Comfortable replacement seats for R32 GTR

[GTR_JOEY]

Hi friends,

I recently got myself back into an R32 GTR with factory seats. The seats themselves are in excellent condition but the drivers seat is a bit tight for my back and become uncomfortable after about 20min of driving. The passenger seat is a little better so I'm not sure what is going on there, almost as if the drivers seat is newer and has not been worn in. 

Anyway, I'm looking to replace them with something thats going to be comfortable for road use. 

I was looking at these replica seats from Crank Motorsport however there has been a number of reviews of the company that aren't great so i'm a little skeptical. 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/185466689021?_skw=r32+GTR+front+seats&itmmeta=01JKS72VG115M2Y3KBGCBCWYDD&hash=item2b2ead15fd:g:cMAAAOSwhhZlsIpK&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKl6v17FmqPFPHrHp4kFm2I9VMAXrpZg5R8sUXH6QLUAkliQu34NiG%2F84PJ05lKf2iGboUiWpWbvHYPYKsT154rul3I%2FaGRskpG8VfgyrwC9%2BdRj7uoDAPGJH%2FVprfvd6pgAN2XmUz6buE9YHvOPCKhtJfsQXhEzwgmVTcIwEkkV0A1r%2FkyJYMmQK0OKLI%2FrM%2FQLzeAOkN9B6WLAPrNyFlml%2FkG%2BYzkTXGJ8LN%2B0NCSLfczQGSYeJqPfvMFMgDL2gOD%2BPWb3sX1D1A6PxY5jqyMGey7zin4sDqrUrA7CpqLLpA%3D%3D|tkp%3ABFBMmriLp55l

I also live In the Northern Rivers and these seats are in Melbourne so I can't even try them out before purchase. 

Is there anywhere/anyone around the Gold Coast, Tweed or Brisbane area that would have a decent selection of seats I could test out before purchase. A lot of these places seem to be in Sydney and Brisbane. Maybe there's an individual who has an after market item such as Bride or Recaro I could quickly try?

Thanks in advance!

[robbo_rb180]

A mate had this style seat from SAAS years ago and they were pretty comfy but the quality was not great especially after a few years.

Have you looked some 86/BRZ seats? the seat warmer is great and I use it a lot. I just drove almost 2hours and no issues with comfort.

[GTSBoy]

I bought my Bride reps from Crank Motorsport. He is, um, a trifle disorganised. I would have to look back at the e-mails to make sure I got it right, but I think he sent me normal fabric ones when I ordered the "Alcantara" ones. So he had to pay for shipping 3x and I'm sure that f**ked him off big time.

And asking technical questions where nuanced English is required is a no go. It's simple English only.

And....should I have bought the Alcantara ones? Well, as it turns out, they are great, feel great, etc, but the fabris wore through on the point of the waist bolster in <2 years. Must have caught a rip from a rivet on jeans or shorts, or something like that. So now I have to patch it somehow. A bit shit. My fault, ultimately, because it is Chinesium Faux Alcantara, not the real thing, and it turns ot that it has the tear resistance of a soggy tissue.

But the seats and the reails are great. I probably should have gotten the R34 style ones, and now that they price is up in that ridiculous sort of number, I could have sold them for a profit!

[GTR_JOEY]

1 hour ago, robbo_rb180 said:

A mate had this style seat from SAAS years ago and they were pretty comfy but the quality was not great especially after a few years.

Have you looked some 86/BRZ seats? the seat warmer is great and I use it a lot. I just drove almost 2hours and no issues with comfort.

I wouldn't be using the seats a lot since it's on Historic rego and will not be driven a lot, however I also don't want to fork out 3k for something that won't last. Havent looked at BRZ seats, aiming for something of the same era

27 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

I bought my Bride reps from Crank Motorsport. He is, um, a trifle disorganised. I would have to look back at the e-mails to make sure I got it right, but I think he sent me normal fabric ones when I ordered the "Alcantara" ones. So he had to pay for shipping 3x and I'm sure that f**ked him off big time.

And asking technical questions where nuanced English is required is a no go. It's simple English only.

And....should I have bought the Alcantara ones? Well, as it turns out, they are great, feel great, etc, but the fabris wore through on the point of the waist bolster in <2 years. Must have caught a rip from a rivet on jeans or shorts, or something like that. So now I have to patch it somehow. A bit shit. My fault, ultimately, because it is Chinesium Faux Alcantara, not the real thing, and it turns ot that it has the tear resistance of a soggy tissue.

But the seats and the reails are great. I probably should have gotten the R34 style ones, and now that they price is up in that ridiculous sort of number, I could have sold them for a profit!

I did speak to him on the phone once, and I do see your point haha.

How many kms do you think you drove before they started wearing out? Just had a look at yours, certainly looking for a reclinable version. The Brides don't look too bad!

I would still like to sit in one just to make sure it's what I'm after. 

 

Thanks for the replies fellas. 

[GTR_JOEY]

The more I think about it, the more I should probably go with a genuine Bride seat and rail set up. But damn the $$$ for a driver and passenger seat + rails!

[Milkmun]

How big of a bloke are you? 

[r32-25t]

Mrs rs focus came factory with recaro cs  sportsters in it and they a pain in the ass to get in and out of with the really high bolsters, once you were in them they were one of the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in

[GTSBoy]

3 hours ago, GTR_JOEY said:

How many kms do you think you drove before they started wearing out?

15000? ish? Something like that anyway. It wasn;t so much a wear as a tear that then spread. Might have lasted a lot longer if not bothered by just one incident, whatever it was.

3 hours ago, GTR_JOEY said:

I would still like to sit in one just to make sure it's what I'm after. 

