Anybody in the Bay Area with GT3 Seats?

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deeppurple

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Hello from a prospective 986 owner!

I am 6'3", and even when I put the Boxster seat all the way down it feels like I am at eye level with the sun visor. With the top up, there's barely a half inch left between my head and the roof.

I have started shopping for 996s just because they feel more safe for someone my height.

However, I have read on many boards that replacing the seats with the 996 GT3 versions (with B&K brackets) would give me quite a bit more headroom.

I am wondering if anybody in the Bay Area installed the GT3 seats. I would love to stop by and sit in them. At the end this is one of my main deciding factors. I do not want to have a full racing seat (too hard to live with on a day-to-day basis).

In the meantime, would you have any other advice for me?
 
You may want to consider buying a 987 which has a couple inches more room than the 986.

I bought a new 986 in 2004 and after a year traded for a new 2005 987 because the seating was so tight and I'm 6'2".
 
It Depends...

I'm 5'8"; my son is 6'4". When we're seated next to each other, our eyes are at the same level. When we stand, he's 8" taller.

I don't fit in my 2000 Boxster S with the top up and my helmet on.

I do fit with my helmet on in Bill Pickering's spec Boxster which has a hard top and Sparco race seats. So, going to GT3 seats might do the trick for you.

I recommend you speak with KenJ who is tall and just installed a Recaro race seat in his 986S.

Doug
 
I'm not comfortable in any seat for more than an hour. I used to be 6'3". The first thing I did for comfort on an '03S was to remove the console below the radio with a "console delete" kit that allowed my legs to splay a little more and not feel as claustrophobic... kept hitting my right knee.

The only thing to do with the stock seats is to come forward a bit and then let the seat back go to the rear bulkhead. That's been okay for me.

I don't know how high the leg bolsters are on the GT3 seat - but I imagine they're 'sporty' enough to require a little extra effort to get in and out of.

kj
 
Ah I remember Bill from my autocross days with the GGR. Haven't been to an autocross for four years now. Hoping to come back.

Ken, the GT3 seats do look like they will require some effort.

Thanks everybody for the information. It is good to hear that I am not alone and that there isn't a quick (and relatively cheap) fix. I will try to adjust the seat based on Ken's suggestion...
 
my son is 6'4"+ and he drove my '99 very comfortably.

he and I both used Ken's method. move the seat forward just slightly from full rear movement. Then slam the back of the seat into the rear bulkhead.

worked pretty well for us...:)

again as Doug said depends if you get your height from the legs/torso or a combination of both..
 
i sat in some. the side bolsters are not as high as the ones on kenny's recaros, nor my sparco evo IIs. does my car take a little more effort to get into? yes. is it annoying? no. I think my seats are more comfortable than stock. if you have broad shoulders, the stock seats suck, as they push you forward, out of the back of the seat, as they pinch in at your shoulder blades.

the gt3 would allow you to get in and out easier than kenny's recaros and my sparcos. but i probably got both seats for the price of 1 GT3 seat.

i read in another thread about bad viability when using a GT3 seat because of the wrap around around your head. I don't see how thats possible, when i sat in that seat, i felt like i had plenty of viability.

oh yeah, i have sliders in my car, and i still sit A LOT lower than stock. w/o a slider, and a fixed mount, you'd be about another inch lower.
 
Quick update.

I test drove an 02S today, and set up the seat the way Ken suggested. Drove with the top up to check visibility and general fit.

It wasn't too prohibitive, actually. There's no way I can fit in there with a helmet, but for the time being I think I will only do a few autocrosses anyway. The top will be down in the autocross...

Oh, I also sat in an 06 or 07. There seems to be so much more headroom in the newer models.

One thing I will have to do is the GT3 center console. I can understand why people like it.
 
Well, after looking around for more a few months, I am done searching:

blueblue2.jpg

It is an 03 986 with 75K miles on it. Another 18 months/25K miles of extended warranty left.

It will be my only car/commuter! I drove it for a few days now. Very stable, civilized, and great fun.

I fit relatively comfortably, even though a seat upgrade may be on order after a while...
 
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