Recaro Seats

[doigal]

Hey all!

Picked up a set of nelglected recaro seats for the iS the other day from the 'bay. These seats are riduculously rare in aust - the guy i got them off said he only sees one every 12~18 months. I've had them confirmed as early e30 recaros

Pic of mine:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/doigal/BMW%20e30%20work%20log/Recaros-Inital.jpg


Anywho, they are in fairly tatty shape - and thats being kind. They need a complete retrim, probably new foam, new gas struts and last but not least, the rails are a bit rusty. I'm hoping to get the rails and the struts fixed, and then in a few months retrim them.

The first priority is to get the rails and the gas struts fixed up. As you can see here:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/doigal/BMW%20e30%20work%20log/Recaros-Rustycorner.jpg

they are quite rusty. BTW - thats the worst of the 8 corners, the rest are a LOT healthier than this. A bit of TLC with a dremel brought them up a little better, but not a great deal. Pic:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/doigal/BMW%20e30%20work%20log/Recaros-Rustycorner1stpas.jpg

Whats the best to get all the rust off them? Take them completly apart and sandblast everything and then POR15 or something simular? Also can you buy the little gas struts seperatly without the whole mechanism thats $40 each?

And what colour options work for the iS? I've got the iS grey (dove grey?) and thinking either retriming to suit using the same material or going something a little ///M... possibly M3 Mtex silver.

[AL GReeNeRy]

i believe those are from an e21. but still, nice find. i would love to have those rewrapped in leather. as you asked for, this is the BEST way to remove rust:

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30553&start=30
(page 3)

not sure if you would be able to do it or not, but it is definitely the BEST way.. dove gray is nice, any pics?

[doigal]

cool might just dunk them in that way and paint over the rusty bits....

No pics atm, will post up some soon!

[Alpine003]

i believe those are from an e21.

Another possible benefit of the e21 seats in an e30 is that you might sit lower(lower center of gravity) and gain some headroom if you are tall.

[asubimmer]

I like the feel of those e21ers ;)

nice buy!!

[e9nine]

Welcome to the OG Recaro club. I have a similar set in a darker color fabric from a Euro e30 so I didn't have to do any modification to get them to fit. The d.side could do with some recovering but that's the least of my worries.

Those bolters really do help a ton!!

[peteM3power]

Awesome find... Will be a great addition to your iS! I think Jake (StreetSpec_iS) has a similar set in his if I'm not mistaken? I'm looking for a set of some form of sports seats at the moment... still not sure which way to go... may have to just keep searching and see what comes up!

Pete

[Ramblin MAn]

yes those are from an e21. I have several sets in the garage waiting to be recovered. Unfortunately Aardvark racing has been the best price I've found for new skins and they are waaaayyy to expensive for me. Yours are actually pretty decent.

Post up when you get them covered. I'd like to know what you spend.

[D. Clay]

What is the charger referred to in the rust removal section on e30tech?

[doigal]

Electrical current source to work with the electrical rust removal.

As to e21 seats, i'm told that the e21 rails are quite different to e30 ones, and that these are early e30 seats - same seat as the e21, but with the rails of an e30.

With recovering, just think that i'm going to get a custom retrim. Does anyone know how much material is needed?

[D. Clay]

Is it a battery charger? 12volt DC or something different?

[M42boy]

Whats the best to get all the rust off them? Take them completly apart and sandblast everything and then POR15 or something simular? Also can you buy the little gas struts seperatly without the whole mechanism thats $40 each?

And what colour options work for the iS? I've got the iS grey (dove grey?) and thinking either retriming to suit using the same material or going something a little ///M... possibly M3 Mtex silver.

I reccomend POR-15 as a rust stop coating, but the rails might be generic to any E30 seat. Maybe you can pull the seat rails off your stock seats and use them on the new ones. It should be modular.

You CAN use a rust remover chemical, sander/grinder, and repaint them with POR-15, but they will never be quite right. They look pretty bad.

As for the seat material. I highly reccomend new foam (which you may have to get from recaro). You could do the //M strip cloth in the middle and stock grey on the outside. I think that would look pretty much tits! :cool:

[doigal]

M42 boy - if they cant be done as good as i want them then i was going to try to swap the rails over. Theres a couple of differences but for the most part they look simular. Still going to reco the recaro rails, and if it all fits up just leave them on the stockies until it comes time to sell everything off and then sort it out then.

I was thinking all new foam anyway and basically the colour pattern you just suggested! Any places that sell the mtech material online?

[Noel Higa]

I don't know if this is still available: http://www.bmwpugetsound.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=32827
But you might check with him and see.

[FL318is]

M42 boy - if they cant be done as good as i want them then i was going to try to swap the rails over. Theres a couple of differences but for the most part they look simular. Still going to reco the recaro rails, and if it all fits up just leave them on the stockies until it comes time to sell everything off and then sort it out then.

