seating upgrade
 

Is there anyone out there who can tell me whether late-70s/early-802 911 seats will fit in a 914? My main concern is headroom with roof in place, so I am wondering if anyone knows how much taller the top of the seat cushion to bottom of seat dimension is on the 911 seats. I would guess changing or adapting the rails wouldn't be a big problem, but as I am 6'1", I need to know I will fit in the car before I purchase the seats. Any help on this will be greatly appreciated.Thanks

I don't think its a good idea. If you can find a 911 and measure the seats.
I dont see why the seat wouldn't fit. Im almost sure you won't. If you autocross definitely won't fit. I'm 5'10 and with a helmet I've got two inches. (Always autocross with roof on.)
If you look you'll see that you are already sitting on the floor of your 914. There is room to put a cd changer under a 911 seat try that in a 914.

I don't blame you for wanting to change the seat though. My back doctor doesn't know why I drive a car with a seat like that.

I have stripped one of my seats down to the fiberglass intending to make a sport seat out of it. I will definitely improve the padding while Im at it.

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CWP/VIR

Seats in most cars are a LOT thicker than those in our beloved little go-karts. Many of them place your butt a full FOOT above the floorpan. That's about 6" higher than the 914 seat at its worst!

If you were a munchkin, then maybe. But since you're on the tall side, like me, even most racing bucket seats will be too high. Unless you bolt them directly to the floor, that is.

[Added:]

Hey, Conrad! You can pull up the cushion on the seatback. There's a metal rod across the bottom that is held by a couple of prongs in the seatback. Pull down and back, it should pop out. Then add foam cushioning to suit your back. Or, add an inflatable rubber bladder. A little vinyl hose and a squeeze-pump with valve built in, and you have adjustable lumbar support! 8^)

--DD

[This message has been edited by Dave_Darling (edited 11-10-1999).]

Guess I'm a munchkin. My "new" 914 is the first one I ever sat in. When I slide down to where I can work the peddles I can't see outside. Does Pelican sell surplus tank parascopes or do I need to shop around?

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Well, I consider myself short at 5'8". And I can work the pedals just fine... How tall are you? I've looked at adding... Well lets just say I happen to have 2 leather seats from a Ford Contour sitting around. When I looked at it I found that my head wouldn't fit. I'm not sure about the size of the 911 seats, but I know Contour seats are a no go.

If you want better seats, buy the bucket raceing seats. I don't have them, but if i had the money I would buy them in a heartbeat, they are rad!
my 2 cents


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Michael Scheid
(206) 232-9854

I just purchased a pair of seats from Corbeau, the Classic II. They look great and give much more support than the stock seats. I am 6ft, 195lbs and I fit in them OK. I did remove the back pad to gain a couple of inches. Good price too, $166 plus shipping. I was able to use my original brackets and Corbeau has one available also. Take a look at www.corbeau.com.

Are you sure your factory seat is moving all the way forward as it should? Was your leaky seal, sunburnt car have seats that are rusted in place? Or did someone leave a little something under the seat that won't allow the seat to move forward?

I'm 5'7" and still trying to figure out this seat. Maybe I'll find something today. I had to move the car yesterday, used 3" thick seat foams from another car, and I fit a lot better. I've got plenty of time as I am just starting to redo a sloppy recent "restoration". Past owners have done about everything to the car and when the r.r. suspension moved due to corrosion the last owner gave up and I bought the car right. I figure to be into it for a year or so.

I'm also a munchkin--just over 5' 6"--but I've never had a problem with dimensions in a 914. Here's a tip:

Late cars have a shortened distance that the seat can be moved forward. (There is a metal peg welded to the track that acts as a stop. This peg was moved backward on later cars.This included '74 and later, according to Brett Johnson's book.) I've heard various reasons this was done, having to do with safety aspects.

Find an early (pre-'74) seat bracket assembly and it will allow the seat to be moved closer to the dashboard. (I would think that someone skilled in metal working could alter the peg location on a later assembly, as well.) This really helps for the height-impaired.

OK Guys, I found the seat problem today. One of the Dreded Previous Owners screwed it up Bigtime. What's left of the seat adjuster system is shot to hell. Now that I've seen what's going on I can fix it. I'm going to do a DPO fix and mount the left seat solid, but hinged on the front and raise the right seat a little. I'm going to hinge the left seat so I'll have a small storage space under it and can clean there as well. I don't care about adjusters as long as I'm comfortable because it's MY car. I finished "Beastie", my daily driver, 14 years ago and I'm the only person who's driven it since then. I'm going to name this one "The Kraut Can".

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Do they make a street legal racing seat? If so who makes them and how much?

BPaillet, could you please send me an E-Mail address or phone #. I would like to ask you a few questions about the seats from Corbeau.

Thanks,

Bill Hutchins
860-665-3709
hutchwe@nu.com