Comfort and Codgers

Hi.

I've been reading some seat threads and I'm wondering, of the people who have changed to aftermarket or late model seats, how they changed your comfort level experience with your car.

I remember my old mach1 to be much easier to get in and out of. The steering wheel was not in the way. I remember sitting higher and the seat was pretty comfortable.

In the one I have now all that is not as I remember it. And I'm super sure it's not the three plus decades of aging poorly and bad posture that's at fault. :shrug2:

Even though it probably is.

My first thought was to swap in late model seats as I like the seats in my 2012 GT, but while the seat may fit - the head rest looks like it would just maybe allow the seat to tilt forward without having to take the headrest off - but another issue is that the actual seat, at least at the front where your thighs rest, is about three inches taller.

I'm not particularly tall but another three inches of seat under my butt is going to put the top of my head really near or right on the head liner. I guess a bonus there being that sitting that high might let me see out the rear window enough to see if there's a truck or maybe an elephant parked behind me with the rear-view.

While I'm not exactly looking for pro touring and I'm not exactly looking for resto mod, I do want to get the comfort and capability of the mach1 up to at least the same level as what I enjoy in my GT.

Being able to swing the wheel up so I can get my fornicating knees in the car without growing another joint would be awesome, and a seat with more adjustability would probably solve my comfort/seating position issue.

What's worked for you guys?

I prefer sitting on a young woman's lap, myself...

I prefer sitting on a young woman's lap, myself...

Click to expand...

Considering that I'm not the most svelte human who's ever walked the earth, I imagine in my case that would probably be considered a hate crime if I tried it.

Thanks though!

LOL Midlife has another hurricane headed his way and not fixed from the last one and he has a since of humor hurray.

I am all in for the young woman most of my dates are in their 20's, lol.

I have regular seats but have a tilt and I am 6'5" I really do not move the tilt to get in or out. All of my cars have tilt. 

I sit in the seat then put my feet in. Have to watch out for convertible top switch or rear window defogger switch. So I never put feet in first. Broke the handle off before.

BTW I am a dirty old man, lol.

I love my TMI foam and covers. It keeps the classic appearance while giving you tons of support. You keep your old seat frames.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

I love my TMI foam and covers. It keeps the classic appearance while giving you tons of support. You keep your old seat frames.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Are there any photos available of how it looks in the car?

And regards to support, I see that the two sportier options give you some bolster to hold you in (which may exacerbate my issue with getting in and out), but how is the seating on the bottom?

When I sit in mine now I think my butt actually bounces off the floor pan.

I love my TMI foam and covers. It keeps the classic appearance while giving you tons of support. You keep your old seat frames.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Are there any photos available of how it looks in the car?

And regards to support, I see that the two sportier options give you some bolster to hold you in (which may exacerbate my issue with getting in and out), but how is the seating on the bottom?

When I sit in mine now I think my butt actually bounces off the floor pan.

Click to expand...

I can get better pictures later today. This one doesn't really show the side support well. I don't think I sit much taller than before. Maybe a half an inch taller. The side bolster is not an issue for me, but it is tight for my legs to go under the steering wheel and I am not a tall guy. I don't know how you guys in the 6' club can get in. The other day my ankles were hurting from sports and it was hard to get in due to how much I need to flex my legs. However, I can't say that it is worst with these covers than before.

I plan on Recaro Expert seats in houndstooth.

They have adjustable width bolsters.

I love my TMI foam and covers. It keeps the classic appearance while giving you tons of support. You keep your old seat frames.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Are there any photos available of how it looks in the car?

And regards to support, I see that the two sportier options give you some bolster to hold you in (which may exacerbate my issue with getting in and out), but how is the seating on the bottom?

When I sit in mine now I think my butt actually bounces off the floor pan.

Click to expand...

I can get better pictures later today. This one doesn't really show the side support well. I don't think I sit much taller than before. Maybe a half an inch taller. The side bolster is not an issue for me, but it is tight for my legs to go under the steering wheel and I am not a tall guy. I don't know how you guys in the 6' club can get in. The other day my ankles were hurting from sports and it was hard to get in due to how much I need to flex my legs. However, I can't say that it is worst with these covers than before.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the photo! I'd have to try the one with the lesser bolster I think unless I can cobble up some seat track extenders that are going to work for me.

I ordered a new seat track to experiment with to see what I can do with it. I was a machinist in a former life but I've about forgotten everything I knew about it.

If that half an inch higher is also comfortable and firm then using the old seats with the new foam and covers may work. As it is now I bottom out on the floor pan whenever I sit down on the seats as they are now. Maybe the foam was worn out and they didn't replace it when they put the new covers on.

