Replacement seats?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 336
Likes: 173
From: Canadian living in southern France
Replacement seats?
I just took the seats out of my '76, and frankly, (having restored half a dozen cars), have never seen such a bunch of cheap junk in my life. I suppose they would have held up well if you didn't drive much and were a midget.
Anyway, they're probably unrepairable, and all I can find at our suppliers is parts. Does anybody have any experience with complete replacement seats?
Anyway, they're probably unrepairable, and all I can find at our suppliers is parts. Does anybody have any experience with complete replacement seats?
Pro
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 526
Likes: 113
From: Seattle WA
Oh boy this may be the rabbit hole of all all C3 rabbit holes. Yes the stock seats are absolute garbage. My uncle bought my 75 new and he is a midget so when I got the car from him in 2018 the original silver seats were essentially like new. Worst seats I’ve ever sat upon in any car.
The available space for any seat in a C3 is tiny which makes bolting in aftermarket units problematic. Almost any other seat sits too high when installed in a C3 so there goes the headroom you didn’t have in the first place.
Another issue on a long list of issues is most folks want the seats in their vintage sports car to “look” right. Anything newer tends to look out of place.
I went the Fiero seat conversion route which is endorsed by many but I didn’t care for it. Now I have a set of “clam shells” to try. In 78 the pace car came with this new style of seat that is far better than previous. Those then came standard 79-82. A clam shell will bolt into an earlier C3 in a nearly factory manner.
Thats 2 options. There are approximately eleventy billion more.
The available space for any seat in a C3 is tiny which makes bolting in aftermarket units problematic. Almost any other seat sits too high when installed in a C3 so there goes the headroom you didn’t have in the first place.
Another issue on a long list of issues is most folks want the seats in their vintage sports car to “look” right. Anything newer tends to look out of place.
I went the Fiero seat conversion route which is endorsed by many but I didn’t care for it. Now I have a set of “clam shells” to try. In 78 the pace car came with this new style of seat that is far better than previous. Those then came standard 79-82. A clam shell will bolt into an earlier C3 in a nearly factory manner.
Thats 2 options. There are approximately eleventy billion more.
Last edited by Kie; Jun 8, 2020 at 10:24 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,347
Likes: 1,576
From: los altos hills california
I just took the seats out of my '76, and frankly, (having restored half a dozen cars), have never seen such a bunch of cheap junk in my life. I suppose they would have held up well if you didn't drive much and were a midget.
Anyway, they're probably unrepairable, and all I can find at our suppliers is parts. Does anybody have any experience with complete replacement seats?
Anyway, they're probably unrepairable, and all I can find at our suppliers is parts. Does anybody have any experience with complete replacement seats?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,363
Likes: 303
From: Lansdale 19446 PA
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Unmodified
St. Jude Donor '10-'11, '15, '19
When I got my 76 23 years ago - the first thing I changed were the seats. Like others have stated - they were horrible. I told my wife I couldn't drive the car with the original seats (back injury years past). I picked up a set of 78-82 seat shells, new, black cushions. I painted the shells to match my interior and the install was easy using the 76 seat tracks. Me and my back love them and they look right. Good luck with your search
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,347
Likes: 1,576
From: los altos hills california
