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I am starting to design my overall interior for my 964. The car is pretty custom and I want to elevate the interior to match what the outside of the car will look like. If you were building your ultimate custom 964 interior with new leather, what seat would you use? These are the 3 designs I am trying to choose between. Thanks for all opinions!
I've driven probably hundreds of cars in my lifetime, and quite possibly half a million kilometres. Nothing comes close to the 964's sports seats for comfort and support. Nothing.
Fixed back seats - I love the motorsport of them and the overall look but once in a while, the wife wants to drive my car and I know that would not fly. I am still considering them, though
Personally of the three you selected I like the first ones as they come closest to the original sport seats. If I were pursuing a similar path I would pick up a worn out set of sport seats, restore the internals and customize however you want on the outside to match the rest of your interior. While I love the sportster CS seats I do think it would limit who could ride along with you and it will make ingress/egress more challenging.
But these are my opinions. It’s your car, choose what calls out to you the most.
If you could get the real RS Recaro shells with the suspension in the bottom, that would be ideal but they are $20k+ for a used set. Sport seats would be the most comfortable and a proper custom set is always cool. Sportster CS are great seats but a bit modern for a 964 in my opinion but that brings up another one not mentioned and that is like the original Sportster CS - the Recaro A8, the shoulder "wings" are a bit wide but they are period correct and look killer with color matched backs, they would be cool in your car.
Thanks for all of the thoughts so far. Curious, is the only difference between the standard OEM seats and the sports seats the extra bolstering? If so, has anyone modified their stock, non-sport seats to sport seats?
I have seen the stock seats modified into sport seats and they are nice if done properly and period correct. Not many do a great job with them though. I personally find the Sportster seats to be hands down the most comfortable seat equally as supportive but just far more comfortable on long trips. I have them in my C2 and GT4 and love them. The down side of the sportster's are they have limited adjustability. Interestingly the seats in my 928GTS are similar to the ones in my turbo but due to the way they are made I find to be more comfortable than the stock seats.
However what seat fits you is equally as important. We all are different sizes and seats hit you in different places so I would try to see if you can try each out as much as you can to see where the bolsters and wings hit you.
BTW I am so upset on passing on A8's years ago when they were affordable.
Thanks for all of the thoughts so far. Curious, is the only difference between the standard OEM seats and the sports seats the extra bolstering? If so, has anyone modified their stock, non-sport seats to sport seats?
Mr. Wolfe
Rod at Classic 9 does the standard to sport seat modifications and so does Lart951, though I think Rod is much better with the upholstering once modified.
I have the OEM Recaro Speedster seats in my 964 and the 944/964 sport seats in my 951. Without a doubt, the sport seats are the most comfortable - hours can be spent in them without issue and they are extremely supportive. The RS/Speedster seats are also wonderful in what they add to the experience of driving the car but obviously some comfort and ease of getting in/out is compromised.
I have also had a couple of sets of A8's over the years and while they are amazing to look at, (for me) they were not particularly comfortable around the shoulder due to the massive bolsters - I always felt constrained. Note that there are 2 types of A8 - gen1 (the green set above) and gen2. The plastic bolsters on the gen1 always crack and are almost impossible to repair properly.
The Sportsters are nice seats but as mentioned above I don't think they suit the 964 particularly well - especially with quilted stitching / fake grommets etc...
I would recommend that you determine what your goal is for the theme of your interior - if you want classic/comfort then go with the sport seats. If you want uncompromised cool / enhanced driving engagement then I'd suggest the RS seats.
I would love to love the oem sport (and non sport for that matter) seats...... but as much as I try after a couple of hours I hate them. They just don't fit my body well and I end up with lower back pain. Obviously others feel differently as above- the point being that you really have to see what fits you the best. While I agree that the sportsters may not look the best and certainly are not as "special" as either of your other choices in the end they fit me the best and for me fit is the deciding factor. Also I was able to get them to fit a hair lower than OEM so I can just.... just fit a a helmet.
At for @cobalt comment on adjustability - yes there is no forward or rearward tilt option. I 3d printed angled spacers that fit the between the sportster frame and lower cushion to raise the front up for more leg support. So the seats fit me perfectly other than slight annoyance of the upper seatbelt pass through bezels which I can feel on my shoulder blades.
By far my favorite looking seat is the bucket Recaro RS style. If I was shorter and didn't need rear access that would be my first choice without a doubt. Others to consider may be the Cobra Nagaro. @Foxman has those and I've sat in them at a dealer and they are nice with both hands on the wheel- but with one hand down they curve the shoulder in a little too much.
Anyway for me it's more about fit than style- not that there is anything wrong with the other way around- just that I have 8 hour trips in my car. I have small tight buckets in my 914-6 conversion and drive it hard for hours straight but that's a different thing...
Love, love, love all of this info and your thoughts. Hmmmm, Classic 9 Leather Shop is only 4.5 hours from me. I think I may need to reach out to them.
I agree with most things being said. The Sportsters are probably my favorite seat of all time and while I think they look decent in a modified 964, they may not look at home as the other 2 do. I have always thought my stock seats were comfortable and can't imagine not liking the sport seats. This may be my best bet...
RS buckets are definitely the ones I would go with (assuming you don't care about a back seat, cause buckets and back seats don't mix). However, as others have mentioned they are super expensive and modern buckets just feel too modern for my taste.
If you don't want to spend 15-10k (lord knows I wouldn't), I would go standard sport seats, they are easy enough to find in rough condition for a decent price since you're going to redo them anyhow. I have a real aversion to the Singer-esque grommets in your picture but that's just me.
You gotta sit in them though - buckets are very body type dependent. I love them in my GT3, others think they are super uncomfortable.
RS buckets are definitely the ones I would go with (assuming you don't care about a back seat, cause buckets and back seats don't mix). However, as others have mentioned they are super expensive and modern buckets just feel too modern for my taste.
RECARO still makes the OEM RS Buckets to this day, same specs and everything. We have them for sale on our website, they run $1,295-$2,390, much cheaper than trying to find a spare or NOS set.
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I find it interesting that so many find the sportsters as not proper for the 964. I have had a pair in one 964 or another since 2007 and it is the single most thing people say completes the entire package to my slick top build. I for one like the factory sport seats but they have no upper support and just don't grab me properly. The sportsters have a soft shell which flexes and absorbs some of the road harshness that the factory seats do not. It conforms to my body perfectly. Although I believe in function over form and to me that is why they win over the rest, although I find no need for fancy upholstery. I actually prefer the nardo cloth i have in my GT4. It is a compromise track seat but makes for great long drive comfort seat as well. With my arthritis it is one of the few I can tolerate these days.
I also have a long torso and shorter legs 6". lost 1.5" over the years. I like to keep the rear seats so a fixed shell is out of the question especially if you plan to put someone back there. having a split seat allows me to load stuff back there for longer distance rides.
06-25-2024, 08:45 AM
Choosing Seats for a Custom 964
