986 seat upgrades? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

On my most recent 700+ mile roadtrip, I learned that the standard Porsche seat used in basically everything until the 981/991 doesn't fit me any better than it did when I had my '88 944S. It wasn't limited to just me, either--my other half, who is built night and day different than I am, was squirming around uncomfortably on the longer stretches of our trip (2-3+ hours). One of the primary reasons I upgraded to the 986 from my heavily modded NA Miata was the potential for long-distance driving (the Miata was a miserable car for any drive lasting more than an hour due to high noise level, rough ride, and poor in-cabin airflow). Obviously the seat issue negates this potential advantage for the 986, and has me thinking about other options. I'd also like a seat that allows me to sit lower in the car, if possible (tough thing to achieve in cars like this without bolting the seat directly to the floor, I realize--it's a common issue in the NA Miata world too). I've tried the OEM sport seats before, but only on a test drive. Does anyone here have significant experience with them? How are they on longer drives in terms of support? What about aftermarket options? I want something that is supportive but not confining like the OEM GT3 seats. I don't need power functions (I'd not mind losing the weight of my current power seats w/memory, actually, as long as the move fore/aft manually and recline).

I guess I don't understand. I bought mine and drove 26 hours straight to get home and the next morning, couldn't wait to get in and drive another 3 hours to show it off. 5'10" 185 lbs

Could you describe exactly what about the stock seats and your driving position (often they are inter-related) is uncomfortable and could you describe the uncomfortable symptoms that you experience? Does your butt ache? Back ache? Shoulders ache? Legs too cramped? Arms too cramped? Need more recline? Need more headroom? Seat bottom or seat back not wide enough? Not enough lower back support? Seat too hard? Too soft? etc... This will help us recommend solutions. Thanks.

Great feedback. Allow me to add more detail: -Thigh Cushion seems too short (same issue I had in the 944), causing my legs to ache ( I find my leg muscles are tense a good deal of the time in this car, something I've never experienced in any other car) -Seatback has insufficient lumbar support -Seatback seems a bit narrow -Seatback lacks shoulder support (I'm no football player, but I have wide enough shoulders that they stick out beyond a typical modern-day Coach airline seat) Best seats I've ever had: OEM Recaros in my Mk2 Jetta GLI: The OEM seats in both our '12 GTI and '12 Golf TDI (same seat, different fabric) are also fantastic--more supportive than the Porsche seat while being all-day comfortable.

My boxster seats are great. My 996 seats have worn out and need repadding. It now hurts my back. They hsve similar mileage sonim not sure why the 996 seats wore out faster. They atent exactly tge sane but very close. I have a set of sport seats but ive found them less comfortable on road trips. That was before the padding got all mashed down. I just weigh 170 lbs so i dont think its weight. Im going to gave them repadded or buy some 997 seats if i can find them for a reasonable price

I've had lower back issues for years (curvature) and I find the GT3 seats more comfortable on long trips because it holds my upper back in place. Although with the Fabspeed exhajust long highway trips of 2 hours are out of the question unless I bring my V-modas M100s (great headphones). I also had a NA Miata. I should have kept it as my track/autox car...biggest mistake ever selling it for a mere $5,500. I had KYB AGX adjustables and FM mounts, smoother ride than my Boxster. http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/1114/2141/2783570014_large.jpg http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/1114/2141/2783570023_large.jpg http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/1114/2141/2783570110_large.jpg http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/1114/2141/2783570011_large.jpg http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/1114/2141/2783570093_large.jpg http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/1114/2141/2783570022_large.jpg

Nice Miata! Much fancier than mine was... I had a '94 R with a bunch of upgrades, mostly go/turn/stop stuff. Nothing for looks I wish I fit better in the GT3 seats...unfortunately after trying them a couple of times, it's clear I don't. I need to find a car with sport seats and see if they are sufficiently improved.

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