Looking for opinions on GTS Classics seats

[Jeff Higgins]

I have had Stefan's Rallye STS seats in my car for about fifteen years. I started out with a vinyl covered set that I had in the car for about five years, then upgraded to a leather covered set. My son now has the old set in his '68. We both absolutely love these seats. All day comfortable, excellent on the track (they are suitable for use with harnesses, having the side sockets and sub strap provisions as standard). I would highly recommend them.

[salayc]

Originally Posted by jac1976

Not sure at which apples you are looking, but GTS Classics Rallye in leatherette/corduroy ($995) is pretty damn similar to the BF Torino Rally ST in leatherette/corduroy ($541). So yes, technically not twice, but not an insignificant difference. .

FWIW, according to BF Torino's website, Rally ST in leatherette courduroy is 578 Euro or about $640 + shipping (260 Euro)

Custom recliing seat BF Torino Nurburgring R in leather 945 Euro + 260 euro for shipping + upcharge for custom, (don't have a price, they never responded) = min 1205 Euro or around $1450 (depending on exchange rate.) I would guess $1700-$1800 delivered for custom.

GTS Classics Grantourismo Sport seat $1665 + $165 shipping or $1830.

[jac1976]

Originally Posted by salayc

FWIW, according to BF Torino's website, Rally ST in leatherette courduroy is 578 Euro or about $640 + shipping (260 Euro)

Custom recliing seat BF Torino Nurburgring R in leather 945 Euro + 260 euro for shipping + upcharge for custom, (don't have a price, they never responded) = min 1205 Euro or around $1450 (depending on exchange rate.) I would guess $1700-$1800 delivered for custom.

GTS Classics Grantourismo Sport seat $1665 + $165 shipping or $1830.

You did not subtract out the VAT, so your price is again, incorrect.

[salayc]

Originally Posted by jac1976

You did not subtract out the VAT, so your price is again, incorrect.

You are correct. I'm not sure if BF Torino subtracts VAT (not all companies shipping to the US do) or if the US will charge duties. CA charges sales tax (technically) on imports, so they told me last time they sent me a bill...

VAT at 15% of seat (I don't think it applies to shipping) would reduce the price to $891 for a seat, non custom + $290 shipping and I assume at least $200 more for custom = $1381 delivered vs. $1830 for GTS.

Assuming they don't charge the VAT and there are no other fees on import.

[jac1976]

Look, it may benefit you to actually visit the website where it clearly states the VAT of 19% is included on the stated price. You can also add items to your cart with shipping at get a total price that you can then convert. There are not additional fees, taxes, etc. I have ordered from them before.

[salayc]

Got it. My mistake on VAT %
My post was simply to relate my ongoing experience with GTS Classics which the OP asked for and to state that when I looked in to holistic pricing, it was not (IMO) a huge difference to buy from GTS, it was not intended to start a discussion on the very specific dollars and cents.

[jac1976]

I feel ya. And I have no problems with Stefan, but I found for the particular seats I was looking for the price differential was to great for my intended use.

[rothaus]

Since this thread is almost 3 years old, I thought it was time to bring it up again.

I'm soon in the market for a set of seats for my 71 911.

I'm interested in the LeMans type as shown at the classictouringseats.com website.

There are 2 types: the LeMans at the left and the LeMans R type at the right, which looks a bit smaller thinner.



The classictouringseats.com website has clear pricing there, however, I cannot find it on the GTS classic site.

Just wondering if anybody here recently has bought a set from either supplier and how the seats feel, and how about the quality, service and lead line these days.

Thanks for any feedback
Engelbert

[wjdunham]

I have a pair of LeMans seats in my '69 that I purchased from Stephan 18 months or so ago. The quality is great and I'm very happy with them. I am 5'10" and 165 lbs, if I were much bigger (wider) I would not be as happy with them. The bolsters are quite supportive but don't have a lot of give, the tightness is in the upper seat back. The seat bottom is fine but if you have some extra girth around the waist these would not be the best choice.

[rothaus]

I'm a little confused with the GTS seats.

It looks to me the seat you got from GTS is what they call Sport S.
https://www.classiccarseats.com/classic-seats/sports-seats/

This is the best picture from their website I could find. Now I see the price, it starts at $1395. This looks like the LeMans from Classic Touring to me.



As more I'm looking at these pictures as more I like the LeMans R type. It doesn't look so bulky.

[Showdown]

That bottom seat looks a lot like the BF-Torino Nurburgring R. I know a lot of companies buy BF-Torino and resell them. When searching for my new seats I found that to be the case more often than not.

https://bf-torino.com/Nuerburgring-B10R-Leatherette-Corduroy-black

[Dripola]

Desig911 sells rebadged BF Torino seats too. They’ve gone up in price 500 odd pound in the last year. Make sure you price in the rails when shopping around.

https://www.design911.com/Rennsport-VITESSE-Seat-Porsche-911---964/prod130105/

[Showdown]

Rennsport in the UK sells the Nurburgring R under their Vitesse model and the prices are pretty competitive- best I found after a very exhaustive search. Even better with the pound taking a momentary dip in value.

[lbpa18]

Just a more up to date input, I ordered Sport seats from Stefan at the beginning of Feb and he said April of May delivery. As of today 09 June, nothing. I guess patience is key working with GTS.

[AG81]

^
I think your 100% correct. I live in Texas and went with Classic Touring due to delays with Stefan.
I believe the upholstery work is farmed out to others. Or at least it was when I spoke to him in the fall 0f 2023.

[ToySnakePMC]

I had great success with Vintage Seats out of Atlanta. These were built about 2 years ago. Seven weeks from start to finish, and they build their own fiberglass shells. I found zero cosmetic defects and love the firm cushions. More comfortable in a 4 hr drive than my 2019 Tahoe.

[rothaus]

I ended up ordering mine from Germany. BF Torino. Very happy with them. And they shipped very quick.

I also ordered some extra Pepita material.

[WCN621]

I think you need to define the type of driving you are going to do. The seats (pictured below) are great looking (Monte Carlo), however, I wished I had done more spirited driving which have changed my choice.

Those seats are a little wider, and the bolsters do not stop you from sliding in the seat when driving spirited through the twisties. But if you do choose those, definitely get the inflatable lumbar support. I did, and it makes those long trips much more comfortable.

I purchased my seats from GTS and have mixed emotions. Part of the reason was many delays from him during Covid. After over a year with delays, there were some quality issues on the seats. That included two welds, that I had corrected locally, rather than going thru the process of the long distance correction. I had him do my entire interior, with some custom pieces and those were flawless. Stefan is a great communicator and very easy to discuss pro’s and cons on choices.

[shoooo32]

I did 750 miles yesterday in the new Scheel-Mann 101. Easily the most comfortable seat I've owned. No back pain or sciatic nerve issues like I normally get on road trips.

Made in Germany with OEM supplier build quality (not sure if they're TUV approved but I'd be surprised if they weren't). The welds are beefy and so is the mounting hardware. And Bryan at Achtungkraft designed some fun custom woven fabric and recovered them.

[David 23]

I've had seats made from several sources, including BF Torino, and GTS Classics. Stefan's seats were the only ones that fit properly and use the correct density of foam for excellent support and comfort. His seats are reasonably priced when directly compared to similar seats of other brands. I strongly recommend GTS Classics.