Recaro PP, mounting and where to buy?

[911st]

Trying to talk myself into a set of Recaro Pole Positions.

Where can I getg the best non CA price?

Can the stock brackets bolt up to an 85's rails?

Any idea how much lower I will sit in the car?

Thanks

[Axeman]

This is the best price I've been able to find online:

http://www.daliracing.com/v666-5/catalog/index_browse_part.cfm?focus=407

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by 911st

Trying to talk myself into a set of Recaro Pole Positions.

Where can I getg the best non CA price?

Can the stock brackets bolt up to an 85's rails?

Any idea how much lower I will sit in the car?

Thanks

PP are a great seat for 911s

The main concern,
the small harness holes don't always line up well w/ roll bar tie offs

Yes they can be mounted to stock manual sliders
I have 4 pairs of sidemounts sitting on my bench
Recaro steel
Recaro aluminum
BK steel
Speedware al.

the nicest are the Speedware 5mm al. versions but they tend to interfere w/ the sill mounted harness eyes. because they flare out at the bottom. The others are straight sided but generally put the seat too far forward or back or have other issues relating to rollbars and rocker.

BK 9062 are the second nicest but are awfully heavy stainless steel and are a bear to machine.

All of them will likely needed some machining , some more than others.

[David in VA]

I got mine at CDOC, and use Recaro sliders and side mounts. At first I bought BK sidemounts which fit the seats and sliders but the holes didn't line up. After burning up two drill bits (like Bill says, they're tough!) I sent them back and got the Recaro sidemounts in steel. Those bolted right up with everything lining up nicely. Here's a picture to help motivate you.

[Mahler9th]

Don't know about pricing... but if you want to give a CA business an opportunity to match a price, try Tony Colicchio at TC Design: www.tcdesignfab.com. Not saying he can/will match, but you never know. He is doing a lot of cages in NorCal, including many in Porsches... several that run with the Porsche Racing Club.

Like Bill says, Pole Positions are great seats... I lusted after them many years ago. Instead I bought a Sparco Evo which was as I recall a bit smaller. After that I bought and used a still smaller Recaro SPG. Then I bought and used a still smaller Recaro Pro Racer, which has built in "head protection." My point in this is that it pays to try seats before you buy them, and don't be convinced just on published dimensions. My waist size is about 34, and some I spoke to said that all of these seats I have listed would be too small. Well I like a tight fit, and I still move around in my current seat a bit.

Of course you may have already tried the PP's.

As for fitment, there are a lot of threads on this BB and on Rennlist to be sure. If racing is in your future, you might consider the location and shape of the shoulder harness holes relative to a roll bar or cage and the tops of your shoulders, as Bill has pointed out. Also NASA require a right side net if the seat doesn't have built-in "head protection." Plus there may be requirements on sliders... i.e., that they must be double-locking, et cetera. I have always used Sparco or Recaro sliders.

Like Bill, I like the Speedware uprights. I have a set of used Recaro steel units if you want them.

If you cannot find a showroom nearby, try checking out a nearby track event. For example, Trackmasters will be a Sears Point on Monday. Often owners will let a visitor sit in their seat. I will probably be up there... not sure if I will be bringing my car.

- MM

[Bill Verburg]

As MM pointed out seats are variable, what fits one persons anatomy isn't necessarily going to fit anothers the same way

I can fit into SPGs for 20min tops, I'm a big guy, long legs 35", 34" waist, 220#
Sparco Evos are a bit better, PP or SPG XL are perfect for the but & legs, but SPG XL are too deep to clear many roll bars, depends on the rocker and bar. Sparco & SPG XL have large harness holes which help w/ the geometry for taller guys, but again it depends on the rollbar geometry too.

guys w/ long legs often mount the Recaro sides backwards, this moves the seat back for longer legs, I've never been comfortable w/ the leg room provided by Recaro sides mounted as 'designed'

[ChkbookMechanic]

I have the Recaro PPs with the BK side mounts from Stable Energies. I didn't have any issues installing the seats into the car, in fact the hardest part was removing the old stock seats.

I'm basically Bill's size but lighter by 40lbs and I've found the setup to be perfect with the Safety Devices roll cage and 6pt. harnesses.

[911st]

Short legs w 32 inseam, long torso, 6', 36-38" waist. I need head room in my SR 3.2. My hair w stock sport seats brushes the roof. Thus, I could use about 2" more head room I suspect.

