I am planning a couple cross country trips and want something more comfortable. The stock seats are fine for moderate distances, but I don't like them for 4 10 hour driving days in a row. I don't want to spend a fortune on seats that will be used for a few weeks, and then come back out, so they seem like a deal if they are comfortable.

 

You need to do more searching on this board in regards to Corbeau seats in general as there are several threads about them. In addition, you need to do more research on this board in regards to what is entailed in swapping to aftermarket seats in a roadster. It has been done a few times but it is not popular for a reason.

 

I did search, without success, on the Corbeau's. As far as the difficulty, The Corbeau's are manual, so adapting them to the wiring harness is not an issue. If you have any knowledge to the contrary, it would be helpful if you included it.

 

....then you would have found all of these threads.


https://my350z.com/forum/search.php?searchid=11841440

 

Highmiles43, I'm in your boat too. But will leave the seats in when I find the right ones.
Please remember that sometimes this site is kinda like going to your doctor for some advice and being told you should scour the web for info before wasting their time.

 

Indeed, I found those posts. If you will read them, only 1 addresses the sport seats, and it had no answers in it, only an unanswered question as to their ability to fit.

I appreciate your link to those posts, as it was an attempt to actually help. Unfortunately I am back where I started, and the reason for the post.

 

Yep, you are right. Unfortunately they don't always take their own advise about searching before asking or answering questions.

 

Someone on another site suggested G seats, besides cost, it seems there is the same problem with the G seats for several people. The solution that sounds best is to have a good shop remove the seat in the Z, take the cloth off the seat bottom, and cut out the metal thigh bolsters and then replace the original seat bottom cover. The bolsters are 1" by 6" metal plates with metal rods at each end. They hold the thigh bolsters almost completely upright. The side bolsters in the seat back do not have to be messed with and will still hold you in place. The poster who had it done said it was a world of difference. After 5000 miles no negative look to the seat like sagging or loose padding or fabric. I will be looking into it.

 

Thanks for your reply and information.
I've pretty much reached the same conclusion. Sometime this week, I will be talking to some custom upholstery shops about modifying the seats, and upgrading the foam. I wish there was info about a swap, but it doesn't appear to be available. All the info seems to be on race type seats.

 

so what don't you like about the stock seats? do you have leather?

 

i've got the leathers and you don't break them in...they break you in

 

I made a kind of trial pad to use to see if another idea would work. I used two pieces of pipe foam covering (like for AC units) and put one inside of the other. Then taped them together with athletic tape making a sort of tube shape. This pad is alittle smaller than the fat end of a baseball bat and about 8 inches long. Then I inserted it into the part of the seat where the seat back and seat bottom connect. Without it there, there is a void more than big enough to put my hand and wrist into when I sit in the seat. The pad actually needs to be bigger, longer and more contoured. Is that called lumbar support? Because there is NONE in this seat. And, yes, I am sitting up straight and pushed back into the seat. I may have to get a shop to modify the seat or make a pad for me. It would help on long drives.

 

The edge of the steel wings that hold the bolsters, cuts into my legs. I think part of the problem is the bolster foam is worn. Although the car has only 20k on it, the prior owner may have been heavy. I am 6'1" 215, but have a 36" waist and slim hips. The seat should fit.

Perforated leather seats.

 

Just got back from the upholstery shop. He will trim the steel wings, add an inch of memory foam to the cushion and back, in the center section.

Price = $80 - $100.

I am scheduled for next week.

 

If you unzip the back of your seat, there is a brace near the bottom for a lumbar support. I folded a hand towel (24"X16") over until it matched the shape of the brace. I put the towel on the front of the brace, with the pressure of the seat springs and foam holding it in place. It turned out to be perfect lumbar support for me. You could add an inflatable bladder, but I tried this as an experiment, and it worked so well, I left it.

 

I will have to see how you like it and then get the details to a guy here. After much more research on a suggestion from another Z owner on another site, he recommended Sparco seat models Torino and Milano. Adjustable and much more comfortable according to him. But I like your idea better.

I used to think the seat was for little dudes, but even guys smaller than you have complained on other sites (Z or G). Conversely, people much bigger than you have no problem with the seat.

I am really looking forward to improving the seat.

 

I took the car to a place named TRIMMERS in Lexington, NC. He found that the bolsters had been sliced almost in half by the braces. He bent the braces, slightly outward, and rebuilt the foam. He also put cloth backed vinyl over the braces so they wouldn't cut the foam again. He added some lumbar support and some memory foam down the center of the seat.
It took 3 hours and cost $85.
Feels like a new, and better seat.
The appearance of the seat did not change. It looks identical to the passenger seat.

 

I put my trial pad described above, in the location you described above (inside seat) and it stays in place nicely. Now I feel that the mid back area needs something. After playing with padding and towels I have figured out the back pain I am getting is mid back. Almost where the head rest bars turn into a "U" shape inside the seat. Not the extreme low back. It's almost as if the seat only supports the lower portion of my back and not the top half, regardless of incline/decline %. I have a wide back from years of lifting and playing FB, so I am big in the shoulders/lats for this seat. Though the bottom bolsters are tight too, it's the mid-back for me that gets pain 1st.
I will go see a shop tomorrow or next week. Thanks for the time and effort to help provide some knowledge on this issue. I always felt sites like this were for this exact reason.

 

I have some of the same problem. Football and the lifting that went with it have given me a narrow waist and broad back. The 1" of foam up the center section of the backrest helps quite a bit, because I can settle back in the seat better. The top of the seatback, does seem to fall away a bit too much. I imagine if you go to a place that does custom interiors, they can correct all your problems for far less money than new seats.

 

You'll have to let me know how you feel about your seat mod after a few long drives and over time. I took out my jury rigged lumbar support last night, was too much. I am looking through the yellow pages today and asking around about custom interior places.
Alot of the long haul discomfort is probably based on where your feet are in relation to your hips I think. Low slung cars will have your feet resting higher in relation to your hips than a regular car, and even more so in a truck or SUV.
Imagine sitting in a normal chair watching a long movie, and then sitting in a chair with little to no legs, where your butt is almost on the ground, and your legs go more straight out than down. That has to put more pressure on your hips which transferrs to your back. Make sense?
Nothing you can do about that, it comes with the car, and I can accept that. But I will try to improve the seat to lesson the fatigue of that.