I was thinking all new foam anyway and basically the colour pattern you just suggested! Any places that sell the mtech material online?

Let me know about rails. I might have some from the extra seats (E30) I have.

[doigal]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/doigal/IMG_1896.jpg

Just need to get the grey outside (money factor after this purchase!), the vinal backing and get them actually retrimed and they'll be in the car soonish!

Just reco'ing the rails, they are about 80% there....

[jajou318]

oh wow, we are all jealous!!!

that cloth is sex.

[doigal]

Its grey too, not the usual black one!

thanks mate, i'm really happy with it!

[Febi Guibo]

thanks for pics... now, I want to kill myself. thanks.

(those are going to be OFF THE HOOK!!)

[jajou318]

what did that cloth run you? hahaha. next thing i want to do to my interior is two tone it but for now I'll just wait i might have a lead on some other parts :D

[Alpine003]

What's the big deal about that? Mtech this, Alpina that.... Blah. :rolleyes: :cool: :p

It's all about Burberry and Louis Vutton yo...LOL

http://thumb15.webshots.net/t/14/14/1/40/60/248914060LWIYlP_th.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1248914060064040535LWIYlP)

[jajou318]

What's the big deal about that? Mtech this, Alpina that.... Blah. :rolleyes: :cool: :p

It's all about Burberry and Louis Vutton yo...LOL

http://thumb15.webshots.net/t/14/14/1/40/60/248914060LWIYlP_th.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1248914060064040535LWIYlP)

pfft , this is the bmw equivalent :P

[jajou318]

oh btw, something that would go well with what you hav egoing...
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=82051

[doigal]

oh btw, something that would go well with what you hav egoing...
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=82051

Someone else suggested that on my aussie euro forum. Its a good idea, but i dont think that the bright red would work so well with the grey. I'll think about it though!

[jajou318]

Someone else suggested that on my aussie euro forum. Its a good idea, but i dont think that the bright red would work so well with the grey. I'll think about it though!

Yea, I'm not too sure but it would be sweet to have those. The only downside to them is being so expensive

[doigal]

If I was sure that the colour combo would work, then i'd put it on the 'very much later' list, but since i dont think it will, the thought of spending US$400 isnt appealing!

[jajou318]

If I was sure that the colour combo would work, then i'd put it on the 'very much later' list, but since i dont think it will, the thought of spending US$400 isnt appealing!

haha yea. they are definately a cool factor. i don't think i can ever justify $400 for seatbelts no matter what they are made of.

[StreetSpec_iS]

gonna be sick as, Lach.

[doigal]

Cheers mate, still need to work out what to do the bolsters in, i'm liking the idea of grey microsweade to match the rest of the interior, otherwise it'll just be the grey thats in there....

ditto for the rears, cept i'm not getting sweade there!!!

Just polishing up the rails now... damm melbourne summer!

[christophbmw]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/doigal/IMG_1896.jpg

Just need to get the grey outside (money factor after this purchase!), the vinal backing and get them actually retrimed and they'll be in the car soonish!

Just reco'ing the rails, they are about 80% there....
holy shit! where did you get that uphulstory, i have been looking online for a long time now and cant find who sells that style (isnt it bmw OE).

[doigal]

The grey stuff i just got from the local dealer here in oz. Its very much BMW OE! Its simular to the evo trim, just with a grey backing instead of the black.

Part Number (by the meter) is 51 92 2 235 799
BMW colour code is 0345 Silber Mtex 1

Just get friendly with the local dealer and see if they are happy to bring some across from Mobile Traditions for you (BMWs older car warehouse)

Or, choose from the rest of the ///M interior:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/doigal/BMW%20e30%20work%20log/03.jpg

[christophbmw]

sweet thanks. ya the evo series of M3's had the coolest interiors.

[doigal]

Quick question:

Now that the insert fabric is sorted out I'm turning my attention to the bolster and rear cloth - parts 3 and 4 in this pic:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/z/x/9.png

Dont suppose anyone knows the silver colour code for certain?? Failing that, whats people's expirences with microsuede or microfiber material in cars?

[StreetSpec_iS]

microsuede? is that the same as alcantara? if so, i've had my recaros in black alcantara for a few years now. very easy to clean, and seems t be very resilliant. Id say go for it, but to be honest, I think it would look heaps nice with grey leather bolsters. That said, suede is very nice too.

[doigal]

microsuede? is that the same as alcantara? if so, i've had my recaros in black alcantara for a few years now. very easy to clean, and seems t be very resilliant. Id say go for it, but to be honest, I think it would look heaps nice with grey leather bolsters. That said, suede is very nice too.

Just not a fan of the grey e30 leather, or of leather in cars in general really. Can you post up some pics of your seats?