E46 Sport Seats in E34. Should I Waste My Time

[E38740iMD]

So I snagged up some fresh and I mean FRESSSH!!!!!!! Pair of front e46 sport seats in black and yes they are manual.

Originally I was going to retrofit them in my brothers e36 since his seats is fubbared. But the leather is VERY SOFT. Not dry, and very comfortable. So I was actually thinking I should just fit them in the e34. So I bought them anyway for 60 bucks and if I change my mind my brother can get them. I'm tired of only being limited to the e32/e34 seats and finding e34 sports seats is getting harder and harder. And people who has a beat to death seat try to sell them for 500+. I figure if I just cut the stupid hooks. And make a mini bracket I should be good.

Thoughts?

I will bless you guys with pics of the seats tomarrow. Passenger is 10/10. Driver is 9.1 out a 10.

[Sam Son]

Cut the hooks or get the VAC floor mount adapters.

[chuddism]

I will bless you guys with pics of the seats tomarrow. Passenger is 10/10. Driver is 9.1 out a 10.

9.1 is suuper precise man. interested in seeing how this goes. i have sport seat that refuse to untwist. becoming rather annoying...

[BMWheadSpence]

The seat rails are offset for the e46/e36 seats, so the rails will actually sit next to the hooks on the floor. When I put e36 seats in my 535i I just drilled holes in the floor next to the original seat mounts and put a nut on the bottom. It's a hollow cross-member where the seats mount, but it's still not very easy to get the nut on the bottom of a bolt - I welded a nut to a small strip of metal.

[E38740iMD]

The seat rails are offset for the e46/e36 seats, so the rails will actually sit next to the hooks on the floor. When I put e36 seats in my 535i I just drilled holes in the floor next to the original seat mounts and put a nut on the bottom. It's a hollow cross-member where the seats mount, but it's still not very easy to get the nut on the bottom of a bolt - I welded a nut to a small strip of metal.

Oh so I don't have to cut the hook. Now that's definetly makes it worthwhile. I will attempt next weekend

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9.1 is suuper precise man. interested in seeing how this goes. i have sport seat that refuse to untwist. becoming rather annoying...

yes it's umbeleivably nice. And exactly. My e32 driver seat is starting to twist but still very nice.

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Cut the hooks or get the VAC floor mount adapters.

Ima look these up now

[carlito79]

I'm excited about how this is going to turn out. My front seats started to falling apart .
Maybe some pics of the entire process?!?🍻🍻

[E38740iMD]

I'm excited about how this is going to turn out. My front seats started to falling apart .
Maybe some pics of the entire process?!?����

I have no problem of making diy of the e46 sports seats.

What's great about this is that the e46 has sport seats on almost all models. Mine came from a 323i. Easier to find then finding a unicorn 540i/6 that's being parted instead of being sold as a whole. Or paying over 750 for m5 sport seats.

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Ps. No way in hell I'm buying this VAC seat adapters.

[demetk]

Ps. No way in hell I'm buying this VAC seat adapters.

LOL. How much are they? If they're more than $50, me neither.

[E38740iMD]

LOL. How much are they? If they're more than $50, me neither.

$220

and it looks like its 220 each side!!!!


pics after my morning meeting

[Sam Son]

They are quite pricey but really high quality. I use them with my fixed backs

[struka]

They are quite pricey but really high quality. I use them with my fixed backs

That's what I ended up doing for when I put Recaro SRDs bottom mounts in mine but had to do some work to make them fit with rails.

[absolutezero273]

pics after my morning meeting

Just curious, did you ever get these in?

[E38740iMD]

Just curious, did you ever get these in?

Sadly no. The seats offset is similar to the e34 so the front bolt spot is where the hooks are in the e34. I didn't want to cut my dear hooks in case I find some black e34 sport seats so I junked the idea and gave them to my brother for his e36 coupe

[nonturbodan]

Sadly no. The seats offset is similar to the e34 so the front bolt spot is where the hooks are in the e34. I didn't want to cut my dear hooks in case I find some black e34 sport seats so I junked the idea and gave them to my brother for his e36 coupe

Dammit. I am in dire need of seats and I was hoping for this to be a relatively straight forward option.

