348 Best aftermarket Seats

Not going to find too much info on aftermarket seats. I've been looking for a while myself as well. Very hard to find good seats that dont look out of place in these little cars. Sounds like you dont want a racing style bucket either. My best suggestion if money isnt an issue, having some custom seats made, or redone once you find one that matches the style you like. Share your findings if you do.
I've been leaning towards the cobra nogaro. Deff a race seat but with low side bolsters for easier in and out.
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355 standard seats?

 

What color is your interior?

 

Which are just standard Recaro LS-C with 3 options: extendable thigh supports, adjustable lumbar support (driver's seat) and adjustable side bolsters (driver's seat).

The LS is still available new at reasonable prices, but you will have to reupholster to match your car.

 

It’s pretty close, but not exact.



I have a pair of black 355 seats with red inserts for sale.

 

I’d say my seats are in excellent condition

 

That's a great looking interior. The door panels on a 348 are way cooler than on a 355.

 

348 cockpit is a classic example of "Italian Standard Ape" dimensioning. In case you are about 175cm / 5'9" with 30"-32" waist, short legs and long torso and hands you will fit nicely. The ISA standard was used also in period Alfas and to lesser degree also in Maseratis.

One option could be 360 seats which require a slight modification for mounting but otherwise will fit into very narrow 348 cabin. Standard seats from "wide body" 360 look a bit fat in 348, though.



And by the way, your 348 interior looks impeccable. I wouldn't change a thing. But then again, I am 5'9", with 31" waist and with short legs and long torso and hands...

 

You can easily add some lumbar foam and customize it to better fit you. Definitely cost money. Ken’s seats would be an alternative to have two sets, one for driving and a set for resale - originality. Beautiful interior now and I think Ken’s seats would complement when reupholstered. FYI they are GTS/GTB seats, not spiders.


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Rob has a great point. You put a lot of money into the factory interior. Those seats are perfect. You could try and add an inflatable lumbar support into those seats. Look into other options for making those a bit more shapely in the right areas. Would not hurt the looks either.

 

Honestly, most of the ergonomic issues of the 348/355 could be fixed with a telescoping wheel, or adding a 4-6" spacer to the wheel. Is it the seats that are the problem or the position you have to be in to get a decent driving position?

I am a slightly larger italian standard ape but the steering wheel is just way too far away from me. Everything else is fine, I can get perfectly comfortable in the car, but if I do that I can't reach the wheel. If I make it where I can comfortably reach the wheel, my head is in the roof and my knees hit everything, so I have to go in between which isn't great as I neither have a fully comfortable reach to the wheel nor a fully comfortable seating position. I'm going to add a 4" spacer to the wheel and see where that gets me. With the 348, spacers are readily available unlike the airbag 355's.

 

Much has been made of the "Italian Ape" driving position, but it's actually easily explained. Italians, going back to people like Tazio Nuvolari, tend to hold the steering wheel at the bottom. So with an angled wheel, they don't need it to be as close. This same position was prevalent at Alfa, too, through the 1980s - maybe they shared the same test drivers?

The fact that this persisted into the '90s is hillarious, but also typically Italian: "Change the car? Why? Are you more important than Ferrari? No! The car is fine, it works for Italians, change yourself!"