Sparco vs Any Other Seat

[mkrummel21]

I was thinking about buying the Sparco Milanos but as you may know they are extremely expensive at 899 dollars a peice, I was wondering if any of you knew of any seat that is really close to the sparco. Cause you can get Corbeau Racing Seats that are 640 dollars a PAIR. So I wanted to know what you guys have experienced with racing seats and which is the best for the buck.

 

[koolade9]

I'm just curious why milanos instead of torinos? or is if for the material..aren't they suade?

as far as differences, yeah, there's a ton... and most of em have to do with your size.

as far as height...sparcos go up higher so it actually acts as a headrest... many others don't go up as high...

also, the two bars that hug your thighs(i don't remember the technical name for em) can be too narrow. I'm 6' 215 w/36 waist and some seats just don't fit me well... and they can also be too tall, which makes getting in and out a little more difficult, and adds more wear and tear to them.

lumbar support is also important... some have it built in... some don't... personally, i need it.

this is all kinda general, but i hope it helps... my advice is sit in as many as you can... and don't buy a seat w/out sitting in it first...

although, if you're buyin milanos or torinos, you really can't go wrong IMO.

 

[green95hrcgs]

I have Torino 2's and love them. The only diff between the Torino and the Milano is the material. You cannot really compare the Milano to a Corbeau seat or the like. If you want the Milano's, save your pennies. If you are looking for a replacement for the Milano, anything cheaper is NOT gonna be better. You get what you pay for. The Torino's are cheaper and look the same. Unless you want the alcantara, the Torinos are probably the closest thing you are gonna get to the Milano's.

 

[Flash]

I'm ordering two Sparco Torino 2's first thing monday. I can't wait, because my stock seats suck.
What sold me on the Torino's was that my back hasn't felt good for about 2 weeks now, and my stock seats don't cut it, and the Torino's have memory foam. Also they are approved by some safety department. Next, you get what you pay for. And next people say they are worth it. That's good enough for me.

 

[mkrummel21]

Thanks for all the information; if anyone else has the milanos or anything else to say about Sparco or any other racing seat be sure and post. Thanks

 

[PaulPDX]

FYI, the Torino is identical in dimension to the Corbeau A4.

I suspect the seats come by the same factory or sub-contract manufacturer in Asia. This practice is very common in the auto accessory industry. Different companies buy products from the same factory with each making minor changes to make theirs slightly different. I'm sure you've all noticed same wheel styles being sold under different brands. It's the same thing.

The hinges on the Sparco appear to be of better quality and the metal parts appear to be thicker and stronger.

If you go with the Torino, and need lumbar, you can buy a standalone inflatable Sparco lumbar pad. It's around $40.

If you go with the Corbeau A4, you can have it ordered with inflatable lumber bladders installed at an extra charge.

The difference between the two seats is in the hinges. The Tornio has the flip forward latch on the side of the seat back and the A4 has a lever outboard side hinge/bracket to release the seatback. I personally like Sparco's setup better because when you've got one arm full of groceries, it's easier to reach the latch on the seatback.

BTW, there is a difference between the Torino and Milano. The Milano is wider. So if you've got a more slender build, the Torino would be a better fit... since the whole point of performance seating is to have a seat that holds you snug allowing you to corner hard and keep your upper body still so you can concentrate on steering.

 

[geekyguru]

i know apc doesnt make the greatest seats, but I think they are friggin comfortable as hell..
heres a pic of them in my car.
Plus, they have lumbar support!

 

[koolade9]

if i remember right though... i've sat in an a4 and the bottom cusion is pretty slender...it's for guys with a waist of 34 or less...because I remember it being really tight on me. I sat in the torino a week or two ago and it was definatly wider. The a4 reminded me of the sparco star from a few years back.

 

[PaulPDX]

The A4's dimensions are identical to the Torino and the Star. Go to the sites for both manufacturers and look up the info.

The A4 is available in a wide version.

 

[14.5 drift]

bride brix hands down. Check em out, ####ing amazing seats.

