This is how you install RSX seats
 

So I scored some RSX seats a while back and have been putting off the project for a while. I know a lot of people are still unsure of how difficult this project is. Well it's pretty easy. I did it yesterday and figured I would share how I did it so everyone else can too.

These seats are now bolted to the FACTORY positions and I can take them in and out as I please. The mounts look stock.

First things first.... make sure you have the necessary tools and a good place to work to do this. If you do then this should only take about 2 hours.

Tools needed:

Air Chisel
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...24122903PM.jpg

Various Grinders
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...24122911PM.jpg

And not pictured are a wire feed welder, wire wheel, and welding blankets. Oh and a 14mm socket for all the bolts.

First thing you need to do is take out your SC seats. Be sure to move them all the way back before you unplug them. This gives more room to work. Then you lay the seat down and use the air chisel to seperate the brackets from the rails.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...24121431PM.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...24121425PM.jpg

Grind the surfaces clean on the brackets so they will be flush to the new rails.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...24121415PM.jpg

Now do the same thing to the RSX seats. Be careful not to mess up the rails on these since you will be reusing them with your old brackets. Then clean up the rails on the RSX seats so they will sit nicely.

Now you want to bolt the factory brackets into your car.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...24121928PM.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...24121923PM.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...24121917PM.jpg

This is also a good time to vacuum. :)

Once the brackets are bolted back in, set the RSX seat in on top of the bracket. You will need to finagle it a bit to make sure it fits well. Now you need to sit in the seat to make sure the seat back is square to the rest of the car.... You dont want to be sitting krooked. We did the passenger side forst so we were all practiced up for the drivers side :)

Once the seat is in the car where you want it put a couple tack welds on the bracket/rail in the front.then sit in it again.
Does it feel straight?
If it does then go ahead and tack the inside rear bracket.

THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!
Unbolt the outside rear bracket. You need to cut it to fit otherwise it will be stuck and you wont be able to get to the bolt.

once you have tack welded all four brackets take the seat back out of the car.
Now use your (or someone else's) awesome welding skills to thoroughly weld the brackets to the rails of the RSX seat. When you are done welding be sure to cut about 3/4 inch off of the rear outside rail so you can access the bolt hole.

This is also a good time to swap the seat belt buckles. Pretty self explanatory so I didn't take pics.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r2413258PM.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r2413248PM.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r2413240PM.jpg

Then take a wire brush to the welds to clean them and black them out with some trim black paint or something. Set the seat back into the car. Bolt it down and you are good to go!!

If you did a good job lining things up you will still be able to use the factory bracket covers.
see!

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r2430754PM.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r2430710PM.jpg

Done!
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r2430725PM.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r2430811PM.jpg


I hope this helps some of you. If you have any questions or notice that I missed something be sure to let me know so I can fix it.

loooks to be a big pain in the behind lol.

The seats look pretty good though.

Personally i like the sc seats better but thanks for sharing the how to.

that does look like a pain in the butt to do.. haha

Alota work.... does this cut weight any?

I know it seems like a lot of work but it really isnt. It's no more work than installing an HID kit really. I know its not for some people but I needed better seats for race season and the RSX seats are a HUGE upgrade over stock. They perform well under really hard driving :)

They definitely cut weight. I'd guess about 20-30 pounds. The stock SC drivers seat is really heavy....

keep in mind you lose ALL electronic seat controls.

any change in the overall position, especially height?

Looks good!! I will be doing this exact same thing to my sc only with evo 8 leather recaros.

I don't believe that for one second.

Haha me either. But nice work tho they actually look pretty good:thumbup:

the seats look pretty good, but it's not my style...I honestly still prefer the SC seats overe the RSX. Good write up tho...I seen someone else with Black RSX seats, can't remember their name, but they're on CL...thanks for sharing

I like the stock seats way better. It was a very good DIY on the write up. What did your stock SC seats look like?

good stuff. i did the same thing kind of when i installed some bride seats in my SC

They are about a half inch taller but i dont really notice it. I am 5'10" and I feel very comfortable in them.

My stock seats are fine. There is one rip in the drivers seat about an inch long but other than that they are great. They just didnt provide the support I needed. I always hated bracing myself against the door or the center console in a hard turn. Now I dont have to :)



And no it is not really as easy as an HID kit.. exaggeration on my part :) lol but it is about the same as sayyyyyy putting in new shocks. Maybe easier. Now that I have done it once I bet I could do it again in about an hour.

nice writeup!

lol. I'll make sure to tell our HID kit customers that if they can install RSX seats they can install an HID kit ;-)

Hey I did your HID kit first:) And I love it!!!

So much better than an install using the floorboard with carriage bolts...

-__-

soarinhigh - sweet! Which kit did you go with? What color temperature?

Steve

I have the thin kit in a 6000k :) I love them. Kinda wish I would have gotten 4300 tho. Now I need to get 3000k for my high beams :D If I get another one I will do a how to for you. Maybe even a video!

exactly the reason I did this write up... I couldn't believe the first time I heard of someone doing it that way....:egads:

soarinhigh - Let me know whenever you are ready. I will do my best to help you out on new 4300k bulbs or a 3000k HID kit :-)

STeve

literally did the exact same thing with cutting the tabs for my drivers side recaro without even seeing this. tacking the tabs to the slider was a major paint though, and trying not not burn my carpet

my car came with rsx seats. all he did was cut and bend the existing brackets on the rsx. honestly both methods probably wouldn't be too helpful in a car accident. i took the seat out and notice it last time... i should take it to my welder and have him go over the cuts with nicer beads of welds and reinforce the area....

I had Sparco's in my Lancer, and they were awesome; but to be honest, that style seat (with the shoulders), just doesn't match the looks of the SC. It doesn't look awful, but it's not pretty either.
Nothing beats Supra (or RX-7) seats. Their curvature matches the contours of the SC, especially because the interior is also circular, like a womb.

Nice job though; at least the least the leather matches ...

^^^ like a womb. That must be why we all want to crawl back into the sc. Even after we sell our first one...

I’d have to disagree with you on this one. The supra seats look way to skinny in the back rest. The RSX seats are a little larger and fit the bulkiness of the SC's interior. Just like the 100 pound OEM seats. If you look at the interior lines from inside and the space between the supra seats and the rear window trim, just looks too small. The RSX fits nicely in there and fill in the space just like the oem seats not completely but more than the supra seat. They also give the same curvature of let’s say some recaro bucket seats or some sort of aftermarket bucket seat. Would those not match either? :rolleyes:

Here are some links from the two:
RSX post#1 last pic - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...installed.html

Supra post #24-25 - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...et-here-2.html

But in the end, it really depends on ones person's taste. Not to mention im rocking the rsx seats :)

decent
stock seats are nicer looking IMO

I think you missed my point; it's not about how they fit inside the car; it's about how they fit the car as a whole.
Do they compliment the overall aesthetic? Do they look as though they "belong"? (IMHO, the answer is "no").
Heres why ...
The SC is more or less shaped like a UFO, with very smooth contours; its very simple, very basic curvature; which is the same design in the Supra and RX-7 Seats. The RSX/Sparco Seats on the other hand, while they aren't bad looking by any means, are instead this crazy zig-zag, which doesn't comform to the basic shape of the SC.
So to answer your question, "no", Recaro's wouldn't match either; they're the same thing.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...psb3688b56.jpg

agreed

the SC has too much class to be holding cheap RSX seats... seems kinda ricer.. shoulda got a honda ;)