When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hi there and good day. Does anyone know how much the powered seats way(each). Also how easy is it to remove the power seats off/on the car. I think on track days I would like to remove the passenger one and just get one GT3 seat to save more weight. With this arrangement how much weight would be lost? Thanks in advance. Mike
My info is that the GT3 seats weigh 6.5 kg each (14.33 lbs), the factory sport seats are about 40 lbs each and the power seats are 45-50 bs depending upon options (lumbar, heat, etc.)
All I KNOW is that my GT3 seats (with brackets cause they aren't installed without them!) are 28 lbs EACH. My leather, heated, lumbar seats were 60 lbs each. My buddy's non-power OEM 996 seats were 43 lbs each. "I" weighed each of the three seat types myself and am not just repeating something I read or heard somewhere.
Ben the 60 lb weight power seats(I have as well) does that include the bracket as well. So in essence your losing about half the weight then. Sounds if I were to switch I just buy one GT3 seat and remove the pasenger altogether for track days. Is it at all difficult to remove power seats off/on? Thanks. Mike
Ben is right. The GT3 seats alone may weigh only 14 lbs but with the brackets that are required to mount them they weigh in right at 28 pounds. My full power, lumbar, heated seats weighed 60 pounds each. That includes the mounting bracket. So by replacing both factory seats with the GT3's I saved 64 pounds. It's not hard to take out the factory seats and install the GT3's, but with the connections for the power features, seatbelts etc. and the care that needs to be used so that you don't scratch the door jamb or interior trim, I don't think I'd want to be switching the seats back and forth for each driving event. Just MHO.
Switching out the seats is super easy. If I have more than 2 weeks between events I swap them. 7 minutes per side max.
It's just 4 external torx bolts. Be careful that they are going in correctly and that you have all 4 started before you tighten any of them and you'll be fine. If one bolt starts to feel like it is stripping, throw it away. I travel with 8 extra, just in case.
My set up have the seat belt receiver on both seats, so that saves time. It is worth the extra money to buy second receivers.
The only error I get is the airbag light which has some electrical tape over it. Also, the heated seats stops working when the race seat is in.
Nice - thanks Kris. Any input on comfort for regular use? My regular seats don't quite keep me in the seat during some canyon drives. Are they prohibitively uncomfortable for a wannabe racerboy? I'm looking for something that's LWB style and can keep me in the seat when cornering.
I have never sat in the seat above. I will say that the more comfortable race seat you have, the less good it is on the race track. And maybe comfortable is the wrong word. My race seat is comfortable for 20-30 minutes at a time, but it takes some doing to get into and out of and long trips are no fun. Before I had a trailer, getting out of the race seat after 3-4 hours was super painful.
I haven't looked at this particular seat, but a lot of times the knockoffs aren't FIA compliant for racing.
That's not an issue for my intended use. My 996 isn't a track car, just a canyon/desert car with access to a lot of cruvy roads. I get thrown around in the current setup and want something to keep me upright.
If the quality is atrocious I'll steer clear, but at 17lbs apiece & with a fairly straightforward design, it seems like these or a similar setup might be worth investigating. Seats under $2k with reasonably straightforward installation would be feasible but I'm thinking this could shed a bit of weight and improve stability at the same time - win/win.
That's not an issue for my intended use. My 996 isn't a track car, just a canyon/desert car with access to a lot of cruvy roads. I get thrown around in the current setup and want something to keep me upright.
If the quality is atrocious I'll steer clear, but at 17lbs apiece & with a fairly straightforward design, it seems like these or a similar setup might be worth investigating. Seats under $2k with reasonably straightforward installation would be feasible but I'm thinking this could shed a bit of weight and improve stability at the same time - win/win.
Just pay attention to how they actually mount to a bracket. If they are bottom mount, corbeau sells nice brackets with sliders (I actually have one available if interested).
If they are side mount, there are a bunch of options you could go with, but it is hard to beat the brey krause side mounts with the stock Porsche sliders.
Also, if you are spending $2K, which is likely where you would be at for those seats, plus the correct brackets to mount them, it may be worth spending a little bit more (like $1K) and hold out for a pair of GT3 Euro Seats. Great stock look, lots of support, and it will not be an issue if you ever decide to sell, since someone would always want to buy them.
Last edited by Kris Murphy; 08-22-2017 at 05:01 PM.
Reason: More info
07-31-2002, 03:07 PM
Regarding weight of oem power seats?
