Feedback on seats

[tirwin]

I'm looking to get some ideas on seats.

A few years ago I put Corbeau GTS II seats in my car. I really like the looks -- the white stitching on the seats really complements the white stitching on the Momo Prototipo wheel.



But I'm finding that the comfort really isn't there for me, especially on long drives. I think there are a couple of reasons. The Corbeau sliders don't go back quite far enough so I don't get enough leg extension. The side bolsters are too narrow and too tall. All this leads me to feeling quite tired after long drives.

So I'm thinking about 2 options.

First, I had the opportunity at Rennsport Reunion to sit in a Recaro Expert M and it felt great. It was everything I would expect from a Recaro.



The other option is that I have the original seats from my car. They are the regular non-sport seats. When I got the car, it had been in a damp basement and the seats had mildew on the bottom. Assuming I could get replacement foam and recover them, I could go that route. Or maybe do a sport seat conversion.

Thoughts?

[Gordo2]

Originally Posted by tirwin

I'm looking to get some ideas on seats.

...I had the opportunity at Rennsport Reunion to sit in a Recaro Expert M and it felt great. It was everything I would expect from a Recaro.

I've had the Recaro Expert S seats (leather) in my car for the past 2 years or so and they are very comfortable.

I'm 5' 11" and ~ 185 and they fit very well - nice grip from the lower and side bolsters, but not a squeeze by any means.

Since installing I've taken the car on 11 hour trips and have no complaints whatsoever. They are a bit pricy - but you get what you pay for.

Good luck, Gordo

[dhanl82]

I just replaced the original comfort seats in my 82 sc with a newly recovered set of sport seats. I am very pleased with the feel of these seats, lots more support and far more comfortable. I am very pleased that I did this conversion!
Just my thoughts.
Dave

[tirwin]

Originally Posted by Gordo2

I've had the Recaro Expert S seats (leather) in my car for the past 2 years or so and they are very comfortable.

I'm 5' 11" and ~ 185 and they fit very well - nice grip from the lower and side bolsters, but not a squeeze by any means.

Since installing I've taken the car on 11 hour trips and have no complaints whatsoever. They are a bit pricy - but you get what you pay for.

Good luck, Gordo

Thanks for the feedback. Did you need new sliders especially for the Expert seats or will the factory seat sliders work?

[tirwin]

Originally Posted by dhanl82

I just replaced the original comfort seats in my 82 sc with a newly recovered set of sport seats. I am very pleased with the feel of these seats, lots more support and far more comfortable. I am very pleased that I did this conversion!
Just my thoughts.
Dave

Good to know, thanks. Just to be clear, did you convert comfort seats to sport seats or were they two different sets and you swapped them?

[wareaglescott]

Tim my only problem with trying out seats and thinking they feel great is how long did you sit in them? A couple minutes? Would they still feel just as good after an hour? Do your current seats feel good initially and just fatigue you over time?
That is my big worry in selecting my new seats.

[tirwin]

Originally Posted by wareaglescott

Tim my only problem with trying out seats and thinking they feel great is how long did you sit in them? A couple minutes? Would they still feel just as good after an hour? Do your current seats feel good initially and just fatigue you over time?
That is my big worry in selecting my new seats.

That is a good point. I would say the Recaro Expert M felt pretty amazing. Granted, that was not in my car. I would say the Corbeau seats in the car feel ok when I first get in and then go to uncomfortable. The main issue with the Corbeau is in my low back and hips. The side bolsters are tight and annoying. I don't think the Recaros or the original seats would have that problem. It's been a long time since I've had the original seats in the car but I don't think the Corbeau seats have as much leg extension for me.

One thing I may do is put the original seats back in for a while just so I can remind myself how they feel.

[Koizumi]

I like my LS-B seats but they’re not the softest after a couple hours. They feel amazing and have perfect bolstering without crowding but I think most sports seats are not really comfy after real world use (2+ hours driving).

If anyone knows of a model that is, let us know, I’d like to know.

[Competizione]

Looking at your pictures I'm wondering if the padding of your Corbeau's could be the issue. Did you have them re-done or did you buy them 'done'? if the padding is original then I would have to assume that your seating position is causing the issue.

Don't ever sit in a car seat at an event and assume that it feels good - the only way to confirm this is when they are in your car.

