Need some help w/ S4 or S5 seat upholstery!!!!
 

Hello all, new to the forum and in need of some help regarding two pairs of seat upholstery. The company i work for is working on some patterns for the RX7 S4 and S5 series.

We have two seats here. The first (click on first original seat image) has non padded inserts, and i'm unsure if it's a S4 or S5 series.

The second. (second image) is from a 1989 S5. The inserts are padded and quite a bit thicker. (sorry no pics of it installed just yet)

I'm tying to figure out when the change was made. My guess, is that the first seat is the sport seat for the S4 and the second seat is the upgraded seat for the S5. But that is just a guess..... anyone know for sure?

And lastly, i've seen pics of a cloth 'base model' seat w/ a small head rest as well as a high back bucket (similar to a miata) , if anyone can set me straight on which models got which seats i would be massively thankful.

Thanks

W

and i'm sure this beyond a noob question and for that i apologize. but can someone define TC / NA / TII / FD ?

thnx

those look like vert seats to me as they look like they have speakers in the headrest....na stands for naturally aspirated, TII is the turbo model of the sec gen rx7, and fd is a third gen rx7 93+ hope this helps

that does help. thanks!!

So if a seat has speakers in the headrest it is a convertible?

Do you think the lower foamed seat (the grey one) could be the S4 and the Red/black one might be the S5 series?

The differences are subtle, but they are def. different seats.

Both of those seats/covers are Vert seats.

I suggest you use the search function and search the second gen section for the different seats using keywords.
i.e
"T2 seats"
"turbo 2 seats"
"GTU seats"
"GXL seats"
"base seats"

whats wrong with that red and black one? looks strange

The standard specs thread will also be helpful: https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/specifications-what-did-2nd-generation-rx-7-come-w-options-standard-features-642372/. Take a look at the interior features listed on the brochures.

The majority of seats will be cloth regardless of model, but all '86-'92 convertible, turbo and GXL models had leather options. Converibles had the headrest speaker option, but not all had it. Some convertibles had cloth seats with coupe-like headrests. As far as seat shape however, I think all FC seats are basically the same with the exception of vert headrests w/ speakers.

That second picture is also clearly a seat cover that is not actually on the seat itself.

i always hated the vert seats..

S4 verts were made with cloth seats. Those did not have speakers in the headrest.
Leather was an optional seat/interior. Headrest speakers are part of the leather interior/seat package.

I have never seen an S5 vert with anything but leather seat. The S4 leather and the S5 leather seats are the same.

The first pic is an oem leather seat-second pic is an aftermarket replacement upholstery for an oem seat. Your impression regarding the differences is caused by your reliance on images rather than actual seats.

If you are interested, Leatherseats.com has a pretty well defined line of RX7 replacement seatcovers. You could study that line and learn from them.

Also, maybe reach out to the California members for some hands-on market research. Many people will show up for a sponsored event to show off their cars. Look over the West regional forum. https://www.rx7club.com/west-rx-7-forum-193/

Good luck and thanks for supporting RX7 in the aftermarket.

Actually both are after market seats. Both were manufactured here at my company. The first grey one, is obviously installed. The second, red/black was photographed before it was shipped to the owner of that 89 vert. The seats are def. different, as i have them here in my hands. As stated above, the insert in the red/black seat is much more padded and raised up than the grey one. So i'm thinking it might just be a year change. Say grey-1988 Red/black 1989.

Thanks for the help, i'll search the forum for more info and pictures.


If you all could answer this, which Rx7 seat is the most popular? Which seat would you love to see manufactured and reproduced?

_W

I love my rx7. Seats, not so much. I suggest making a kit for the Series II (FC) turbo seats. They are the high backed ones I dont have pics.

i would say the best seat would be the TII seats since they have bigger bolsters and are more supportive

You didn't manufacture the seats-you manufactured the seat cover replacements-right? Jut making sure I understand correctly. Your terminology is a little vague and I want to give you help that actually-helps.

Now, the padding on the insert (part that touches your butt and back) of the seat cover is *in* the seat cover. I have replaced my worn out OEM leather with aftermarket covers, so I have been inside these seats. Many aftermarket replacements are not nearly as 'stuffed' as the OEM covers were. Mine weren't. If you now used my car as a pattern, you would definately see a difference between an OEM leatherand my replacement leather, but the seat itself and the fittment would be the same.

IOW, strip off the upholstery and you have a foam carcass of seat bottom, seat bottom bolsters, seat back, seat back bolsters and headrest. At the core, they are exactly the same between the two seats you are showing. Really.

What did your guys use as a pattern to make the new seat covers?

BTW, that 89 is an S5.

S4=1986 to 1988
S5=1989 to 1992

Now, the question as to which seat upholstery you should produce....beats me.

More GXL's were made than anything else.
More Verts are likely owned by old affluent guys who can afford to restore the car.
More TurboII's have been sodomized by aftermarket 'racing seats' etc. so fewer of them could even buy a replacement product.


It's complicated, and there is no easy answer.

the second picture definitely does not look like an OEM S5 seat. they never had padding that thick on the seat backs so someone either added more padding or your mold isn't accurate.

Most popular to reproduce.....Infini IV

Can I have the first 2?

God, that red and black thing look like Sh#t !!!!but they r both vert.

Jack thank you for being so helpful , it's really appreciated.

I work for a large manufacturing company based in Southern California, we make everything from Convertible tops, boots, door panels, seat upholstery, well liners, sunvisors, etc....and we've been doing it for going on 62 years :) It had come to my attention that the RX7 offerings were lacking, see as we only had the top, top boot, and ONE seat. We had the first seat available (but they were not sure which seat the upholstery had come off of) the second red seat (btw breeze the uph looks like that because it is not installed, only held up for photographs) out of an 1989 vert.

I've made the decision to only offer the seat one way, seeing as the only difference we can find in the upholstery is the thickness of the padding in the insert. Which as you said, is attached to the actually upholstery.

I would really like to get a set of the high back bucket seats. I'll check with the local Rx7 club that you linked to see if anyone has a pair they would like recovered.

Again, thanks for your help. I knew someone on here would be able to straighten this out for us.

-Waylon