I just got a set of Fiero seat tracks. Just from looking at them, it's clear they will put the seat lower, at least half an inch. I don't see how ANY brackets could mount a seat closer to the floor than these do. 92transam was right, there will be more headroom. How much remains to be seen.

My Firebird is in the shop today. When I get it back, I'm going to measure the distance from the roof to the seat and from the steering wheel to the seatback (with the seat all the way back, but not reclined at all). Then I'm going to pull the driver's seat, mount it on the fiero tracks, put it back in the car and take the same measurements. Since the only change will be in the seat tracks, this will give a true indication of how much head and/or leg room will be gained with these seat tracks.

If jprevost will do the same with the 4th gen seat tracks he bought, we'll be able to compare the two. If his 4th gen tracks offer the same improvements as do the fiero tracks, they would be the better choice, as they also allow up and down adjustment of the seat.

 

Are the fourth gen seat racks lower than the third?

I am kinda skeptical here.

I have 00 Camaro power cloth seats in my car and no matter how they are positioned, I actualy have slightly less head room than with the base seats that were in my 91 Formula.

Have heard this same scenario from a couple other tall owners as well who swapped in 4th gen seats.

Seems overall best clearance seat from the factory in the thirdgens is the base bird seat(unsure of comparable camaro seat, I dont own one).

The GTA seats do seem to offer less headroom slightly less legroom but when out of the car appear the same from the bottom as far as tracks and assemblies are concerned. Height and distance must be in the seat itself. (dont forget useless headrest if tall option)

Also I'm not crazy when I post this, my 91 GTA and TTA have the "fancy" seats and niether is near as comfortable to me as the base seats in the Bird ever were. Seating position feels more cramped as well.

I'm 6'6 and 250 and my heighth is more or less spread out, I'm just big.

I can atest to the Fiero seats tracks being low as I think possible lol. Had to take seats out of my friends dads car. They are on the grd.

later
Jeremy

 

The power seats always sit higher, whether 4th gen or 3rd gen. When I bought my first Firebird in 1987, I sat in power and non-power seated models at the dealership. The non-power seated model had at least an inch more headroom; maybe more.

I've had manual seat tracks from a 3rd gen out of the car and off the seats before, so I can clearly see the difference between those and the Fiero brackets I just got in today. The Fiero brackets will clearly set the seat lower in the car; how much remains to be seen.

As far as 4th gen seats are concerned, a lot of members who have gone to them swear they sit lower. The only question I have is whether they sit lower because the seat bottoms are shorter, the brackets sit lower, or both. If Jon (jprevost) does before and after measurements with the 4th gen brackests he has, we'll at least know if there is a difference between manual 3rd gen brackets and manual 4th gen brackets.

And I agree, I think the base-model seats are more comfortable. I don't like leather seats. For me, they're too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. My plan is to eventually get the cloth, base-model seats out of a 2001-2002 Camaro or Firebird and mount them on the Fiero brackets (if they prove shorter than the 4th gen brackets.

 

I just got the Fiero seat tracks in, and all I can say is WOW!

I compared the Fiero tracks to the Firebird tracks before I put them in. The Fiero tracks are exactly 1" shorter, both front and rear, and mount the seat no further back, so there is no increase in actual legroom. When I saw that, I was initially disappointed, but I put them in anyway. I only put the driver's seat brackets in, and they were a direct bolt-in. 92transam said there's some modding necessary to get the passenger brackets in. You can't SEE any difference, so I don't think I'll go to the trouble to put the passenger-side Fiero brackets in.

You would not believe the difference 1 little inch in additional headroom makes! I can see why 92transam thought they gave him 3" or more in headroom and legroom; that's the way it feels. I have the seat reclined 1 notch less than before, so I sit closer to the steering wheel and shifter than I used to, yet I still sit lower in the car; I had to adjust my mirrors to compensate and I have the tilt-wheel tilted down one more notch. It feels great.

Even though there is no ACTUAL additional legroom, it feels like there is. I have long legs (36" inseam), and, in the past, my right leg was always resting on the side of the console and there was little room between it and the steering wheel. That is no longer the case, even though I have my steering wheel tilted one more notch downward.

This is an awesome, super-easy swap that makes a big difference; and there's room for more. Aside from the Fiero tracks sitting lower, the other big difference between Fiero and Firebird tracks is that Firebird tracks "arch", while Fiero tracks are flat. This means that, as you move a Firebird seat back, the rear sits lower and the front sits higher, giving you additional thigh support. This lack of thigh support with the Fiero tracks can easily be addressed by using longer bolts to mount the seat to the front of the brackets and putting washers between the seat and the bracket to act as spacers. I'm thinking 1/2" worth. I plan on doing it tomorrow. The fact that the Fiero seat tracks are flat, however, also means they can be mounted even closer to the floor.

The parts of the seat brackets that actually bolt to the floor are riveted to the bottom of the seat track. These rivets could be drilled out and new mounting tabs fabricated and bolted, riveted or welded on. There'a about another 1/2 - 3/4" there. it doesn't sound like much, but, after seeing the difference 1" makes, I'm definitely interested in seeing what another 1/2" to 3/4" will do. You could also have those tabs fabricated so as to move the seat further back, giving you even more legroom. I think there's an easier way, however.

If you want the seat to go further back, all you have to do is change the way the seat mounts on the track, drilling new holes that mount the seat further back on the track. You'd drill new holes in the seat track and use the existing bolt holes in the seat frame at the front, and use the existing holes in the seat track and drill new holes in the seat frame at the rear. I plan on doing it tomorrow, mounting the seat about 1" further back. Honestly, this will probably be too much, but I can always move the seat forward on the seat track. Can you imagine it? 6'5" and sitting in a Firebird without having the seat all the way back!

The next step is deciding what seats to use. I know 4th gen seats are a direct bolt in here, but I prefer cloth to leather and and I have a black interior. All of the late-model 4th gen cloth interiors I've seen have two-tone seats, and I don't like them. Not sure what I'm going to do yet.

I've got a feeling there's going to be a run on Fiero seat brackets.