'll take it, he'll run with it. He will stop him. Ok. I keep telling my wife that when her time comes I'll get her stuffed. I would like to keep his paws up on the basketball. I was at a friend's house in Nebraska and their 18-year-old dog was sitting at the bottom of the stairs. I thought, so yeah, we were caught up in that. Wow , that's a great idea. This is a bit strange. He does n't look like he would be that agile. This is impressive. What did this place used to be when it was a race shop ? Finishing room. Yes. Six or seven cars. There used to be a setup plate where my truck is. I'm building a swing for the backyard. That's a swing for the grandchildren. So where the truck was, it was a setup bay. This was the finishing area. This room used to be the gear room earlier. It's the same exhaust that was outside. It was a gear room. Transmissions and gears were made here. That was the parts room. The Fab Shop was in the back. And the truck used to be parked outside. am. Yeah, we won our first championship , my first championship, we won it here. In the Bush series? Yes. am. Yes. So, in the second or third year, I built an apartment upstairs for the family because when the family came for the races and there were sisters and children, I couldn't sleep properly. So, I got an apartment which worked out quite well. am. Yes. All the relatives, in-laws and everyone else would come along and we have had many parties here. This seems like a good place for that job. You empty it out and you're kind of like, oh, there's a big room. I think the last time we had a jelly-shot party. It was my birthday during Bristol. Bristol night races were always my birthday weekend. And it started from our house. My wife and I and maybe four other couples. Well, all the men in those couples worked on race teams. So , the wives used to come to my house. By the way, I worked on Fridays and he worked on Saturdays. So, I apologize. So, the wives would come over and we would watch the races. Well, one of us came up with the brilliant idea of ​​drinking a shot every time a caution comes on. The liquor had run out at home. So, I thought, " Hmm." And we had a great time. So, once I made this , we brought it here. Jimmy Johnson is here. Jeff Green is here. Bodine three to one corner day. Ah, Parks. I mean, just the names of the drivers who have come to my shot parties. I mean, he even said it on TV. And it was a yellowtail and I ordered shots of Little Joe's. And we used to take them in the Safle Cup. I think last time we did about 2,800 yellow shots. Yes. And it was good because the girls had to catch them in their shirts. And she would catch them, you know. And it was great because it was a much harder shot at the beginning than it was at the end of the night. Because he gave you a lot of space. What do you look for when you fit a seat for someone? Like if people sit in a seat and they think they fit in, do they really fit in ? You are right. No, no, half of them do n't fit. Half the people are not. On your hips, if they're coming out of the seat belt holes , it's too small. If you have a half inch of space , it's too big, you know. For the shoulders, you want your shoulders to be inside the shoulder wrap. You want your eyes to be close to the eye port that is near the ear. Because if it's here, it's of no use because your head will go up. am. I mean, you need to, I mean, racers need to see, but often you hear more than you see , so. You listen to those people , but your eyes are very important. That 's why short track guys really like this style. It does not interfere with your hearing. Because your eyes are right here in the middle. Yes. And your ears are open. Therefore, it does not prevent it. But, many people want to look beautiful and want different things. Ok. I give them options. Whatever they want, I will do it. am. Now, this is pretty close here. This is a 17-inch seat. Ok. Your neck is long. Because I want your eye to be in the middle of that. So, I have to elevate it a little bit more. am. This is probably the first time I've sat in a seat where my hips actually fit between the rails. Ok. Yes, all of them, I mean. Oh, you are not a small person. They are always very small. Yes, your temp was bigger than his. am. Yeah, the gentleman down there in that 18- inch seat , he's a great racer. Rambo Franklin, South Carolina. Rambo? Rambo Franklin. He is a Hall of Famer and a very noble person. And Bonnie made a seat for him. And he got mad at me because I had put weights on him one year when we went to trade shows. 100 pounds, 120 pounds, 150, 180, 240. I went to him, I just wrote 'Rambo'. I mean, I had no idea how big he was. I know he's big. So, he was at the show, he said, "Brother, what's my seat?" Rambo. "What nonsense?" I said, I did n't have the weight. He said, "325?" And I said, "Okay. " I said, " I'll write your weight on it. " " No, don't do that." I said, "Okay." But there are many people who are so big. It's amazing to see how many people aren't jockeys. Hmm. Yes. I mean, it's cool to see people of normal height fitting in and out of these race cars. Yes. Gassers. So, a lot of these guys are really good gassers, man. It's fun to watch them. So, is this the biggest seat you've ever made ? I made one that was only 18 inches. I made 22. Oh. That was the man. 480 pounds. Wow. Yes. How do you set up a car with a 480-pound man ? I don't care. I just sold him aluminum. Which of these is the Mark Donohue seat? This is probably the closest one. At 15- inches, it's the closest to the original. Yeah, well. original size. You wo n't be able to fit in there. You just...you just...a little bit of me... you look like Tony Soprano. Well, you're not 180 pounds. You know, you have a very long torso. Be a little older than Mark Donohue. Yes. So, that's what you don't want. Oh. Oh, now let me press the eject button. Yes, I'm stuck. very nice. This is fun. How do you fit into this ? She was into it. In the smallest one. Yes. Is it the right size or too big? Well, see how low your shoulders are? Yes. So I have to take the top down. So, their eyes, number one, it's above their eyes now. So, I have to lower the top part. The hips are perfectly fine. Side, side , their hips are not coming out of the side pockets. Hmm. Because girls are already , you know , hourglass shaped. So, my competitors are very difficult to fit because they are square shaped. Hmm. And most women are hourglass shaped. So, we have to give them an hourglass shape so they fit girls. Oh. You actually make them differently ? Absolutely, yes. For women.…