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Posted by: UkonCornelious Feb 10 2021, 07:19 PM

Hey there everyone,
I am currently rebuilding my motor (and upgrading a little) and working on improving the interior a bit. I got a great deal on some 1st gen Boxster seats that I'd love to use, but don't know how to tackle this. My current seats are pretty torn up and I would think upgrading to a newer, Porsche seat could be really cool.

1.) Has anyone swapped out for seats like this before?

2.) Is it worth the time/effort?

I know these seats are heavier than the stockers... They are, however, much more comfortable and I plan to drive this a bunch. If/when I decide to do more autocross/track days, I will likely look to change to something lighter and safer.

Thoughts? Help?

Posted by: UkonCornelious Feb 10 2021, 07:21 PM

Posted by: mepstein Feb 10 2021, 07:28 PM

Most production seats sit too high in a 914.
Measure the seat cushion height against your stock seats. I bet it's at least 6-8' taller.

Posted by: bkrantz Feb 10 2021, 08:35 PM

Might work if you are not too tall.

Posted by: Krieger Feb 10 2021, 08:54 PM

They are very heavy....

Posted by: horizontally-opposed Feb 10 2021, 11:39 PM

As others have noted, probably going to sit you too high.

914 is a funny beast when it comes to seats—very few work. Even fewer work and match or exceed the comfort of the stock seats.

Posted by: Mikey914 Feb 10 2021, 11:44 PM

Remember that it may interfere with the back pad too.

Posted by: UkonCornelious Feb 11 2021, 08:45 AM

Thanks for the input and considerations, guys!

These are seats that we picked up for a great deal and I was hoping they would work. I also liked the idea of using more modern Porsche components in my older model. If they seem ridiculously high, or way too wide, then I'll just try to sell them. I'm 5'8," so it's not a big deal if the seats are a little higher.

If I need to replace the seats, I will likely buy something aftermarket. Any suggestions on seats? I don't want to look like a goofball, with some crazy racing seats in an otherwise pretty stock looking car. However, I do like the idea of going with something meant to work with a harness.

This opens another can of worms concerning roll bars to go along with the harness. . .

Posted by: mepstein Feb 11 2021, 08:51 AM

Not cheap but very nice.

https://www.classiccarseats.com/

Posted by: KSCarrera Feb 11 2021, 08:59 AM

The biggest hassle I've found, along with the height, is that 914 seats are pretty narrow. Many aftermarket seats are too wide, and also interfere with the handbrake.Worth measuring before committing to a purchase...

Posted by: DRPHIL914 Feb 11 2021, 09:16 AM

@ukonCornelius

i had a set of 993/boxster seats in my 914 loved the support they give BUT
they are wide, so you cant really use the hand brake it will rub -
2. you cant use the stock seat rails , my floor was rusted so i was going to put new floor in anyway but i bolted it to the floor, and it worked only due to the cross support being lowered and the back pad was out, so consider these issues but unless you are 5'8'' or smaller that support would make the front of the seat sit too high, but i also liked having my head against the headrest not the back window, at 6'1'', i have no head protection in a stock seat - personally i would get something like a GTClassics seat made for the 914 and will bolt in, and then if you want it modified like taller the seat maker can customize it.
i think a Cayman seat is narrower and the eariler ones were manual not electric so they are a bit lighter, might work better for you.

Look at Corbeau too, they hvae some really nice seats with good support and lighter, they make the conversion plate for bolting on to the corbeau seat to mount the stock runners.

Phil

Posted by: UkonCornelious Feb 11 2021, 09:49 AM

@Dr. Phil:

Do you have any pictures of the 996 seats in the car? And maybe how the seats bolted to the floor? I've been looking at the different seat bases you can buy for aftermarket seats, but it seems like I'd be better off fabricating something.

I have also been considering relocating the parking brake to the center. I would make a new compartment, or just delete it. I always hated having the parking brake on my left.

Posted by: Root_Werks Feb 11 2021, 11:22 AM

Seen a few 911 seats attempted to be installed in 914's before. Others already said it, they sit higher in the 914 than you think and are very heavy compared to 914 seats.