HBK

iTrader: (1)

After searching 3 junkyards today for clean 1G Integra seats for my 87 Civic Si, I gave up and decided to work with what I have. After yanking out my passenger civic seat and eyeing things up, I went for it.

This write-up is to clear up any confusion about what can be swapped in and what is necessary.

Tools:
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Ratchet with extension
- 12mm, 14mm, and 19mm sockets
- Phillips head and Flat head screwdrivers
- Zip Ties or New metal wire clips

First, this is a picture of the passenger seat installed in contrast with a stock black/grey civic si seat.
- They are similar in design, but the CRX is way more comfortable and cooler looking.


The project space


#1: Stock Seat Removal
Tools Needed: Ratchet with 12mm socket

-Loosen all 4 12mm bolts. I like to do the front first, that way the back doesn't rise up when your trying to adjust the seat for the front two. Remove seat.


This is what it looks like when the seat is gone, now is a good time to vacuum and maybe install a chipped ew3 ecu...yea right.


#2: Rail Removal
Tools Needed: 12mm socket, extension and ratchet

This is pretty self-explanatory. Remove all 4 bolts holding the seat rails on. One side is free sliding, and the other uses the lever. To get to all of the bolts, you must slide both rails all the way down, and all the way up. Remove rails and save them for later.


Bottom of stock civic seat with rails removed


Metal Clip Removal
Tools Needed: Needle Nose Pliers

This can be a pain but once you get the hang of it its easy. Use your pliers to twist and turn each and every metal clip until they are completely removed from both pan and seat cover.


This is a tab folded over the back of the seat. I'd recommend using a flat-head screw driver and pry it off and peel it over the seat pan.


#4: Side bolster bolt
Tools Needed: Ratchet with 19mm socket

Loosen and remove this bolt. Be careful, its a shallow nut, and it can strip. Make sure to put some force on it.


Flip the seat around and remove the plastic lever cover with a phillips screwdriver

#5 Lever Bolt Removal
Tools Needed: 14mm with ratchet

Once the plastic cover is removed you'll see the lever mechanism in all of its glory. You need to remove the two 14mm bolts. In order to reach both of them, you must pull the lever up and recline the seat back enough to get a socket down there. Remove both bolts.


Here is a picture of the bottom half of the seat.


Next, get your pliers and remove the 3 metal clips holding the springs onto the seat foam.


Once they are removed, You can remove all 4 springs from the seat pan and either trash them or store them away.


Remove the stock seat foam/cover. Here is your stock seat pan, this is all you need with your stock rails.


Now, take a break. Go grab your CRX Seat and repeat this EXACT same process. The fact that it is exactly the same is what makes this swap possible.

Now that you have the bottom half of the CRX seat with no rails, or seat pan you can begin to fit it onto the 3g seat pan. It's not difficult at all to make it fit. Just make sure to wrap all 4 flaps over and get it to fit snug. These two holes are for your lever/upper seat. Make sure your seat cover folds over these holes.


Once on, it should look something like this.


#6: Zip Tieing Seat Cover onto Seat Pan
Grab a bunch of zip ties and begin to fasten each flap onto the stock locations. You can use new wire clips or zip ties. On some of the locations, the CRX holes will not line up directly so you can punch in a small hole into the cover.


Bada Bing!


As you can see, now that you have the seat fastened onto the stock seat pan, the bottom half is wider then the CRX upper half. In order for it to bolt up, you have to hammer out the hinge on the upper half of the seat. Don't go ballistic on it, just enough for the bottom half to squeeze in there.

Everything from here on is reverse from removal.



Take the time to check over your zip ties and bolts. Clean your seats up and vacuum out your car. Its a very straightforward swap and only took me about an hour with picture taking. Bolt your seats back into the car and enjoy!

Heres some pics of my 89 CRX Si seats installed in my black 87 Civic Si. I feel like I never left my CRX! Especially with my nice condition CRX Floormats!




Enjoy!

I've never seen 92-95 Del Sol seats, or the bottom of 4th gen Civic seats, but I imagine its possible with them. I am not 100% with this so don't hold it against me. This writeup is for 88-91 CRX seats into 3g Civics. I don't know the difference between 1g CRX and 3g Civics, but my guess is its just as easy to get 89-91 CRX seats into a 1g CRX. The 88 CRX is the only seat with the 4x100 square bolt pattern that bolts directly in. 89-91's have one bolt thats off, so swap those pans out and enjoy!

Update on seat swap. You have to figure out how to run some kinda spring or enforcement under the seat foam becuase it will sink down to the floor and you'll be sitting low-rider.


Modified by HBK:CRX at 8:47 AM 6/20/2007


Modified by HBK:CRX at 8:48 AM 6/20/2007

smithenhiven

Nice write-up, this is what we need in this forum.

FOUR-G

how come you can't reuse the original 3g civic springs in the pan with the CRX cushion?

awesome write up!

HBK

iTrader: (1)

It bumps out too much. I haven't had the time to try and rig something up, but its starting to hurt my back the way it is.

socalrex88

this should be in the FAQ! man if only i seen this earlier.. i put DA and Civic hatch si seats in my rex what i didnt know is that you can take the seat pans of your stock ( mines is in the trash wish i didnt throw em away) and put them on any honda seats...dangit!!