Switching Left & Right Front Seats In Gti - Possible?

[mmatthej1 1]

I've recently acquired an excellent passenger-side GTI seat (lucky, eh !) but actually want to use it to replace worn drivers-side seat.

 

So far, I've taken off the sub-frames below each seat and test fitted the driver frame to the new seat - there are two (related) problems:

 

1) The main one is that I can't see a way to take off the triangular metal end of the reclining rod which is part of the seat (this is underneath the plastic dial <removed> that you use to recline seat). It seems to be very well fixed to the rod that runs across the back of the seat - any advice on how it might be taken off, to then move to other side of seat, plse?

 

2) Related to the above, I'm (so far) having to accept that the recliner knob AND lever to allow seat to swing forward are going to be on same side - not great, as they are v.close together in operation, almost interfering. The usual plastic cover on the lever side can't be fitted either, as it would cover the recliner dial !

 

Can anyone advise, please?

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Better way is to strip the covers and foams off the frames and swap onto the right "handed" frame.

 

Not all that difficult, or a car trimmer will be able to do it for not much dosh.

[stufarri 98 3 Cars]

I agree with Tom.

 

You can do it yourself and it will take a few hours per seat. Once you have done it once it is easy if a little fiddly. Use some small cable ties to reassemble rather than trying to re-use the copper hogrings.

[mmatthej1 1]

Actually completed thw swap, on basis of having handwheel + lever on same side of seat and it just about works, so 'good enough'!

 

Thanks for responses.