Interior/Exterior swapping seats?
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1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
swapping seats?
Hi! I just purchased a new 07 Cooper. I have the sport seats but feel that they are kind of uncomfortable. Do Mini owners every swap out seats? I know this is a weird request but I feel that my shoulders are pushed forward (I'm short!) I live in So. Cal
Thanks
Thanks
6th Gear
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,479
Likes: 1
From: South Florida.
there's some gorgeous JCW seats available on the mini.co.uk site, no word if we can get them here ...
http://mini.co.uk/html/accessories/j...nterior_2.html
http://mini.co.uk/html/accessories/j...nterior_2.html
5th Gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
there's some gorgeous JCW seats available on the mini.co.uk site, no word if we can get them here ...
http://mini.co.uk/html/accessories/j...nterior_2.html
http://mini.co.uk/html/accessories/j...nterior_2.html
Why can't we get those?
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side airbags, or rather a lack of them. .................................\/ Recaros 
edit - if they have them, that would be nice but I'll put $20 on them costing more than $6k for a pair to your door new from a UK dealer or other venue
edit - if they have them, that would be nice but I'll put $20 on them costing more than $6k for a pair to your door new from a UK dealer or other venue
Neutral
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
I'd definitely consider it. I have a mellow yellow '07 MCS with leatherette seats with the cold weather package. I'm not happy with their lack of breathability.
2nd Gear
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Mainz, Germany
I've already posted on another thread, so I take the liberty to quote myself:
John Cooper Works Sports seats
Sports seat leather left 52 10 0 421 081
Sports seat leather right 52 10 0 420 668
Sports seat leather/alcantara left 52 10 0 420 669
Sports seat leather/alcantara right 52 10 0 420 670
I was wrong about the price though - the alcantara version is a bit more expensive - they are 44 Euros more which is roughly 70 US$.
The UK site states on their web site ( Link to page ):
This I found to be untrue and I strongly doubt that they actually have a height adjustable version. Perhaps on the other hand, they mean the two mounting positions of the seat base (fixed with screws). You can chose from high/low for back & front. I chose front=high and back=low position, which suits me just fine (I'm 6 foot 6).
The seats are from the MINI John Cooper Works aftersales collection. They are called 'John Cooper Works Recaro sport seats leather' and you can get them with alcantara in the middle parts for no extra cost. They cost 1,250 Euros a piece here in Germany (which is roughly 1,975 US$, but check your dealership for local pricing) plus installation. For the R56 MINI you will get them with air bags - international technical approval included.
The manufacturer is Recaro and they sell their own version of those awesome seats (minus the airbags) which is called 'Sportster CS'. They come a little cheaper and with a wider range of leathers and colours. Those can be fitted in a R53 MINI (a friend of mine has done that).
The real beauty about those seats is that the MINI version (apart from additional side airbags) also has a quick entry functionality, which means full access to the rear seats. There is a lever and when you pull it the back moves forward and the base slides forward - this is a rare feature on Recaro sport seats. For 99.99% of the sports seats here in Germany the technical approval institution will revoke the right to use your back seats after installation of the front sport seats (due to the fact that rear passengers will not be able to get out any more, especially in case of an emergency).
Did I mention that those seats are awesome? They are! Superb long distance comfort and superb track day functionality as well. I love them and although the price ist steep, I can wholeheartidly recommend them!
The manufacturer is Recaro and they sell their own version of those awesome seats (minus the airbags) which is called 'Sportster CS'. They come a little cheaper and with a wider range of leathers and colours. Those can be fitted in a R53 MINI (a friend of mine has done that).
The real beauty about those seats is that the MINI version (apart from additional side airbags) also has a quick entry functionality, which means full access to the rear seats. There is a lever and when you pull it the back moves forward and the base slides forward - this is a rare feature on Recaro sport seats. For 99.99% of the sports seats here in Germany the technical approval institution will revoke the right to use your back seats after installation of the front sport seats (due to the fact that rear passengers will not be able to get out any more, especially in case of an emergency).
Did I mention that those seats are awesome? They are! Superb long distance comfort and superb track day functionality as well. I love them and although the price ist steep, I can wholeheartidly recommend them!
