E36 driver's seat options

[BGarside]

I'm finding my 325i coupe's driver's seat a bit too soft and unsupportive for long 280+ mile motorway journeys, and it's also lacking under-thigh support as I need to have the seat fully lowered for enough headroom.

I'm considering several options:

i) Get the seat base re-upholstered with firmer padding. Are there any decent places that could do this in the south west?

ii) Finding an E36 sport seat and replacing my current standard seat. I think the sport seats have an adjustable base cushion and maybe a tilt adjustment for more under-thigh support. Am I right?

iii) Most expensive option - buying one of these Recaros:

http://www.recaro-seats.co.uk/ergonomics/specialis...

Has anyone tried one of these and are they any good?

Any feedback on the above options would be very welcome.

Ben

[helix402]

No 2 should do the trick, the sports seats do have the options you list. I fitted some in my E46.

[McSam]

The E36 sports seats do allow you to tilt the base independently of the back and also have an extending thigh support - I don't have great photos of my E36 ones, but these from my E46 are identical except for the addition of electric lumbar.





I rarely use the thigh support, but many seem to like it. I find these seats supremely comfortable, and have done several 400+ mile trips in them without complaint. Would be worth sitting in some before committing, though, because some people find them slightly too narrow between the bolsters.

[4rephill]

BGarside said:

......ii) Finding an E36 sport seat and replacing my current standard seat. I think the sport seats have an adjustable base cushion and maybe a tilt adjustment for more under-thigh support. Am I right?.....

The E36 comes with tilt adjustment, extending thigh support, and the base cushion is height adjustable (if that's what you were asking).

Rarer options that some E36 Sport seats could come with are: Electric adjustment with memory, heating elements and adjustable lumbar support, but these really are quite rare options - Most Sports seats are manual adjustment with no heat option and no lumbar support.

As others have mention, the seats are quite narrow and some do find them uncomfortable because of it (M3 Vaders are even narrower!).

It's also incredibly rare to find E36 Sports seats that have not had their door-side thigh and side bolsters badly worn away due to rubbing as people get in and out.

[LanceRS]

If the Recaros are a serious option, go with them. I did over 100k miles in my e36 sport. The seats are ok, with a fair big of adjustment but for comfort and support you cannot beat a Recaro.

[BGarside]

Thanks for the feedback. Looks like getting hold of a sports seat and maybe getting it reupholstered might be more cost-effective than £800-plus for a Recaro...

[dhutch]

Sounds daft, but have you checked its not broken?

I found me E36 compacts seats really comfortable, until one day all the support went from the top half of the seat. Took the back off and the main supporting steel arms running up the back where splitting of the mechanism at the bottom. Forty quid to my local BMW breaker and jobbing mechanic to weld it up and it was good as new!


Daniel

[BGarside]

Pretty sure it's fine, just the base is a little softer than I like and compared to the passenger front seat so just normal wear and tear. I have the seat fully lowered to fit in the car so obviously lose thigh support from the seat base.

Just got to find a good condition sports seat, now they're mostly all over 20 years old!

[dhutch]

Yep, and they all have a holein the same place where the metal bolster support sticks out because the foams worn...