Need a Testarossa expert to help me with a customers seat project. Seats are from an '85 US Testarossa. We're converting them to a pair of lounge seats for his vinyl listening room (he has a '84 BB512 but we were unable to find those same Daytona seats so we went with the TR). Trying to figure out the original operation and options for the seat. The seats appear to have the front center section detached as to allow a forward extension of the seat cushion (as most BMW's currently have), however underneath, the two hollow rods have a small pin straight through each, locking each rod in place and not allowing the extension. So, questions for the experts: Were there different options in the TR seat when ordering? Should this center section be extendable forward? If so, how would this normally be adjusted? Do these pins in the extension rods sound like they're stock or was it an attempt to fix a broken/damaged seat? The headrests have the double embroidered outline of the rectangular horse badge and a faint emboss of the prancing horse. Were there any options for this cut-out that was more prominent? Does anyone make a replacement headrest or repair the existing ones? The leather is perfect however the embossed horse is barely noticeable and showcasing the authenticity of the Ferrari seat is one of the cool parts of having these in your living room (we won't do anything not authentic or that didn't come OE at the time). Thanks, -Racechairs.
Dear Racechairs, The center portion of my seats would not extend and retract when I first got my current TR (A 1990). My old TR (1991) had center portions that slid fore and aft. At a local car show there were two different TR's. Both owners showed me that they just move fore and aft manually by hand. Confused, I pulled my drivers seat for some leather work and found the locking pins. I quickly removed said pins, lubed the rods and presto chango...they now work as advertised. I cannot confirm if they came from the factory with the locking pins in place, but now you and I both know that at least 2 TR's have them. If you remove the pins they slide no problem. I believe there is enough friction on the rods to prevent them from just siding back and forth. They have stayed put where I adjusted them for over a year now. My .02. I believe GAHH or World Upholstery and Trim both sell the embossed headrests. Not sure if separately or part of a whole kit.
lear60man thanks so much, that's exactly the answer I was looking for (and suspected). I have a suspicion some stupid USDOT restriction had the seats ship with the front section "fixed", while ROW had the pins removed and it was a manual adjustment. Thanks again!
I've been wondering for years why mine didn't move. I always saw them extending in brochures but thought the US models didn't have this function. Awesome to know there are just pins to remove. Thanks, Christian!
Many US cars had functional adjustable seat bolsters. I don't think it was any US law that governed it.
No problem Christophe. We have a saying in the airplane world, "If you have to use too much muscle....your doing it wrong." That phrase was ringing in my ears when I tried to pull them out before my discovery. I knew I was doing it wrong and or they were rusted in place. But yea.... there are a couple of small cotter pins in each rod. Brian...It would be interesting to get the back story on the pins. Bigger mysteries out there in TR land but this is a head scratch-er.
If by "pins" you mean these, they aren't supposed to be removed--they provide the friction as the bolster is pulled out against the detents in the rods. The final detent is cut so this pin will lock the bolster so it can't be pulled all the way out. Same setup as the headrests. The bolsters do often bind--mine were very tight. So yes, remove these pins (you can reach them with the seat installed) to pull the bolster all the way out and then lube the rods (don't forget to unhook the two leather prongs in the leather skirt--also shown in photo), but reinstall them for correct operation. I didn't think there were any variations for the seats for different markets--don't all TR's have this function? Image Unavailable, Please Login
To learn about the seats, functions and parts with-in, take them apart. Very easy to do. You might want to re-do the straps while you are at it.
Tim, Mine didnt have the cotter pins like yours. Mine were the type that went through the seat rod preventing movement. Next time im at Home Depot Ill grab a set like yours. Make sense.
Since the cars were still being built I have noticed some cars bolsters adjust and some do not. I just had a look at 2 in the shop, one of them being our 90. Ours has roll pins installed so do not move. The 88 that is here do adjust. Both are unmodified US cars that I have known since new. I just did a quick look through several years of owners manuals and parts books and find no differences in seat parts and no mention of any of the bolsters being adjustable in the owners manuals. The rods are shown in the parts book and are called adjusters. I was in dealers during the entire production and I don't believe it was ever even mentioned by Ferrari. I'll have to pay more attention. I wonder if it was in some way related to the crash standard that changed in mid 88 requiring the addition of the passive restraints and the anti-submarine padded bolster below the dash. I just looked at your profile and see you have a late car so my previous idea isn't valid. Just out of curiosity would anyone reading this post their year and if the bolster is adjustable or not?
I wondered the same as well.. Mines locked.. The flat floor seating position lends itself to that type of leg support. Funny that this topic has not come up before!
Mine is an '86 and has the pins as in 302Tim's picture. Same for headrest, same setup. Adjustable.....I learned alot about these seats when I took both completely apart. Adjusted/lubed the cables and levers then replaced the Pirelli straps. Actually very simple.
mine is a US 91, and not adjustable. When i get a chance, i will look under my seats to see if they are pinned
Mine is a 1990 and they are not adjustable. Brian, I have a feeling you're on the right track with tr 88/padded dash change.
I was thinking the same this AM after I responded so I looked in the SPC and found (like you) nothing conclusive re: thigh bolsters. I did see the early cars had a seat change at car# 67079 (the SPC indicates the parts affected were the mounting rails and release lever--my later release lever is more triangulated than the lever depicted). Then the PN again changed from car# 78831 (SPC indicates the parts affected were the LH and RH bottom (side) bolsters and the leather covers for them)--no indication that the front (thigh) bolster had changed. So with the non-operational thigh bolsters, they have the rods and sleeves installed (and the leather "skirt"?) but are made non-functional by a cotter pin (vs. diaper pin)? Strange. Maybe the documentation is wrong but I would absolutely buy the argument that if they had to add the knee bolster under the dash then they likely didn't want the ability to extend/elevate the drivers knees with the seat bolster. BTW I'm not 100% convinced my seats are original to this car so don't let my configuration skew the results of the survey. Brian is the 88 in your shop with adjustable bolsters an early car without the (dash) knee bolster?
I'm sure my seats are original and adjustable with the removable pins. I'll find the pics I took when I disasembled them to the frame.