John Cooper Works Sports seats
Sports seat leather left 52 10 0 421 081
Sports seat leather right 52 10 0 420 668
Sports seat leather/alcantara left 52 10 0 420 669
Sports seat leather/alcantara right 52 10 0 420 670
I was wrong about the price though - the alcantara version is a bit more expensive - they are 44 Euros more which is roughly 70 US$.
The UK site states on their web site ( Link to page ):
The Sport seats offer side airbags, height adjustment and Easy Entry as standard and optional heating. Available for the new MINI One, Cooper, Cooper D and Cooper S.
Last edited by Baraka; Apr 17, 2008 at 06:37 AM. Reason: additional info provided
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,578
Likes: 4
From: Paradise
When I called a few months ago, MINI of Mountain View told me the JCW seats for the R56 were not available in the USA. Haven't checked recently to see if anything has changed. Nor have I checked with any other dealer to see if they tell another story. If anyone finds them available here, I'd like to know about it.
2nd Gear
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Mainz, Germany
When I called a few months ago, MINI of Mountain View told me the JCW seats for the R56 were not available in the USA. Haven't checked recently to see if anything has changed. Nor have I checked with any other dealer to see if they tell another story. If anyone finds them available here, I'd like to know about it.
Thank you for the nice review but we do not have those seats on list with an American parts number...would you be able to post the part number, this way we can have them order as pre-pay special order. Thats the only way to get them here through our MINI parts counter... I been down the road on this accessory.
Sports seat leather left 52 10 0 421 081
Sports seat leather right 52 10 0 420 668
Sports seat leather/alcantara left 52 10 0 420 669
Sports seat leather/alcantara right 52 10 0 420 670
6th Gear
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,442
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento, Ca
i think the reason they werent allowed in USDM cars wasnt the airbag itself... it was because they dont have the weight sensors. I really really really wish they were available here though... i would love to have seats that are more supportive while still maintaining the safety of the airbag.
3rd Gear
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 151
Likes: 0
From: Australia
I have the Sportster CS seats direct from Recaro in my R53.
They are available from Recaro with the side airbags, but as ghosthound stated the issue in the US is the weight sensor in the passenger side seat due to the US seatbelt laws.
They are available from Recaro with the side airbags, but as ghosthound stated the issue in the US is the weight sensor in the passenger side seat due to the US seatbelt laws.
Last edited by steve11; Apr 18, 2008 at 02:14 AM.
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,578
Likes: 4
From: Paradise
So, how do you get around that? Doesn't it throw a code if they are not connected?
Vendor & Moderator :: MINI Camera and Video & c3 club forum
iTrader: (6)
For what it's worth, I recently retrofitted leather seats from a 2004 without the pressure sensor and cold weather by cannibalizing a set of 2006 leatherette seats. I had an upholstery shop do it. From what I understand, the pressure sensor was easy---the cold weather was more of a pain because the heating wires are threaded through the foam--so you have to destroy the foam to remove them, and then use new foam....also with the seats apart, they swapped all the good unscratched plastic parts from the '06 to the '04-including the airbags.
It's not inexpensive to do this--I paid around $700 for the cannibalized seats, and another $500 to the upholstery shop for the retrofit--plus $$ for the leather seats...but I ended up with something that I'm super happy with.
It's not inexpensive to do this--I paid around $700 for the cannibalized seats, and another $500 to the upholstery shop for the retrofit--plus $$ for the leather seats...but I ended up with something that I'm super happy with.
OC3 mat extracted (laying upside down on the new seat):
installed pics:
6th Gear
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,442
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento, Ca
^^ I never knew your recaros had side airbags! Im assuming you only need the donor seat if you want to keep driving the car during your install, assuming it takes more than a day or two to get done.. otherwise you could just chop up your own seats right?
I would love to get some more supportive seats but would much rather have the safety of the side airbag.. looks like it might be possible to have both!
I would love to get some more supportive seats but would much rather have the safety of the side airbag.. looks like it might be possible to have both!
no, although mine are from a 2007 Mitsu EVO IX, no airbags. I moved the OC3 mat over from a seat I bought on ebay from a junkyard. I have a 7mo old daughter and down the road, she'll be riding shotgun (not to mention my dog already does go on short trips to the store with me...he doesn't need an airbag going off in his face 
)
)
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