Transferring Recaro Seats From One Vehicle To Another
Here at GSM Performance, we’ve seen a rapid rise in customers asking us about installing Recaro seats which have been removed from a vehicle they came factory-fitted in. A good example question that we get is: “I’ve got seats from a Vauxhall Astra VXR or Lotus Evora and I want to fit them in my VW Golf MK4. How does this work and are there any frames on the market that cater for this kind of seat transplant?”
A good example question that we get is: “I’ve got seats from a Vauxhall Astra VXR or Lotus Evora and I want to fit them in my VW Golf MK4. How does this work and are there any frames on the market that cater for this kind of seat transplant?” Well, technically no but we may have the answers & solutions to some of the questions you have.
Recaro Factory Fitted Seats VS Recaro Aftermarket Seats:
Seats produced by Recaro for a vehicle manufacturer are usually made with bases and fitting brackets that are specially designed for the intended vehicle. They did not expect them to be removed, as such, there is not a universal bolt pattern suitable for other vehicles.
Recaro aftermarket seats, however, are produced to be universal and fit a wide range of vehicles using Recaro aftermarket seat brackets. These seats are produced with a different purpose than the factory-fitted options and in most cases have a different bolt pattern.
Measurements to Check on Your Recaro Seats:
If you’re looking to fit your factory-fitted Recaro seats from your current vehicle into another, the critical measurements you need to take can be seen in the following photo. We’ve measured the bolt patterns of the Recaro aftermarket seats, such as this Recaro Speed & the bolt points for installation are as follows:
405mm side to side
280mm front to back (set one)
330mm front to back (set two)
If the Recaro seats you have matched these bolt points, then you’re in luck! You should be able to use one of the Recaro aftermarket fitting kits that we have available to transfer your current seats into a new vehicle. If the bolt points are different, then you may need to modify either your existing fitting brackets or a new set of brackets to fit the seats.
Using Recaro Aftermarket Fitting Frames
We have a wide range of fitting frames made by Recaro over on our specialist motorsport seating website, as a result, we can provide frames to suit most vehicles on the market. Browse our extensive collection today!
Recaro seat brackets are made in a range of designs, for example, some are partial fitting kits and some are full replacement seat frames. This is usually indicated by the price of the Recaro frames. If the frames are below £175.00 the frame kit will be a partial kit that works with elements from the original vehicle (usually the sliding runners). If the price is over £200.00 then the product will be a full replacement kit, including all new metal brackets which connect to the floor.
Making a note of this information is highly important to ensure that you have the correct parts for a successful installation. We hope that this fitting guide helps to clarify what seats will and won’t fit your vehicle. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact us to speak to our dedicated sales team with over thirteen years of experience in the industry.