New Seats finally installed - LotusTalk

craracer · 06-05-2009, 03:46 PM

Thanks to Smitty, I have a new pair of Tillet seats installed!

I was pretty unhappy with the OE seats. My back would begin to hurt after about a 20 minute ride. So, I started looking at my options. After much debate, I decided on the Tillets and couldn't be more happy.

They really hug you and keep movement to a minimum. The construction is quite nice and the seat/back/head material looks to be of good quality. Ironically, there is less cushion to these seats, but they are 100 times more comfortable. I can drive around all day without even a hint of back twitch.

The installation process, for me, was rather tiring and tedious. Tedious in that I ended up removing and installing the passengers seat at least 50 times to get the shimming correct. It all had to do with the seat rail holes not lining up with the mounting points in the floor. From what I understand, and after talking to other members, this issue is unique to my vehicle.

The long and the short of it is that I ended up slightly modifying the rail, which instantly resolved the issue.

The drivers seat went in quite easily. I only had to pull it once.
All in all, it took me an entire weekend to get the seats installed. Well worth the effort.

Thanks again to Smitty, who was there for me at every turn. If I can be of assistance to anyone who might purchase these seats in the future, feel free to shoot me a PM.

craracer · 06-05-2009, 03:47 PM

One more

MNlotus · 06-05-2009, 05:18 PM

i like those seats, i have never seen anyone else with them, are they any lighter then the stock seats?

azmurciev12 · 06-05-2009, 05:59 PM

oh man, those seats are gorgeous.

jimmyhoffa · 06-05-2009, 07:55 PM

Those seats look great!

MikeinAlexandria · 06-05-2009, 07:58 PM

Very nice!
I like the Lotus Sport mats as well. Have some on order, with the long passenger side version, so I can remove the silly foot rest...

V-RAPTOR · 06-05-2009, 08:37 PM

Sweet! I like them a lot. I was thinking of going with the same seats but I to have the Biscuit interior. How do you like having the black seats with biscuit door panels?

craracer · 06-05-2009, 09:36 PM

Quote:

are they any lighter then the stock seats?

I forgot to weigh them but, after you add the rails, I'm guessing they are slightly more heavy. Probably not by very much though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by V-RAPTOR

How do you like having the black seats with biscuit door panels?

I was concerned about it at first, but it's actually a decent accent to the seats. Some day I might switch to C/F, but for now I'm happy.

Smitty also has anti-sub bars for sale, which I installed.

Murix · 06-06-2009, 08:59 AM

Thoughts on lateral side support? Leg support? Waist size?

craracer · 06-06-2009, 09:46 AM

This is a tough one to answer. Everyone has a different body shape, so what might be perfect for me, may not be so for you.

I'm 5'11, 165Lbs, with a waist of around 29" (athletic body type). Lateral movement is minimal for me. First time passengers in my car mention that "The seats really hug you".

With the OE seats, I always felt as if I were sitting 'on top' of them. With the new seats, it's like I'm being cradled and sitting 'in' them. I find the hip and thigh bolsters to be adequate.

Height of the front and rear of the seats can be adjusted (not on the fly though).

One thing I would change: To my knowledge, the seat pads are not removable. If I had my druthers, they would be for cleaning purposes.

Murix · 06-06-2009, 09:53 AM

Thanks. The problem I find with the stock seats is that I think the do not offer enough support and I find myself bracing the console with my knees and leaning over in the corners. I am 6', 170, and a waist of around 31" so your measurements are not too far off.

It would be great if there were a pair around Los Angeles that I could try out. I might just have to bite the bullet and buy one. The shape looks like a good compromise for still driving on the street but offering better support when needed.

xziteme · 06-06-2009, 11:13 AM

As I look at the side support around the rib cage, I was wondering if your tricep and/or elbow hit against this bolstering while turning the wheel. My previous CLK320 had seats where the side bolsters limited the movement of my arm as I turned the wheel (thus, I had to complete the turn with one hand).

I also wish someone in SoCal has a set installed.

Demonized · 06-06-2009, 11:32 AM

Those look f-ing good.

craracer · 06-06-2009, 12:13 PM

Quote:

I was wondering if your tricep and/or elbow hit against this bolstering while turning the wheel.

I've never thought about this, so I must not have a problem.

Shawn C · 06-07-2009, 05:31 AM

Wow, very cool

JungleJim · 08-14-2009, 08:33 PM

Did you get the seat rail adapters for the drivers seat so you can slide the seat forward and back on stock rails? Agree I am thinking the B5 seats are the ticket for me.

06-05-2009, 03:46 PM	#1 (permalink)
craracer eTard Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 282	New Seats finally installed Thanks to Smitty, I have a new pair of Tillet seats installed! I was pretty unhappy with the OE seats. My back would begin to hurt after about a 20 minute ride. So, I started looking at my options. After much debate, I decided on the Tillets and couldn't be more happy. They really hug you and keep movement to a minimum. The construction is quite nice and the seat/back/head material looks to be of good quality. Ironically, there is less cushion to these seats, but they are 100 times more comfortable. I can drive around all day without even a hint of back twitch. The installation process, for me, was rather tiring and tedious. Tedious in that I ended up removing and installing the passengers seat at least 50 times to get the shimming correct. It all had to do with the seat rail holes not lining up with the mounting points in the floor. From what I understand, and after talking to other members, this issue is unique to my vehicle. The long and the short of it is that I ended up slightly modifying the rail, which instantly resolved the issue. The drivers seat went in quite easily. I only had to pull it once. All in all, it took me an entire weekend to get the seats installed. Well worth the effort. Thanks again to Smitty, who was there for me at every turn. If I can be of assistance to anyone who might purchase these seats in the future, feel free to shoot me a PM. Attached Images

