- This topic has 10 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated May 27, 2009 at 2:09 pm by
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Hi Paul
You know I have seats from the Plymouth Arrow in the Lister.Mustang seats in the 62.
Although I would like to see the pictures or hear more from the person who is going to use the seats from an 04 Kia Rio.Just putting in place does not mean they fit perfect.
I think I will be getting the cars liscenced this week.still have snow in the back yard but supposed to rain tomorrow so maybe it will be gone. -
quote Paul A:What kinds of alternative seats have others installed in Alpines/Tigers? Any information will be appreciated.
I am surprised at the little response to my question. The seats in one of my Sunbeams either need to be rebuilt or replaced. I was interested in what others have done. If I were a purist I’d rebuild the original seats. They look good and are comfortable. But $$$ is a factor and if I can find a good alternative for 1/2 the price of rebuilding the originals then that’s what I’ll do.
spring was here for a day and the faithful are hopeful it will return
from sunny, cool South Dakota
Paul -
Hi Paul
I don’t have any experience with swapping seats and have seen few Sunbeams with different seats. I believe I met a guy who had put some early Miata seats in his Tiger and they fit and looked great. I drive a Miata and they are very comfortable. The Miata I sold last year had leather seats with built in headrest radio speakers-now if you could find a set of those……….! Let us know what you find out. Eric -
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I have never considered changing seats. The originals look just right and are as good as any. With the telescoping steering sheel, seat back adjustment and seat height adjustment it is easy for anyone short of a giant or midget to find a comfortable driving position. For the cost of quality replacements, you can rebuild the originals to like new condition.
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quote pdq67:I have never considered changing seats. The originals look just right and are as good as any. With the telescoping steering sheel, seat back adjustment and seat height adjustment it is easy for anyone short of a giant or midget to find a comfortable driving position. For the cost of quality replacements, you can rebuild the originals to like new condition.
Bud,
I totally agree. The stock Alpine seats, (Series III/IV/V), are very comfortable on long trips, and almost anyone can find a comfortable driving position in them. The added benefit, that I think is important, is that they don’t have a head rest that sticks up past the windo line, that messes up the clean lines of the Alpine.
I know that some guys want extra protection, but to me, beauty comes first. If I were worried about safety, I would buy a Volvo.
Jose 🙂
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quote V6 JOSE:quote pdq67:I have never considered changing seats. The originals look just right and are as good as any. With the telescoping steering sheel, seat back adjustment and seat height adjustment it is easy for anyone short of a giant or midget to find a comfortable driving position. For the cost of quality replacements, you can rebuild the originals to like new condition.
Bud,
Jose wrote:
“I totally agree. The stock Alpine seats, (Series III/IV/V), are very comfortable on long trips, and almost anyone can find a comfortable driving position in them. The added benefit, that I think is important, is that they don’t have a head rest that sticks up past the windo line, that messes up the clean lines of the Alpine.”
Hi Bud – Jose and others:
I’m presently using seats from a 1990 Subaru Legacy in my Series V. They have removable head rests so I can keep the clean lines that Jose wrote about. The price was right as I removed them from the Subaru before I sold it to the salvage yard. They are very comfortable, especially for those long 3500 – 4500 mile trips. The only down side is that they sit quite high and work best for me with a 14′ or 13′ steering wheel with obvious turning effort ramifications.
The Series IV that I restored has Alpine seats that I had to rebuild. I am very pleased with them.
My V8 conversion has original seats that need to be rebuilt. The cost for rebuilding will be more than what it would cost to purchase a set of alternative seats in good condition. Since money is a consideration I thought I’d explore my options and see what other owners have installed.
from sunny South Dakota
Paul
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Here are a couple of thoughts on seats:
1) Safety really comes first, and may be a concern to others, too. (It is to me, having been rear-ended in a go cart race this winter, which resulted in many trips to the chiropractor and on-going neck exercises. BTW I was only hit at 15-20 mph: consider what it might have been like at higher speeds) With that in mind any seat with a removable headrest offers the best of both worlds, if preserving the original appearance of your car is of value to you. (this option was covered by an earlier poster, who mentioned Subaru seats from the 90s)
2) Your comfort is, of course a close second. This may not be a concern for you, but I am 6’7" and a difficult fit in some car/seat combinations. (you might ask why I am a Sunbeam fan, but that’s another story…) I find the Series III-V Alpine seats very comfortable.
3) If you want to preserve the appearance of your car for shows and / or special occasions, then keeping your original seats and finding modern seats that offer comfort, safety and affordability is an option. To that end, I am buying, but have not yet seen, a V6 Alpine with Mazda Miata seats. These have a built in headrest (with speakers) and fit comfortably into the Alpine. Whether they fit the existing seat rails I can’t say, but they look good in the car, imparting both greater safety, more recent foam (not the well-known dust blocks the hardened, brittle Sunbeam seats have become with age) and a look that works with the car’s roll bar, minilites and other updating features.
4) The cost of restoring the seats is considerable, if they are done well. Buying an interim seat for safe comfort could also buy you time to consider the new seats’ virtues. If you decide to keep ’em, you can sell off your Sunbeam seats and preserve your options in the meantime, amortizing the cost of the new seats with the sale of the old.
Hope this is of help. If you are interested in the Mazda seat fitment, email me at cdk84 at hotmail dot com and I will let you know how they fit, perhaps with pictures, when the car arrives.
Cheers, David
Fin Fan -
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