Alfa 90 - Seats Thread

[Beatle]

Ive read you can get significant gains in headroom by removing the drivers seat electric height mechanism? 
True?   
Easy?

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Sorry, can't tell you if it's easy or not (but I imagine pretty easy), but it's true that you get around 5cm more room by removing it.  I have one that has the mechanism removed, and it's significantly lower than standard.   The electrics still work on the backrest, and although I'm average size (5'10"), I find it an excellent driving position.  I probably like it more than the standard seat actually, it feels like you're more "in" the car, rather than "on top" of the car.

I'll get some pics tomorrow if you really need them.  Or you could just trust me.

[dehne]

i have just pull mine out today, but am putting 156 seats in, that gets rid of all the electrical seat mechs which dont work anyway the fronts seem easy enough just drill a some new holes for the rails to join to. not to sure if it will lower the drivers side will find that out soon, i think my prob will be with the back seats mmmm

[Sheldon McIntosh]

i have just pull mine out today, but am putting 156 seats in, that gets rid of all the electrical seat mechs which dont work anyway

Since you have a seat out anyway, could you post a pic of the undersides, I'm sure that would answer the OPs question?

[dehne]

pulled the passanger, drivers out tomorrow will post it then, will take a few pics as i do it, to see the difference. wanted to be able to drive it if needed and was not sure what i needed to do to fit the 156 seat.

[Beatle]

So Dehne,  are the 156 seats fully manual?

And when you say you need to drill  a couple of holes for the rails to join to, do you mean holes to mount the 156 seats, or holes to reinstall the 90 seats minus the height mechanism?

I don't know why electric seats are considered such a luxury.  They are always slow, bulky, heavy, and troublesome.

[dehne]

Yes the 156 seats are fully manual (that I have) The holes are for the 156 seats, I will post pics of the drivers seats when I do them most prob tomorrow, I will also put pics of the 90 seat up thinking from memory you can just pull the height adjust out and put the rails in, Only thinking this because of the left/right hand drive and the seats would be the same then the mounts just bolt on, anyway will confirm.

[dehne]

put pics up then describe what i see

[dehne]

the seats in car,

[dehne]

to take the height adjust of the 90 seat seem that its straight forward, unbolt the runners then take the height adjust out and put the runners back on. gives you 50mm lower, the setup would then be the same as the passanger seat.

[VeeSix]

Those 156 seats look nice in there Dehne, throw in some 75 black carpet would be the go too, alot people mentioning the lowering of seats, my prefrence is for the seat to be raised as high as possible be it 90 or 164, maybe i just like looking down the bonnet from the higher perspective, i have even been thinking about putting a 90 seat frame on my 75 seats as they do not raise and i find them too low! 

[dehne]

Both fronts in and secure. Drivers seat is comfortable and a nice snug fit really wraps around like a good race seat. Now the back seats, unfortunately noway they are going to fit even with a mod or to do now im going to redo the factory seats, the 156 seats are bigger so I will get a upholster to take the material from the 156 and put on the 90, and if there needs more just use a black that's similar. Seats look good in there not to much out of place

[Evan Bottcher]

So the 156 seats are a straight bolt in?  I'd love to see the result of the re-trimmed 90 rear seat, please do post some photos when you get it done.

FWIW (nothing) - I found the 90 seats to be very comfortable, and the 156 seats to be uncomfortable on long trips.  I am awkwardly proportioned though :-)

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Yeah, I gotta say that I find the 90 seats very comfortable.  When I've done long drives in a 90 the only problems I've noticed are that the underside of your thighs gets a bit sore (the front of the seat is a little high I feel) and of course the 'Alfa right ankle' problem.   When I picked this one up I drove it back from Canberra with only fuel stops, so about 8 hours, and had no problems whatsoever; I felt about as fresh as I have after a long drive in my Dad's Porsche 928, and believe me that's high praise indeed.

I think this lowered seat really does fix the thigh problem, and quite possibly gives a better angle on the throttle pedal as well.  I'm not sure if this one has had the throttle pedal moved slightly though, the PPO did mention on his blog that he wanted to do so, but never actually said if he'd got around to it.  Anyway, it's a very comfortable tourer.  Pics attached of the difference in height between drivers and passengers seat.

dehne, that 156 seat does look very nice in there, it's definitely a nicer looking seat, and does look to have more lateral support.  I reckon a 90 interior retrimmed in black would look sensational.

[Beatle]

Those 156 seats look nice in there Dehne, throw in some 75 black carpet would be the go too, alot people mentioning the lowering of seats, my prefrence is for the seat to be raised as high as possible be it 90 or 164, maybe i just like looking down the bonnet from the higher perspective, i have even been thinking about putting a 90 seat frame on my 75 seats as they do not raise and i find them too low! 

I'd say the 90 electric seat raiser should fit the 75 seats.  They are Alfetta dimensions on the floorpan so should be nearly identical.

I also like to sit higher, more-so as I get older (a legacy of driving a 4WD regularly).  However I HATE having my hair brush the cloth roof linings.   In my Alfettas it wasn't a big problem because the vinyl headliner didn't grab my hair, but the feeling against the cloth drives me crazy.  It may be flashbacks to uncles aunts and grandparents patting the top of my head/roughing my hair up as a kid 

Dehne/Sheldon, thanks heaps for the pics.  Very helpful.