Anyone ever swapped the driver seat for the passenger seat? I am guessing I will have swap the seat recline to the other side too in order for it to fit. I can do some light fabrication, drilling, tapping etc... But wondering if there is a game ending issue I will not be able to get past. Car has almost 200k on the original seats... and almost all of those miles were solo. Driver seat is really done as far as support goes, but passenger seat is comfy, and my old bones find my local 100 mile club drives hard.
81 FB if that matters.

 

You'll need to swap the rails.

I have a bunch of seats I'd let go for cheap, but shipping is a deal breaker.

 

Things to consider, swapping seats might mean your latch for reclining the seat back is on the inside instead of the door side and may interfere with the tunnel. Not sure if the latch can be mounted to the opposite side of the seat frame or not.

Actually, if you remove the tracks and secure them up in the cavity of the seat bottom, remove the seat back, and lay it flat across the bottom cushion, and wrap it all up for shipping its not as bad as you might expect. Shipping everything is expensive anymore but the above method greatly reduces the size and bulkiness.

 

Don't think it will work. Passenger side seat itself is lopsided for the exhaust "hump" in the floor board.

 

It would seem your best bet would be to check with KanasCityREPU to see if he has a matching drivers seat to go along with your "pristine" passenger seat. I had the same issue on my RX7, drivers left bolster and left side of seat bottom were in bad shape and the passenger side was perfect. When I had my drivers leather seat recovered years ago I also had to have the passenger seat done in order to have them match. Costly, but worth it, after all it's an RX7!

 

Will do. I only need one, as I have the Racing Beat covers.

 

Glad I asked. Much appreciated.

 

I will ask. Good idea. I used to ship high end expensive mountain bikes from the USA to Europe. I got REALLY good at taking the frames apart and nesting everything inside everything else.

 

I may take you up on the shipping of a drivers' seat. Color doesnt matter as I have the Racing Beat covers... just after something where the foam is in as good condition as possible. Any chance you can get me the weight of a seat? I can estimate the size of the box by measuring my seat (back removed and folded flat against bottom as helpful people here have suggested).

 

What color do you need? All mine are 1984-1985 and gray. I think I have 2 or 3 driver seats. I'll ship, like Banzai has suggested, but dang it can get expensive.

 

Not fussy on color, as I use Racing Beat covers. This is the shape... mine is a very early 81.

 

When I did my RacingBeat covers I was lucky to find the same highback buckets in better shape foam wise at the junkyard in an 83 7. I was able to mix and match things and get them back to like new with the covers on. What a difference. I can't imagine what they would like at 200K.

 

Those covers won't fit the 1984-1985 seats. They have the movable headrest.

 

Are the seats you have 84/85?

 

The drivers seat in the pic is the original cover, before I replaced it with the RB cover. It has some splits but not bad, however the foam below is truly destroyed and disgusting! Looks like someone did some rebuilding of the foam too, at some point in the car’s life.

 

Yes - all of mine are 1984/1985.

 

No worries. Now I know I need to find a replacement seat rather than swap left for right. Will reach out locally. Thanks for the offer though, much appreciated.

 

I had my drivers seat repaired at an upholstery shop(s), not cheap but it's like new now

 

Why not just take it to an upholstery shop & get them to redo your internal foam?

 

Thats what mine looked like when I did this. Just find a passenger seat and swap the foam and then recover.

 

Interesting idea. How is the foam attached?

 

I like the learning aspect of trying to do everything myself. So far so good. Except for paint. Found out I can’t paint!

 

When you take a seat apart you will see some hog rings on the springs under the seat or back that go around wire inserts that go in the covers. If you did the RB covers then I would think you dealt with this because this is how the covers are held in place at the creases in the seats and back.The foam basically is held in by these hogs rings and the wire insert in the cover. I explain in my write up doing my seat covers: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati...y-kit-1071159/

 

Aha! I remember that write up from when I did mine. However does look like the foam is left and right specific. Gonna think some more on this.

 

$300, that's why!! I did mine in january 2009. Rode around with the passenger seat on the driver's side. Had to use a 2 by 4 block to make it level.