Were the rear bolts in the right spot? I think I could rig the hooks without cutting. I wouldn't be opposed to bolting to the hooks. Would be more solid than the clapped out and busted seats I'm running now.

[cirrusblau]

Sadly no. The seats offset is similar to the e34 so the front bolt spot is where the hooks are in the e34. I didn't want to cut my dear hooks in case I find some black e34 sport seats so I junked the idea and gave them to my brother for his e36 coupe

i know this is kinda late, but couldn't you have adapted the e34 seat rails to it?

[E38740iMD]

Dammit. I am in dire need of seats and I was hoping for this to be a relatively straight forward option.

Were the rear bolts in the right spot? I think I could rig the hooks without cutting. I wouldn't be opposed to bolting to the hooks. Would be more solid than the clapped out and busted seats I'm running now.

I said the same thing. With the rear holes lined up the fronts sat on the hooks. They were quite comfy and waaaaaay better than the e34. Onforts. I was gonna drill a fat as self tap for the fronts if the hooks where in the dam way

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i know this is kinda late, but couldn't you have adapted the e34 seat rails to it?

Maybe it was possible. But seemed to Complicated and i didn't want to mess up two sets of seats in the process. I was think if just cutting the hooks clean and keeping them in the glove box until if I decide to go to stock fitment but.... I junked the idea

[absolutezero273]

...They were quite comfy and waaaaaay better than the e34...

This is what appeals to me. Being more comfortable. The seats I have in my e34 are so worn and broken I can feel myself sinking into the bottom and back of the drivers seat after I've been in my e38. I get a back ache after driving the car for a week.

I have another set of front seats I bought used but that's the problem. They may not have the 192,000 miles of wear that my original ones do but I have to assume they still have 125-150K+ miles.

Has anyone rebuilt their seats? I checked and it appears that the seat frame and backrest frames are still available but at $200 (Seat frame - 52108154209) and $100 (backrest frame - 52101973161) it doesn't seem too economical.

[E38740iMD]

I love my e38 seats too.

Nothing really wrong with my e34 seats. Just want to be held in a bit more.

I don't I seen anyone rebuild them for a few Years. Maybe back about 5 years back people were

[zubbie]

I love my e38 seats too.

Nothing really wrong with my e34 seats. Just want to be held in a bit more.

I don't I seen anyone rebuild them for a few Years. Maybe back about 5 years back people were

Drunk enough?

[marshallnoise]

I have sport seats for my car, but I am a fart arse so I have comforts in it. I may attempt this at some point just for giggles.

[E38740iMD]

Drunk enough?

it definitely seems so

[Tre0Tre34]

9.1 is suuper precise man. interested in seeing how this goes. i have sport seat that refuse to untwist. becoming rather annoying...

I had a very stubborn seat twist when I acquired my set of sport seats. Turns out that the gearbox for the recline was past it (worn plastic gears inside).

I replaced the gearbox with one from my original comforts which has taken care of the issue. but I will let you know it was not easy to get everything lined up pressed together and secured.

almost all mechanical parts are the same between the comforts and sports fyi

[chuddism]

I had a very stubborn seat twist when I acquired my set of sport seats. Turns out that the gearbox for the recline was past it (worn plastic gears inside).

I replaced the gearbox with one from my original comforts which has taken care of the issue. but I will let you know it was not easy to get everything lined up pressed together and secured.

almost all mechanical parts are the same between the comforts and sports fyi

Sucks that I threw out my comforts .

I've learned to live with them now. They are set okay and I don't move them

[Fantom Infinity]

Anyone successfully swapped in E46 sport seats? I poked around and it seems like a few have done it, but there's not much documentation.

[E38740iMD]

From what I caw it can be done. But I decided againts. I wanted to keep my hooks. And the shape of the seat doesn't really match the rears. But if I find another set I will poll do it.

I installed them in my brothers e36 328is. And it looks well belonged and dam it felt good!