AkechiMotors

Trying to find a pair of manual 85.5+ seats, as they are about 18lbs lighter than the partial power version, and while I’ve come across plenty of manual passenger seats, I’ve never seen a manual driver’s. I know power driver/manual passenger was a very common configuration (stock?), so did they ever actually produce manual driver’s? There’s no way to use a pre 85.5+ seat safely in the later cars, as they had their seatbelt latches attached to the body, not the seat like the 85.5+ (yeah, I could mod it to make it work, but I’d never feel safe, especially considering there’s a 30-year-old explosive device a foot and a half from my face). If anyone has one and is looking to sell it, let me know - condition doesn’t matter as long as the rails are ok.

PetePorsche

I don't think they did, I've also never seen a 85.5+ car with a manual drivers seat. I own a Dutch delivered 1985.5 944, with a power drivers side seat and a manual passenger seat. Now, the Dutch cars usually are very bare in options (I guess we don't like spending money) so I reckon if there was an option for manual drivers seats the Dutch cars would have it.

J1NX3D

Yes they did, think: RHD cars where the drivers seat is powered and the pax seat is manual. This is how my '86 was when i bought it. I would hit up UK944 (Justin Webb) and see what he can send one to you for...

My '86, power drivers seat, manual pax seat:

AkechiMotors

Absolutely brilliant - that makes perfect sense! I'll check with Justin and keep an eye on eBay.uk. Many thanks!

royalschwarz

The seat backs are identical so you only need the base. However, people have mounted a passenger seat into the drivers position plenty of times. Only issues are the seat belt receiver and the fore/aft/recline levers being on the wrong sides. It's been years since I've had a seat base apart but I'm pretty sure the hole to mount the seat belt receiver is already there on the other side so just switch it around. Not sure about the other two levers being reversible though. May want to turn your passenger seat upside down and give it a good look to see what you can do.

royalschwarz

So I dug out the spare set of seats in my basement and it looks like I was wrong. The seat belt receiver is attached to the seat rail not the seat itself so you have to switch the seat rails from drivers to passenger seat for this to work. As well, the bolt holes where it bolts to the floor are not the same on both sides. The rear most holes are spaced further apart on one side than the other so again, the need to switch rails. Apparently others who have said they directly bolt the passenger seat onto the drivers side are only using 4 bolts instead of six to bypass this problem.

It looks like to switch the rails you need to drill out the spot welds holding the rails to the power driver seat and then bolt it up to the manual passenger seat. The holes are already there to bolt it up. This will not only move the seat belt receiver to the correct side but it will also move the fore/aft lever to the correct side. Then you just need to move the recline lever to the other side. I didn't peel back the leather to see if the hole is there to do that but by feel, there is a hole there on the other side. Whether it's threaded or not is another question. I'm going to play around with this and see how hard it is to do. I'll report back.

AkechiMotors

Thanks! Yeah, I have a set of both pre and post 85.5 seats, and I thought as you did that you might be able to swap rails, but it doesn't seem like a minor mod.

royalschwarz

So the rails come off perfectly fine. And the seat belt receivers are NOT part of the rails, they are separate pieces and can be moved side to side. The passenger side has mounting plates on both sides so you can change the receiver from side to side.

Anyway, the problem comes in with the seat back recliner lever. There is a hole on the opposite side of the lever but it is not threaded. Even if it was, you can't swap the lever to the other side because the end part has flat spots on it so the lever won't spin on the shaft. This piece was welded together after the frame was assembled so you can't just take it out and flip it around either. So without some mods here, you're stuck with the reclining lever on the left side. It may also interfere with the forward/back lever from the correct left rail but I didn't get that far to find out.


passenger side lever mount on the left side of the seat...


inside the frame the spring can be moved to either side however the rod was welded together after being put into the assembled frame so it doesn't come out without cutting it.


the right side of the PS seat where the hole for the reclining lever is. Note it is not threaded.

AkechiMotors

Thanks for that very informative analysis, Royal. You’re absolutley right - you need to do a lot to make a passenger seat work on the driver’s side, if it’s even possible at all. I am also now pretty sure that manual driver 85.5+ seats weren’t available in left-hand-drive countries (or at least, in the US market). I am certain, however, that they were available in right-hand-drive countries, where they were utilized as passenger seats as part of the inverse package to the standard LHD partial power driver/manual passenger configuration.

Guy

I am 99 percent sure I have a manual driver seat in my 85.5. Will confirm.

JWinUK

Hi. Yes i can supply you with a 85.5 onwards left side manual seat. You will only need the seat base as the back rest has twin tilt switches. Send me a pm

Thanks Justin

AkechiMotors

Wish I’d seen this before I went to UK ebay; I’m sure I paid way more than you would have asked

Christopher Zach

I have manual drivers and passenger seats in my 87 944S, tan leather, cracked. I'd trade them for a good set of tan leather seats power.

I assume the power connections are under the seat there....

AkechiMotors

I’ll make you a killer deal on a pair of power burgundy seats - so cheap you could have them recovered to match. They’re in excellent condition. I’m highly motivated as I just want them gone. That being said, if your car didn’t come with power seats, I don’t know how you could easily hook them up, as they plug into a wire that comes out from under the carpet beneath the seat.

Christopher Zach

The real problem of course is shipping. I'm in Baltimore, and shipping seats to be recovered or replaced is a serious pain in the rear.