i've been using my 1969 oldtimer a lot recently and have chronic back pain now and i'm positive its from the car. some summer days have been a lot of fun with 5 hours driving sometimes for various events and trips. so i guess its only natural. but a buddy with late 80s seats can drive without any discomfort for similar journies and his car is a daily driver. (my seats havent sagged by the way they are firm and good and recently reconditioned.)

well recently i let my addiction get the better of me and purchased a 73'er with CIS which i'm gonna use day in day out as a daily car even in deep winter. it's gonna get a rust treatment (when it arrives-it's not here yet) and i'm going to enjoy the hassles, fun, expense, smiles and adventure of driving it each day that my passion has led (forced) me to. so anyway...

i don't want to drive in the seats the 73 car has now (they are not recaros) but standard (similar to my 69's seats). so i want to pull them out and store them for when i eventually resell it.

but whats everyone's recommendations for daily driving seats? i don't want them to be expensive and am not concerned about period-correct value.



(PS:sorry pete i haven't done the carb balance yet, i've been too busy driving and other stuff)

 

I noticed at TRE a couple weeks back they had an entire room of seats. Older looking, perfect seats. The must have been reproductions or referbished originals. I saw a brochure, but didn't take one. try www.TREmotorsports.com

 

I have serious back issues and there are very few cars I can drive more than 3 hours. However, stock 986/996 seats are the most comfortable seats I've ever had. They are really supportive, pluis they have a removable back cushion and you can add inflatable or other lumbar support items. They can be had fairly cheap, and I would think if you get a pair with sliders and runners attached they would fit without a lot extra effort. I don't know that for sure, but I don't see why they wouldn't, especially if you aren't over 6/3"

 

I put a "Monte Carlo" seat in my 356, a very comfortable (my back hurts from years of dragging around car parts & mtn bike racing), well-made & period correct seat for swb & long nose 901 series cars - the "Sport S" model looks quite right for a '73. http://www.classiccarseats.com/

 

I swapped out our sport seats for Scheels in our '73. They look period correct and are a lot more comfortable. These are the model 400, the 500's have lower side bolsters.

 

Hi Paul,
I had L4-L5 herniation surgery and a year later drove the '87 Carrera with OEM seats from Chicago to Fairbanks, AK, 3500 miles in 5 days, without pain. So as smshirk says, get 986/996 seats or even some old Carrera seats if you can.
Dennis

 

I've been going through the same issue, I dont like my Carrera seats, I need something firmer and hopefully more headroom. I might look into 996 seats.

 

thanks guys (and nice to see you here again dennis)

do you know is a 73 car an easy job to fit later model seats into? say carreras?
i'm a bit worried the boxster/996 might look a bit too over pimped in the old timer even if they are great.

 

They are fairly plain looking, at least the non sport seats. the only thing I would worry about is height. I would put a set in my 80, but it;s a weissach and has the special special colored sport seats with red piping. They are in decent shape, but aren't that comfortable, If I drove it long distances I would do it anyway.

There are 2 different types 996 seats, beside the sports and GT3s. The Carreras had one version and TT had seats with slightly more aggressive bolsters. they don't look that much different, but the feel is a lot tighter. They could be tight on a really big guy. There are quite a few TT seats floating around on ebay from time to time because those guys changed their seats out to sports or after market. I bought a perfect set about 2 years ago for 500 bucks.

 

BTW, I have three fused vertabrae and have a lot of experience in seat evaluation. The 996 seats are definitely the only seat I've ever found I can drive 5 hours without stopping and walking around.