2014/01/25 21:36:05
ryu1605
Hey guys,
My girlfriend got me a fixed back bucket seat for Christmas and I'm having trouble working out how to fit it. At the moment I have a recaro sr3 bolted to a recaro rail specific for the sw20 but my new side mount seat even with it's brackets doesn't line up to the recaro rails and even if it did the fixed back seat would sit way to high.

So basically I'm after some advice on how to mount the new fixed back seat as low as possible but more importantly mounting it as securely and safely as possible.

Any help would be great!

Thanks,
Drew
2014/01/25 22:36:48
Gatesys SW20
im not sure how, some photos would probably help,
but if you were interested, i would possibly be interested in your recaro seat if you were wanting to part with it,
PM me if you do. with a price
2014/01/25 23:11:39
ryu1605
Pm sent.

Has anyone been able to fit a side mount bucket seat to the stock Sdub drivers seat rail?
2014/01/25 23:27:36
Senor_2
Stock seat rails are useless for aftermarket seats, don't bother.
 
Look for a proper side mount seat rail, bottom mount rail won't work either. Bride make side mount ones, should be more out there too
2014/01/26 21:03:43
Eric
I have a side mount rail I would be willing to let go for the right price. Shoot me a pm if you're interested
2014/01/26 21:11:29
ryu1605
Unfortunately I already have those brackets as they came with the seat and they don't bolt to my recaro rail at all. I would rather get a propper side mount rail. Thanks heaps though, I wish they worked lol
2014/01/27 09:07:39
dennis the menace
I'm guessing that you're mechanical skill set is better defined as "enthusiastic" than "proficient" - no offense intended.  Getting seats to fit in an MR2 is something of an exercise in compromise.  Most fixed back seats are fairly tall and the biggest problem (please excuse the pun) is managing to include the slide adjuster.  In some cases, depending on your personal height, it ain't gonna happen.
 
Here's where you fall foul of Mr Plod.  Seats are either required to have sliding adjustment, or you need to get the mounts engineered.  Depending on the workshop you choose for that this can be quite a painful process.  I have "heard" of people who did away with the slider, set the seat up to suit themselves, then made sure the mounts were covered over, on the basis that your average policeman would be unaware of what is standard or not.  Not that I'm recommending that you do this, that would be irresponsible of me.  Wouldn't it.
 
Seriously, unless you find an eBay bargain fitting this seat legally isn't going to be a simple cheap project.  Without seeing photo's of just where it won't line up I can't make suggestions as to what needs to be done.  Is the side mount plate too short to cover all of the drillings in the recaro slider?  Are they too narrow to sit on top of the sliders? (Actually, this could be as easy as turning the plates around and having the "wings" come outwards instead of inwards under the seat)
 
Give us some more info, pictures, drawings, whatever, and we'll try to help.
2014/01/27 10:50:14
ryu1605
I'd like to think I'm fairly handy when it comes to working on my mr2 or any car but my skill set is definitely more towards the enthusiastic end of the scale than towards the qualified mechanic/massively knowledgeable end lol.

Being only about 5'8/5'9 my height and build isn't a problem at all. It's more personal preference to have the new seat sit as low as possible.

The recaro slider has 3 bolt holes on each side in which the bolts are meant to come up through the bottom of the rail and into the same 3 holes on each side of the bottom of the recaro. Only one hole on each bracket lines up with the recaro slider and any modifications to either the brackets or the slider would make me feel a bit unsafe when at the track so that's out of the question. Plus I'd rather sell the recaro and rails together.

From what I've found and the info that's been thrown into this thread it seems that the safest and easiest way to bolt the seat in will be to get a new rail that was designed for a side mount seat. This sounds good to me as I'm definitely not looking for the cheapest way to get the new seat in.

So pretty much I've come to the same conclusion as yourself: there is no cheap/safe/legal way to do it and spending a bit more money to make sure it's perfect and safe is definitely the way to go

:)
2014/01/27 11:15:44
dasic1
Just make sure when you buy side mount rails that the width is the same as the seats.
 
If you were to use the Recaro rails there is nothing wrong with drilling holes in the L bracket that came with the seat to line up with the rails and using washers to bolt it together.
 
And technically any aftermarket seat should be engineered
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