[adc2k2]

As the title suggests... I'm looking to swap my 89' CRX DX seats with 91 CRX Si seats.

I have recently learned the hard way that it is NOT a simple bolt in/bolt out situation. (I have my 91 Si seats waiting in the garage.. )

After doing research on this site & a few others... I am learning that the only possible method of switching to alternative seats is by swapping the seat pan entirely.

I'd just like some confirmation that this will work. Am I able to swap my 89 CRX DX seats for 91 CRX Si seats?

I recently stumbled on this post:

http://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1062869&page=1

But the poster does not specify which seats he originally had in his 88/89 Civic. (maybe he just switched from one Si seat in that year, to another of a later year?)

Hoping I can get some help on this Thanks!

 

[mithuth]

hmm. I have 89 Si seats in my 90 Dx. (backwards from what you're doing) They bolted in fine. I'd think they'd be a simple seat rail swap over so the seatbelt clips work, but other than that, I'm afraid I'm not much help here.

 

[adc2k2]

Tried to just swap rails.. and it didn't work. The rails on the 89 seats are WIDER than those of the 90/91. The holes they screw in on the seat, also don't match.

I'm certain that the only way that this would work would be to swap the seat pans entirely. Even still, im not 100% on this because I dont know if the bolts will line up when reattaching the 89 seat pan to the 91 seat. (connecting the bottom to the back rest)

 

[Baker]

Are these US seats?

89-91 Crx seats should be the same, so they should drop right in, bolt up with no problems?
88's are the bastard child, those will not fit anything but the '88.

 

[jfrolang]

This should be a bolt-in affair. I have 89 Si seats in my 91 dx.

I'm thinking you've either got an HF or a Canada/US seat mix.

 

[Baker]

I'm thinking you've either got an HF

Doh, the '89 Hf seats mount differently. They have seats that mount like ALL 88's, right?

 

[jfrolang]

I'm thinking you've either got an HF

Doh, the '89 Hf seats mount differently. They have seats that mount like ALL 88's, right?

Right, the year/model difference is the same as the seatbelts.

 

[bil]

Tried to just swap rails.. and it didn't work. The rails on the 89 seats are WIDER than those of the 90/91. The holes they screw in on the seat, also don't match.

I'm certain that the only way that this would work would be to swap the seat pans entirely. Even still, im not 100% on this because I dont know if the bolts will line up when reattaching the 89 seat pan to the 91 seat. (connecting the bottom to the back rest)

Well, that's easy to check in that the pan unbolts from the back with two bolts on each side, IIRC.

The other thing to consider would be whether you could put new holes in the pan. If you've got a flatish section where the hole needs to be, I think you'd be ok with a large washer and nut (the washer to distribute stress across more of the sheet metal on the bottom of the pan). You could take the lower half apart, and then solder them in place, or even use something like gorilla glue (since all you need to do is hold it in place while you put the seat back together). The lower part's not that difficult to take apart and put back together.

 

[adc2k2]

Much to my dismay... I've learned the hard way. I tried the seat pan swap even. No dice.

It's not as simple as a bolt in/bolt out... I promise you guys.

It's not even as simple as a pan swap.

The place where the bolt is (where you use an allen key) on the folding point DOES not line up. You can not match up a 89 CRX DX seat pan with the back rest of the 91 CRX SI.

This really really sucks. These seats are in remarkable shape and I was just dying to use them.

In terms of the suggestion to 'glue' the rails to a flat spot on the bottom of the 91 seat. This too is not possible because the 91 seats have a seat pan where the bolt holes actually pertrude from the base of the seat.

Example:
__ ...... ____...... ___
....................\__/ \__/

The holes being at the valleys.

Woe is me... I am defeated

Thanks for the suggestions guys! If anybody has any other ideas other than selling them and trying to find new seats... Let me know

 

[bil]

In terms of the suggestion to 'glue' the rails to a flat spot on the bottom of the 91 seat. This too is not possible because the 91 seats have a seat pan where the bolt holes actually pertrude from the base of the seat.

