I’ve experienced VW seats in my ’68, ’78, ’84, and ’85 vans.

 

I’ve heard there is a late model year where the seat bottom is longer than my ‘85’s, anyone know about that?

 

The ’68 seats were vinyl covered, had no head restraint, were low backed and pretty flat, and had horsehair and flat zig-zag wire springs.  Kind of a bench, and not great.  The ’78 and ’84 (same seats) had a bit more side support, woven fabric covers, but the same basic minimal horsehair or sisal padding over zig zag springs with a little foam on the edges.  Still not great. They, of course, had head restraints.

 

My ’85 has more contoured 100% foam seats with non- adjustable arms, and maybe someone can comment on when the adjustable arms were introduced along with a longer seat base.  All in all not a bad seat will some added lumbar support.

 

Stuart

 

From: Jim Felder [mailto:jim.felder@gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 12:50 PM
To: Stuart MacMillan
Cc: Vanagon mailing list
Subject: Re: Craigslist Ad

 

I hear complaints about the early seats, but I was driving my top-of-the line Carat for years while I was also drivingly my 83 (with 355K miles and the original seats, so you have to admit they are durable) and I really couldn't see much difference. I actually prefer the spacious access between the seats and would not want the armrests in the way again. After an all day drive in either car, neither stood out to mess very different from the other (the Carat sat lower than the Westy, of course). Some people like soft, some like firm, VW seems to get it about right on most of their cars.

 

Everybody in the family complains about the seats in my wife's Prius after anything longer than a drive around town. 

 

Jim

 

 

On Mon, Apr 14, 2014 at 2:41 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com> wrote:

Brown velour if you please!  An upgrade to the woven fabric on the earlier style seats used from '80-'84.  Trust me, it is an upgrade, as are the seats themselves!

Stuart