06-05-2009, 03:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
craracer eTard Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 282	One more Attached Images

06-05-2009, 05:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
MNlotus 06 elise Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: apple valley MN Posts: 812	i like those seats, i have never seen anyone else with them, are they any lighter then the stock seats? __________________ 2006 Lotus Elise-way too many mods to list (k24 swap planned. 300+whp) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjIcCsvhWvY 2003 Caterham Super Seven DeDion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1ysO...e=channel_page

06-05-2009, 07:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
jimmyhoffa Noble #104 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sykesville, MD Posts: 295	Those seats look great! __________________ 2006 Noble M400 2006 Arctic Silver Elise (Sold)

06-05-2009, 07:58 PM	#6 (permalink)
MikeinAlexandria Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 457 Images: 5	Very nice! I like the Lotus Sport mats as well. Have some on order, with the long passenger side version, so I can remove the silly foot rest... __________________ 2005 Elise in Racing Green with the touring pack 2007 MINI Cooper S in Sparkling Silver 2001 BMW Z3 Coupe in Sapphire Black (sold) 2002 MINI Cooper in yellow (sold) 1996 BMW Z3 Roadster (Racing Dynamics version) (sold) Founder of the Racing Green Confederate

06-05-2009, 05:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
azmurciev12 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 118	oh man, those seats are gorgeous.

06-05-2009, 08:37 PM	#7 (permalink)
V-RAPTOR STARLIGHT Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NOVA (Winchester) Posts: 663	Sweet! I like them a lot. I was thinking of going with the same seats but I to have the Biscuit interior. How do you like having the black seats with biscuit door panels? __________________ 2005 Starlight Black Biscuit Interior // Hard Top // Von Hep Exhaust // Von Hep Rear Delete // Full Heat Shield Removed // Fujita CAI // Rota Torque Wheels W/ Toyo R1R's // ForceFed Carbon Fiber Splitter // Carbon Fiber Engine lid cover // LidBone // JL Audio VR525-CXi Front and Rear // Micro Mirror // Painted interior bits // Bling Buttons // Darth Holder

06-06-2009, 08:59 AM	#9 (permalink)
Murix Rotary Refugee Join Date: May 2007 Location: Santa Monica Posts: 996 Images: 3	Thoughts on lateral side support? Leg support? Waist size?

06-06-2009, 09:46 AM	#10 (permalink)
craracer eTard Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 282	This is a tough one to answer. Everyone has a different body shape, so what might be perfect for me, may not be so for you. I'm 5'11, 165Lbs, with a waist of around 29" (athletic body type). Lateral movement is minimal for me. First time passengers in my car mention that "The seats really hug you". With the OE seats, I always felt as if I were sitting 'on top' of them. With the new seats, it's like I'm being cradled and sitting 'in' them. I find the hip and thigh bolsters to be adequate. Height of the front and rear of the seats can be adjusted (not on the fly though). One thing I would change: To my knowledge, the seat pads are not removable. If I had my druthers, they would be for cleaning purposes.

06-06-2009, 09:53 AM	#11 (permalink)
Murix Rotary Refugee Join Date: May 2007 Location: Santa Monica Posts: 996 Images: 3	Thanks. The problem I find with the stock seats is that I think the do not offer enough support and I find myself bracing the console with my knees and leaning over in the corners. I am 6', 170, and a waist of around 31" so your measurements are not too far off. It would be great if there were a pair around Los Angeles that I could try out. I might just have to bite the bullet and buy one. The shape looks like a good compromise for still driving on the street but offering better support when needed.

06-06-2009, 11:13 AM	#12 (permalink)
xziteme Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: Anaheim Hills CA Posts: 391	As I look at the side support around the rib cage, I was wondering if your tricep and/or elbow hit against this bolstering while turning the wheel. My previous CLK320 had seats where the side bolsters limited the movement of my arm as I turned the wheel (thus, I had to complete the turn with one hand). I also wish someone in SoCal has a set installed.

06-06-2009, 11:32 AM	#13 (permalink)
Demonized NOT ßANNED! Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,546	Those look f-ing good. __________________ 2005 Saffron Yellow Elise, Katana Supercharger, LSS Wheels, 2Bular exhaust & cat, rear panel delete, Cup Airbox, Volt / Oil temp gauge, Ohlins double adjustable coilovers, Dual Oil Coolers, S111 RTD Brace, Moroso Oil Pan, MicroMirror, S111 "V-Force" Harness bar, Manly Engine Mounts, Odyssey PC680 & RLS Bracket, Saikou Michi OCC, CF Scoops, CF Bootlid, CF Front Lip.

06-07-2009, 05:31 AM	#15 (permalink)
Shawn C Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,531	Wow, very cool __________________ http://www.youtube.com/jerusdc

08-14-2009, 08:33 PM	#16 (permalink)
JungleJim Left Lane Assasin Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Norwalk, CT Posts: 121 Images: 12	Did you get the seat rail adapters for the drivers seat so you can slide the seat forward and back on stock rails? Agree I am thinking the B5 seats are the ticket for me. __________________ 2007 Exige-All Black and Mean, Factory TouringPak/TrackPak/StarShield/LSD/TractionControl/iPodDock. All stock but not for long. v = square root ((2 * e) / m)

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