Had a set of speedster seats w factory Porsche sliders in my C2 Turbo some years back. Remember loving them and found to good for long trips. I think they are close to a PP. However, I do not remember them adding much head room for some reason.

I do need to try a set of PP's as suggested.

I would like a slider on the driver side to make it easier to get in and out and to keep from rubbing the seat every time but fear it will cost me needed helmet room.

I plan on keeping my stock seat belts so need to deal w how to mount the inside part as my seat belt that is currently mounted on the seat as Porsche dose???

Do not have a roll bar at this time but car is for DE's.

Thank you to everyone. Your help is very much appreciated.

[Mahler9th]

So you plan to run stock seat belts with a fixed racing seat? I think there may be some threads on this. Or will you run a harness bar?

Regarding getting the seat lower, it is quite a project if you don't want to use the factory seat support structure. Lots of Pelican threads on this.

I came up with a bolt-in solution for my race car. Eventually I will move to a welded structure.

For my solution, I had to cut off the factory structure and get creative with aluminum. It was quite a project. But the result is that the seat is much lower. Part of the project involved getting the rake the way I wanted it. With a fixed seat, this must be taken into account. I had to do a bunch of trial fits, and also had to have my wife sit in it too.

Based on what you describe as your physique, I even more strongly recommend some "trial sits" in various seats. I'd bet you would move around a lot in a PP.

[JP911]

Based on your dimensions, it doesn't sound like you're going to fit in the PP. I too wanted the PP, but I was shocked at how small it was, relatively speaking. I ended up with the SPG XL. There's a shop in Berkeley called Griffin Motorwerke and he's the NorCal distributor for Recaro. He has all the seats in his showroom.

[911st]

Mike, I know what you are saying. I am trying to avoid doing so. Hope I can find side brackets w BK that will get them lower and attach my seat belts.

Jon, when I look at the PP specs is it as big as the SPG. XL. The difference I was thinking was in the shoulder belt wholes and maybe the SPG is taller on the sides by the legs. I will have to look at this again and I do need to try on a set.

The PP seems to be designed for the 911. The sides line up perfectly w the width of the tracks (apx 17") and it is wider than most race seat dimensions I have seen.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by 911st

....Jon, when I look at the PP specs is it as big as the SPG. XL. The difference I was thinking was in the shoulder belt wholes and maybe the SPG is taller on the sides by the legs. I will have to look at this again and I do need to try on a set.

The PP seems to be designed for the 911. The sides line up perfectly w the width of the tracks (apx 17") and it is wider than most race seat dimensions I have seen.

The seating area/shape/volume(butt/hips) is pretty much the same between PP & SPG XL. The SPG is much narrower/smaller.

The SPG XL is much deeper, you will have a very tough time using stock seat belts w/ the XL unless you run the tunnel side up through the seat side hole. W/ PP the side bolsters are just low enough that you can use stock belts(though the angle on the tunnel side is going to be a bit awkward. To get the seats as low as possible while using stock belts try to get a tunnel side mount w/ reinforced position to mount the seat belt receptacle to the side mount rather than a separate bracket ala RS.

[911st]

Thanks Bill,

Kind of what I thought. The PP seems to be more of a stree/track seat and the SPG XL more of a track seat and with larger harness holes which seem to be an advantage.

My past Speedster/RS seats had slides w the seat belt mount atached.

Anyone know how much more head room I may gain w or w/o sliders? That is my main reasion for the change. W the Speedster/RS seats I had to tilt the seat back and room seemed about the same as the stock seat.

Keith

[Mahler9th]

I think sliders add about an inch.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by 911st

Thanks Bill,

Kind of what I thought. The PP seems to be more of a stree/track seat and the SPG XL more of a track seat and with larger harness holes which seem to be an advantage.

My past Speedster/RS seats had slides w the seat belt mount atached.

Anyone know how much more head room I may gain w or w/o sliders? That is my main reasion for the change. W the Speedster/RS seats I had to tilt the seat back and room seemed about the same as the stock seat.

Keith

The Speedster and RS seats use a separate mount that adds 3mm to the height
This is an SPG XL w/ RS tunnel side mount and short rear belt receptacle going through the seat side hole.





This is the RS mount, the factory also uses 3 x3mm washers under the other points of the sidemount to keep things level.


