polecat702

Hi Jim, I don't know if this would work on a 928 or not. I've got a 74 Pantera, a lot of these cars suffer from rust issues. A lot of Pantera owners replace thier floor pans with pans that are 2 inches lower than stock. It cures the rust problem and gives you a lot more headroom. I'll look at my 87 S4 and figure out if this would be a cost effective option. I'am a welder, and certified for nuclear containment. I don't think it would be something that can't be cut out and re-welded. I believe that the main structure is steel in a 928. Aluminum was used in the doors, hood, and fenders. Maybe lowering the floor pans would be an option that some other owners may want to do also. (FWIW) Joe

Nicole

These are the early sports seats (with what looks like non-factory fabric). In terms of height, they may be different again from the ones Paul showed.

GRTWHT

Hello Nicole, yes they have been recovered with clothe trim at some stage. You sit quite low in the car with them.

Although...some mornings I can feel my hair touch the roof, but by the time work is done and driving home, it's quite a distance away

Glenn
'81 928

danglerb

As I recall it, the dash and instruments in a Pantera are much lower than a 928. 928 with early manual seats feels LOW, even lower and you might need a periscope to see over the dash.

Floor pan has two risers for the seat rail to mount to, low in back and rising toward the front, with two mounting points, one forward that is typically used, and another maybe two more inches back (slightly lower). I suspect the bends etc. in pan are for strength, so I wouldn't mess with them.

With the sunroof gone and a racing seat, does anybody still have any head room issue even with a helmet?

GRTWHT

Even me being quite tall (6'4"). I can't see the headlight pods when they are up unless I reach my neck up like E.T.

Glenn
'81 928
AU

Fogey1

They may have been recovered but I don't think those are sports seats, based on the dozen-plus years I spent in the sport seats in my '77 911. Not enough side bolster by a long shot.

As for how the tall guys (and gals? anybody?) fit, I think we need inseam as well as height.

Champagne

I think those are indeed early sport seats. The bolsters are 7", just like our newer sport seats, but the squarish shape make them look smaller.
That particular foam also has a tendency to collapse. These were probably recovered, without the bolsters being restored.

Those who saw the display I had at OCIC, will remember the shape.

These are excellent seats, very light, yet, they can be made to be just as comfortable and supportive as our S4 seats. And they do sit very close to the floor.

I usually get them looking like this:



Paul

GRTWHT

I found another shot of my seats, This is when I bought the car (AUG 2006) so it's not had a detail in this shot.

Nice display Paul, I have watched the video and it was very interesting your talk on what you do.

Glenn
'81 928
AU

scottzj

I have to say that I was impressed when first looking for a 928. I am 6'3 and alot of the sports cars dont fit me great. My 300ZX and this 928 are one of the best fitting cars out there. I have just enough room to be comfortable and feel in control.

polecat702

After careful inspection of the Pantera and the 928. Lowering the floor pans would not be practical. As everyone has stated: you would be sitting to low to see over the dash. The Pantera's mid engine layout gives the driver a strait up sitting position, and the seats are bolted to 1/2 inch high rails directly to the floor. I'am 6' tall and all the way back aginst the cabin bulkhead. At 40 inches ground to roof hight for the "CAT" and 47 inches for the "SHARK", I thought that dropping the pans would be a quick and easy way to gain a few more inches in headroom. The Pantera has 2 5/8 inches more headroom than my 928.

F451

Hi Paul,

I may have missed this, but what seats are those? 911? Year range?

Thanks,

Ed

Champagne

The seats pictures did come from a 911 of the early '80.
But the same exact seats were also used in the 928.

Up until Porsche redesigned the seats for the S4, they did not have a matching sport seat for the 928. Only the specifically designed 928 comfort seat.
So if you ordered the sport seat option in your 928, they would simply take seats from the 911 line, and you would end up with front seats that didn't match the back seats.

Paul

GRTWHT

Hi Paul, Is this whats in my car? Some people have said that I have 911 seats and it's not standard for a 928, suggesting that they have been put in there by a previous owner.
I always thought that they were put in there from the beginning, any suggestions?

Glenn
'81 928
AU

Champagne

Glenn,

as I noted earlier, Porsche did use 911 seats in the 928 when sport seats were requested. Porsche didn't make a specific 928 sport seat.

Your covers are not factory, and the design of the covers was modified a bit, but the seats are early Porsche sport seats, and probably were installed at the factory.

Paul

tedward515

My 84 euro has factory sport seats, well as far as I can tell their factory and the back seats match. I've also seen a few pics of other cars that have sport seats with matching rears. I wonder if the ones that don't were done by the dealer or a PO?

Paul, Do you sell seat covers for the aspiring pro to install themselves on the sport seats?

On the headroom issue I'm barley 5' 10", with short legs and in my 81 with sunroof and power seats my head just clears the headliner. My 84 euro with no sunroof and sport seats is different story. I feel like I'm sitting on the floor of a cavern and could have two helmets on with room to spare.

At the moment I'm just starting to recover a set of manual seats that I picked up for the 81. I figure I will gain a little space and lose a little weight. Not bad.