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WOLFGANG posted:

Here's VS comfort seat - reasonably priced.  They are for pan based vehicle - they will fit but you could go with wider ones. Might check to see what Beck/SE uses in their tube chassis cars - nearby in Bremen IN.

 

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Just a "heads up"-- depending on the width of your pelvis, the "comfort seats" from Vintage may be the least comfortable option available. I had a set on my first car, and the side bolsters were narrower than my hips, which meant that my hip sockets rested squarely on them. It was about as comfortable as it sounds.

Last edited by Stan Galat

The 1990-1995 Mazda Miata M series had nice seats with removeable head rests so they look Speedster period correct.  Others had integral head rests (with speakers even) that look out of place and would require tonneau mods.  I have a '16 Miata (now preferred to be called an MX-5).  Even with a 37" waist they are comfortable - mine are black leather with red stitching - with the high seat backs, heated and head rest speakers.  Here's the M series seats/covers.

Image result for 1990-1995 miata m edition

 

As it happens, the car parked next to my Speedster in the garage is a 2009 Mini.

So, curious, I just took some rough measurements.

The seat rails are about 17.5" wide (outer edges) so they'd fit. The seat's 'hardware' extends two inches beyond that on the outside and an inch on the inside, so they still might fit, but only just.

The front seat edge is, surprisingly, only about an inch higher than the Speedster's off the floor (standard VS buckets).

And the tops of the seat backs are - drum roll please - uh, 31 inches off the floor, even not counting the removable headrests - about 10 inches higher than the Speedster's. So, your head would be sticking up over the windshield, you'd be picking bugs out of your teeth, and you'd probably look like a clown in your clown car - not that there's anything wrong with that.

Can we get a cigar for the guy from Nowhere, USA?

 

 

Yeah, technically you're right, Lane. My shoulders are above the seat back top in the Speedster, not in the Mini, although the angle of the seat back comes into play, too, in determining where your head ends up.

Leaving the Mini seat back adjusted to what feels comfortable to me, my head is still maybe five or six inches higher off the floor than in the Speedster. It just feels much more like sitting in a chair than the Speedster seat does.

The seat backs would still stick up out of the car quite a bit, though, adding to the 'clown car' effect. I think one of the cool things about the Speedster is that, from the side, the seat backs aren't visible and don't break the flow of the car's lines.

I do remember in our first gen Miata, in order to get the (tall) seat under the (flat) tonneau cover,  I had to slide it all the way forward on its track and recline the seat back all the way back.

 

Mitch - He has a tube frame based Thunder Ranch so he doesn't have the high center tunnel or side rails to worry about.  His is more like a Beck with larger flat floor so he isn't restricted to an 18" base.  A photo would confirm. Here's new TR interior - roomier than VW pan based (but not as much as I thought)?

left side interior

American cars?  Gordon has modified Chrysler Cordoba leather seats.  Recall someone else narrowed Honda seats (Oggwarty?).  A lot of VWs (and BMWs) came with Recarro seats but many have extra bolsters that better fit a race inspired car.  Early 912/911 or 356 seats would most likely fit but they are costly and for sure would require full rebuild as they used horse hair in seat cushions.

These are stock 11-14  Jetta seats $325 on ebay - headrest could be easily pulled.

Last edited by WOLFGANG
rpeter12 posted:

I just sat in a Mini Cooper my daughter drives and they were really comfortable. Measured them and they should fit fine. They do have a headrest which can be removed if I wanted.  Next question is how do you locate used seats? I live in an area with few junk yards. Is there some kind of locating service for parts?

Do you have a "Pull-A-Part" site in the area where you.  Their prices are dirt cheap and most of their locations have a section for foreign cars but you have to remove the parts yourself. 

https://www.pullapart.com/inventory/

There is a set of Miata seats listed on eBay for $250, plus $50 to ship. . . but they will have to be recovered.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-2...p2385738.m2548.l4275

 600

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Last edited by Cliff Presley - Charlotte, NC

Zzzzzz......buz......snort.....Wha?  Somebody wake me up?

OK, Speedstah seats 101:

Most of the "Speedster Seats" delivered in these cars from builders won't fit a slightly "mature" American male frame (read that.....Big Butt) and almost all of them aren't especially comfortable after 30 minutes or so (sound familiar?).  

If the car is pan-based, you are limited to precisely 17"  of seat-well space to fit the seat into.  On the VW pan, there is a depression beneath the seat and the rails sit on a shelf on each side of the depression.  If you have a Beck or Intermeccanica (and, to some extent, a "Thunder Ranch) you might have 18" to play with, but that's it.  The space also tapers slightly inward as you go rearward, making it just that much more difficult.

So what's a tender-butt to do?  Well, here are the alternatives that have come up on here over the years:

1.  Chuck the bottom cushion on the seats you have and replace them with the thicker cushion from Vintage Speedsters or get a Porsche 914 bottom cushion.  All you'll replace is the cushion, al la Jack Crosby.  Instant comfort upgrade from 30 mins to about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  If color is an issue, you can get the new pad re-upholstered locally for short money.