Example:
__ ...... ____...... ___
....................\__/ \__/

The holes being at the valleys.

Woe is me... I am defeated

Thanks for the suggestions guys! If anybody has any other ideas other than selling them and trying to find new seats... Let me know

Don't give up quite so quick. ('

Hard to tell from ascii art, but if you have a flat space that's just too high, how about this (where the new mount point is between the two old ones):

Nut up top __ ...... ___|__|_____...... ___ (with a large flat washer
......................\__/ ------ \__/ <-- Washers as spacers

If you need to stiffen the washers, solder them together, or use a block of metal with a hole drilled through instead.

You'd need a longer bolt, but those aren't hard to find.

If nothing lines up, the other thing you could do (but it will make the seat a bit higher) higher it to bolt a plate or two small plates to the rails, and then bolt the pan to the plate.

 

[Baker]

Can you post pics of:
-your car, you sure it is an '89 Dx?
-your stock seats and rails
-the '91 Crx Si seats and rails?

Are you sure the Crx Si seats are US seats?

 

[Angry]

You can do it, if your dealing with 89si into a 88 style, which you seem to be... The 89-91 si seat rails are all the same due to the door mounted eat belts.

I put 88HF seat pans on 89si seats, it was kinda a tight fit. Are you talking about the bolt hole at the henge area where the lever is to lean the seat back? I dont remember an allen key. I asked my friend who helped me with the seats and he doesnt recall one either.

Did both sets of rails have the seatbelt buckles on them? 88 style ones dont....

 

[adc2k2]

This really really sucks.

After sending a photo of the seats to someone online in an attempt to resell them.... I'm now being told that these seats are in fact NOT 91 CRX Si seats.. but instead 91 CIVIC Si seats.

Maybe you guys can confirm this. It would explain the hell of trouble I've been going through with them.

 

[jfrolang]

Yep, those are Civic seats.

 

[adc2k2]

How could you tell that they are civic seats? What year Civic will they fit?

I am absolutely fuming over this.

 

[rex2nr]

90-91 Civic Si

Ever think about taking the frames of your seats and swapping cloth/foam?

 

[downest]

How could you tell that they are civic seats? What year Civic will they fit?

I am absolutely fuming over this.

Aside from the look, they have the lever for the backseat passengers to move the seatback up to get in/out of the car. Obviously, the CRX doesn't need or have that.

 

[adc2k2]

How could you tell that they are civic seats? What year Civic will they fit?

I am absolutely fuming over this.

Aside from the look, they have the lever for the backseat passengers to move the seatback up to get in/out of the car. Obviously, the CRX doesn't need or have that.

I should have known better. The lever is an obvious give away.

I have thought about just switching the entire upholstery but think I would end up making more of a mess of the seats than anything else. They're actually very different. I don't even think the civic seats would fit on the crx seat frames (since the crx frames are wider)... Ahhh! What a disaster.

 

[Baker]

The seats you have don't look like US seats and they look like they look like they have the 88-89 Civic Si pattern.
The 90-91 Civic Si seats don't have as much red in them, more gray and black. But regardless, Civic seats will not bolt into the Crx.

90-91 Civic Si seats


These are 90-91 Crx Si seats..a little different from the Civic seats.

Aside from the look, they have the lever for the backseat passengers to move the seatback up to get in/out of the car. Obviously, the CRX doesn't need or have that.

All of my Crx seats have had that lever allowing the seat back to move forward.

 

[adc2k2]

Baker. Thank you very much for posting photos of your CRX seats. Your photo helped me locate the appropriate seats that I need. I am now in the process of swapping my civic seats with someone who has crx seats because he initially made the same mistake that I did! (he needed civic seats... but got crx seats)

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this post! I will post in future about my successful installation of CRX seats