Front seat swap question!!!

[CHobbs59]

I have tan manual front seats. I am looking at buying these electric seats because they are black and will match my back seats for a good price.

Can I take off the foam and leather from its holder and but it on my manual frame? I looked and found some threads that say you can even do that with vader seats.

Also since my manuals are tan and the electrics are black, can I take the back black panel and swap that too?

I just need a 100% confirmation. I think 80% of me is saying I can. Please give me some information.

[Bianca98]

Sport/comfort/vaders all have slightly different construction. Without more info its hard to say. If you have sport seats and want to change parts off sport seats, barring a great difference in year, the foam and what not should be interchangable. back panels should be fine too.

I just finished installing E46 seats and I can tell you this route is lengthy and filled with sweat but its not terribly complicated. You can even get nice sporty seats with memory function. They can be had at a decent value. I'm very much over the E36 seats. They make me want my 540 with sport seats back.

[z25is]

Sort of, yes and no.

Theres two different versions of e36 seat frames. Theres the early version from 92 to somewhere around 94 year. Starting around 94 year they go to the later model version of seat frames. This only effects the fitment of the upper part of the seat pads, but the lower parts are 100% interchangeable between the two different frame types. The early version has it's upper frame built/welded onto the lower frame, where as with the later model has the upper frame detachable from the lower frame.

So to get down to it, if these seats you are looking at getting are the earlier versions the seat, yes you can direct swap the pads and shells over to your manual frames. If however those other seats are the later model, no can do.

[CHobbs59]

Sport/comfort/vaders all have slightly different construction. Without more info its hard to say. If you have sport seats and want to change parts off sport seats, barring a great difference in year, the foam and what not should be interchangable. back panels should be fine too.

I just finished installing E46 seats and I can tell you this route is lengthy and filled with sweat but its not terribly complicated. You can even get nice sporty seats with memory function. They can be had at a decent value. I'm very much over the E36 seats. They make me want my 540 with sport seats back.

What info would you like? Maybe i explained it wrong. So the foam/leather insert will fit into any base/frame? AND any back panel can be replaced too.

Right?

The seats are somewhat blah, i agree. But for 200 bucks for both seats is good. Unless i can pick up e46 seats for that price i think the switcheroo will do.

Those are very, very nice seats... Wish i had some.

[z25is]

Early style, which you have (if your car is 93) http://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com/images/parts/bmw/fullsize/7274.jpg

And later style starting around 94 year
http://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com/images/parts/bmw/fullsize/7299.jpg

The lower pads and plastic piece can be swapped on either version of the seat frame, however the upper part cannot be interchanged between the two.

So what I'm saying is, if these new seats your looking are the same seat frame version as what you have right now, you are 100% good to go on the seat parts swap all the way down to the frame.

[CHobbs59]

So to get down to it, if these seats you are looking at getting are the earlier versions the seat, yes you can direct swap the pads and shells over to your manual frames. If however those other seats are the later model, no can do.

so i wouldn't be able to take off the back pad and trim/Seat pocket?
http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mYcvMw6QpzdbwroMI06ybgA.jpg

Does that make sense?


Early style, which you have (if your car is 93) http://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com/images/parts/bmw/fullsize/7274.jpg

And later style starting around 94 year
http://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com/images/parts/bmw/fullsize/7299.jpg




Even though i am heart broken and distraught about the parts not fitting, your informative links were awesome. Your the MAN!!!

[z25is]

Like I said, you have to identify the version of the seats your looking at buying in order to know if that back piece can bet swapped or not, which also applies to all the other upper seat parts as well, minus the head rest.

If the other seats you wanna buy are not the same frame (such as being later model frame) that back piece along with the other upper parts such as the upper pad/leather because they mount differently, and will not fit onto your 93 seat frames.

Edit: that picture looks like it may be a later model seat backing, is that a part of the seats your looking to buy?

[CHobbs59]

Yeah they wont... The seats would be from a later model. Thanks for the help man i really appreciate it. You dont happen to know anyone that has any seats for sale?