2.  Chuck the seats you have and replace them with Porsche 914 seats and make sure you get the glider/recliner seat base to go with them (they are left and right).  They are designed to fit a VW pan so they fit right in.  Instant comfort upgrade from 30 mins to about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  The only color options available in these seats probably won't match what you have in the car interior, to you'll either have to cover them or get them re-upholstered.   Plan on $400 per seat for that, depending on your local shops.

3.  Replace your seats with those from a Mazda Miata.  They, too, will fit right in, although the head rest will top out at around 34" above the deck.  Same issues apply to color options, but Mazda has a much wider choice, depending on your local salvage yard or eBay.

4.  Replace your seats with a totally different make/model from 'Murica.  This is the toughest, as most American seats are 19" wide at the base, so you'll have to modify the seat base structure (cutting and welding) to taper the base structure to fit, and then do some magic tapering to the inboard mount of seatback to seat base.  Very do-able, not especially easy. 

YES!  My seats came from a '92 Chrysler LeBaron GT (the little sporty car, not the boxy "K-Car" body), were a PERFECT color match right in the junk yard and had to be modified as in #4 to fit the space.  Took a couple of days per seat, but I already had the welder, decent fabricating skills and infinite patience.  They are 27" to the top of the seatback from the floor, and 34" to the top of the headrests.  They fit the 'Murican male tush very well, provide decent side bolster support but seem just a tad too wide for my 5'6" 150 pound body.  (Gives me room to move my wallet out of the way a bit.)  They are good for 2 - 3 hours at a whack on the road but the mods are not for everyone.  They were "Road Approved" by my Junior Pit Crew.

The Boys

 

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Has anyone tried GTS Classics seats?   classiccarseats.com

They have various models of seats, with the 'Monte Carlo' and 'Solitude' model seats looking interesting. Of course width and height fitment is unknown.

I am looking at seats for a possible future coupe. IMO the passenger needs a headrest to nod off on the way home after a long day outing... And on a coupe its not as important to keep the seat back height as low. Just the overall seating position.

The MAZDA MIATA M edition seats are the ones without the integral head rests.  The head rest is on posts that slides into the seats - so easily removed.  Inexpensive recover kits are readily available for them too.  The high back are safer in preventing neck injuries but to me that isn't a concern in a plastic car. Here's example of a 1995 M edition seat. Covers are from Leatherseat.com or Katzkin - they seem to be about $600.

JiI (Jeff in Illinois) posted:

I'm 5' 10" and around 205. Regular speedster seats don't work for me either. Going with the roadster seats seems like the best direction for me and my wife.

I'm 5'10" &170 (wife is 5'9") and I hope for the 356 to fit decent.

Are these the roadster seats? These seats make the most sense for comfort, although they don't have the aggressive styling like the two slit lowbacks.

Seats_356_speedster_replica-

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Last edited by MaxMartens
MaxMartens posted:
JiI (Jeff in Illinois) posted:

I'm 5' 10" and around 205. Regular speedster seats don't work for me either. Going with the roadster seats seems like the best direction for me and my wife.

I'm 5'10" &170 and I hope for the 356 to fit decent.

Are these the roadster seats? These seats make the most sense for comfort, although they don't have the aggressive styling like the two slit lowbacks.

Seats_356_speedster_replica-

YES..these are ROADSTER seats but you CAN get them without headrests for a lower look....but if you are 205, the buckets are going to be a "pain in the ass" unless you get them EXTRA STUFFED....

Not easy to try out different seats. There are none around here to sit in, and nor are there any 356's real or otherwise around here, other than Barts, who's car I sat in (I liked his seats).

Good thought in theory but hard to apply. Now here in orchard country, there are plenty of different tractors to sit on LOL.  My Kubota seat rules. 

Here is what I'm used to.

DSCN1444

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Last edited by MaxMartens

I have it on "first-butt" experience that original Porsche 356 Roadster/Coupe seats are good for all day.  8-12 hour driving days will leave your tired, but not Butt-Dead.  Much like the higher-end Recaro touring seats, segments of 2-4 hours are easy and pleasant.  

Speedster seats and many "Recaro-Style" seats, however, simply miss the mark and make you stiff after 1-2 hours in the saddle.  Real Recarros, OTOH, get it right and are like a dream.  Several friends who do the National Hot Rod Show circuit have Racarro Touring seats and regularly do 10-12 hour days.

That's my opinion which, with a couple of added bucks, will get you coffee at Dunkin Donuts.

I have always been impressed, whenever I have taken the family to Walt Disney World and had to sit up towards the front of the Disney inter-attraction bus late at night returning to our hotel from the Fireworks extravaganza when, gazing around and wishing those 7 or 9 kids screaming back there in the back of the bus because they are way over-tired weren't there, I happen to look at the bus driver's dash board (not exactly awe-inspiring) and then swing my gaze to the bus-driver's seat - a perfectly proportioned, air-ride Recarro.

Look, next time you're at Disney.  Complement the driver on a great choice of seat.  He or she will appreciate your interest..........trust me.

Those Recarro folks just KNOW seats (and Tushes, too!)

I'm never sure what to make of Gordon's man-crush on Walt Disney, but I always smile when he works a Disney reference in there somewhere.

