The seats in my Bavaria are in great condition but their lack of lumbar or thigh support creates havoc for my lower back on extended drives. Shortly after I bought the car I made aluminum ramps the raise the front of the seat cushion about an inch and though a slight improvement, that didn't make enough difference to eliminate my discomfort.
I had a pair of Scheel 400s in my '72 tii which I thought were the ultimate combination of lateral support and comfort so I set out in search of a pair. I found two very nice examples being offered by a certain Coupe person in Colorado and though we made deal, constituted by an offer and an acceptance, the seller abruptly changed his mind. I suppose it was a simple exercise of prerogative, but disappointing nevertheless. So I began perusing various likely websites but didn't have much luck. When I expanded the search to Ebay I was able to find one in decent shape with all of its original fabric intact and for a decent price. I collected that one and then headed back to see if I could find number two. This time, however, and perhaps just for entertainment, I included Recaro. What I found was that there are a whole lot of Recaros out there; many are refurbished though I think not necessarily to a very high standard while there are many in their original 30 year old condition and fairly tatty. I just observed while ultimately seeking a mate to the 400 while the time passed by.
And then, about 14 months ago, a pair of nicely re-done Recaros appeared on Ebay which jumped out at me. They had been done by a guy performing a Camaro restoration who ultimately decided that they were a bit too narrow and so went off in a different direction for his project. They not only appeared to be nicely upholstered but had houndstooth inserts, a Camaro option back in the day and a look which I had grown fond of from my early 911 days. His posting was nearing its end so I did the "Make an Offer" thing and received an acceptance in about ten minutes! I don't know about you, but when it happens to me that someone accepts my first offer my initial thought is "Crap, I could have gotten it for less". Not a big deal, however, as I likely couldn't have reproduced these from a tatty pair for the same price and I avoided all of the running around and finding an upholsterer the get the job done.
The seller separated the backs from the cushions, did a great job of packaging them and included a drawing of the assembly steps, a gesture which I appreciated when reassembling.
These are the seller's images from the posting:
I have have had a fixed back Scheel bucket seat which I bought for 1600 or 2002 30+ years ago and used that original adapter bracket, which has four position height adjustment for front and rear as a guide in fitting these seats to the Bavaria and retained the stock fore and aft adjustment hardware and lever. I do not have a photo of final adapter but could provide one later if anyone would care to see it. The car is put away for the season but I'll be visiting it after the holidays. The adapters were made by a second generation welder/fabricator a couple of miles from home who has the eye of an artist, the mind of an engineer and has the ability make anything I envision or draw. He's been a great resource and I'm fortunate that he's so close and that he enjoys a variety of projects.
Here are the seats on the day of installation.
I still regard the Scheel 400 as top of the heap comfort wise but these guys are a very close second and have eased my "all day at the wheel" back issues to a great extent. They're also a huge leap forward in terms of lateral support and (as my wife accurately stated) the houndstooth helps to break up the otherwise sorta' lifeless black interior. The extendable front section is an added bonus as it's great for me in the long position while my prefers the retracted position.
I'd be interested is seeing what others have done with seats (and) if you've got a 400 for sale, please tempt me....
Cheers,
Jim
I had a pair of Scheel 400s in my '72 tii which I thought were the ultimate combination of lateral support and comfort so I set out in search of a pair. I found two very nice examples being offered by a certain Coupe person in Colorado and though we made deal, constituted by an offer and an acceptance, the seller abruptly changed his mind. I suppose it was a simple exercise of prerogative, but disappointing nevertheless. So I began perusing various likely websites but didn't have much luck. When I expanded the search to Ebay I was able to find one in decent shape with all of its original fabric intact and for a decent price. I collected that one and then headed back to see if I could find number two. This time, however, and perhaps just for entertainment, I included Recaro. What I found was that there are a whole lot of Recaros out there; many are refurbished though I think not necessarily to a very high standard while there are many in their original 30 year old condition and fairly tatty. I just observed while ultimately seeking a mate to the 400 while the time passed by.
And then, about 14 months ago, a pair of nicely re-done Recaros appeared on Ebay which jumped out at me. They had been done by a guy performing a Camaro restoration who ultimately decided that they were a bit too narrow and so went off in a different direction for his project. They not only appeared to be nicely upholstered but had houndstooth inserts, a Camaro option back in the day and a look which I had grown fond of from my early 911 days. His posting was nearing its end so I did the "Make an Offer" thing and received an acceptance in about ten minutes! I don't know about you, but when it happens to me that someone accepts my first offer my initial thought is "Crap, I could have gotten it for less". Not a big deal, however, as I likely couldn't have reproduced these from a tatty pair for the same price and I avoided all of the running around and finding an upholsterer the get the job done.
The seller separated the backs from the cushions, did a great job of packaging them and included a drawing of the assembly steps, a gesture which I appreciated when reassembling.
These are the seller's images from the posting:
I have have had a fixed back Scheel bucket seat which I bought for 1600 or 2002 30+ years ago and used that original adapter bracket, which has four position height adjustment for front and rear as a guide in fitting these seats to the Bavaria and retained the stock fore and aft adjustment hardware and lever. I do not have a photo of final adapter but could provide one later if anyone would care to see it. The car is put away for the season but I'll be visiting it after the holidays. The adapters were made by a second generation welder/fabricator a couple of miles from home who has the eye of an artist, the mind of an engineer and has the ability make anything I envision or draw. He's been a great resource and I'm fortunate that he's so close and that he enjoys a variety of projects.
Here are the seats on the day of installation.
I still regard the Scheel 400 as top of the heap comfort wise but these guys are a very close second and have eased my "all day at the wheel" back issues to a great extent. They're also a huge leap forward in terms of lateral support and (as my wife accurately stated) the houndstooth helps to break up the otherwise sorta' lifeless black interior. The extendable front section is an added bonus as it's great for me in the long position while my prefers the retracted position.
I'd be interested is seeing what others have done with seats (and) if you've got a 400 for sale, please tempt me....
Cheers,
Jim
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