[z25is]

Classifieds would be a good place to be looking, you might find seat leather/pads floating around over there, just make sure their the earlier versions to fit your seat frames. Craigslist is another place to look, or perhaps you may find early model dysfunctional electric seats with good leather/pads for cheap. Those would be great for donoring leather/pad assemblies from.

[Bianca98]

BEST PLACE TO LOOK IS A JUNK YARD!

E36s get put in the junk yard because of body damage and engine problems, not because of toasted interiors. If you havent been to a junkyard near your local city yet to see what BMW parts they have, I highly suggest you do. I went to one yard where they had 3 e36 sedans, and 2 coupes. All of which had complete interiors, some of which with better seats than mine. They may need some cleaning but this is no big deal. Plus a parts man is likely to give you a great deal on them, maybe even just 50 bucks for the front two.

Speaking to the E46 seats, I got my E46 ///M seats that were manual, and heated for just 400 bucks. In my research for installing them, many people said they got non-///M seats for 250, and sometimes less.

Keep it up though, dude. E36 seats suck. Let us know what you decide and follow up with pictues and what not when you make a decision.

[CHobbs59]

Speaking to the E46 seats, I got my E46 ///M seats that were manual, and heated for just 400 bucks. In my research for installing them, many people said they got non-///M seats for 250, and sometimes less.

Keep it up though, dude. E36 seats suck. Let us know what you decide and follow up with pictues and what not when you make a decision.

I will have to search longer then. And jump on a good deal when I find one. I will look man! I don't know where you live but there are a lot of poor people that scavenge parts here. Not only that but they are real assholes when it comes to removing stuff. Sometimes they will just rip everything out and render it useless in the prowess. I'll search around. Every time I go I never have much luck.

And thanks for all of the help by the way. It saved me from making a bad decision. What ever I put in I will for sure add tons of pictures and hopefully a video. This community needs more of that.

[scooper]

OP, myellowm3 has a pair of black sport seats for sale. I don't know the vintage however. PM or email him.

[JDStrickland]

Wouldn't it be easier to just run some electricity to the seats?

There is no memory or anything. You just need 12v and ground to the main connector under the seat, and the seat switches control the polarity so the seats move the right direction.

[CHobbs59]

Wouldn't it be easier to just run some electricity to the seats?

There is no memory or anything. You just need 12v and ground to the main connector under the seat, and the seat switches control the polarity so the seats move the right direction.

Yeah I guess. I just wouldn't know where to start. I wouldn't know where to tap in to. Is 200 a good buy?

[JDStrickland]

Yeah I guess. I just wouldn't know where to start. I wouldn't know where to tap in to. Is 200 a good buy?
Two seats? Yeah, the price seems pretty good, I suppose. I have not priced seats, but if they are sport seats or vaders, then they are very sought after, and the pricing seems pretty good. The condition is really driving the bus on the value here.

I don't know the circuit demands, but if you found an empty slot in the fuse box and ran an 18- or 16 gauge wire to the seats, and populated the fuse slot with a 20a fuse, you should be in good shape. The seats are on a constant hot as opposed to a switched hot, so you could tap directly off of the battery if you wanted. What you need is the connector on the car that fits the connector on the bottom of the seats. You can go to the junk yard with your wire cutters and harvest a couple of connectors, or go to radio shack and buy the male and female sides and build new connectors.

I think the way to go with this is to install the electrics rather than swap seat parts among powered and non-powered seat frames. It would be far easier to put in a wire than to chew a fat wad of bubble-gum and buy a roll of bailing wire to make the parts fit among the seat frames.

[CHobbs59]

Update!!! About to install this weekend. I bought some black back seats with fold down armrests w/ cup holders for 40 bucks.

Just today I bought 2 leather electric black e36 front seats out of 97 328i, black pillars, and tan door panels all for 250. So I will have a black tan interior for 300 total. I had to buy some wiring and fuses for the seats.

Hopefully I can sell my stuff for the same if not more.

I will be posting pictures of installation of:

Wiring for seats (I originally have manuals)
Installation of seats (front and rear)
Installation of panels for 4dr

Hopefully I will have time to do a video of each. Even though these are "easy" swaps I think it would be nice to have a video for people who haven't done these things. Hope it will help some people out.