pcar928fan

I agree w/ John, the 928 sunroof is STUPID and pointless!

I don't see how anyone under 5'10" could have their head close enough to the roof to have their hair touching it... Might want to think about a new hair style! LOL!

Seriously, just lower the back and front of your seat and you will clear the roof by INCHES! I am 5'10" and even w/ a helmet I only touch the roof if there is a bad bump in the track... I am MILES from the roof in my race car...

Champagne

The manual version of the early seats will offer the best alternative for tall people.
These seat are based on an excellent structure and are very comfortable and supportive. Still offer a wide range of adjustments and are also light.

To give an idea of the difference between electric and manual, the following set lives in the same car. Driver is electric, passenger is manual.
The difference is not that pronounced in the car, since some of the electric components fit in a recess in the floor. Still, the manual seat is lower enough to make a difference.



Paul

Hilton

I have an '89 S4 with no sunroof from factory, and an '87 with a sunroof. The difference is HUGE, so if you can manage it, track down a no-sunroof car, or get the sunroof-less panel and a new headliner.

I'm 6'2 - in the '87, I removed the driver seat, and then re-fitted it in the further back set of bolt holes on the rails. From factory the seat is in the middle of three possible positions - putting it in the rear holes gains about a half inch of head room, due to the divergent slope of the rails and headroom.

This is enough to mean I don't keep brushing the roof, although when I tip my sunglasses up for tunnels etc. I'm reminded how low the ceiling is

S4ordie

I am only six feet nothing and I find the head clearance unacceptable. No matter how I adjusted the seat my head still rubbed on the headliner because of the sunroof. I have a long torso (tell that to the girls) so by the time I adjusted the seats back until my head did not rub I could barely reach the pedals. So my only option was the Sunroof Delete. The panels exist still and since I am having other body work and paint done it was an easy solution.

The other options of race seats and having Paul Champagne are possible fixes too. For me anything Paul does is extraordinary and will be beyond expectations and benefit.

6mil928/Jason - JUST SAY NO to the sunroof. It is the worst sunroof of any car I have ever owned. It is so narrow it is nothing more than a noise maker. Be glad you don't have one.

danglerb

Wow, I never would have thought of taping on a non sunroof.

Some picts of the headroom lost.

Pagnobito

This is precisely why I just bought a non sunroof '79 manual to take on the track and race. I am 6' 2" and in my 89S4 with the seat right down and a little reclined I am comfortable with normal driving, but once I get the helmet on I have to crank the seat back some more and move it closer to the steering wheel.
A friend deleted his sunroof and fitted a custom carbon fibre blank in the hole.

S4ordie

Too funny Mike!

Sailmed

I must admit, when I saw my first 928, I acted like a teenager. It was love at first sight and I had no cares or thoughts about what the future would bring - I didn't think about wearing a helmet, I just wanted to get in it and drive. I knew we would be together forever, and I did what ever it took to make her mine - after many, many miles, thru high water and low, she is still with me - even though she decided long ago to keep her roof closed.

Since I found she doesn't do "good track", I have strayed and found others.
I'm one of those kinda guys that has a strong need for speed, and regularly enjoy the fun that requires wearing a helmet. I also find that the ones with the see thru tops often don't work, or allow me to wear protection. Sometimes it's better to leave those types for the other guys who use them often... Maybe thats why they tend to be leaky and we hear the guys complain about their seal.

On a positive note - your one of the few that tried out both types before catching anything. Consider yourself lucky.

James has made a very gracious offer - seldom do you have the opportunity to view so many beautiful ones at the same time - and he even invited you to test the fit!






Oh yeah, I still have my first.
As she started to get older and began falling to pieces, I too, found myself thinking of parting her. I can't bring myself to do it, she still has some great qualities.
I decided rebuilding her instead, even with the sunroof I never used, would be worth the investment. She doesn't seem to mind at all - in fact, I think she enjoys it. Even though I keep the others on the side, she keeps taking my money and is getting more beautiful every day.
Hopefully soon, as she gets older and I have more time with her, she will once again draw looks of admiration... I'm so glad I kept her...
Just one principle difference between a car and a woman.

6mil928

Great pic Danglerb.

F451

Yes, very informative, thanks.

And thanks Paul, that's also a very telling pic of the manual vs power 928 seats.

I was going to modify my Sparco seat to make it lower, but I'm really not too thrilled with the idea of having a non factory looking seat in there. I was also considering putting a manual 944 seat in there, but am not thrilled about it for the same reasons.

Hmm, perhaps I should be on the look out for a manual seat from an old boy. Maybe I can find a local one and test fit it. Hmm...

Champagne

It is to be noted that the height difference between manual/electric is not the same in the later S4/GT/GTS seats.
Even removing all the elevators doesn't produce extra clearance in the later seats.

I do have a fully manual (no height adjustment) 928 passenger seat in stock. I didn't even know these things existed before I received one in a swap. Apparently came from a Club Sport edition. I will check if there is any difference in height, between it and a normal electric seat.

Paul

6mil928

Paul your seat example is interesting. Kinda strange that Porsche in all it's wisdom would make seats of different height. Almost like they made it up as they went along.

danglerb

Kind of like a short person made the headroom less as it went along. ;(

The sun roof I think was pure greed by dealers and PCNA.

My 83 still has the original seats, driver 6 way, and manual passenger.

The early manual seat I bought for my 85 has a good inch or so less rail structure on the bottom, and feels at least like the seat cushion goes lower. One issue still to be resolved is that newer seats have the seat belt receiver on the rail, and early seats don't have a place, the receiver belt mounted to the chassis.

Champagne

As I noted before, I don't think the difference is as obvious when both seats are in the car, but it's still there.

I had a chance to check that manual S4 seat and as I suspected, it does offer a good weight advantage, but no height advantage at all.
The S4 seats are designed so the rails will bottom out on the top frame when in the lowest position. So bolting the rails directly to the frame brings you to the same place.

Paul

GRTWHT

I have noticed this difference between 928's.
I have an '81 928, sunroof and manual seats. At 6'4" I have no problems with headroom. If I step into a later car with electric seats and sunroof I really can't fit in there comfortably, they feel smaller inside.

Glenn
'81 928
AU