Planted Seat Base Review

[SS Performance]

So I purchased Planted seat bases and side mount brackets awhile back. I just purchased Recaro seats to mount into my 2015 1LE.

Overall first impressions were good. They appear to be well made and of good quality. They came with mounting hardware, always a plus.

I installed the side mount brackets to the Recaro, use the supplied hardware. It actually fit! I installed the seat base in the car. I was unable to use the stock bolts to install the base. The base blocks access to the socket button head. Not happy I made the trip to the local Fastenal for hex head bolts. When I tried to put the bolts into the base there was not enough clearance to get the bolt into the hole. I had to trim the base to provide the needed clearance.

Then I started trying to find a good position for the seat. Sadly I still had headroom problems, I am only 5'11". I moved things around several times and found a position I could live with. Then I pulled everything out of the car and looked for the mounting holes. I had moved the brackets so far they didn't line up with the mounting holes on the base. The rears lined up but I had to drill holes for the fronts.

Once I got everything bolted back together I installed the seat in the car with the sub-plate. The bolts holding the rear of the base into the car are almost impossible to get to. A real PITA.

Sadly I had not taken the thickness of the sub-plate into account. Now my helmet is hard into the roof.

So I removed everything and took the base plate to a welder friend to modify to get me the need clearance.

So after all the time and money I am very unhappy with the Planted seat bases.

Just my $0.02

Thanks
Craig

[Mgizzle]

Craig, I feel your pain, I had a huge write up on these too when I did mine. Your not the first nor the last, the seat bracket market for our camaros is bad. However for the money they are a starting point and some cuttin gets you there. Did they start moving on you yet on the front hooks? Get ready for some shims man.

[SSEssence]

Thanks for the input. Seats are one of my next mods and this definitely helps me steer clear of planted. Sorry to hear about the trouble you had to go through.

[BMR Sales]

Originally Posted by Mgizzle

Craig, I feel your pain, I had a huge write up on these too when I did mine. Your not the first nor the last, the seat bracket market for our camaros is bad. However for the money they are a starting point and some cuttin gets you there. Did they start moving on you yet on the front hooks? Get ready for some shims man.

their Seat Brackets are bad for a lot of cars. I bought a set for Corbeaus for my Porsche 944 Turbo. They fit, but the seat won't go back as far as the factory brackets. They are a Pain in the Butt to install so I haven't taken them back out yet

[SS Performance]

So far I have about 20+ hours in modifying them and am still working.

I had to cut the rear mounting points off and make my own mounting points. This should drop the rear of the seat about 3/4". Now I am modifying the front hooks to accommodate the changes to the front. I only need to remove about 1/16". It's just being that precise on 4 separate cuts (grinding) is a bit tough.

I have read on here about people using modified manual seat sliders. I just don't see how they could get the seat as low as I need. That might be plan "B"

Thanks
Craig

[Mgizzle]

My sabelt is almost touching the planted bracket at the rear to clear helmet of roll hop top. I am 6'1". What recaro seat you got? My problem however is with the sabelt gt200 brackets i am all the way forward on planted bracket and still too far away from bottom of clutch when compressed. Just learned to live with it. One day I might just toss em out and weld brackets to body directly from seat mounts.

[SS Performance]

I have the Planted side mount brackets and Recaro PROFI XL seats.

I finally got the seat adjusted so I'm not hitting the roof. I have maybe 1/4" between the seat bottom and the bracket. That gives me less than 1/2" clearance between the head liner and my helmet.

I'll post some pictures of the modification I have had to make.

Thanks
Craig

[600hp-lpe]

I wound up ditching the sliding mounts I had purchased and used F1A mounting brackets for my Cobra Kevlar seats.

Seats are non-adjustable. Not an issue for me - the seats are bolted to the roll cage for the backrest, which would make them impossible to reposition anyway.

With the F1a mounts, you have helmet clearance. It took 3+ hours to bolt the 2 seats into the car. Back Bolts for the seats are a PITA.

[SS Performance]

Additional information.

The side mount mounting slots DON'T line up with any of the slots in the base!

I didn't notice this while doing the drivers seat because I was more concerned with the seat position.

When I tried to mount the passenger side I tried to mount the brackets to the base and discovered it wasn't possible with out modifying either the side mounts or the base.

Very poor design.