Regarding seats: there are very, very few seats that are universally liked by everybody who sits in them. Being able to "test sit" seats is unlikely, unless you are at a show where many different types are available to park your keester in.

So, you're left with what LOOKS like it'll work. I personally knew a couple of things about myself and what I wanted. I've got a long torso, and hate not being behind the windshield of my car. This means two things- I'm going to need to sit as close as possible to the floor of the car, and I'm going to need to be tipped back as much as is comfortable to keep my head down. Fortunately for me, I find speedster-style seats to be comfortable, and able to be pitched back like I like. I got the widest seats that would fit in my pan (Fibersteel original-shape shells), and built my own mounts (I got carried away, but you don't have to). The look butch, and I love 'em.

My wife, however, can (mostly) tolerate them, but only for about 2- 4 hrs (on a good day). I've put her there for 8+hrs, and it's not good for our marriage.

I'm shopping for a seat for her. She'd like a headrest, and some real cushioning. She'd like to be able to see over the dashboard. I'm looking at options, and the best thing I can find are OE 356 coupe seats, IM's roadster seats, and Recarros. All are prohibitively expensive at this point in my life.

I'm looking at these. The price is certainly right. If she likes it, I'll rig up a quick-change set-up so that I can tell myself that my pride-n-joy won't be saddled with mismatched seats forever (when I in fact know that they will).

Last edited by Stan Galat

@Stan Galat you should really try mine they are REAL Recaro's that were bought by Henry and recovered in my chosen leather colour for my car, I have a taupe interior with a grey coloured exterior. .  The seats are mounted REALLY low in the car on adjustable tracks and have a headrest and you can sit in them all day.  The seat works really well for me an over 6 foot guy with a very long torso and I am sure the creator at IM can get some made for you too ... By the way the creator at IM nearly needs a cushion to see over the dash ... for me it allows my head to be below the top of the windshield of my roadster. ... just saying... 

Max,

I suggest that you try out all the seats you are considering.  Don't just sit then get back up, unless you can tell quickly that it won't work for you.  Sit in it a while, and, as Stan suggested above, if you have a right-seater you want to travel with, have her sit in one also.  That feeling of inclusion will pay dividends down the road.

MaxMartens posted:

Well for me gentlemen, I am shopping a replica 356 coupe. I am not trying to reinvent the seat. And hopefully I will make a sensible and cost effective decision (other than the madness of buying one of these cars to start with ).

It will be one of these three for me.

Seats_356_speedster_replica-Seats7Seatsmonte1

Max,

You may not want to reinvent the seat, but option 1 and 3 are going to set you back at least $3000 for a pair. Option 2 is considerably less money if you can find something you like from one of the builders. If not, Fibersteel stands ready to lighten you by $2500 or so.

You may just want to think about this a bit.

Revisiting Seats!!!

I was studying up seats two years ago lol. Two years before receipt of my car. Crazy.    

So... our seats turn out to be not bad! We have done longs days, 200 mile days, which is long from breakfast to lunch, touring & then heading back home.

But(t)!... I/we want more. A head rest. For safety and when your tired and want to lay your head back.

I think I will revisit the GTS/Classiccarseats.com seats. Expensive yes. ...In a cheap-ish replica car I will still be thousands ahead of a real 356, which I could not swap seats out anyway. The roadster seat to me IMO, are like bench seats or big old pillow seats, not representing a 'sport car', more resembling a 'touring car' if you follow. Probably comfy though. Also, I like low, as the current seats put us. Keeping an outlaw or wannabe race car look.

The Monte Carlo & Solitude seats will be studied carefully. If I remember correctly (when does that happen lol), they can do custom widths. Anyway, back to looking over seats, for sometime next year. 

Any more advice??

What I have now and working fairly well (we are slender).

IMG_5395

Solitude?

IMG_5475

Monte Carlo?

MonteCarloseat

 

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Marty Grzynkowicz posted:

GTS classic seats are doing my seats, door cards and transmission tunnel.   They are making me custom seats based on the Monte Carlo seat.  They will be in flying buttress style for my Alfa Giulia GT.  Max do you want the seats that recline? Or just more comfortable fixed seats?

Reclining is my preference, probably the Monte Carlo. I am glad to hear, Marty, that you are using GTS. First first hand experience I have ever run into. I will be glad to hear of your experience. Friendly chap as I remember.

My hopeful build style will be similar to my current seats, pictured above. Smooth leather edges, perforated leather centers (horizontally pleated) & dark blue piping. Not sure on headrest shape yet (probably the round/oval ones). I hope to have the seats the same height as my current ones, before the headrest. The goal being, the headrests barely, or not at all, showing above the window line. Don't know how custom they go on builds.

The wife has given the OK! 

Max, I have a deposit in but my project  not with GTS has not even started yet.  I've heard pretty good things from many of the Porsche guys.  I'll keep you posted when it's actually get moving

 

@Marty Grzynkowicz, how are your GTS custom Monte Carlo seats coming along?

It may be time for me to re-visit seats. The ones I have are decent, but I would like headrests... in a outlaw style.

Pictures? Thank you

MaxMartens

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