I took a punt. They are really comfortable and do a good job of holding. My daughter HATED it when I first put them in, and probably still does now. She has sensory issues and hates the way they are all up your business.

I'm 197cm and 95kg. Not fat or particularly wide, and the XL size seat is the rigth fit. If I was any fatter it would start to get too snug. Any skinnier and you'd possibly want the smaller width.

[GTR_JOEY]

9 hours ago, Milkmun said:

How big of a bloke are you? 

6 foot 91kg.

 

8 hours ago, r32-25t said:

Mrs rs focus came factory with recaro cs  sportsters in it and they a pain in the ass to get in and out of with the really high bolsters, once you were in them they were one of the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in

Thanks Brett, ill have a look into them!

 

8 hours ago, GTSBoy said:

15000? ish? Something like that anyway. It wasn;t so much a wear as a tear that then spread. Might have lasted a lot longer if not bothered by just one incident, whatever it was.

I took a punt. They are really comfortable and do a good job of holding. My daughter HATED it when I first put them in, and probably still does now. She has sensory issues and hates the way they are all up your business.

I'm 197cm and 95kg. Not fat or particularly wide, and the XL size seat is the rigth fit. If I was any fatter it would start to get too snug. Any skinnier and you'd possibly want the smaller width.

Whoa 197 haha, I'm about 182 but not that far behind you in weight. My back is probably a little wider than most people my size and weight so I would most certainly need the XL seat by the sounds of it. 

The car is insured to drive 1000km a year (might up that at some stage) but it would likely take me at least 5 years before I would ever get close to 15,000km. If I don't buy the real ones I kind of feel like I'm cheaping out though lol

Spent all this money on good quality parts every where else just to cheap out on the seats? probably my OCD. 

I did find these guys who are more local to me and have copy seats in stock. 

https://vosta.com.au/collections/reclining-bucket-seats/products/japan-stadia-ii-gradation

Or if I want to go genuine
 

https://www.carmodsaustralia.com.au/brand/bride-racing/?srsltid=AfmBOooYKfh5btzB8-ezRTTokM0AqQ3GyWKcfutaMRWBzosRLNSFQhLt

[soviet_merlin]

55 minutes ago, GTR_JOEY said:

Spent all this money on good quality parts every where else just to cheap out on the seats? probably my OCD. 

I agree with you there! Go with nice genuine seats for a GTR.

Even if you don't drive the car a lot, the time you do drive you'll be sitting in one of those seats. And it's the first thing you see when you open the door.

I think it's worth getting quality parts for the things that you interact with _all the time_ when driving. 

[GTSBoy]

FWIW, the Bride reps are really nice to sit in. The only complaint I have, other than the tear in my bolster, is that the velcro used to hold the backrest cushion in place, up under the headrest, is a little obvious and intrusive and could probably be done better. I don't know if that is a "feature" on the genuine ones also though. I haven't looked at a genuine one like the ones I have, only some of the older models.

The other thing is, even though I bought the CF ones, I think the CF is really just decorative, over the top of the same FG as the normal seats. And so they really aren't light. Between the solidly built CF/FG seat, the steel frame in the recliner mechanism, and the solid-arse seat rail, they are probably heavier than even the stock seat. They are a serious lift to get in and out of the car.

[Murray_Calavera]

As strange as this sounds (as they are fixed back), my Bride Xero CS seats are the most comfortable seats I've used. 

I vote go genuine. 

The only downside I've found is on very long drives, you can't reposition your body while driving. So even though its comfy, being locked in the same position eventually becomes uncomfortable. I find myself stopping every 3 or so hours to stretch my legs on long drives. 

[GTR_JOEY]

I just got off the phone with Dean from Vosta in Brisbane. They are the ones that do the replica seats and they have a shop full of seats for my to try out. Lovely guy. 

I haven't decided whether to go genuine or replicas, I'm leaning towards Genuine at this point but who knows. 

Also thinking the STRADIAs are the way to go VS the GIAS since they have a lower hip edge and would be easier to get into. Don't really like the idea of arm rests on the models to the right of this diagram either, maybe they can be removed?

[MBS206]

51 minutes ago, Murray_Calavera said:

As strange as this sounds (as they are fixed back), my Bride Xero CS seats are the most comfortable seats I've used. 

I vote go genuine. 

The only downside I've found is on very long drives, you can't reposition your body while driving. So even though its comfy, being locked in the same position eventually becomes uncomfortable. I find myself stopping every 3 or so hours to stretch my legs on long drives. 

A seat I find stupidly comfortable to sit in is the one in a friend's Merc Race Car. It even has the huge wings that wrap around your head. Best ever.

Only issue is climbing through his scaffolding he put up in the doorway of the car... Ha ha ha.

I sat in that seat for a couple of hours doing wiring.

Another stupid comfortable seat I find, especially if my back is aching, is my OMP fixed back bucket seat too. I'll just sit on it when I'm exhausted in the garage sometimes to relax!

[GTR_JOEY]

Had a look at RHD Japan, I used them a lot back in the day and never had any troubles with them. 

The EUROSTER II CRUZ Reclinable Seats without the arm rests seem like a good seat for the street and comfort. 

$4,300 delivered for driver and passenger with rails seems like a good deal. Wonder if I can dodge the geee s teee? haha

 

 

[Milkmun]

Recaro sr3 I've always found comfy, compared to my stock r33 gtst and bride fixed back. 

Can get them cheapish from a Honda owner.

[GTR_JOEY]

5 hours ago, Milkmun said:

Recaro sr3 I've always found comfy, compared to my stock r33 gtst and bride fixed back. 

Can get them cheapish from a Honda owner.

I’ll have more of a look into Recaros over the weekend. It’s taken me 2 days to figure out which Bride seats suit my application haha.