FAQ 103
Question: I have a friend witha 76ish beetle and he wantsw to get new seats. are there any better seats from another car that would bolt in instead that are better than the ones he has? Thanks Answer: Some off road seats bolt in, but they don't adjust or recline. There are kits to replace the padding and upholstery. Recaro may make something, but those are usually expensive (more than ?). I bought aftermarket seat rails as a kit. It was about for both sides. I think I got the seat rails from Latest Rage. Usually people get one forward and backward adjustable seat rail for the driver side, and a non-adjustable folding seat rail for the passenger side. I cut the rear legs and the center mount off of some later (around 1985-1990) Golf/Jetta seats that I picked up from the junkyard (between and depending on the quality of the seat). Then I use some U bolts (5/16 diameter, about 2 inch curve) to bolt the seat to the seat rail. I've been very happy with this. It does raise the seats a couple of inches, so there is a little less clearance between your legs and the steering wheel. I'm 5' 8" tall and it isn't a problem. You may have to notch the front right corner of the Golf/Jetta seat so that you can shift into reverse when the seat is forward. The upholstery is easy to work with on the later model seats. I just removed the upholstery covering (buy cutting the bull rings), and cut 2 to 4 inches off the front right seat pad. By the way, instead of "bull rings" to secure the upholstery, I use heavy gauge plastic wire ties, and cut off the excess (also called zip ties). All Golf/Jetta seats from around 1990 recline, and can fold up. Even if they don't have the folding handle, it is pretty easy to install a cable through the latches. I used small (1/16 inch) cable, and crimp on aluminium stops. Worked great.
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