Sebring Seats-GTS Classics Options

[JamesJ]

Hello All,

Has anyone driven or sat in a 914 with a Sebring seat from GTS Classics?

I have read several previous threads regarding these aftermarket seats. The owner, Stefan, told me that the Sebring is two notches above the stock 914 seat as far as support goes, with the LeMans being the first step up. From the looks of the two seats, the LeMans appears to offer mostly hip support, whereas the Sebring looks to offer both hip and torso support. I am not racing the car and I do want to keep the backpad. The Sebrings have a much sharper angle at the back of the seat than do the stock seats, so I am not expecting them to sit snug in the backpad recess, but I don't want them to look too out of place either. I imagine with the back of the seat at such an angle, my reach to the steering wheel will be a bit longer. I will be using my stock '74 shoulder belt, but Stefan recommended using a rear seat belt receptacle from a 911 to use in place of the stock 914 receptacle so that I can loop it through the hole that would be made in the seat, as in the photo below.
Any experience or thoughts on the driving feel of these seats or the way they look at the back/against the backpad would be appreciated.
Thanks!

[horizontally-opposed]

Been down this road, with three pairs of seats.

Seating is extremely personal, but the stock seats seem to be extremely comfortable on long drives for most people. Always got a lot of comments about that, and from a wide variety of people/body types; the lack of negative comments were even more impressive…until the corners came up. Just as a number of passengers did, I wanted more support. I wish there had been a thread like this one back then. A lot of good inputs, and experiences shared.

I'll add two more:

1) GTS Classics "Le Mans" seats in vinyl/basketweave were my first move, and Stefan was great to deal with. Added heating elements, and also asked for basketweave on the sides of the lower cushion—an idea I had after seeing a similar treatment in a 908. Added a bit of dimensionality. What's great is GTS will do things like this. I was impressed with the workmanship of the seats for the price, their strap system for the lower cushion, and the way they fit into the stock 914 back pad. Unfortunately, they didn't offer the upper torso support I was after—though they did lock my rear end into the seat. I spent some extra money to "shrink" the 914-style headrests, which looked too big to me, but the bigger issue may have been personal: The way I sat in them left me uncomfortable after even medium distances. They weren't a match for me; I wondered if I should have done something more like an ST seat, though those Watkins Glen with Tartan have me wondering… (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

2) I decided to try Scheels after Russ @bullethead offered a very nice pair of Scheels when I was in Florida. Having sat in Scheels before, I knew they would offer the torso support I was after, and hoped they would be more comfortable for me on longer trips. Turns out, they're both—and they mount perfectly on the stock seat rails. They are a bit restrictive (I can't imagine they're fun for someone wider than me), and ingress/egress will be tricky for some, but I really like them. I'll use them for a while, and then have them restored in similar materials.

If at all possible, try to sit in the seats before you buy. Replicate the angle they'll be mounted at if you can, and bring a book/tablet/phone/etc and read for at least 30 minutes if you can. What I discovered: Seats might be the most important interface in a car. If they're good, you can drive all day. If they're bad (for you), you won't drive the car nearly as much.

[VegasRacer]

What I discovered: Seats might be the most important interface in a car. If they're good, you can drive all day.

100 % TRUE. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_flagge24.gif)

My seat search journey was the exact opposite of @horizontally-opposed .

The Scheels worked fine for me at the track, but I was crying uncle two hours into a road trip.

I was one of Stefan's early customers. The Watkins Glen was not available. I sat in a LeMans he had on display at a racetrack and refused to get up until we made a deal. It has proved to be one of the best investments I have ever made.

Seats are Personal. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bootyshake.gif) Try before you buy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) It's worth it.










(IMG:style_emoticons/default/hijacked.gif)
Don't get me started on how much I (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hearts.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) the Carbon Fiber Sport Buckets in my Cayman R.

[horizontally-opposed]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/hijacked.gif)
Don't get me started on how much I (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hearts.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) the Carbon Fiber Sport Buckets in my Cayman R.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Upshot: Just because two body types (or backs, or backsides...) don't agree on one seat doesn't mean they won't agree on another. I also love those "lightweight folding buckets," and added them to a 987.2 Cayman S years ago and did miles and miles in them on road and track. My only beef was that they sat me a bit too high in the car, but I have a long torso—and there are aftermarket mounts that lower them.

It's too bad Porsche didn't homologate them for the North American 981/991, as I prefer them to the (very good) 918-style buckets and they still allow access to the rear interior/rear seats in a 991. You can buy the Euro versions (with heat!), but it so far appears impossible to keep the U.S. airbag system happy. Some people have "tricked" the system with dummy seat position sensors, an extra seat belt buckle, and (and this is the biggest problem) a DIY passenger weight sensor when Porsche says the cushion/sensor/harness must be changed as one item. Thing is, there is no such part for a U.S. 981/991, and "tricking" an airbag system or putting a passenger in a car with a system that may not operate as intended is a nonstarter for me. So 987/997 owners with those seats are super lucky.

When you see a seat that has broad appeal over a lot of body types, that's a very well-designed seat. The gold standard for street seats across all most body types, still seems to be Porsche's late 1980s/early 1990s sport seats—and never better than the cloth-faced versions for the 959S (with harness pass-throughs!), 1989 911 Speedster, and 964 RS America. Have yet to meet someone who didn't love those seats…super comfortable and super supportive. Doubt they would look right in—or fit into a—914, sadly...