Mk5 Roadster Seat Options?

[Ejzajac]

I know there are many "seat" threads mainly focused on replacement, non-FF options. My questions are more related to the standard seats and FF upgrades.

1. What is the "comfort level" with additional Breeze installation kit for better angulation? Good enough for moderate length cruising?
2. Is it possible to add additional lumbar cushioning to the standard seats for better comfort?
3. Do those builders who went with standard vinyl wished they upgraded to leather or stitched leather?

OR
Completely give up on the standard seats, get a hand-full of change as "credit" and go with taller after-market seats?

My Mk5 order is in, but final options pending. Off to build school this weekend! Thanks.

Ed Z

[RobHartley]

My boys and I will see you at the build school! My Mk5 order is in as well, we are headed to FFR after the build school for a tour and to finalize my order as well.

[cv2065]

I thought the stock seats with Breeze Mount worked fine. Although the cushioning material in the seat pad does seem to compress over time. I went with aftermarket this time around. Mileage varies as my aftermarket Intatrim seats are not as wide as the stock seats but more form fitting and works well for me but if you have a larger frame may not.

Personally I like the vinyl seats better. Aside from a lower cost, it’s more of a marine grade vinyl and seems to wear very well, even in hot climates. Leather is nice but can dry out/discolor if not cared for.

[edwardb]

Comfort of the stock seats is very subjective. Some find them very comfortable. Some don't. Some like them tipped back. Some don't. Your best bet is to sit in them and decide for yourself. I've had both leather and vinyl. I can't say there's a big difference. The vinyl used looks like leather and IMO not worth it to spend extra. A big reason people go with high back seats is safety. Again a personal choice.

[Jeff Kleiner]

As Paul said seat comfort is subjective and I'll go even farther and say that seat type and positioning are as well as is how the car is intended to be used. What's comfortable for me at 5'9" and 160ish probably won't be for someone who is "big and tall" and vice-versa. When I build for customers I always have them come for a "fitting" before finalizing the seats and pedals.

I've sat in almost everything; some I like, some not so much and some were simply not positioned well for me. The FFR lowbacks are pretty comfortable for cruising but don't offer any lateral support for cornering so if you plan to autocross or track the car they might not be your best choice. I agree with Paul and Chad that the vinyl is a high quality and personally wouldn't pay for the leather upgrade. My first car had FFR branded Sube Clubmans which I loved...fit me great, were ideal for when I tracked and autocrossed the car but they didn't fit my good friend who is 6 ' and 230#! I went ahead and took the standard vinyl lowbacks with my Mk5 even though I was pretty sure that I wouldn't use them (they actually never even came out of the box!). While at FFR a few months ago I grabbed a pair of Kirkey 55 series vintage buckets and have them in the car. As I explained in a recent thread I made some changes to set the steering wheel and pedal position on the Mk5 as much like the earlier cars as possible (lowered the wheel and changed the angle, dropped the pedal box). After doing this I ended up with the front of the seat frame spaced about 5" above the floor and the rear about 3 1/2". Consider though that the FFR roadster seats have a much thicker cushion than the Kirkeys so they would not need to be raised as much to wind up at the same actual "butt height" :)

I recommend that you hold off on seat selection until after you attend build school and are able to actually sit down in the Mk5 with the standard seat because that's going to tell you a lot. Enjoy the class!

Jeff

[Takis31gk]

I ordered the vintage racing seats for my MK5. Being 6'4" 230, I wanted to get as much room as I could. I wanted to have the standard seat for the passenger side, but they sent me 2 vintage seats. Oh well, I can live with it lol.

[DavidW]

Just get the "Leather Roadster Seats" mount them directly to the floor as far back as you can and don't think to much about comfort level. They provide enough comfort for any length of driving you'll be doing except if you are "Traveling Somewhere Far" over 100 miles at one time. Then its still bearable, you'll realize you drove a Cobra that far. Been there, done that.

[John4337]

We've found the standard roadster seats on Breeze mounts comfortable, and have done several trips. we limited it to about 450-500 miles a day, not because the seats were a problem, but small cockpit and road wind noises. I did add headrests to the seats at the request of my wife. They may work for you, they may not. Best of luck.

John

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=186698&d=1688347594

[Ejzajac]

We've found the standard roadster seats on Breeze mounts comfortable, and have done several trips. we limited it to about 450-500 miles a day, not because the seats were a problem, but small cockpit and road wind noises. I did add headrests to the seats at the request of my wife. They may work for you, they may not. Best of luck.

John

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=186698&d=1688347594

Headrest look good. Where did you get them? I assume the rods of the headrest are fixed to the frame of the roadster seats.
Thanks.
Ed Z

[John4337]

I added them myself. I documented the process of install here, starts at post #24. https://www.ffcars.com/threads/another-seat-thread.413801/page-2 The photos were lost to the photobucket mess, but they are here https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/album.php?albumid=2340

[DW66]

I agree with John. I have the standard seats from FFR and they've held up good and look fine in my opinion. I use the Breeze seat mounts and I'm good for about 500 miles in a day. Done it many times.

Dave

[Steve1979]

I’m another one for leather seats.

1 - I used the Breeze steel frame installation kit on only the passenger side, this does help with comfort of the passenger with the added recline.

On the drivers side I opted for Sparco seat sliders with 1” wedges under the front of the steel tubing. This gives the seat a recline much like the Breeze frame without having to take it apart to move the seat to a different position, when and if changing drivers. I realized that I needed a seat that could move easily forward once and a while, because my wife and sons were hinting at driving the roadster when building it. With my wife being about 5” 2”, the adjustable seat brings her up to the steering wheel and pedals without any fuss. After getting the Roadster on the road, the sliders for the drivers seat turned out to be a very good addition.

2 - The FF steel tubing seats seem to have a nice sway to the back rest, which supports the lumbar area. Have never had any back issues after driving for long periods, just the typical get out and stretch your legs once and awhile. The longest drive we went on was a 3 day, 800+ mile round trip from San Jose to Huntington Beach back in 2015 for the FF Cal cruise in.

3 - I have the leather seats from FF and really like them. They are very comfortable for long periods of driving and seem to not get overly hot when driving in the summer months. I’m basing this on having driven 60’s cars with vinyl seats and no a/c. They also as far as I can tell have no type of synthetic coating that keeps conditioner from soaking it.