Seat tilting with washers

I like the idea of an angled piece of oak or mahogany.  It raises the seat runners so it doesn't pull on the carpet plus I think its more stable than just the area supported by the washers.  I hate spending 6 cents each for a washer too! I'd be tempted to use a larger washer (or metal strap connecting both bolts) on the top of the fiberglass seat shells.

I use sway bar bushings between the seat and floor pan. No seat tracks for me...

Tilting the seats back was one of the first tweaks that I did to my car.

My car came with the sliders. I tried adding some spacers under the front of the sliders, but this wasn't enough, so I ditched the sliders.

I'm the only one that's going to drive this car, so why should it be adjustable? I wanted to tilt them farther, but needed to slide the seat forward for clearance. I didn't want to drill 8 new holes, so I used some flat bar and made some brackets that will use the rear holes, and I'll only have to drill 4 new holes for the fronts. The bracket will allow for some adjustment if needed. Not convenient, but it's there if needed. I spaced the front up with some nylon spacers.

The last shot shows the difference between both seats. The passenger seat is shown with the sliders spaced up in the front. I have since removed the slider on that seat so it matches the drivers seat.

It works for me.

How tall are you, Carlos?

5'10" bare footed.

Thanks. I'm going to be setting the seats in my Spyder pretty soon and it helps a lot to see what you did.

Great work Carlos, I actually had the opposite issue. Titled the back up so I could reach the shifter a bit better and sit a bit more upright in the car. Guess we all come in different shapes and sizes . 

On my builds I usually use 3/4" PVC pipe cut to length w/ a washer here and there to " fine tune it" adding a fender washer top ( under seat) and (bottom on the floor)

Those of you who have seen my setup can testify to the "Gemini Astronaut" tilt-back on my car.

6'0", 32" inseam, arms like an orangutan. I could mask it when I weighed 185 and benched 300. Now, I look like a silverback ape.

Baaaaaa   Ou Ou Ou  oooo  

Stan Galat posted:

Those of you who have seen my setup can testify to the "Gemini Astronaut" tilt-back on my car.

6'0", 32" inseam, arms like an orangutan. I could mask it when I weighed 185 and benched 300. Now, I look like a silverback ape.

Thats hilarious! Same stats as you 6.0, 32x32 pants, but minus the monkey arms, hence the tilt up. 

I did it for two reasons. To get low enough to get behind the windshield and to support my upper legs. My 914 had tilting seats that I thought were awesome.

I didn't check out Stan's setup when he was here in September. I didn't check out many of the cars that were here like I wanted to. I will correct this next year.

the 914 tilt mechanism was pretty awesome for sure... I found some manufacturer that is selling a tilting and sliding mechanism but I can't remember who... but I know it's out there.  

Stan Galat posted:

Those of you who have seen my setup can testify to the "Gemini Astronaut" tilt-back on my car.

6'0", 32" inseam, arms like an orangutan. I could mask it when I weighed 185 and benched 300. Now, I look like a silverback ape.

Same here, except I'm 6'1.5" and drag my knuckles on the ground...On the pan and tilted back is how I roll!

James Garrett posted:

Stan Galat posted:

Those of you who have seen my setup can testify to the "Gemini Astronaut" tilt-back on my car.

6'0", 32" inseam, arms like an orangutan. I could mask it when I weighed 185 and benched 300. Now, I look like a silverback ape.

Thats hilarious! Same stats as you 6.0, 32x32 pants, but minus the monkey arms, hence the tilt up. 

 

Our stats are nowhere near the same. Perhaps 30 years ago, but it's been a long time since the first number was 32.

I'm also bolted to the floor (but with a hinge set-up, so the seat can tilt forward, as per original) so I can fit behind the windshield.

I like sitting in the car, not on it.

Another reason why I'm glad I went to LA.  Seats are too bolt upright.  Seats will be tilted back before delivery.  I've got plenty of room to tilt back.  5'7" with 30" inseam.    Greg will be powdercoating some chrome pieces in the engine compartment gloss black and doing a few more cosmetic touches I've requested before shipping.  They are all little things that are done much easier by VMC.  The flight s*cked but I'm glad I went to LA.

And Carlos my seat heater switches are very professional.  I'll post some closeup shots when I get the car.

My seat heater switches were just hanging out under the seats so I fabbed up an aluminum plate to attach them.

I need to round the corners some more. The passenger seat hadn't been tilted yet in the last shot.

That looks nice

James....I did exactly what you did. I put the tracks totally on the floor then shimmed the seat at the back to tilt it forward so to reach the shifter. Also installed some real seat belt ring bolts through the floor while I was down there and backed up all the bolts with some thick fender washers as well.....Still I had to bend the shift lever back a little to make it all feel "within reach"...Also a shorter shift lever to eliminate knuckle bashing on the dash........Bruce

The Porsche 914 had versatile seat adjusters.  Not only do they slide back and forth using the D shaped handle but using the side knob they tilt up and down in the front.  The 914 seats are narrow so the base units can be used on pan based cars with other aftermarket seats (to include VS and CMC buckets). They are hinged in back and use the toothed front gear for up and down tilt.