 

[koolade9]

eh, i'm gonna have to disagree, i'm runnin a sparco star right now and it's a little small on me. my buddy's torinos are just right... unless he had the side bolsters pushed out or re-welded. i'm not sure if they're torino or torino 2 but they look like the newer ones... and i remember the a4s being small on me too

 

[koolade9]

and yeah, bride makes a sweet seat, but they're crazy expensive....

haha, speaking of that, guess how much just the bottom cusion of the evo8 recaro seats cost...just the bottom...

$1300... even the dealer was laughin his ass off... cost is $1000...that's just for the bottom!!

a4 in a wide version though... i may have to look into that.

 

[talonted_one]

I agree with 14.5 drift ...Bride 0wnz all!!1!

 

[cait sith]

Originally posted by talonted_one
I agree with 14.5 drift ...Bride 0wnz all!!1!

Because I'm sure they're MAD TYTE JDM STYLE, right?

 

[talonted_one]

If I wanted something JDM ... I definitely wouldn't have bought these POS DSMs :thumbdown

 

[14.5 drift]

Originally posted by cait sith
Because I'm sure they're MAD TYTE JDM STYLE, right?

why would you say some thing so dumb?

 

[VOTBLINDUB]

as far as seats go, my advice would be is to sit in it if you can, go by comfort, cuz it may say a nice brand name but if it hurts to sit in the thing, why get it?

 

[koolade9]

I'll second that...don't buy somethin you haven't sat in... and sit in it for a minute or two... get comfortable... you'll be spending a great deal of time there... it's worth the extra couple hundred...

 

[RipperXX]

I know I am looking for Recaro Evo 8 Seats... I have no clue what to expect far as price goes though.

 

[talonted_one]

I have some seat time in the evo seats...I think they are geared more toward the heavier set american consumer.

 

[sophat34]

I have the millanos, in black leather(pics in gallery). if your goign to get them get them in leather. the suede is really tough to keep clean and they can get crispy if you get them wet. I have a few problems with the seats, break in. my car is a summer car and it hasnt been driven all the much untill those things are broken in they are like rocks. they sit a little higher in the car as well. I am 5'11" and I dont have room for a helmet any more and my head rubs on the headliner. it didnt before, thats going to be fixed though. there nice but if I had to do it again I am not sure that I would get the same seats. recaro has a set that are electric have heat and a/c for $1600 for the diff in price I would have gotten those if they were around when I bought mine.

 

[mkrummel21]

what do you guys think about ractive seats?

 

[DSMKevan]

What about the lower end seats, like matrix, and APC? Are they all crap? And are there any seats that would work with the stock seatbelt system?

 

[speedomodel]

My Sparco Monzas arrived last week for my '90 GSX. Excellent seats, and slightly wider and longer in the thigh than either the Milanos or Torinos. They looked great just sitting in the GSX -- big and mean. Changed the whole look of the car.

Anyhow, I spent an entire day trying to install them without luck. I was hoping to keep the stock passive restraint (choker) seatbelts, thus avoiding a 4-point harness conversion. No go -- too tight a fit. The side bolster touched the door, but moving the seat inwards on the bracket meant there was no room between seat and bracket to bolt on the lap belt receiver. Also, the brackets didn't provide mounts for the lower shoulder or lap belt guides. Maybe I'm just confused, but for $100 each you'd think Sparco would better engineer their "car specific" brackets. My guess is that they're spec'd for the standard seatbelts of the later 1G's. They're different, right? Has anyone done a seatbelt conversion?

So, I'm going to try the Sparcos in my EVO once the necessary brackets arrive. The EVO's Recaros are fine -- I'm not that crazy about the dimpled blue inserts -- but I can't let an expensive pair of Sparcos collect dust. I expect the install to be more straightforward this time. I'll then see if the Recaros work in the GSX. The only negative is that there is no quick-tilt lever. I almost don't want this to work because that means reupholstering the rear seats to match.