Racing seat help

[Wingnut2u]

You may not like this option once you find out how much they cost but your best bet will be the GT3 seats.

They are an easy direct bolt in option. It takes 20 minutes tops to swap seats. I just installed a pair of GT3 seats in my 01 S and I love them. Very comfortable seat even for daily driving, getting in and out is a little bit of a PITA but not too bad.

They can be found new at Suncoast Porsche or used on eBay

[Perfectlap]

racing seats are not supposed to be inexpensive. Its kinda like buying a cheap parachute to save money. Most racing seats are made for looks, they will bend under you like a Pepsi can on impact. Most meet only the most minimal of safety standards, in other words your stock seat is much safer. Save up for one GT3 seat. They can be swapped in and out with just one socket and a torx bit in less than 20 minutes.

[Cloudsurfer]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

racing seats are not supposed to be inexpensive. Its kinda like buying a cheap parachute to save money. Most racing seats are made for looks, they will bend under you like a Pepsi can on impact. Most meet only the most minimal of safety standards, in other words your stock seat is much safer. Save up for one GT3 seat. They can be swapped in and out with just one socket and a torx bit in less than 20 minutes.

Exactly. The GT3 seats are the best option, as they are "plug and play" with the car. There are good Sparco's, Recaro's, Cobra's, etc. but those aren't cheap either, and you'll have to use different brackets and rails to install them. All the cheap stuff you see on eBay I wouldn't ever dream of using on a car I drove (may be OK for a show car that gets trailer'd around I suppose), as the engineering and safe construction just isn't there.

[ChrisZang]

Sure if you have no problems to shell out more than $3k for ONE GT3 seat then just go right ahead. If you are "a racer on a budget" like me, then you can do this much cheaper

Here's just an example:
http://www.bkauto.com/porsche/r9044.php ~ $200
http://www.saferacer.com/sparco-side-mount.html?productid=766 $75
http://www.saferacer.com/sparco-tec-seat.html?productid=767 $475 (make sure you pick a seat with side mounts)

don't bother with sliders, they just make you sit higher.

That's your plug-n-play solution for less than $800

[Perfectlap]

I didn't spend $6K on my seats. I picked them up second hand $2K for the pair.
I often see used GT3 seats on Ebay or being offered for sale in the Rennlist and Pelican classifieds. Buying new would be a last resort thing.
here's a tan/brown pair which look like they're going to go for what I paid.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-Euro-GT3-Recarro-Seats-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2ead41a5dfQQitemZ20047 5256287QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccesso ries

[ChrisZang]

a pair of OEM seats (and not Chinese knock-offs) that's a sweeeeeeet deal

[Perfectlap]

I didn't know dyeing from black to brown was possible. Interesting. Makes me wonder why he didn't dye them back to black for a quicker sale. Must not be cheap to do or he's too busy to bother.