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Ok, I did some searching and didn't really find a true DIY for a seat swap on our cars with pictures etc. If there is one, well, now there'll be two!
I installed a Euro GT3 seat into my car, went fairly well once I figured a few things out. This should help all you guys doing this in the future...
Tool list:
Small bladed flat head screwdriver
E12 socket
17mm socket
10mm wrench
Towels
Dikes or wire cutters
Zip ties
Ok, first off, disconnect the negative battery lead on your battery with the 10mm wrench. You technically don't have to do this but better safe then sorry. Don't do this if you have full power seats! You'll need to be able to run the seats forwards/backwards to remove the retaining bolts. So do that first, then disconnect the battery if you have full power seats.
Lay the towels over the door sill of the car to protect it from getting scuffed up.
Run your seat all the way back. Now using the small flathead screwdriver, lift up on the little panel on each of the front trim panels that cover the front seat rails. Pull the plastic trim pieces towards the nose of the car and set them aside someplace safe.
Now using your E12 torx socket, remove the front seat bolts.
Run the seat all the way forward and remove both the rear E12 bolts.
Now you have to lift and kinda tilt the seat up so you can get at the harness. Slide the harness out of its retaining clip on the bottom of the seat. Here's where I got stumped for a little bit, I couldn't figure out how to undo the harness. First cut the zip ties. Then using your small flathead again spread the small clips that old the swing lock in place. Swing the lock up. Now pull the back off the tab out. This is what it'll look like once you do that.
Take note of how the seat belt harness is routed in the plug. My drivers side one was blue, here are the pics showing its in the outermost slot with the tab facing out.
Additionally there's a little black plastic piece that holds the seat belt harness in place. Just push it up towards the back of the harness plug and it'll slide right out, letting you slide the seat belt harness out.
Nows a great time to see what's gotten trapped underneath the seat. I just bought this car, so I was curious as to what I'd find. A dead AA battery and a nickel, score! Take the time to vacuum out underneath the seat while it's out.
Ok, now you get to muscle the stock seat out of the car, being very careful not to bang or nick anything on the way out. Next take a 17mm socket and unbolt the stock seat belt receptacle from the seat. Put the bolt back into its spot on the stock seat, you won't be using it on the GT3 seat and if you put it back where you found it, you won't lose it or forget where it goes.
Next pull the harness out of its retaining clips, then bolt it onto the GT3 seat. The large rectangular spacer has a bevel on it, that goes on the bottom, towards the seat side plates.
The GT3 seat handily have wire routing clips for the seat belt harness...
Ok, time to get the GT3 seat mostly in the car and plug it into the harness. Remember, outermost plug with the tab facing to the outside of the car. ZIP TIE IT INTO PLACE! Now zip tie the harness to the underside of the seat.
Line the seat up, handily Porsche put alignment dowels on the back rails so its pretty much impossible to get them in **** eyed. Put the back two E12 bolts in loosely. Using your flat head screwdriver, remove the trim cover on the lower should belt mount. Using your 17mm socket, undo the bolt. Thread the seatbelt through both the upper and lower holes in the Euro GT3 seat. Put the bolt through the seat belt, then put the spacer on, then bolt it into place. Put the trim cover back on.
Run the seat all the way backwards, line up the rails so the front E12 bolts drop into place. Make sure you're putting everything in with your hands for the first several rotations, you really don't want to cross thread these!
Now torque everything to 47 ft lbs.
Place the covers back into their spots, making sure you hear the little click of the retaining clips.
Marvel at your work!
Of note, I do feel that these seats sit higher than my stock sports seats. It remains to be seen whether that's an issue when I have my helmet on or not. I didn't install the passenger seat as I want to keep it easy to get my son in and out of the back seat. We'll see if my OCD can handle having mismatched seats in the car. Hope this helps people out, let me know if you have any questions!
Excellent! I like to do the rear bolts first then slide the seat back to remove the fronts. That keeps the seat track tucked in under the seat = less hanging out gouge the paint/steering wheel etc...
The connector fits into the gray plastic "wire track" locking it to the seat bottom. Look at pic 4 to see the mating clips/rails.
Likes:
#1 They're basically a factory part, so they just fit. No messing around, having to modify things to work. They fit, period
#2 They look the part and match the factory black leather interior perfectly
#3 I'm all torso, so having the huge shoulder harness holes is a good thing for me if I ever decide to add a rollbar and harnesses
#4 Ironically I fit in these seats better than the factory sports seats. The seat backs were too narrow on them for me, so I sat on them, not in them.
