I have been thinking for some time about upgrading the seats in the mini (round nose) and with the exchange rate the way it is know might be a good time.

Cobra classics are what i am thinking of but i have a few questions that someone might be able to answer for me.

1 Are the seats as comfortable as they look for an average build person

2 Has anyone bought them from overseas and where is the best place to buy, was freight a killer

3 Do i need to buy a seat frame as well, does it bolt straight in and is there only one frame to suit all minis

All replies appreciated Thanks.

Cobra do/did make a Mini specific Seat subframe. Thats what I used for my Sparco's. I bought em through Revoloution Racegear 8-9 years ago..

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Hanras

I got my Cobra Classics and frames s/h from Brickworx in Adelaide before Steve went BINI..
They are comfortable, but there is a crosstube in the lower back that gets you if you don't sit right.
The frames bolt into the standard Mini brackets on front of the crossmember.
Check as many UK shops as you can find, compare their freight costs to Oz.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Seats are very comfortable. I bought them from revolutions race gear.

I bought the frames from UK. There are a few different types of frames around to suit the mini. These are the ones I bought. They are very solid and work great (they are advertised for 1974-2001, but fit the same mounts. However the locking mech is not used)
http://www.minisport.com/mini-spare-par ... FR03L.html

They have since released this style that are advertised for pre1974

http://www.minisport.com/mini-spare-par ... BFR02.html

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Ryan Filippi
Minis In The Gong
[email protected]
www.minisinthegong.com.au

Been thinking the same myself.

Cobra Classic is an option but there is also the Cobra Clubman:

http://www.minisport.com/mini-spare-par ... Seats.html

http://www.minisport.com/mini-spare-par ... Seats.html

I was leaning towards Cobra clubman.

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Regards,

Mike
"He who dies with the most toys wins."

I don`t like them,,,

they sit too high (or otherwise you have to fit them so far back behind the box-section that the average person can`t reach the peddles)

& they`re a pain in the butt to get in & out of

& & & & & lots of other reasons

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

I have bought in seats from the UK.

Edited no negative comments about Companied Please - Gafmo

They will stuff it right up (as they do with most of their export orders). What should have costed about $1800 AUD ended up at $3300. Thanks. They didn't make arrangements with a customs clearing agent, and they didn't put my contact details on the packaging so when they arrived, it was just a big box. No one knew who it was for or where it was to go. AAE were just about to 'return to sender' when I went to their depot to start to sort it out. That took a week.

<EDIT> Oh and it took them a only a day to debit the Credit Card for something they said they had in stock, but it took them 7 weeks to put them in a box and in to a van.... <END EDIT>

I have also bought seats from Huddersfield Spares. Awesome, no worries at all, but they did go over the magic $1000 AUD (as they were shipped together) so I had to pay duty and GST. No problem here, I just got an email from TNT with the details and I paid them via EFT and they arrived next day. The seats worked out at about $1100 and duty + GST was about $300. Still quite cheap, but that was when the dollar was buying about 46p so you'd be likely to get in under the threshold now.

Also bought in seats from Mini Spares. As always no hassles with them, but these were only single seats so again under the threshold.

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So are the cobra classics any more to your liking?

http://www.minispares-online.co.uk/?cat ... rod_id=718

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Regards,

Mike
"He who dies with the most toys wins."

I have one of these and have tried several others.

IMHO its somewhat dangerous to buy them mail order as I have tried several that are too narrow for my hips (and I'm not that big . They seem to vary in size a bit. And, because of the two side beams (steel tube) you will NOT fit if your hips are too wide. Luckily I do fit in the one I bought (45UKP + 90UKP shipping - it was a while ago).

I also agree with MM in that you sit fairly high,

Cheers, Ian

I cut the end of the mounting bars off, so I could use the top bolt holes and still have the seat tilt.
I agree, unless you do this mod, they are too high.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

mtsmini,

Go and see Revolution Racegear (now moved to 35 Welshpool Rd).
They have the range of classic seats, and others, on display so you can sit in them. They also stock the Mini seat subframes.

This'll take the guesswork out of it.

Apart from width, the seats vary in thigh support and backrest height - some of the 'headrests' would be lucky to reach your shoulders.

Also try to imagine how the seatbelt would fit, in case the high sides would stop the belt from fitting properly.

The shop space is shared with Opposite Lock off road equipment. Make sure you speak to the Revolution rep because the OL guy is not yet familiar with the RR product range.

I bought this from Hudersfield http://www.minispares-online.co.uk/?cat ... rod_id=690

Arrived promptly, I told them to put value at less than $1000 which they did so no import duty. Freight was quite reasonable from memory.

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1965 Riley Elf
1974 Ex Army Moke
1997 Rover Cooper
2002 JCW Cooper
2003 JCW Cooper S

i bought a cobra seat designed to be used in a caterham instead of a classic seat and its great, super comfy, nice fit, just a tad dearer but a nicer looking seat in my opinion

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Potato

I got a couple with frames sent over in red vinyl . Minisport UK provided the cheapest quote.

You need to really cut the legs at the front down a bit to get them lower. Only issue I have is that the sides are quite high, and for a daily driver where you're getting in and out a lot they can be a minor hurdle. But they hold you in well, are comfortable and are very light.

I've got a couple in black cloth with head rests fitted in my SD1 too.

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Slide
1965 Mini Van (1360)
1970 Mk2 Cooper S (1310)
1978 Rover SD1 V8 (4.6)
1996 Land Rover Discovery V8 (4.0)