MR2 turbo bucket seats into a RA28??

**MIN728** · 04-07-2008, 09:11 AM

I purchased a set of mr2 turbo bucket seats in cloth trim for my ra28 build and have sat them in place, i have a few ways of making them bolt in but the main issue is i want it to be legal!!!!

Does anyone know the best way to mount these up legally in queensland??? ie. the rules on changing either the seat frame bolt down points or modifying the ra28 bolt down holes??
any help would be awesome.. im really stuck on this at the moment!

**Kedderz** · 04-07-2008, 10:14 AM

ask an engineers thoughts mate, then get him to sign off on it once you have modded the seats. Rule of thumb ive been told is engineers like you to use the orginal rails and mounting points into the floor pan and the modificaitons you can do is where the seat bolts to those rails.

**willwal98** · 04-07-2008, 10:18 AM

please keep this thread updated I would love to know what you work out.

**MIN728** · 04-07-2008, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by Kedderz

ask an engineers thoughts mate, then get him to sign off on it once you have modded the seats. Rule of thumb ive been told is engineers like you to use the orginal rails and mounting points into the floor pan and the modificaitons you can do is where the seat bolts to those rails.

Cheers, that was my next step just wondered if anyone had done the conversion and had the walkthrough available.. but i have an engineer coming out next week to check out my 1ggte conversion, so i will ask him then

Will definetly keep this thread updated with the info i get!

**Kedderz** · 04-07-2008, 10:32 AM

the main problem you face when putting seats into these old celicas is that you lose alot of head room. Ive just placed a monza bucket seat in my ra23 1g and whilst its support is fabulous the seat height is way to high.

**Spectre** · 04-07-2008, 11:20 AM

A MR2 seat should be ok height wise, as it's from a small car. Other people have use silvia seats I think without too much of a height issue.

Id say your probly best to use the MR2 rails, and moddify the tabs on it to match up to the originial celica bolt hols in the floor.

Checking with the engineer is obviously the best thing to do.

**MIN728** · 04-07-2008, 12:47 PM

Make sense, i will get the go from the engineer asap. Cheers, i will keep you all posted on what the official deal is.

Originally Posted by Spectre

A MR2 seat should be ok height wise, as it's from a small car. Other people have use silvia seats I think without too much of a height issue.

Id say your probly best to use the MR2 rails, and moddify the tabs on it to match up to the originial celica bolt hols in the floor.

Checking with the engineer is obviously the best thing to do.

**toyrolla74** · 07-07-2008, 09:12 PM

I mounded a set of non standard seats in one of the ra28 i had once i used the original celica rails, and 11/2 inch strips of 5m plate steel, 4 in total per seat, easy to do just pull the rails off the original celica seats and bolt them back into the car then mount 1 strip lenght ways on eather rail eather drill and bolt them into place or just weld them, i drilled and bolted mine.
Next mount the last 2 strips to the mr2 seats width way not familar with how they bolt up but it should be pretty straight forward maybe bolt them to where the mr2 rails bolt up somehow (they have to be level and centered). Once that is done center the rails in the celica so they are the same on both sides, then (a)measure the distance from the outside of one rail to the other, then(b) lenght from the front of the rail to the back to find the center and mark it.
Next on the straps that you mounted to the seat find the dead center and use measurement (a) centered to give you your rail width that will center the seat on the rails.
Then measure the distance from the front strap to the back strap (outside edge) mounted to the seats then center this measurement on the rails and mark the front and back (outside edge), then it is just a matter of taking it all off and lining it all up and getting it weilded in place.

That is how the engineer wanted my seats to be mounted he also specified the original seat rail from the celica had to be used, it may seam like a lot but once u start it is quiet easy to do. This was in Qld too. If you have any questions just ask, hope this has been helpfull.

Cheers
Jason

**MIN728** · 07-07-2008, 09:24 PM

KUDOS! that actually makes a lot of sense and i rang my engineer and he basically said the same thing, so to save writing it twice here it is below!!! the way to mount aftermarket seats to a ra23/ra28 celica!

Well im off at 9:19pm at night to go and rip the rails off my mr2 seats.. lol.. i did make one mistake though.. anyone got some standard celica seats in brisbance qld that they want to sell????

PM me
= rep toyrolla74 you da man!

