Fitting Elise seats

[Joe]

Are they just bolt in or is it a bugger?

I have the option of a pair of S1 elise seats but I don't think they come with runners.

[WillB]

I've got a pair of Elise runners if you need them.

They wont be a bolt in fitment though.

Will need quite a bit of fiddling to fit, it is possible though but does require work.

[Joe]

Kind offer.

The Elise seats have got to be lighter than the elan items but are they as comfy?

My Elan seats are knackered and the £900 lotus refurb cost is a tad hard to stomach!!

[ailwyn]

My Elan seats are knackered and the £900 lotus refurb cost is a tad hard to stomach!!

How much does a pair of Elise seats cost then?

[cjay]

I suffered the seats in an Elise for 18 months... they suck!

I would not even think of putting them in a car

[Paul.P]

My Elan seats are knackered and the £900 lotus refurb cost is a tad hard to stomach!!

Joe, who told you lotus charged £900 to refurb your seats ?, ive had 2 sets done, & unless the price has shot up dramatically, they were £325 each, & worth every penny

[Rogerf]

I agree with Paul.
I had seats,doors and gaiters for that price!

Roger

[Nige]

I bought a pair of Elise S1 seats at Stoneleigh with the intention of fitting them in my S2 , they are lighter than the Elan seats and will be more supportive than the Elan seats for track day use. One seat has runners one doesn't as I believe this is the way they come in an Elise, the drivers side is on runners and the passenger side is fixed. When time permits I intend to make up a template for a bespoke subframe to allow the Elise seats to fit onto the Elan runners (Elise seats are base mounted at the front and side mounted at the rear) I will then get this made, preferably in ally. I got my seats for a god price, certainly a lot less than the e bay going rate, but alhough useable with a good clean, the longer term plan is to get them retrimmed to match the S2 interior with the Probax foam that Lotus are now using as this is reported to be very comfortable.

[lotusgirlmarie]

At one point I wanted to do the Elise seat swap.....just before I went MOMO. Shouldn't be too bad of an install. Definitely looks better, is lighter and is more supportive.

[Doug]

are the newer Elise seats more padded and supportive now?? The ones in the old style Elise I drove 400 miles in felt like no more than wood with covering on them

the Elan seats are HEAVY buggers for sure though!

[Nige]

Doug, if you believe the words then yes the new padding on the Elise seats is a lot better see Here. The Elise seats with this foam I've sat in have certainly been comfortable for the short term but I have not tried them long term.

[Nige]

Given the wonderfully wet weather we've been having of late taking seats in and out of a car in the open has not been high on my list of things to do and fitting new seals to Norma has been more important. However, I have done a bit of measuring and somewhat to my surprise have discovered that the Elan runners are spaced significantly closer together than the Elsie runners, also the Elsie seat sit betwen the runners whereas the Elan seat sits on top of the runners. Once it dries up a bit I'll take an Elan seat out and put an Elsie seat in to see what sort of subframe is needed to marry the Elsie seat and Elan runners, or whether something more bespoke is needed, I'm reluctant to lose the fore and aft adjustment of the seat for purely practical reasons of access and the fact that just occasionally the other half drives the Elan and needs to move the seat (come to think of it there is some benefit in a fixed seat after all ).

[Don.Hasi]

Hi Nige,

do have got any progress on your thoughts with the ellie-seats?

Kind regards

[Ade]

Hi all

it may be of some interest or not but I have fitted new seats. They are very much like elise seats but a bit more comfortable, they can be fitted to the elan runners, with modification and the addition of a bracket. You take the runner off the elan seat mount, then bolt it to the seat ,then onto the floor, its not rocket science. They are in leather, the same colour as the interior of the car and inlaid with alcantara, cost for two if I remember correctly was less than £600. Remember alcantara is very expensive. They were supplied by Intatrim.

Ade.

[Don.Hasi]

Hi Ade,

this is of course high interesting. Do you have any pictures from the seats, the runners and the aditional bracket?

thx

[Nige]

Still working on this and a few others are on board as they wish to do the same. Also as I want to fit a harness for track days the standard Elise seats without harness slots are less than ideal and that kept putting me off. However since the Donington show I'm the owner of a pair of brand new Hangar 111 340R/Exige style seats with harness slots and in charcoal grey leather and paler grey Alcantara at a bargain basement price (relatively) . I'll report progress as it happens.

[lotusgirlmarie]

Those sound fantastic!!! Can't wait to see photos of them.

[Ade]

Hi Don

If you go to http://www.intatrim.co.uk you will see the seats, they are the magellan. The leather is the exact same as the elan trim with alcantara seat pad and back pad. The cost two yrs ago £578.that included some extra leather to trim the door panels, The bracket is 2ins alloy bolted to the seat then the runner. I have shaped the alloy to look pleasing to the eye. My camera is bust but as soon as it is fixed ill put up some pics.The seats can be bought with seat belt holes.

Ade

[Don.Hasi]

bargain basement price (relatively)

Yes, I could imagine. These seats will probably even better fit to the designshape of the elan. Please do many pictures of it.


Ade: Your link didn´t work. Here is the right one: http://www.intatrimtelford.co.uk/ If you have any pictures of both, seats and runners, I would be very interested.

The ranger and endavour look also very elise-like. Nice link. Thx for it

[Ade]

Photos