Swapping Front Seats Over

[my_gtr32]

Hi, has anyone tried to swap the front seats around in a R32 gtr or other skyline?

I was thinking of swapping mechs over from a passenger seat to make up a good drivers seat. Its much easier to find a pasenger saet in good condition than a drivers seat and are usually cheaper. From what I can see, the base and rear of the seats are the same, its just the rails and recliner mech that are different. Would it bolt up?

[Beer Baron]

too hard.

BUT you can swap the covers over.

[Mr. Oizo]

On my recaros, I just unbolted the seats from the rails, and swapped them, works perfectly

[Beer Baron]

yes but recaros aren't factory seats are they...

[Mr. Oizo]

yes but recaros aren't factory seats are they...

they are on some cars

[my_gtr32]

Beer Baron,

can you be more specific. What is involved. I would rather change the lot than simply the covers.

Thanks

yes but recaros aren't factory seats are they...

[SKY031]

Got a set of GT-R seats sitting here, so I just had a look.

The side of the seats which sit near the tranny tunnel are angled slightly upward to accomodate the tunnel.

If you were to swap the gear straight over, you'd end up with one side of your bum higher than the other.

You could probably overcome this with some custom rails, or spacers might do the job, it's not a HUGE difference, it's only a couple of centimetres.

Other than that, I can't tell if there'd be any major problems (but I haven't pulled them apart, and don't intend to)

[Beer Baron]

they are on some cars

not in any skyline i've ever seen....

[Beer Baron]

like i said above. it may be possible. anything is possible, but it's no where near being viable. the important parts of the seats frames are welded. let's say you clear that hurdle and manage to swap the rails and frames over. now you have seat belt buckles on the wrong side of the seat, and adjustment on the wrong side of the seat (and only on one side, cannot be swapped).

but i guess if dark could swap his recaros perhaps ask him how to do yours as he seems to think it's the same? I may be wrong but the six SKYLINE (we are talking about skylines aren't we? not integra type R's, or EVOs) seats I have in my posession all work the way I've described (4 x GTR, 2 X GTST).

As I said you could remove the drivers seat with the damage cover, take the cover off. have a trimmer repair the foam a bit for you, and then buy a cheap passenger seat (always cheaper than drivers), rip the cover off it, and give it to the trimmer to re-fit. that is going to be the only time and cost effective way to do it. unless you want to re-trim in non-factory fabric.

[SKY031]

the important parts of the seats frames are welded. let's say you clear that hurdle and manage to swap the rails and frames over. now you have seat belt buckles on the wrong side of the seat, and adjustment on the wrong side of the seat (and only on one side, cannot be swapped).

The seatbelt buckle is attached to the rail, not the seat.

If you swap the rails over, the buckle goes with it.

[Beer Baron]

walk out side and have a look at your GTR seat mate. the buckle screws into the side of the seat. but if you can tell us all how to swap left and right GTR seats then i'm all ears.

[SKY031]

the buckle screws into the side of the seat.

A belt buckle attached to a seat would be extremely ineffective in an accident.

[Beer Baron]

YIKES! I don't know what that set-up is but it's very different to the 6 R32 seats I have here (4 X GTR and 2 X GTST). I will post a pic for you. but that set-up is not standard. I'd say the seats you have there are modified from standard.

[SKY031]

ah.. ok, i knew it was modified, but i didn't think it was hugely modified.

i'll shut my trap and wait for your pics

[Beer Baron]

no worries. i'll snap a few tonight in fact. see that little cap/bung thing just above the line of the metal strap the buckle is mounted on? that's where the buckle is normally bolted too.