Originally Posted by toyrolla74

I mounded a set of non standard seats in one of the ra28 i had once i used the original celica rails, and 11/2 inch strips of 5m plate steel, 4 in total per seat, easy to do just pull the rails off the original celica seats and bolt them back into the car then mount 1 strip lenght ways on eather rail eather drill and bolt them into place or just weld them, i drilled and bolted mine.
Next mount the last 2 strips to the mr2 seats width way not familar with how they bolt up but it should be pretty straight forward maybe bolt them to where the mr2 rails bolt up somehow (they have to be level and centered). Once that is done center the rails in the celica so they are the same on both sides, then (a)measure the distance from the outside of one rail to the other, then(b) lenght from the front of the rail to the back to find the center and mark it.
Next on the straps that you mounted to the seat find the dead center and use measurement (a) centered to give you your rail width that will center the seat on the rails.
Then measure the distance from the front strap to the back strap (outside edge) mounted to the seats then center this measurement on the rails and mark the front and back (outside edge), then it is just a matter of taking it all off and lining it all up and getting it weilded in place.

That is how the engineer wanted my seats to be mounted he also specified the original seat rail from the celica had to be used, it may seam like a lot but once u start it is quiet easy to do. This was in Qld too. If you have any questions just ask, hope this has been helpfull.

Cheers
Jason

**MIN728** · 07-07-2008, 09:29 PM

KUDOS! that actually makes a lot of sense and i rang my engineer and he basically said the same thing, so to save writing it twice here it is below!!! the way to mount aftermarket seats to a ra23/ra28 celica!

Well im off at 9:19pm at night to go and rip the rails off my mr2 seats.. lol.. i did make one mistake though.. anyone got some standard celica seats in brisbance qld that they want to sell????

PM me
= rep toyrolla74 you da man!

Originally Posted by toyrolla74

I mounded a set of non standard seats in one of the ra28 i had once i used the original celica rails, and 11/2 inch strips of 5m plate steel, 4 in total per seat, easy to do just pull the rails off the original celica seats and bolt them back into the car then mount 1 strip lenght ways on eather rail eather drill and bolt them into place or just weld them, i drilled and bolted mine.
Next mount the last 2 strips to the mr2 seats width way not familar with how they bolt up but it should be pretty straight forward maybe bolt them to where the mr2 rails bolt up somehow (they have to be level and centered). Once that is done center the rails in the celica so they are the same on both sides, then (a)measure the distance from the outside of one rail to the other, then(b) lenght from the front of the rail to the back to find the center and mark it.
Next on the straps that you mounted to the seat find the dead center and use measurement (a) centered to give you your rail width that will center the seat on the rails.
Then measure the distance from the front strap to the back strap (outside edge) mounted to the seats then center this measurement on the rails and mark the front and back (outside edge), then it is just a matter of taking it all off and lining it all up and getting it weilded in place.

That is how the engineer wanted my seats to be mounted he also specified the original seat rail from the celica had to be used, it may seam like a lot but once u start it is quiet easy to do. This was in Qld too. If you have any questions just ask, hope this has been helpfull.

Cheers
Jason

**toyrolla74** · 08-07-2008, 01:27 PM

Glad to be of service

**o_man_ra23** · 08-07-2008, 01:51 PM

On a similar and related note, anyone ever tried to transfer the pivot mechanism from one seat to another?? I ask because I am looking to do something similar to aRA28 in my RA23, but I would like to retain the factory chrome recline lever for cosmetic purposes. I guess the other way around this would be to dismantle my original seats, and use the support structure from a donor seat, graft it to the framework of my OEM seat, add the required cushioning and re-trim as necessary.

Thoughts??

**Spectre** · 08-07-2008, 01:57 PM

You could just get the original seats beefed up. Get the trimmers to add wings to the sides etc.

**toyrolla74** · 08-07-2008, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by o_man_ra23

On a similar and related note, anyone ever tried to transfer the pivot mechanism from one seat to another?? I ask because I am looking to do something similar to aRA28 in my RA23, but I would like to retain the factory chrome recline lever for cosmetic purposes. I guess the other way around this would be to dismantle my original seats, and use the support structure from a donor seat, graft it to the framework of my OEM seat, add the required cushioning and re-trim as necessary.

Thoughts??

Had a friend in a similar position he just re-shaped the original seats and re-trimed them, any good car interior people should be able to do it, i think just as long as they dont alter the original frame of the seat ie: cut any out. i think you can add to it though

**o_man_ra23** · 08-07-2008, 04:02 PM

Yeah, my whole issue is the support. One thing to add more foam, another to add spring steel framework behind the foam (pull a seat apart and you will find out what I mean). Might be easiest to graft the support framework of a better seat onto the structural framework of the OEM seat. No cutting or welding likely to be needed.