996 turbo seats

[Kilsoj]

Hi, feel like a bit of an idiot writing this one, but looking for any advice or options. The seats in my turbo are giving me severe back pain at the moment, especially sciatic down in my right leg. Doesn't happen with any other car I have, e.g. Cayenne, but it is so bad I am seriously considering getting rid of the car. Not particularly old or overweight, and I don't have a chronic back complaint, but a car that I easily could have driven for four hours with out a break is killing me in under an hour.

So anyone any options? Swap seats? If so to what?

Thanks in advance

[DKL]

Which ones do you have, the sports or standard seats? The sports ones seem very popular but I found them so uncomfortable I actively wanted the non sports. I don't imagine swopping one for another would be hard, heated options aside and as they are the same seats across the range and in the boxsters you shouldn't have trouble finding them in the same colour except maybe if you have jade green ones!
Try the other ones and see if it helps.

[Digga]

My 996 turbo has the standard, i.e non-sport, seats and I find them very comfortable, even on long journeys. FWIW I am 6ft and about 85kgs.

Sorry for mixing my metric and imperials.

P.S. Do those stats qualify on PH for "powerfully built".

[Kilsoj]

Hi, they are standard, was thinking of going for after market, but goes against my ideas of keeping the car "original"

[chriscoates81]

Digga said:

My 996 turbo has the standard, i.e non-sport, seats and I find them very comfortable, even on long journeys. FWIW I am 6ft and about 85kgs.

Sorry for mixing my metric and imperials.

P.S. Do those stats qualify on PH for "powerfully built".

Only if you're a director

[Digga]

chriscoates81 said:

Digga said:

My 996 turbo has the standard, i.e non-sport, seats and I find them very comfortable, even on long journeys. FWIW I am 6ft and about 85kgs.

Sorry for mixing my metric and imperials.

P.S. Do those stats qualify on PH for "powerfully built".

Only if you're a director

Twice over.

Boom!

[Rockster]

Kilsoj said:

Hi, they are standard, was thinking of going for after market, but goes against my ideas of keeping the car "original"

The seats in my 2003 Turbo are very comfortable. I can drive for hours with no discomfort.

They have considerable adjustment. Hard to believe you can't adjust the seat to alleviate your discomfort.

If the car is so uncomfortable that you are thinking of getting rid of it vs. replacing at least the driver's seat to be able to enjoy the car pain free the heck with keeping the car original. 'course, no need to trash bin the factory seats. Wrap plastic and put away for when you go to sell the car you can include the original seats. The new owner though might prefer the replacement seats though.

OTOH, maybe you need to explore getting rid of the car. 996 Turbo valuations might be such that now's a good time to cash out.

[hot66]

I had the same problem in my turbo and comfort seats. Really bad back pain ultimately ending one day with a full lock up of my back.

I could just never get the seat position right.

If I'd kept the car I was looking at fitting some 997 sports seats. I sold the car and replaced it with an M3 csl ... The buckets in that we're perfect and no more back pain

[Gallicbred]

I have the same issue here, with comfort seats in my 996. I also had the same problem with a Boxster many years ago. Definitely aggravates my sciatica.

With me I think it's the narrowness of the seat base combined with the driving position which causes it. Making sure I don't have anything in my pockets to pinch the nerves really helps; also having the seat height a little higher than it's lowest setting and my knees more bent than normal. In an ideal world I'd do the centre console delete to give me more knee room, but I have satnav so can't.

Do you get the same problems if travelling as a passenger? If not then changing the seat might not be a silver bullet.

[Kilsoj]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have tried every position imaginable with them, and changing it slightly whilst driving helps for a few minutes but it returns with a vengeance. I have never had it in any other car I have owned, but like I said it has only started being noticeable for me in past 6-12 months, and I have owned the car about 4 years. I have thought about cashing out and going for a Maserati gt or a db9, but I really really love this car, and the other two don't come close in performance. I was considering looking for 997 sports seats as well, but not sure they will solve the problem, as I feel the issue is that the seat base doesn't extend out long enough to support my leg enough, and not convinced sport seat is much longer.