Another Ecj5 Seat Replacement Question...

Still working on this...I ordered a set of Smittybilt lowback just to see how they would fit and feel when I sat in them (and more importantly how my wife likes sitting in them) and I can return them through 4wheelparts for full refund. My thought was for $260 the new seats would be the way to go and not spend the $600 for re-upholstery. On the driver side, the seat does bolt right in to the slider bracket (need some new metric hardware though as mentioned above). To mount the seat on the passenger side needs some minor fab work as the passenger seat bracket is wider than the driver side bracket. I set up the seat frames in the house so my wife could sit in them at the appropriate position and reclined angle that matched the jeep (I am not bolting them into the jeep to ensure I keep them in like new fashion in case I need to return them). I like them and think they are plenty comfortable, but not as comfortable as the OEM seats - and there are notable differences:
1) the OEM seatback is a bit more reclined
2) the smittybilt bottom and back pads are very flat (no lower back lumber support) and the foam is quite firm (possibly because its new). As mentioned on the forum multiple times, the smittybilt has a thicker bottom pad - and its totally flat/constant thickness as compared to the OEM seat which is more wedge shaped and bolstered out by the knee and on the sides.





My wife found the new seats much less comfortable (especially in the lower back region) and is pushing towards getting the old re-uholstered...I do think the OEM seats are more comfortable - you are definitely more cradled in them with the softer (maybe just older and worn) foam as well as the contours of the seat sort of settle and hold you in. You sort of sit 'on' the smittybilts more and there is definitely less lower back support. Budget is a concern...its hard for me to justify $600 for re-upholstery work when I can get two replacements for $260. I was also thinking that if I replaced the old seats, then I could potentially sell them to someone who is more concern with restoration aspects - yes, they would need upholstery work, but they are fold and tumble original jeep seats that would probably be worth something to somebody. Guessing they might bring in $100? Spending the extra $340-440 is a lot, but would allow me to keep the more original seats (they are from an intermediate) with the fold and tumble, and would not have to make any adapting brackets for the seat mount, and would keep the wife happy....

 

finalized my decision here - re-upholstered my existing seats and added heaters. see here
Fino's 1970 Mini Build Thread