lawjdc

The 996 GT3 seats must be different than the later 997 GT3 seats. I am 6', 200 lbs and I am very comfortable in the 996 GT3 seats, even for everyday use.

mooty

i sat in both, felt the same to me.

sharkster

They are a bit wider in the ***/hips section and suitable for more people I'd say If you're a skinny-catwalk model then the 997GT3s are for ya

mooty

you mean like fred c., LOL.
his bicep is bigger than my thighs

SpeedGeek

I have been driving in 996 GT3 buckets for years now and I find them very comfortable. I'm 5'9" and more generous in the midriff than is ideal. My only problem is that they're designed for taller folk, so my torso sits too low causing my shoulders to be squeezed a bit by the upper wings. I have put a small folded towel under the bottom cushion which sits me about a half inch higher and makes all the difference to how my torso fits the form of the seatback. I'm very, very comfortable like that.

I recently spent a day in a 997 GT3 with 997 buckets and they are indeed a tighter fit, but still ok. The problem, unless you're skinny, is the stupid belt receptacle that rests inside the 997 seat. If I had 997 buckets I would move the belt outside the seat and put the folded towel under the cushion (which I did) and it would be great, albeit a bit tighter than the 996.

Considering the huge price difference, I would recommend the 996 seats over the 997 unless the few lbs saved with the carbon is of great importance.

Bob Rouleau

I used 996 GT3 seats in my RS and my wife's. The price of the 997 seat is stupid. The 996GT3 seats are a simple bolt in, come with all slides etc already installed. The 997 GT3 seats requires optional! cushions and slides. Bizarre. Installing recaros (etc.) can be a pain needing special brackets and slides baased on what a few locals have suffered through lately. Perhaps the dealer did not know what to order but it was a pain for them.

superbigfo

My Dad is looking to get some seats for the RS. Who makes big seats? He is 6'7 220ish and I am 6'4 290lbs. (not really fat though) Are the Sparko DMT big enough?

rickg87

If you mean the DTM's. No they would be too tight. I love them and they look great, but I'm 6' 200 and I just am comfortable in them. A bit tight.

David A

I have the Recaro Pole Positions in my 997 GT3 and I love them,they look beautiful and OEM.The 2 seats were $1450 with brackets and sliders.

SpeedGeek

Are they comfortable for a daily driver and for long distances?

George3

<< ...My only problem is that they're designed for taller folk, so my torso sits too low causing my shoulders to be squeezed a bit by the upper wings. I have put a small folded towel under the bottom cushion which sits me about a half inch higher and makes all the difference to how my torso fits the form of the seatback... >>


So, I'm 5'8" and 165 lbs (smallish medium frame). Do I need to have special brackets on the seat rails to RAISE the 996 GT3 seat up higher for better visibility over the hood???


Anotherwords, will the 996 GT3 seats give me a "lower" seat height than the stock seat?

SpeedGeek

The bucket seats (both 996 & 7) sit you lower than stock. It's particularly a problem in a 996 car because the steering wheel doesn't tilt. So for shorter guys like us, the buckets are definitely lower than ideal, even with a tilting wheel.

There are 3 solutions:

1) Do nothing. You sit low but not that low. At 5'8" it's not too bad. I know a number of folks who aren't bothered by it.

2) Recaro (I think) makes brackets to raise the seat. This is good except that you're still left with the problem that the body-form of the seatback is designed for longer torsos than 5'8" folks. I find it squeezes my shoulders a bit because they're resting slightly too low against the shoulder wings of the seat.

3) Use a thicker bottom cushion or put a folded towel under the cushion (that's what I do). This solution solves both problems above but introduces a new one: You lose a little thigh bolstering because your backside and thighs are slightly raised.

I am extremely comfortable in 996 buckets with solution #3 above. For me personally, the buckets are critical to getting the full GT3 experience (even on the street) and I could not imagine having a GT3 with regular sport seats. I've been daily-driving a GT3 with buckets for 5 years now and I could not be happier.

David A

Yeah the Pole Positions are comfortable,I'm 5'9 & 160lbs.

My dealer was very friendly too,he turned off my side airbags & my seat belt buzzer for 1 hour of labor.

George3

This may be a stretch, but what if 1/2" or 1" spacers are put on under the seat and seat rails ???????
Then tighten to bolts to the floor.

Any thoughts ??
Any safety issues I'm not aware of ??

George3

AFTER A LOT OF RESEARCH AND CONSIDERATION..........

I've decided to go with all Porsche Tequiptment gear:

Black Leather GT3 Seats (996 Version)
GT3 Seat 6-Point Harness
Tequiptment Harness Rollbar
And, GT3 Seat Sub Mount Bar

Reasons:

The seats are DIRECT BOLT-IN... no messing around with clamps, brackets, etc. I know they will work and fit and they look great, too. The Harness Roll Bar from Porsche comes through in stainless steel finish. I'm having mine black powder coated. The 6-point harnesses work perfectly with these seats. So, it was a natural to go in this direction.

I should have everything installed by the end of this week, or beginning of next week. I'll be posting pictures of the completed project.