BMW E30 seats in a Spider

[JeremyB]

I read a post from Kapmaan that was dated from 2006 concerninf a set of seats from a BMW E30. This got me curious, I have needed a new set of seats for my car. Well, I went on ebay and found a set of fixxer upper, Recarro style BMW E30 seats. I ended up bdding on them.
I am hoping that I can get a little more info on the fabriacation and install fo these seats into the spider. ANY help or info from ANYONE that has doen this would be much appreciated.

[mbouse]

Hopefully, you will win the bid and then be the one to take detailed pictures and post the how-to

are these lectric seats? with the automatic back scratcher and chin wiper? Koo-el

[JeremyB]

Didn't get em. Oh well, Ill start searchign again. Im also gonna start cruising the junkyards looking for a possible fit.

[JeremyB]

Got some seats! I found a guy on craigslist that was parting out a miata. both fronts, tan leather, small hole on driver seat $175. Im going to get em sun. I actually found a how to page for fabricating and installin gmiata seats on a spider! Doesnt loko hard, and the car the seats looked awesome in it!

[Danno]

sweet. take lots of pictures. what will become of your old seats?

[JeremyB]

I have a bad habit of NOT photographing projects as I do them. I really need to start doing that. Ken D. suggested that I photograph everything I do to provide a step by step process of repair work.
As far as the ols seats are concerned, I dont know. I guess I will hold on to em until I KNOW everything is good with the new seats. After that, I'm not sure, do ya want em?

[Danno]

I have a bad habit of NOT photographing projects as I do them. I really need to start doing that. Ken D. suggested that I photograph everything I do to provide a step by step process of repair work.
As far as the ols seats are concerned, I dont know. I guess I will hold on to em until I KNOW everything is good with the new seats. After that, I'm not sure, do ya want em?

Nah, I'm happy with my seats (except for the "pimp lean" that the driver's has). Just wondered.

[JeremyB]

OK, I guess eventually, they will become "free to a loving home"
One thing I love about the Fiat community is the ( I know it sounds corny) "Pay it forward" mentality.
I hopefully won tneed them in the near future so I will pass em on to someone who may. So are ya getting all the snow that we are? My school is closed today, so Im here alone just kickin back. When I got to work, there was only light flurries with a littel sleet. Within an hour, the ground was covered. We have sevefral inches already. I have been hearing thunder with the snow. I cannot even see across the parkng lot with all of the snow comng down.

[Danno]

OK, I guess eventually, they will become "free to a loving home"
One thing I love about the Fiat community is the ( I know it sounds corny) "Pay it forward" mentality.
I hopefully won tneed them in the near future so I will pass em on to someone who may. So are ya getting all the snow that we are? My school is closed today, so Im here alone just kickin back. When I got to work, there was only light flurries with a littel sleet. Within an hour, the ground was covered. We have sevefral inches already. I have been hearing thunder with the snow. I cannot even see across the parkng lot with all of the snow comng down.

nope. it's a little chilly, but it's pretty calm up here.

[mbouse]

yes, lots of pictures followed up with a step-by-step idiot proof how to .... some of us are lazy and wanna follow in your footsteps (after you make all the mistakes first).

are these the seats with the speakers in the headrest? mmmmm

[JeremyB]

Mike, I will try to photograph it but you said the majic word LAZY. I've already found my lazy excuse for not taking the pics, even though I should so I can document all of the work I will be doing in th efuture.
Here is my lazy way out. The step by step is already completed, probably in a much better manner than I could do.

http://home.comcast.net/~cvetters3/miata_seats.htm

I don tknow if there are speakers in the headrest. Carl pointed me in the right direction if I need to put them in the headrest. If they don't already have em, I'm definatley gonna put em in. It cannot be that difficult. I bet I could just open up the leather, hollow up some padding, find a way to make em secure, and run the wire to the floorboard, and to the dash. However, Carl did point out that since they are leather, they most likely already have the speakers in em.

[mbouse]

ok, even i admit that this "how-to" is better than i could do. i guess you are excused from producing the step by step.

wow, i am saving this link for future use.

anyone know if/when the miata seats got too big to fit in a spider? i am gonna start looking for some seats

[Danno]

there is a pair on ebay right now located in pennsylvania, maybe the seller can hold on to them until you drive out there this summer?

[JeremyB]

Mike, These are not Miata seats, but I was checking these out. They are related tot he original topic of this thread. It is a seat out of an E30 bodied BMW. This link is for one. But he is selling the other seperatly. They have a buy it now price of around $40 each. They need to be recovered, but that shouldnt be too terribly bad.
Here is the link to one of em. As I said, E30 BMW , which is the 3 series bmw from the mid 80s -early 90s. Someone on another thread I read said he put em in his spider and loved em.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... OTORS:1123

Hope this helps.

BTW, the quick measurements I got last night for the original spider seats are 21w, 23 front to back and I estimated the height max somewhere around 36.
I emailed the seller of the attached link about the measurements of the seats. this is his quote from the email response.


"23" high (not including headrest) seat bottom is 19 deep by 20 wide.

I do have both of these available at a low price, both would need to be recovered although the passenger seat is okay. Shipping will be about as much as the seats because they are so large and heavy."

[JeremyB]

Dan, It seems that we have similar surfing habits huh?