[tirwin]

Originally Posted by Competizione

Looking at your pictures I'm wondering if the padding of your Corbeau's could be the issue. Did you have them re-done or did you buy them 'done'? if the padding is original then I would have to assume that your seating position is causing the issue.

Don't ever sit in a car seat at an event and assume that it feels good - the only way to confirm this is when they are in your car.

The padding is fine. They were bought new and have not been modified.

I have a natural tendency for my legs to splay outward. The inability of the seat to go back farther makes that a little worse, so the side bolsters tend to rub the back of my thighs. If I were about 6” shorter and had narrower hips I would probably be fine.

My daily driver is an E350. The seats in that car are amazing. I’ve done the same trip in both cars and I don’t feel nearly as tired afterwards when driving the E350. Of course, there are more differences than the seats. But the Recaro Expert felt every bit as good, if not better than the E350 seats.

[tirwin]

Originally Posted by Koizumi

I like my LS-B seats but they’re not the softest after a couple hours. They feel amazing and have perfect bolstering without crowding but I think most sports seats are not really comfy after real world use (2+ hours driving).

If anyone knows of a model that is, let us know, I’d like to know.

That’s interesting. When I bought these Corbeau seats I really wanted a pair of LS-Bs. I kept looking at ads where people were selling trashed seats and asking stupid money. So I gave up and bought the Corbeau. They would probably be a great seat for someone else, just not me.

The Expert M seems very similar to the LS-B. There is also an Expert S that has a thicker seat cushion. I was thinking the M would give me a little extra headroom too.

I have two office chairs. One is a Herman Miller Aeron and the other is seat 10D on a Delta flight to somewhere. My chiropractor has helped me a great deal with understanding what does and doesn’t work for me. It is one of the lessons I’ve learned in my 40s. I hear it only gets better from here.

[Gordo2]

Originally Posted by tirwin

Thanks for the feedback. Did you need new sliders especially for the Expert seats or will the factory seat sliders work?

The original sliders bolted up directly to the Recaro Experts without any adapter or modification. They fit, however the sliders are very old and I could stand to replace them (found one of the slider ball bearings on the floor the other day...).

Gordo

[tirwin]

I’ve also heard that the powered and heated later cars seats are nice. 964 seats?

[dhanl82]

I replaced my comfort seats with a set of sport seats. Found a great deal on the sport seats and then sold my comfort seats.

Dave

[Chino]

Tirwin,

If you decide to go with 81-84 sports seats, I have a pair of cores in California, sold my car with a pair of race seats. Here are a examples of the same sport seats which were taken down to the frames and restored, then recovered in full leather with Alcantara and Houndstooth inserts. The upholster used a very soft pebble finished leather, so they will remain comfortable for many years.

[Discseven]

Tim... some grist for seating mill. Might not fare well comfort-wise for crosscountry---no headrest.


Kidding aside, these look very well crafted. Not mine---noticed them in PPF post.


Hope all's well on your end!

.

[tirwin]

Karl, I think whoever drives that needs the raised spot at the front of the seat to be an innie and not an outie! Dude needs a place to put his ****s of steel!

[tirwin]

Originally Posted by Chino

Tirwin,

If you decide to go with 81-84 sports seats, I have a pair of cores in California, sold my car with a pair of race seats. Here are a examples of the same sport seats which were taken down to the frames and restored, then recovered in full leather with Alcantara and Houndstooth inserts. The upholster used a very soft pebble finished leather, so they will remain comfortable for many years.

Chino,

Those are great pics and thanks for the offer. After looking at those I am a little concerned that the sport seats would have the same issue I’m facing with the Corbeaus — the high side bolster. Hard to tell how they compare from pictures. I may need to try to find someone local with a set so I can try them out in person.

[Canada Kev]

Because everyone's body shape is a bit different, it's tough to have recommendations from others be relevant. However I have mid '80s to early '90s soft back sports seats and they are super comfortable for me, even on multi-hour drives. I'm about 6'1" and 195 or a bit less.

[175K911]

Before investing in another pair of seats, you might try playing with the sliders to get them moved further rearward to get more leg extension. I had a pair of Corbeau seats in a 5 series BMW and I had a thin steel plate cut that bolted to the raised seat portion of the chassis, then bolted the seat to the plate about 3" further back than without the plate. made all the difference.