My shifter is a long reach also Bruce. I might try raising the seat back a little. There was a replica builder in the UK, I can’t remember the name, that cut the shifter section out of the pan and moved it back about 4”. They used the chunk they cut out to fit the shifter back to replace the hole in the floor. Looked really slick.

WOLFGANG posted:

The Porsche 914 had versatile seat adjusters.  Not only do they slide back and forth using the D shaped handle but using the side knob they tilt up and down in the front.  The 914 seats are narrow so the base units can be used on pan based cars with other aftermarket seats (to include VS and CMC buckets). They are hinged in back and use the toothed front gear for up and down tilt.

I have Recaro's on low tracks and they work very and they seem to also have the right angle and I can adjust the rake with the large side button as I need but I have thought of trying to install the 914 seat rails just for the tilt functionality.   ON the other hand I could always do like Marty and have IM install power lift seats on the bottoms ... how do you like those ?@Marty Grzynkowicz

WOLFGANG posted:

The Porsche 914 had versatile seat adjusters.  Not only do they slide back and forth using the D shaped handle but using the side knob they tilt up and down in the front.  The 914 seats are narrow so the base units can be used on pan based cars with other aftermarket seats (to include VS and CMC buckets). They are hinged in back and use the toothed front gear for up and down tilt.

@WOLFGANG

I need a set of those...

I haven't tried this but, I have an adjustable shift rod. It seems like one could change the length of the shift rod a bit to move the shift knob forward or back.

Michael McKelvey posted:

I haven't tried this but, I have an adjustable shift rod. It seems like one could change the length of the shift rod a bit to move the shift knob forward or back.

That probably won't work, Michael, as the pivot (where the shifter bolts to) stays the same and the shifter has to have the same travel forward and back to grab the gears properly.

My thinking was that changing the rod length would change the angle of the shifter as it pivots around that fixed position. The change in angle would move the knob.

Or how about the EMPI 4500 quick shift kit $5.95 - it shortens the distance of the shift lever throw.

You can try it, Michael, but I think the shifter can go only so far forward and back in the shift gate. When adjusting the shifter, too far forward (or back) and the gear opposite will not fully engage.

@ALB, I don't have a problem reaching the shifter. I first started wondering about the shifter angle when reading about Kafer bar installation. I realized I probably moved my engine and transmission back a bit when I installed the Kafer tabs in front of the transmission cradle with a resulting change in the shifter angle. Then I started wondering if one could add additional spacers to move the engine & transmission back more to gain clearance at the torsion tube for a Berg 5 installation.

Lots of guys talk about changing their rod length.  Just sayin' . . .

Yeah, @El Frazoo, it's been in the news lately. A guy with a 36" rod wants to get his shortened while another guy with an 18" rod wants to keep it unaltered, even though, for some reason, it makes it difficult for him to get a job.

Michael McKelvey posted:

@ALB, I don't have a problem reaching the shifter. I first started wondering about the shifter angle when reading about Kafer bar installation. I realized I probably moved my engine and transmission back a bit when I installed the Kafer tabs in front of the transmission cradle with a resulting change in the shifter angle. Then I started wondering if one could add additional spacers to move the engine & transmission back more to gain clearance at the torsion tube for a Berg 5 installation.

You installed the tabs in front of the trans mount plate? Why?

And why not, if it creates a difficulty, just take out the kafer tabs and put them back on the frame horns in back of the cradle?

Bumped into this thread looking for a way to adjust both seat height and travel...

My GF is 5'4" and I'm 6'4". We'd both like to be able to drive the car, but the driver's seat is too low, and about 2" too far back for her, even in the full-forward position.

It looks like a few people have used 914 seats/parts? What parts are necessary for the 914 seat track conversion? I'd like to keep the speedster buckets I have in the car, just be able to alter height + forward-back adjustment.

I'm sure this has been discussed ad-nauseam, but I can't seem to find the definitive answer.

What parts you ask for 914 seat tracks?  914 seat tracks...

Wolfgang has them and will never use them, see if he'll part from them. Otherwise search places like the samba or pick a part sights that stock Porsche 914's.

Don't expect them to give you 12 inches of adjustment though.

Here's the 914 seat parts needed:  seat sliders (upper and lower), base with tilt toothed gear, and rear hinge cut from floor (although strap hinge can be modified).  Parts are about $100-180.  It will give 10" of back and forth adjustment and maybe 5" height. 

Thank you! I have been able to find the lower seat bracket/mount and toothed rake bit on eBay, but can't seem to find the sliders that attach to the bottom of the seat.

Do you have a set?

Your sliders could most likely be bolted to the 914 tilt mechanism.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/914-P...5738.m4383.l4275.c10

Well, got the base and the rake bit off eBay, but turns out the base (with adjustor lever) is about 2.5" too wide for the base of my car. The whole thing is about 5" wider than the current rails.  The lever hits the trans tunnel with the left side of the base just overlapping a step-up to the door frame. I guess the JPS tub isn't as flat as others? : (

Have to start hunting for (or fabbing) another solution.

Cut the center bar and shorten it to fit, weld it up and mount.