Specific Seat Recommendations

JTO · 07-10-2003, 02:59 PM

Hey Guys,

I need seat recommendations. I am looking at over $1350 to recover my front seats at Autos Int. For that money I was thinking I could get performance seats for my 75 911S. Any first hand experience? I am 6' 4" and about 220 lbs. The car is my daily driver so good looks and comfort are important.

Thanks for the advice,

Troy

Dantilla · 07-10-2003, 03:42 PM

Seats are different. So are butts. Go to a race shop and try some out.

dd74 · 07-10-2003, 03:44 PM

DAD seats aren't bad. They're quite good, actually. And about half of $1,350.

JTO · 07-10-2003, 03:49 PM

Don't have race shops in my neck of the woods.

I need specific recommendations for what works in a 911. Also, some folks say when you go to an SRD or other performance seat, you must go to a racing harness. Is this true? I need first hand experience, not salesmanship that you get in a retail situation.

Thanks,
Troy

JonT · 07-10-2003, 03:56 PM

I am 6'4" and 225 so about the same size--and just bought some Recaro SRD's used. They are the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in and to put is simply--awesome. They have the harness holes in the back and lap but I am using the stock seatbelts and they work fine. The only gripe I have is the material seems like velcro when it comes to any tiny peice of lint that comes close to them-they get dirty very quickly (a small gripe). They saved me 30lbs over the stock sport seats and took me around an hour to install--very easy. They also can be interchanged to even out wear. I highly recommend them.

JTO · 07-10-2003, 04:00 PM

Hi Jon,

Thanks. I was thinking of these seats too. Are they lower than stock? I would like to get a lower seat too so as to be able to do DEs.
Thanks,
Troy

obrut · 07-10-2003, 05:11 PM

I have Sparco Pro 2000's (one piece seat) in my track car. My usual longest drive to a track is 2 hours and they are fine - for longer trips I add a little more padding to the base. They are a good compromise between a race seat and a seat in which you can fairly easily get in and out of (needed as I rally the car also). The cover and the pads are all removable for cleaning (throw in washing machine).

The issue with stock seat belts is the height of the side walls - if they are too high around your hips then the cross belt will sit above, not on, your legs and thus offer no initial restraint.

Cheers - Ryan

ps: what the hell - here's a pic of "the office" (we all love pics...)

HarryD · 07-10-2003, 05:40 PM

Have you looked for some used seats?

I picked up a pair of leather ones from a '77 for my car. I paid $400. They didn't need anything other than installation in my car.

JTO · 07-10-2003, 06:01 PM

Ryan and Harry,

Thanks. I appreciate how you clarified the safety issue for me Ryan. I'll keep this in mind.

Harry; where did you find your seats? This may be a good way to go for me. My darn seats front and rear are a really rare (Silver Anniv. only) very dark blue vinyl with tweed inserts. Impossible to find the fabric or vinyl anymore.

Thanks,
Troy

JTO · 07-10-2003, 06:02 PM

Oh, cool car Ryan.

Troy

obrut · 07-10-2003, 06:43 PM

Thanks Troy - do a search for TASMANIA if you want to see some "action " shots...or KREMER to see the road beast

Cheers - Ryan

HarryD · 07-10-2003, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JTO
Ryan and Harry,

Thanks. I appreciate how you clarified the safety issue for me Ryan. I'll keep this in mind.

Harry; where did you find your seats? This may be a good way to go for me. My darn seats front and rear are a really rare (Silver Anniv. only) very dark blue vinyl with tweed inserts. Impossible to find the fabric or vinyl anymore.

Thanks,
Troy

I found my when I was talking to Bruce at WWW Autowerks in Eugene. He told me of a fellow who was looking to sell a set. When I was lokking, I looked at a e-bay and classifieds in pelican and Rennlist also. Talk to some of the shops. They may be able to help you.

You may end up with plain ones but at least they will be comfy.

Schrup · Schrup's Garage

Is your car anywhere close to original? If so I would seriosly consider the investment in restoring the original seats. I wonder how many Silver Anniversary Models were made. I have a limited edition model & am preparing to drop about $1750 to get my leather seats reupholstered. There are alot of mods I would like to do but will defer in the name of originaity.

JTO · 07-11-2003, 07:28 AM

Hi Paul,

My wife and I are originally from Gig Harbor. My folks and sisters still live in that area. Small world.

The car is original in everyway except for rebuilt, updated, and slightly hot-rodded engine, tranny, clutch, on and on. Autos Int'l has leather dyed to match the original color of my seat vinyl but the tweed inserts are not available unless I have it woven. No thanks. I may elect to have leather covers put on but then I don't get what I want in terms of seat performance. I may just pull my originals out and store them, then replace them with a Recaro SRD, etc. It is quite a pain to have a limited edition car at times. Any mod you do decreases its value. Trying to keep it original costs more than going with good aftermarket stuff. I want the freedom to modify the car as I like. That is why I was trying to sell the car for a month or so. No takers so far...

Troy

Schrup · Schrup's Garage

Hi Troy, did the Upholsterer you checked look in a catalog named Gahh? I agree limited prodution models can be a pain. I hope the satisfaction of the restoration is at least eqaul. I will do some mods that are easily transfered to another car. I am getting ready to install a new OEM vinyl dash & shipping the original leather dash of to be restored. I won't reinstall it till the car is painted. I'm also kicking around the idea of some gold Fikses, restore the originals & let them sit till I'm done with the rest of the car.

JTO · 07-11-2003, 02:51 PM

Hi Paul,

By reputation, Autos International is THE place to redo your Porsche interior. If they don't have a particular material, then it probably can't be had. I find myself leaning toward a set of Recaro SRDs and worrying about recovering the originals some other time. The car is my daily driver and I would rather not have the car down while seats are recovered.

Take it easy,
Troy

Jack Olsen · 07-11-2003, 03:01 PM

There was a post on Rennlist in the last day or so about Recaro SRD's being discontinued, soon. A vendor on the list was advertising new sets for $420 per seat.

Why doesn't Pelican carry Recaro seats? Wayne?

Schrup · Schrup's Garage

Troy, sounds good to me. You never know what kind of services will be available down the road. Where is Autos Internationals located ? I am stongly considering a local restore place called Auto Specialty Inc., they do all the work for the local Porsche dealer. They were $300 cheaper than the hot rod shop I tried.

arcsine · 07-11-2003, 03:14 PM

I have a set of SRD's as well and second all that JonT said. They fit me very well (6'2", 200) and yes they do lower you down about 1" from stock. When I purchased mine from Speedware MotorSports, they indicated it was one of the few seats that would do so.
Good luck with your search

JTO · 07-11-2003, 03:21 PM

Hi Gary,

I was hoping you'd chime in. I knew you had SRDs from previous posts. It sounds like the seat for me.

Jack, the SRDs you mentioned have red stitching I think. I don't know how that would look in my car. The price is good though.

Paul, Autos Int'l is in Southern CA. Their number is (760) 737-3565. The guy to talk to is Tony.

Well, I think I will go with the SRDs. Gary, how did you mount them in your car?

Thanks,
Troy