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Recaro Seat Identification Guide


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**This is a write-up I found in another forum.  The OP is "Ron@JJCustomInterior "  I think he did a great job, and rather than just posting a link to the page, I'm copying it over here for our quick reference and use on this forum. 

Here is the link to the original:  http://www.pro-touring.com/threads/83440-Recaro-Resource-Guide

 

 

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Most older Recaros have a basic model number such as LX, LS, SRD. For most of the older models the first 2 letters stand for the back of the seat and the last digit stands for the base of the seat. For example an LX will stand for the back of the seat with its trademark pointy triangular bolsters but an LX-A will be the same back mounted to a flat base. Here is an example of a 3rd gen LX (top picture) and a 3rd gen LX-A (bottom)

 

88.se.seats.jpg

Picture026.jpg

 

 

Here is an original brochure showing model names for ref. and pdf link if interested in higher res
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&p...MzdkZWFi&hl=en

 

002RECARO.jpg

 

 


Most of the common recaro seats can be traced through 4+ generations, each with their own specific details and differences. For example the first few generations of LS's (also known as the idealseat) have the trademark large rolling D shaped upper bolsters with lower bolsters that are very large and slope very close to the back of the lower frame. The original idealseat also had an upper adjustment knob. Later generations have a very similar back at first glance but the lower bolster foam is much smaller with the slope of the bolster midway back on the frame as seen here. The first 3 generations all had different back adjustment knobs and covers as well.

 

Early vs later foam

 

foam.jpg

 

 

The construction of the early recaros was very primitive compared to the later generations. Honestly the biggest improvement i have found through the generations is the advancement in the construction of the seats. The gen 1/2 seats are fairly difficult to assemble where as the later 3rd and 4th generations are about as simple as you can imagine. The newer seats such as the sportster cs, trend, sport, and so on have actually become a completely different monster, recaro pretty much redesigned the basic construction of the model line in the 2000's.

 

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How to spot a FAKE

 

Its not always easy to spot a fake but there are a few simple steps you can follow to increase your chances of purchasing a genuine recaro. My best advice is just to do your research ahead of time. If you are going to check out a set of seats on craigslist look up pictures of real seats or maybe even print out pictures to bring with you for reference. In most case if its too good to be true it normally is. This is also mainly only a problem with a handful of models including the srd/speed and the line of fixed back recaros. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for..

- Is the 'RECARO' lettered correctly? If the letters are spaced from each other? Is the lettering crooked? If it generally looks off chances are you are not dealing with a genuine Recaro.

- If it is a fixed back does it have a valid FIA tag? All Recaro fixed back seats will have a real FIA visible on the side of the seat.

- What style diaphragm does the seat use? You will only find 3 style of supports on genuine Recaro seats. The first design was a support strap. They were made of a nylon style material and each seat would have had around 3 of them going horizontally across the base attaching with a U style hook. The second generation used a support diaphragm. It was a single support made with 1-2 large rubber pcs bonded to a burlap style material and attached using a dowel and hook method on each side of the support. ALL srds used a 1pc diaphragm. The newest Recaro seats use a molded plastic but that is pretty self explanatory. Here are a few examples..

 

 

    Gen 1 straps (New jjcustominterior strap on top, original in middle)

 

straps2.jpg

 

  • Gen 2 diaphragm

Picture128.jpg

 

 

FAKE speed as found on eBay (you can also see the material is hog ringed onto the frame, something Recaro hasn’t done since the 70's.) Honestly there are about 100 things i could pick apart on these seats to show they are fake, but this is the easiest to spot. They don’t always look like this but this is the most obvious to spot.

 

fake.jpg

fake2.jpg

 

 

Here is another speed that at first glance looked 100% legit short of some "off" Recaro stitching but once I removed the insert found this:

 

Picture046.jpg

Picture047.jpg

 

 

Seats





  • Model C (classic c / ortho / classic c / cse)

(Est. $400 - $2500 per set depending on specific model / options / condition)

Available in power and manual variations as an aftermarket seat and dealer option for various european cars. Most featured 8 way adjustable bolsters, heated inserts, power air controlled lumbar support, and some also had a blatpunk speaker headrest. The Model c was Recaros top of the line luxory seat offered in the 80's and through the 90's. Variations of this seat were optional in e30 bmw's (6k dealer option) Mercedes 190 cosworths, Audi URQuattors (non power), Various Porches, and a few other vehicles that escape me at this time. Variations of this seat are still available from Recaro as the Ortho line.

 

These seats were also available in a few manual versions that used the B style base.

 

nahkaclassic.jpg

 

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  • LS

(est. $300-$2000 depending on specific model and condition)

The LS is one of the most popular seats Recaro made through the late 70's/80's/90's. Variations of the LS were found in but not limited to cars made by Ferrari, BMW, Alfa, Volkswagen, Porsche, Ford, and more.. They are most commonly found in mk2 volkswagens and Alfa Romeo milano verdes within the US.

The later ls was available with an a,b,c, or d base, but most commonly found with a b or c base. There are also a few rare power version that i do not have a ton of information on. (pictured below in black with control panel on bolster)

 

 

0110_05zoom+Alfa_Romeo_Verde+Interior_Re

ferrari_recaro_leather_seats_porsche_lam

alpina-seats.jpg

dscf3201u.jpg

 

 

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  • Speed / SRD

(est. $300-2000+ depending on model and condition)

By far the most copied Recaro of all time. Be very cautious when buying these seats as prob 80% of the seats on the market are fake chinese replicas. I would not feel safe putting the replicas in a car as the build quality and materials used are fairly poor (i have litterally seen people shred the metal on the base just removing sliders (can post pics of carnage). The Recaro SRD is prob. the most well known Recaro as it has been available since the 80's and is still in production to this day as the speed. They have came in everything from e30 bmw's to Toyota supras along with hondas, nissans, fords, and so on..

