General How to fit 500 Abarth front seats

fpan · Oct 18, 2015

One of the things that frustrates me about the 100HP is the driver's seat that offers minimal lateral and lumbar support.

I've been using an OMP pillow at the back which helps with the lumbar support but makes the seats even more shallow and I have the impression that the seating position is slightly skewed to the left so I am looking at replacing the driver's seat with either a reclining bucket seat or a set of front 500 Abarth ones.

If I am not mistaken a couple of members in here have done the 500 Abarth front seat conversion but I remember they are not a direct fit, what exactly needs modifying and how is the seating position with the 500 seats fitted?

Are they more supportive?

Any pics of them fitted?

Thanks.

AB100 · Oct 19, 2015

TIP: Drive a standard Panda for a week and then get back in the 100HP. Your arse will feel like it's being pinched by 20 attentive Italian waiters in comparison.

fpan · Oct 19, 2015

I don't have a problem with my dad's 4x4 although that offers limited lumbar support as well.

I'd love some Sabelt Abarth seats but they come with a price tag!

wrightyy · Oct 19, 2015

I have Abarth 500 seats in my 100hp

Much more supportive and they look awesome

Recently fitted matching rear seats too

Wrightyy

fpan · Oct 19, 2015

wrightyy said:
I have Abarth 500 seats in my 100hp

Much more supportive and they look awesome

Recently fitted matching rear seats too

Wrightyy

They look great wrightyy! What modifications did you have to do to their subframe (if any) to make them fit or were they plug and play?

wrightyy · Oct 19, 2015

fpan said:
They look great wrightyy! What modifications did you have to do to their subframe (if any) to make them fit or were they plug and play?

The subframes are similar but not the same. There is four mounting points on the 500 seats. Three of these are identical to the Panda seats, the fourth is totally different.

Theres two ways you can get around this. Remove the different bracket from the 500 seats and replace it with the correct one from your Panda seats.

Or remove the different bracket from the 500 seats and custom make a new bracket to fit. This is what I did

Wrightyy

fpan · Oct 19, 2015

Thanks wrightyy!
Did you have to weld the new bracket in?

wrightyy · Oct 19, 2015

Nope. I just used the original caphead to fix the bracket to the car and two M10 (I think) capheads to fix the bracket to the seat subframe.

It would be quite easy to weld it in though :thumbup:

General How to fit 500 Abarth front seats

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General How to fit 500 Abarth front seats

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General How to fit 500 Abarth front seats

Currently reading: General How to fit 500 Abarth front seats

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Currently reading:
General How to fit 500 Abarth front seats