Swapping regular seats for sport seats?
 

Not sure if this is the right forum or not for this...

My local dealer has a car on it's way (already built and waiting for shipping) that has everything I want, EXCEPT for the Sport Seats. My question is, can the regular seats be swapped out for sport seats? I know the sports seats are $300 and I'm sure there will be a labor charge, but is this something a dealer can do? Or, better yet, can it be done at the VDC?

One MA in the forums here said it can be done but said the dealer has to be willing to go the extra mile. I wanted to confirm if anyone knows before I approach my dealer about it. If they are unwilling to do it, but it is easy for them to do (just a matter of ordering the seats and putting them in) then I want to know that information. Afterall, i'm the one dropping $20K.

Also, just a worry of mine... if the seats are swapped out, is there any chance of them not being as "safe" as factory-installed seats? I would prefer my car to be come "as manufactured" from the factory, and since seats are one of the more important safety items in a car, I want to know that making this change will be safe. And, I'm assuming that if they did it before I buy the car, it will be under warranty, etc.

Any thoughts about this are appreciated. Thanks for reading.

mini Seats Can Be Changed With No Problem ...four Torx Screws ,2 Front And 2 At The Back ...then The Seats Just Lift Out .other Makes May Req An Adaptor Rail .if You Fit Jcw Seats ,they Have No Air Bags And Require The Airbag Warning Lightto Be Reset (code Req'd) Or Buy A "dummy Module" And Connect/plug That In To The Wiring Under The Seat .

I did it with my '03, not a problem what so ever.

im not sure if aftermarket seat rails come with up/down adjustment...
might be a problem if you're real short or something.

loved my sport seats!

those things were awesome when taking turns

JCW ones don't ..that's for sure :wink: ,but the hold is worth not having the adjusters :nod:

Hi all,

thanks for all the replies...

just want to confirm... for the dealer this is no problem to do? I'm not going to do the swap as I'm not a do-it-yourself type... what I'm hoping is that when the car comes in, they can already have ordered the seats and just swap them out... that way, they are in there when I take delivery.

Also, I assume if they do it, it will not void any warranty.

I'm sure your dealer can do the swap, it's not a big job, but the question is at what price?
The sport seats when ordering from the factory may be only a $300 tab, but for the dealer to order in the parts and do the swap, they may not give any credit for the standard seats, and I can only imagine how much more than the $300 factory tab they will charge.
Do keep us posted.

I'd guess you'd be looking at over a thousand dollars to have the dealer do it, possibly well over. I can't imagine a dealership would do it for only the upcharge price from the factory. They'll be left with seats they can't use.-Keith

Well, both my dealer and someone from email at MiniUSA said they cannot swap the seats out. My dealer says they have to sell the car as it is on the sticker. I imagine it is a safety issue.

That means I would have to buy the seats and do it myself and that's not going to happen since I'm not handy at all. Plus, I don't want to void any warranties.

Doesn't look like this is an option for me. Too bad, because the car is just right except for the seats. I really love the sports seats.

Do you have to have the car right now? If not, order it the way you want. It took 5 weeks for mine to get here, with the exact options and colors I wanted.

It isn't a matter of safety, they just don't want to bother with it. I'm sure if you would offer to pay the full price of new seats they would swap them for you. You could always keep your eyes open for someone selling the seats out of their '06 and swap them into your car. The swap is very simple, very little mechanical apptitude is necessary.

-Keith

Thanks Keith... you are right... I could order, but it's slightly complicated.

I have a different car on order (Pure Silver) just changed my mind about the color. Both cars are supposed to arrive about the same time, so I was just going to swap my order. But the sport seats are an important option to me.

I've already waited 5 weeks and have 2-3 weeks more to go before delivery (I ordered beginning of Aug. right around the 2-week factory shut down). I don't think I can wait another 6-8 weeks.

I will pay for the seats and to have them installed (that's how much I want them) then sell the others for next to nothing. I just want to have someone else do it to make sure it is correct and stays in warranty... hence asking the dealer to do it. It just sounds like my dealer doesn't want the hassle.

I guess I can ask the dealer if they can do it after I "buy" the car.

Where are you located. I might be interested in your base seats if we could work out the details. Are the seats cloth, vinyl, or leather, heated? I've got the sport seats in my car and I love them for autocrossing and short trips around town, but for longer trips the sport seats have proven to be uncomfortable for me, and I've been looking for some base seats to swap out with my sport seats from time to time.

-Keith

Hi Keith,

I'm in Memphis... where are you? I haven't decided what i'm going to do yet, though.

I'm up in Ohio, but I make it down to Memphis every so often for a pilgrimage to Graceland and for some good ribs.

.

I'm going to try and decide in the next day or so whether to go with the MC that's arriving soon or reorder and MCS. I'll let you know!