986 Seats / Alternatives

[KevinH1990]

I recently completed the installation of 997 adaptive sports seats in my 986. I think they are slightly more comfortable than the 986 seats. I don't think the improved comfort justifies the time, energy and money I invested in the swap.

Prior to the 997-seat swap, I installed full-power seats from a 996 in the car. These seats have motors that tilt the front and rear of the seat bottom. This made it easier to adjust the angle of the seat bottom while I was driving. This changed the pressure points and made long drives slightly more tolerable because I could vary my seating position. Please note that the 996 and 986 seats are identical. If you install a full-power seat from a 986 in your car it will feel the same as a full-power 996 seat.

If I had kept my 996 seats, I would have taken them to an upholstery shop and had them install some additional foam in the seat-bottom cushion. I did this on the driver's seat in a Mercedes when I had a seat heater pad replaced, and it was helpful. If I recall correctly, the shop only charged about $125 for the work. The seats in your car are 20-25 years old and the foam has likely deteriorated a bit. Refreshing the foam may mitigate your discomfort. I think it will look more OEM than the seat covers and cost less.

Good luck with whatever you decision you make.