How-to: Aftermarket Seat Install (Recaro SRD)

[gar777]

Okay, this is one of my favorite mods and an easy one so I thought I'd share. First, I did this on a car without side airbags. if you have these, check the FSM for how to disable them before starting. Some pics: (1) the tools you'll need 12, 14, 17mm sockets, ratchet, extension, phillips head (that's all), (2) slide the seat forward to expose the plastic covers over the mounting bolts, (3) pop the covers off, (4) remove 2 rear bolts holding seat in

 

[gar777]

Remove plastic covers and 2 bolts at front of seat. Then uplug seatbelt warning light wire under seat. Next you will have to remove the female (center console) side of the seat belt from the seat. It's easiest to do this by removing the seat and setting it on the ground just outside the drivers door. Note: the metal feet of the seat bracket are very sharp and it's easy to make a big gauge in your door panel if you're not careful, especially since one end of the belt is still attached to the car. Here are some pics showing (1) where the belt part mounts to the stock seat, (2) the part you need to move, (3) + (4) the bracket from Wedge has a hole tapped for this and (5) stock and new Arospeed GT seat (a re-branded Recaro SRD). Note that the sliders have already been mounted to the new seat and the sliders have been attached to the mounting bracket which I bought from Wedge Engineering in CA.

 

[gar777]

install in reverse order. here's how it looks:

 

[gar777]

I love this mod. It positions you lower in the car which gives more headroom, a lower CG and a better feeling of driving IN, rather than ON, the seat. For MSPs, MP3s, cars with MSP suspensions or even base Proteges, the stock seats really don't hold you in well during the cornering loads that the suspension is easily capable of. The only bad news: this mod is not cheap. A good seat may be $500 plus sliders $80 and bracket $100 but it is something you will appreciate everytime you get in the car. On the plus side, it is one mod which is easy to take out and move to your next car

 

[Jaysanooch]

Ah man this is great, I'm about to order my new seats and was wondering how the install would be and worried of unexpected things along the way. You cleared everything up...thanks man!