Would you buy bucket seats for your 86?
 

Hey hey,

Just wondering how large of a market there would be for 86 owners to replace their stock seats with bucket or reclinable aftermarket seats made by Recaro, Sparco, Status, etc...

Normal cost on a replacement seat would be around $500-$1000, FYI.

We are seeing if there is demand for the 86 platform for those looking to upgrade their seats whether it be for aesthetic reasons or for racing reasons.

Why or why not?

They fit me perfectly, I'll only switch them out when it becomes a full track car.

I'm not sure I understand this question - is this supposed to be market research?

I mean, just like any other platforms, certain enthusiasts will be going for aftermarket seats for many reasons. (better body fitting, JDM bling, deeper bucket, etc)

That being said, the stock seats are already pretty good.

Edit: I reread this, and it sounds bitter. It's not supposed to be. lol

Thanks for the response, I should have been more clear on the poll :bonk:. I updated our original post to hopefully clarify things.

We were interested to see if there is a demand for aftermarket seats for the 86 platform. Some people install aftermarket seats for show purposes, and others install them for legitimate race needs. The OEM seats in the FR-S are definitely a great start, but you bring a good point of the reasons why people get new seats and we were just wondering if that applied to the 86 market as well. It is our experience that most people upgrade the suspension / wheels and call it quits for this car.

yes, I'd be interested

Im in it for weight reduction reasons, and to hold me better

Have a single Bride Zieg III in, found that in more aggressive driving the stock seats didn't have nearly enough hold and my legs would actually get sore trying to brace myself.
http://i.imgur.com/wlWCRVG.jpg

Love the feeling of how it holds and also how low i sit now as I am a fairly tall guy (yay actual clearance for a helmet).

I'd be interested in a slightly wider/taller seat. I'm 275 pounds and while I do like the stiff bolstering on the stock premium seats I'd like an inch or so more on each side if it can be done. I also have really broad shoulders (about 52" measured) so that would be a consideration for harness etc.

IF I get more into track and autox and more competitive driving, lighter performance oriented seats are a no brainer, especially when you start getting competitive and organizers require harnesses.

That is assuming of course I decide to not save myself ~$10k by not getting a Miata, kart, or lemons to fulfill my track aspirations.

Edit: as mentioned before OEM seats are great, the only reason to change is for aesthetics (show events) or performance (track events) a rather small segment of consumers.

This forsure, most locals here who where not happy with the stock seats simply got covers (seen Sard, another guy got some custom ones done). The stock seats are pretty nice and most are perfectly happy with them.

Aftermarket seats are pricey so I can see why people keep them stock or at most use covers. That being said if something a bit cheaper was an option maybe that would open more people up to be in the market for an aftermarket seat rather than just the trackers/show car people.

I upgraded. I have a set of Bride Euroster IIs that should be here in a couple weeks. I didn't really get them for performance thoough I'll sit lower and they'll offer a slightly more aggressive bolster over stock. I've just always been a Bride fan, plus, red seats... pfft, lol.

I thought I had bucket seats already?

Only if it was a track car. Besides that, it can be overkill. Unless said car didn't have any sort of support in the first place. You'd just get "sport" seats.

My local chiropractic supports aftermarket seats, gives him more business.

Thanks everyone for your responses! Great to see the interest in aftermarket seats. I thought that there would not be as much interest seeing that there are so many other desirable items on the market, but replacing your seat can be one of the most transformational upgrades you can make IMO, even in a car that already has great OEM seats.

I brought some Sparco Torino 2s from my old car to use in the FR-S, but the damn stock seats are so nice that I have no plan to replace them!!

For many entry-level (read: "mostly street use") seats, the stock seats are very comparable. The only area of contention would be in the side leg support. You don't really need lateral head support - and in many cases with more track-oriented seats that stick out more, they are a detriment to street driving.