Thanks again!

I plan on Recaro Expert seats in houndstooth.

They have adjustable width bolsters.

Click to expand...

Those are nice seats, they remind me of upscale Fox body seats.

Are there any photos available of how it looks in the car?

And regards to support, I see that the two sportier options give you some bolster to hold you in (which may exacerbate my issue with getting in and out), but how is the seating on the bottom?

When I sit in mine now I think my butt actually bounces off the floor pan.

Click to expand...

I can get better pictures later today. This one doesn't really show the side support well. I don't think I sit much taller than before. Maybe a half an inch taller. The side bolster is not an issue for me, but it is tight for my legs to go under the steering wheel and I am not a tall guy. I don't know how you guys in the 6' club can get in. The other day my ankles were hurting from sports and it was hard to get in due to how much I need to flex my legs. However, I can't say that it is worst with these covers than before.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the photo! I'd have to try the one with the lesser bolster I think unless I can cobble up some seat track extenders that are going to work for me.

I ordered a new seat track to experiment with to see what I can do with it. I was a machinist in a former life but I've about forgotten everything I knew about it.

If that half an inch higher is also comfortable and firm then using the old seats with the new foam and covers may work. As it is now I bottom out on the floor pan whenever I sit down on the seats as they are now. Maybe the foam was worn out and they didn't replace it when they put the new covers on.

Thanks again!

Click to expand...

It is certainly very confortable. I think that whatever I gained in height may have been due to the old foam being worn out. It is hard to know how will it fit unless you can find a similar car with the same seats and try sitting on them. Here are a few more pictures:

PS: in these pictures the seat is one notch from fully backed.

From that angle the bolster doesn't look terrible, if I can conquer the original issue - adapting the seats back several inches - that should be an excellent way to go. And I can always ask for a little extra foam in the seat bottom.

I have to wallow around so hard getting turned around in the seat now that I'm pretty sure the step bolts that hold the seat back on are going to break soon.

Thank you!

From that angle the bolster doesn't look terrible, if I can conquer the original issue - adapting the seats back several inches - that should be an excellent way to go. And I can always ask for a little extra foam in the seat bottom.

I have to wallow around so hard getting turned around in the seat now that I'm pretty sure the step bolts that hold the seat back on are going to break soon.

Thank you!

Click to expand...

These have plenty of foam at the bottom, but if you need more you can add it. As an idea, to help you turn around, what about sitting on a towel or some kind of "silky" material that would lower the friction and make it easier to turn on the seat. Once seated you can remove the material. May not be practical but just a thought.

From that angle the bolster doesn't look terrible, if I can conquer the original issue - adapting the seats back several inches - that should be an excellent way to go. And I can always ask for a little extra foam in the seat bottom.

I have to wallow around so hard getting turned around in the seat now that I'm pretty sure the step bolts that hold the seat back on are going to break soon.

Thank you!

Click to expand...

These have plenty of foam at the bottom, but if you need more you can add it. As an idea, to help you turn around, what about sitting on a towel or some kind of "silky" material that would lower the friction and make it easier to turn on the seat. Once seated you can remove the material. May not be practical but just a thought.

Click to expand...

That may help in the short term. I actually have less gut now than I did when I was in high school and had my last mach1, I think I'm just less bendy than I used to be.

I installed full TMI seats and created a fairly simple mod to give me a few extra inches of legroom. Full disclosure, as built the TMI seat tracks put the seat way too far forward making the mod necessary, but the outcome was good. I wrote up a thread at the time explaining the mod, i think titled "TMI Seats Problem" or something close to that. The seats themselves do raise you up an inch or so, but I don't drive with the top up much, so not an issue. I like the comfort they provide. Pics below.



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Found the thread here:

https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-problem-with-tmi-seat-mounts

Hopefully I'll be able to do something similar with the stock seat mounts.

Thank you!

DW-

When we re-upholstered a couple years ago, we went with ACC foam and Distinctive Industries seat covers.  While they looked great, the foam density wasn't to my liking and didn't fill out the bolsters very well.  So after living with it ( and now that the son is in away at college- it's his car), I stopped by my upholstery shop and picked up a piece of 1" 45lb foam and modified the seat , back and bolsters. .  The mods gave me the firmness and support I was looking for while keeping the original look. 

Of course, I shared my success with the upholstery shop and the owners asked- "Why didn't you just bring the seats to me first?  I could have built the cushions however you wanted!"  I guess I just never learn....   

So if you are looking for a better "original" seat, you may find that your local upholstery shop can help you out for not much more than buying aftermarket foam and fussing with it like some of us.  Good luck!

That's good advice, thank you!