This is a better solution from Southbound trimmers, the reinforced bung is where the stock tunnel side receptacle mounts, don't do as some and just drill w/o reinforcement. W/ steel sidemounts you could cut the RS mount and weld to the sidemount.


Recaro sliders add just a tad under 25mm(1"), 24.75mm to be exact, the factory manual sliders are reported to be a tad lower, but I don't have one handy to measure. I have been looking for a set for 2 seats for a long time but none have come up.

[911-32]

Originally Posted by 911st

Short legs w 32 inseam, long torso, 6', 36-38" waist. I need head room in my SR 3.2. My hair w stock sport seats brushes the roof. Thus, I could use about 2" more head room I suspect.

Had a set of speedster seats w factory Porsche sliders in my C2 Turbo some years back. Remember loving them and found to good for long trips. I think they are close to a PP. However, I do not remember them adding much head room for some reason.

I do need to try a set of PP's as suggested.

I would like a slider on the driver side to make it easier to get in and out and to keep from rubbing the seat every time but fear it will cost me needed helmet room.

I plan on keeping my stock seat belts so need to deal w how to mount the inside part as my seat belt that is currently mounted on the seat as Porsche dose???

Do not have a roll bar at this time but car is for DE's.

Thank you to everyone. Your help is very much appreciated.

PPs are the same seat as the Speedster shell seat, and the 964 RS seat, though the factory seats have strengthening ribs on the back and leather covering - otherwise the same. If you fit the speedster seats then you fit the PP. Lots of tall guys and guys who like to sit lower just take the base cushions off the PP to gain an inch.

For the sake of information, I am 5'9", 165lbs, slim build and I have plenty of room in the PP and can comfortably sit in the std SPG - as you may expect. I am in PPs with BK side mounts and Recaro sliders. It bolted straight in and I used the 964RS "L" shaped mount (Bill's pics show it) sandwiched between the slider and the side mount to mount the inner/tunnel harness and std belt receiver. I have now bolted with big backing plate the whole lot to the tunnel just behind the auto heat control. I run harnesses off eye bolts in the factory seat belt mounts/holes (front and rear) over a Heigo bolt-in-half cage with harness bar. I also run the std belts on the road. All seems to line up adequately for my height though I appreciate for taller that the harness slots in the seat back may be a little low as they are small as noted by Bill.

RB

[911st]

You guys are great. Pictures and all.

I like the added seat belt bracket and side plate w mounting point.

My speedster sliders I thought had the seat belt mounting as a fixed part of the slider/bracket. I do not believe it was an added bracket from what I remember.

All the side mount brackets seem so tall. Dose it seem possible to make one much shorter to get the seat down lower?

Doing this with sliders would be better but the might require the style of slicer that has a loop in front of the seat as the linkage on a standard slider might be fowled if the seat recessed to much.

Getting things fabricated is not easy for me as I would have to get someone to do it so a turn key solution is best.

Thanks again!

[javadog]

Originally Posted by 911st

All the side mount brackets seem so tall. Dose it seem possible to make one much shorter to get the seat down lower?

You can only lower to a point before the rear of the seat contacts the seat rails. My memory may be a little foggy but with the rear of a PP seat in the lower holes of the Recaro side mount, there's not much room left. I can check this later.

JR

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by 911st

....My speedster sliders I thought had the seat belt mounting as a fixed part of the slider/bracket. I do not believe it was an added bracket from what I remember.

All the side mount brackets seem so tall. Dose it seem possible to make one much shorter to get the seat down lower?

Doing this with sliders would be better but the might require the style of slicer that has a loop in front of the seat as the linkage on a standard slider might be fowled if the seat recessed to much.

Getting things fabricated is not easy for me as I would have to get someone to do it so a turn key solution is best.

Thanks again!

The power seats all have welded on reinforced belt mounts the manual seats all have the separate 3mm L bracket.

As JR pointed out you can only lower so far, the rear of the seat bulb runs into the sidemount bottom, you can machine the bottom like so

A pair of BKs machined at the rear for the seat bulb clearance and in front for a GT3 Harness bar(not needed if you use pad eyes through the floor.


Here's an assembled unit, you also need button head bolts to avoid interference. You can also see one of the 3mm washers(black) sandwiched between the sidemount and slider

[911st]

Great pic!

Ok, I get it. Seatmounting plane is 16.9" wide, inside of the stock seat moungs is about 14.25".

Thx.