Seats

[Pillow]

Not sure if this is the right "area" for this question, but here it goes... Maybe we should have an interior section?

What cool seats can be used on the stock VW sliders? I will have two 944 seats but it looks as if they will sit too low compared to the stock seats.

I fear custom rails, but what do you all run?

Also the seats must fold forward to access the rear seats fairly easily (read: child seat).

Thanks,

[Supa Ninja]

Let me appologize for the paint, its my daily driver and I haven't got a cahnce to put fresh paint on it. Anyways those seats are from a 89-93 Suzuki Swift Gti. They are welded to stock rails. Fully functional and a lot more support in the corners than stock seats. They set me back $60 for the interior shop to restitch the seam on one seat, not to bad huh? Peace!

[Pillow]

Cool Supa!

... Hmmm.... Good tip. I can weld other seats to the stock VW seat TOP rails (basically the VW seat dies) and still keep the "slide" which putting in better seats.

Thanks,

[kdanie]

I use '82 911 SC seats/sliders on custom mounts made from 2.5" angle steel (trimmed where possible to keep the weight down. They sit an inch or so lower than stock seats, I'm 6'3" so I don't mind that (I could change it if I wanted too). The Porsche sliders are very strong and operate very nicely. The seats have a lever on the side to tip fwd. I built the drivers side mounts in an afternoon, no problem.
ken

[Pillow]

I was figuring on using the 944 seats which should be similar to the 911 units if not identical.

I am 6'4" so I could use the 1" drop as well

Thanks,

[chase580]

Hmm... Interesting, thanks pillow for the post you saved me some work!

[super vw]

the 911 and 944 (earlier models) have identical seats. I got some 944 seats that im going to mount in my 1303 super ( my dad has a 85 911 carrera)

[VWguy73]

while everyone is on the topic of seats, i can get ahold of a full set (front and rear) seats from a 1996 GTI for $200 and id like to put them into my 1973 beetle but im not sure how to do so. is there anyway i can retro-fit my stock rails to the new seats? what is the best way to do this with the least amount of work?

[lightning bug]

I believe all of the water-cooled seats are narrower than the Bug's. My friend mated Rabbit GTI (BTW I think are the most comfortable seats VW ever made) seats to his bug. I think he just welded up some brackets.

[Wally]

Julian,
I agree that the Rabbit (Golf model) GTI seats are very good sports seats (model made by Recaro).
Best thing is you can use a Golf model 1 and 2 (up to 1988 or so) sport seats (usually from a GTI model), saw of the rear two paws (sort of tube with white sliders under them, what's a good word for that?), do the same with your original bug seats (post 1971 models anyway) and since the bug paws have a curve in them and the Golf seats don' t, just weld these bug paws to the GTI seats (using also an inner tube with a tight fit for reinforment) and everything fits, because Golf seats use the same rails at the front. You can usually even use the original bug seat adjustment.
I have lowered the front bulge, on top of which the rails slides through, in order to lower the total seat, because I like sitting a little lower in the car, gives me more feeling of the roadholding of the car.
IMO the most easy mod. Done it with all of my previous bugs, first thing I got them.
Most difficult part is to find a good left front GTI seat. But the seats are, like a bug, easy to disassemble and therefor easy to repair, change left to right, change fixed (ex 4-door) seats to folding down seats etc.
Have never tried Golf 3 or Golf 4 seats. Golf 3 probably still fit (3-point fixation) as well. Golf 4 probably not.
Good luck.

[Martice]

What I did was to make some adjustable support for some Sparco seats from the old vw stock seats. I cut the base of the old seats along with the rails and everything, made and welded a straght base for the sparco witch was hold by 4 screws to that base. Along with 4 point harness everyhing was safe.The height was little low but fine.
But this kind of seats are not very practical, its hard to get in and out and are very hard to mantain, so all the seats are gone now to the racers.
So now I am looking for other seats.I've found some electrical alfa 146 leather seats...but I do not really like the shape.

Do you guys have any pics of the 944/911 seats?

[zen]

i didn't build mine, but some custom ones were made to mount fiero gt seats in my chop top. they happen to fit the momo seats i will be using perfectly. they are fiero sliders mounted on custom brackets. they are just 2" stock bent like this (side view)...
_____________
_| |_

[this is not displaying right, but just timagine the backwards "L" and the forwards "L" at either end of the long horizontal bar and you will have it.]

bolted to the pan (not the safest thing though) on the small tabs on the bottom and the sliders are bolted on the long horizontal piece front and rear. the seats bolt on top of the sliders.

i plan on running some stock across the bottom of the pan perpendicular to the brackets to strengthen the mount. don't want to see those bolts pull through the pan in an accident.

[Vyper]

Originally posted by super vw
the 911 and 944 (earlier models) have identical seats. I got some 944 seats that im going to mount in my 1303 super ( my dad has a 85 911 carrera)

I have 944 front seats in my bug, the seats are mounted on Kerscher subframes that then fit into the original three point mounts on the floorpan.

The postion from the dashboard is then set with built in runners, (the subframes securely bolt to the pan in the old runners and the "hump" mount is a fixed locator.

Position driving is great!

Vyoper

[super vw]

got any pics Vyper?

Originally posted by VWguy73
while everyone is on the topic of seats, i can get ahold of a full set (front and rear) seats from a 1996 GTI for $200 and id like to put them into my 1973 beetle but im not sure how to do so. is there anyway i can retro-fit my stock rails to the new seats? what is the best way to do this with the least amount of work?

Originally posted by lightning bug
I believe all of the water-cooled seats are narrower than the Bug's. My friend mated Rabbit GTI (BTW I think are the most comfortable seats VW ever made) seats to his bug. I think he just welded up some brackets.

Originally posted by Wally
Julian,
Use a Golf model seats, saw of the rear two paws, do the same with your original bug seats (post 1971 models anyway) and since the bug paws have a curve in them and the Golf seats don' t, just weld these bug paws to the GTI seats and everything fits, because Golf seats use the same rails at the front.

Good info above, and here is a tech article:

http://w1.111.telia.com/~u11107929/html/new_seats.htm

EDIT: lightning bug, it's the bug seat tracks that are narrower than the golf ones.