Replacing Seats - your thoughts?

Zamunda

Zamunda

Well-Known Member
So my 80's driver and front passenger seats have seen better days. After 270,000km they are quite tired. Add to that I have a bit of a bad back. So looking to do something about the seats.

It is a trade-off between cost vs comfort value. I don't do more than 10,000km of driving each year (wish I have the time to do more).

My options are:

1. Have the factory seats redone;
2. Install a pair of aftermarket seats (Recaro or Stratos). Can be expensive though; or
3. Install seats from another vehicle (such as a Falcon). But this will involve engineering certificates and the legal stuff.

Would like to hear what others here have done? Does not have to be 80 series owners only.
What are your thoughts on Recaro or Stratos? Are they worth the price?
Anyone from Adelaide go their seats redone? Any places you recommend?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Cheers!
 
Albynsw

Albynsw

Well-Known Member
If you are generally happy with your current seats you could just get them to rebolster and reupholstered so you don’t have any engineering issues and wouldn’t be that expensive or I have Recaros in my 79 and whilst they initially feel firm they are extremely comfortable when touring and highly recommend them.
 
Kippie

Kippie

Well-Known Member
Or take more breaks during your trips. Getting our of the car and doing some stretching exercises wakes you up and relaxes the body. It also gives you the opportunity to look around places you'd previously wouldn't see.
 
Albynsw

Albynsw

Well-Known Member
Duncan, to add to my last comment about the Recaros, my wife stuffered badly from a bad back on our first big trip in the 79 which was the catalyst for the seat upgrade and it sorted the problem
You don’t get fidgety in your seat with them after a day in the saddle. The downside is with the higher bolstered sides it makes is harder to slide in and out of the seat but you get the hang of it after awhile
 
Poppa

Poppa

Well-Known Member
There is a saying (somewhere) about spending once not twice, can't recall the exact wording though. But anyway, spend once. Get new seats like the blokes in earlier comments have said.
Don't recondition the existing seats. Say that again in case you missed it, don't recondition existing seats.
Why? It all gets down to the codger doing the work - and the stuff he is using to do the job. Been there and done that.
New seats. Recaros are bloody good - and blokes I know swear by the Stratos.
 
Spooner

Spooner

Well-Known Member
shaun0 said:
Recaros ive got the Expert L in the 100 series some prefer the lower side bolster Expert M. Awesome seats.
Click to expand...
It all sounds good in theory , but these days not many people will spent almost as much as there 4x4 is worth in a couple of comfy seats.
One of my Longest Ol Time mates , now in his early 70's spent 4k on a set of Recaros for his 1991 Maverick.
Best money he has ever spent as they actually use them .
He's a old school interstate truck driver since retired.
They have been to WA and beyond and can still get out and walk at the end of the day .
A much cheaper option in the long run if you have a good older long term solid 4x4 that you do actually use.
 
Albynsw

Albynsw

Well-Known Member
The upside of getting good seats like Recaro is they are interchangable with other vehicles and or are very resaleable second hand to recoup a chunk of money you out laid
 
typhoeus

typhoeus

Well-Known Member
measure the track distances and widths, and go along to a wreckers and measure up some later model seats with better support. It the tracks are similar, and you can bolt the old tracks to the new seats without welding or cutting, you wont need an engineers certificate. you might find that later model camry or similay may fit the old bus if your lucky.
 
2

2luxes

Well-Known Member
Have you asked an engineer about seats from other cars? It may not be as expensive as you think.

Years ago I did an engine/gear box swap and installed Holden Commodore seats into a 2wd Mitsubishi L200 ute. Both were very easy. A short length of square steel tube with a couple of flat steel brackets welded to them soon had the seats bolted in on the same mounting points as the original seats.

The engineer had a real good look at the engine conversion and about a five second look at the seats then passed both.

You may find this is much easier and cheaper than you think.
 
Wheresmycat

Wheresmycat

Member
Hit these guys up https://www.facebook.com/proseatauto/

Got them to do the front seats in my hilux......difference is day and night! They're my wives favourite mod on the ute (and I've done quite a bit). $1600 installed for 2 seats with lumbar air bladders, rebuilt on original frames for your vehicle so they are 100% legal and made in whatever colour you want. Super comfortable and I get out after a long days driving fresh as a daisy.
 
G_ute

G_ute

Well-Known Member
Are there any stand-out seats from the wrecker to look out for? Perhaps car seats which would work in a fourby from a 'performance/special' model.
 
Zamunda

Zamunda

Well-Known Member
Wheresmycat said:
Hit these guys up https://www.facebook.com/proseatauto/

Got them to do the front seats in my hilux......difference is day and night! They're my wives favourite mod on the ute (and I've done quite a bit). $1600 installed for 2 seats with lumbar air bladders, rebuilt on original frames for your vehicle so they are 100% legal and made in whatever colour you want. Super comfortable and I get out after a long days driving fresh as a daisy.
Click to expand...
I had a chat with them this morning. Very helpful and reasonably priced. I am always happy to support a local product than an import.
 
greysrigging

greysrigging

Well-Known Member
I'm a fan of Recaros, my old boss, who had a rooted back, put one in the company 75 'Çruiser. Was a fair dinkum godsend on 1400klm trips over to Fitzroy Crossing for a shutdown. I've always thought factory seats in 75's and 79's are POS.
I have rooted around with seat changes in lots of my old 4wdrives. My old Suzuki Sierra had a pair of buckets outta Ford Escort of all things ( very comefy ) and my HJ45 had a Commodore bucket seat ( courtesy of a wreck I 'found' before the arsonists got to it ).
 
discomatt

discomatt

Well-Known Member
I see a pattern, everyone who owns a Toyota says its worth replacing the seats and spending 1000's to get good aftermarket????
Toyota oh what a feeling.... of pain if sitting in the shitter for to long.... but hey they wont break down... :p
15 years of LR ownership and never needed to even consider seat replacement, just everything else around them:oops:
 
Rags90mod

Rags90mod

Well-Known Member
discomatt said:
I see a pattern, everyone who owns a Toyota says its worth replacing the seats and spending 1000's to get good aftermarket????
Toyota oh what a feeling.... of pain if sitting in the shitter for to long.... but hey they wont break down... :p
15 years of LR ownership and never needed to even consider seat replacement, just everything else around them:oops:
Click to expand...
Different strokes for different folks mate. I've got a mate with a 76 series cruiser like me and he's perfectly happy with his factory Toyota seats and doesn't actually like my Recaros (he's a bit bigger framed than me however). Yet another mate with another 76 series sat in my seats once and said he wanted some haha

I guess if you're comfy all the time in your LR's then the other faults of the vehicles pale in significance
 
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