Dislilkes:
#1 I sit higher in these then the factory sports seats. Since I'm all torso this may create an issue with me fitting in the car with my helmet on.
#2 You can't adjust them. The aftermarket side plates from Recaro have multiple hole settings, to adjust the seats for height and rake.
#3 I need to order the leather kit from Carnewal for them, while they're in good shape, the rest of my interior is in outstanding shape and it doesn't match right now
Plan is to run around in them a bit the rest of the season, then make a determination of what to do...
[QUOTE=docwyte;15242252
Dislilkes:
#1 I sit higher in these then the factory sports seats. Since I'm all torso this may create an issue with me fitting in the car with my helmet on.
Plan is to run around in them a bit the rest of the season, then make a determination of what to do...[/QUOTE]
Remove the seat pad for track use and sit on the bar shell. The will lower you about an inch or so.
Yeah, I've thought of that John. I'm surprised nobody else has commented on the fact that these sit higher. I just took a friend and his son for a ride in the car and I'm definitely sitting at least an inch higher, maybe more, with these seats vs the sports seats. Another thing is they pretty much block my vision over my left shoulder to lane check. Much more dependent on the side/rear view mirrors now.
They are more comfy for me tho, so I suspect I'll keep them and work around it.
I didn't install the passenger seat as I want to keep it easy to get my son in and out of the back seat. We'll see if my OCD can handle having mismatched seats in the car.
I never went went with the GT3 seats because my wife had no interest in sitting in a seat that didn't have any adjustments available other than fore/aft. I wasn't willing to live with the mismatched seats had I installed a GT3 seat only on the driver's side. The GT3 seat height was also a concern, although as I remember there were Brey-Krause rails that lowered the seat a bit. I have a tall sitting height, and because of this I ordered my 996 Turbo with sunroof delete. This added around an inch of headroom. Even with this I have to drive with the seat full back and full down, and the top of my head still brushes the headliner if I sit up straight.
Yeah, I'd love a sunroof delete car, that'd be helpful. I'm not all that tall at almost 6', but my inseam is only 31.5", so I'm mostly torso. My wife won't be riding in the car that much and when she does, she doesn't really care how the seat adjusts, so at least I've got that going for me. The mismatched seats may bug me and I may end up putting the passenger GT3 seat in, that remains to be seen.
I do want to keep the seats, not only do I actually fit in them (vs on the stock sports seats) but they'll hold me in place far better for auto-x and track days.
I did find those Brey Krause lowering side plates and I will be ordering a set. Supposedly they lower the seat another inch and allow for some rake, both of which I want. Of course that means totally removing the seat, swapping the plates and reinstalling it. Doh!
My wife won't be riding in the car that much and when she does, she doesn't really care how the seat adjusts, so at least I've got that going for me.
That's definitely in your favor.
My wife and I take the 996 Turbo out locally and on overnight trips, so her vote (against) was a big one. I also had her try a GT3 seat (in a 996 Turbo) and she didn't like the getting in and getting out effort.
Yeah, I'd love a sunroof delete car, that'd be helpful. I'm not all that tall at almost 6', but my inseam is only 31.5", so I'm mostly torso. My wife won't be riding in the car that much and when she does, she doesn't really care how the seat adjusts, so at least I've got that going for me. The mismatched seats may bug me and I may end up putting the passenger GT3 seat in, that remains to be seen.
I do want to keep the seats, not only do I actually fit in them (vs on the stock sports seats) but they'll hold me in place far better for auto-x and track days.
I did find those Brey Krause lowering side plates and I will be ordering a set. Supposedly they lower the seat another inch and allow for some rake, both of which I want. Of course that means totally removing the seat, swapping the plates and reinstalling it. Doh!
Josh,
I'm using the Brey Krause side mounts on my Profi Spa seats. BK only sells the side mount kits with only one side having the post that the OEM belts ends slip over. You need to special order the side mounts so that both have the post otherwise you will need to drill the tunnel to attach the lap belt on the inside. Contact BK directly or have Grant at Wine Country order them for you.
John, apparently all the Brey Krause side brackets now have the posts on both sides. So you can use them on either drivers or passengers side and use them for a harness lap belt mount too.
John, apparently all the Brey Krause side brackets now have the posts on both sides. So you can use them on either drivers or passengers side and use them for a harness lap belt mount too.
I just ordered them from OG Racing...
good to know. That was not the case a few years back.
08-24-2018, 06:58 PM
DIY: Installing Euro GT3 seat
