Corbeau Seats? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

blinkwatt · 08-24-2007, 10:27 AM

What's the catch to Corbeau's seats? They are nice and on par quality wise with entry level Sparco & Recaro seats I've sat in. Why are they 1/2 the $$$ of Sparco,Recaro and Momo seats? Does anyone here have any experience with Corbeau seats?

Perfectlap · 08-24-2007, 10:58 AM

ok it depends if you're talking for track/autox use or for use in a road car.

for track/autox the cheap racing seats like Corbeua are adequate. Not much more than that. Those seats meet only the lowest standards. A real racing seat is ultra expensive because it meets much higher saftety standards. I think Cobra make some very good Kevlar seats for the money.

For road use I would never use a budget Momo, Sparco or Corbeau seat. You are way safer in your Porsche OEM seat which has at least gone through extensive crash testing both here and in Germany.

A while back I ordered the Corbeau A4? My first mistake was buying a racing seat that reclines. That's your first red flag (fake). When the seats arrived the materials where crap. Thin fabric, low quality all around. Then I was hit with a $100 restocking fee. The GT3 seats may be expensive but they are legit.
I'm not sure I would trust any seat that cost less than $800-$1000. I just don't think its feasible to make a safe seat on a budget.

blinkwatt · 08-24-2007, 11:22 AM

Thanks for the input! Those Cobra seats actually look comfortable,I'l try to find a shop in town that carries them to check them out.

Perfectlap · 08-24-2007, 01:28 PM

you might check out the Recaro's too. The Pole Position is essentially the GT3 seat so maybe you can install their seats without having to order seperate floor mounting rails and save allot of dough.

blinkwatt · 08-24-2007, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

you might check out the Recaro's too. The Pole Position is essentially the GT3 seat so maybe you can install their seats without having to order seperate floor mounting rails and save allot of dough.

Do you happen to know how much the seats weight?

08-24-2007, 04:32 PM

Ha, I just ordered my GT3 seats today! They will be here in like 3 days! My advice, and ive done lots and lots and lots of searching over the past year... save up your money. I talked to todd a whole lot about the corbeaus. While price is right(ish), you still have corbeau stitched into the headrest, and i see these seats is old beater mustangs, to honda civics, ect.... that was the hugest turn off ever. But its up to you if you want to downgrade to fabric seats that are fiberglass. I upgraded to black alcantera carbon fiber seats from imagine auto. While they are replicas, i saw them in every 911 there, and they know their stuff, so I trust them.

blinkwatt · 08-24-2007, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boggtown

Ha, I just ordered my GT3 seats today!.

Dude please tell me you didn't pay the $2k that they are asking?!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-GT3-replica-Track-Seats-986-996-GT2-Alcantara_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33701QQihZ011 QQitemZ320151180635QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

08-24-2007, 05:46 PM

It says like 1500 after shipping. And no. Ive looked everywhere, and asked everyone, you cannot get them for under 1200, me and todd were gonna buy multiple orders and they were gonna give them to us for 1200 plus shipping or something ridiculous. So I paid 1250 with a 10% discount, so I am pleased. They are probably those same seats for all I know, but it could be night and day depending on imagines supplier or carbon fiber maker.

blinkwatt · 08-24-2007, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boggtown

It says like 1500 after shipping. And no. Ive looked everywhere, and asked everyone, you cannot get them for under 1200, me and todd were gonna buy multiple orders and they were gonna give them to us for 1200 plus shipping or something ridiculous. So I paid 1250 with a 10% discount, so I am pleased. They are probably those same seats for all I know, but it could be night and day depending on imagines supplier or carbon fiber maker.

Are they identical to the GT3 seats? Say if I didn't know they are replicas would I be able to tell?

Does the price you pay include the mounting brackets and such?

cbenitah · 08-24-2007, 08:04 PM

I had the replicas.. Sitting in my house for 4 months and I couldn't put them in my car. The feel so unsafe its not even funny. Its your life so I am not saying do not buy them, but I sold mine and just got the factory seats. Double the price, double the quality and safer.. Just my .02

blinkwatt · 08-24-2007, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbenitah

I had the replicas

Where did you get your replicas from?

cbenitah · 08-24-2007, 08:42 PM

ebay... I paid 3k for the factory seats and 1700 for the replicas.. its not THAT much difference IMHO

08-24-2007, 08:51 PM

They come with car specific brackets too. They are completely identical except for the recaro logo on the back and the porsche crest on the front, lol. I for one went to imagine since i live in town and asked to sit in them, sit in other seats, play with harnesses, etc... and they felt like high strength racing seats. They had them in their own race cars including a turbo 993 with full roll cage. And I know they have been fully tested or they wouldnt use them.

08-24-2007, 08:55 PM

Did you have the fiberglass replicas or the carbon fiber? Cause I hear some thinner glass seats flex making them feel unsafe. Is that what made you sell them?

cbenitah · 08-24-2007, 10:20 PM

They were fiberglass.. I could flex them like a thin wooden stick...

djomlas · 08-24-2007, 11:07 PM

i think 3K for seats is a lot. if you use the car on the track every weekend, then i can see the use, but just for looks and around the town...i dunno.
not that i wouldn't like them in my car, but the price is just a little too steep for something like seats...and i do understand quality and safety do matter.

blinkwatt · 08-24-2007, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbenitah

They were fiberglass.. I could flex them like a thin wooden stick...

Do you mind linking which ebay seller you bought them,or better yet the auction itself?

Perfectlap · 08-24-2007, 11:32 PM

If you are willing to spend $3K on wheels, skirting, spoilers, shift knobs, lowering springs etc...but then want to go cheap on the very thing keeping you from getting ejected from the car? The seats are NOT cosmetic... they really are safety equipment, like your brakes.
I think people forget that the seats are not just things to plant your butt in.
Most low end seats are made of pepsi can grade metals. Who knows where the replicas are made or how they are made. Those seats have to be able to withstand a side impact with a Lincoln Navigator and not crush into your kidneys.
Not to mention the expensive seats always sell quickly if you do decide to sell them seperately from your car.

blinkwatt · 08-25-2007, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Who knows where the replicas are made or how they are made.

These are the three I've seen on eBay;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-GT3-Replica-Seats-CARRERA-C2-C4-C4S-GT2-TURBO_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33701QQihZ011QQit emZ320149360006QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-GT3-replica-Track-Seats-986-996-GT2-Alcantara_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33701QQihZ011 QQitemZ320150326978QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-GT3-Style-seats-GT2-carrera-boxter-986-996-911_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33701QQihZ012QQitem Z220141787498QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

I'm not sure if IA is selling the same as Maxspeed or not,but I bet they are.

08-25-2007, 08:50 AM

To be honest, I dont really care where they got them, Ive sat in them so I know they are sturdy. I will take pictures when I get them. My inbox is always full form people wanting to know about my exhaust, or my grills, or blah and blah, lol, so I didnt get your last message blink.

I also used to see other GT3 seats; ones with the crest in the headrest, on ebay. Wonder where they went...