 

 

M3SportEvolutioninterior2.jpg

 

 

Also here is an easy way to tell the difference between a speed and an srd. Take a close look at the curves of the upper bolster foam.. The SRD has a larger more triangular "shoulder" foam where the speed is smaller and more smooth. Also you can see the speed has a larger headrest section but the ITR versions of the seat were actually a hybrid of the two and tech a speed. Also NO TRUE SRD ever came with the small recaro logo, only the speeds.

 

 

Speed

 

Recaro_Speed.jpg

 

 

SRD

 

recaro_SRD_red_stitch_250.jpg

 

 

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  • LX/SE/Specialist

(est. $300-$1500 depending on specific model and condition)

The recaro LX is one of the oldest recaro variations available along with the LS. The Recaro lx still has a variation in production to this day(specialist). It is commonly found in early to late 80's cars such as the TransAm, Mustang, 300zx, and various other models. The Gen 1 lx has the larger lower bolsters but maintains the same triangular back that is the trademark of the LX.

Another member of the LX/LS/etc family that's often seen, the SE. These were Recaro's "budget" sport seat in the late '90s and early '00s, they also had a decent period-correct look for '70s and '80s cars since they were mostly based on the LX.

 

 

 

88.se.seats.jpg

1970_Porsche_911_Irish_Green_Interior_1.

IMG_7228.jpg

 

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  • A8 (gen 1/2)

(est. $600-$3k depending on specific gen, condition, and trim)

The A8 is by far one of the most highly desired recaros available at this time. They are one of the first recaro sport seats to feature a new frame design for passenger vehicles. There were 2 variations of the A8 to be released and they were available as factory options in a select group of exotics. The majority of A8's you will find are of the aftermarket variety.

 

 

Gen 1

 

IMG_1163.jpg

 

RecaroA8.JPG

 

Gen 2

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General Info

 

Mounting pattern

 

pattern.jpg

 

 

Available headrest options

 

*Netted*

 

Picture065.jpg

 

 

*Standard Solid*

 

Picture073.jpg


*Wrap Around*

 

Picture025-1.jpg

 

*Wrap around/Speakers*

 

speaker.jpg

 

 

Seat Dimensions

 

Sport-Topline.jpg

Sportster-CS.jpg

Speed_S.jpg

Speed.jpg

Pro-Racer-Hans-XL-SPA.jpg

Pro-Racer-Hans-SPA.jpg

Profi-XL.jpg

Profi-SPA.jpg

Profi.jpg

Trend.jpg

Style.jpg

Pole-Position.jpg
 

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Great Info. Thanks for posting.

 

I had a set of the black ones in the post above in my 240Z.

 

Picture021-2-1.jpg

 

I have a set of Recaros from a Saturn Ion Redline that will go into my 510. 

 

SL380583.jpg

 

I also have a set of the 80's styles that I may have recovered and install in my 2 door wagon. 

 

I love Recaro seats.

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  • 1 year later...

I know this is an old post but has anyone had theirs reupholstered, Local to the NW.

 

I've got a couple of LX's that need some TLC. There used to be a guy up in the Seattle area

that did good work but i heard he got out of it due to some health issues.

 

PtqzFWG.jpg

 

DliD603.jpg

 

Thanks!

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Wow, those look great! Did you have those done locally?

Or more to the point, where did you get those?

 

I can install skins,  i didn't have to ship seats that would be awesome.

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Jon Lind Interiors in Springfield, Or.

 

He does fantastic work and as a result he is extremely busy. The fit of the skins was perfect! His rate is $55/hr plus materials. I think it cost me $250 out the door with some wheel well covers also.

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This reminds me, I just found out these guys sell the foam to re-upohlster Recaros: http://capitalseating.co.uk/productdetail.asp?pid=315&type=s&appgrpid&appid&rid=61

 

Any automotive trimmer should be able to make new covers. Just ask to see an example of their work before commiting.

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  • 1 year later...

Hi everyone!

 

I'm brand new here, but not new to Datsuns. My father and I have a vintage race shop in New York state (Michael's Vintage Racing) and we run against all manner of 210s, 240 and 260Zs, and 510s. I actually missed out on a 1970 240Z ITS car I'd hoped to make into a vintage racer...

 

 

Anyway, I'm bumping this old thread because I'm in a bit of a pickle. I've just bought a set of very nice C-Orthoped seats which I'm super excited to install. I've found two small issues. First, the lumbar bladders on one seat are not filling up equally. The bottom bladder takes almost all the air, leaving the center and upper bladders almost empty. I can fill those bladders if I unplug the lower one, but they seem to fill more slowly. I think this may be the one-way valves sticking in the hoses; any thoughts?

 

Second, the lower bolster adjustment on one seat appears to be stuck. It's currently all the way in, but the crank gets very hard to turn before the bolster moves outward at all. I'm very nervous to force it.

 

Thank you all in advance for any info or leads you may be able to provide.

 

-Mike

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  • 4 weeks later...

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