[usce]

Hello all,

so i bought a parts car e39 m5 and also a 540i touring m sport ... you all know what i am going to do but worry not i will start a new thread.

the touring has manual m sport seats and the m5 has electric, personally i prefer the electric and would like to swap them but i get the feeling that i should leave the manual seat as they will be more true to the car as per the vin and are somewhat more "interesting"

what do you think ?

 

[Rittmeister]

I say go with what you want - I've never been an "OEM over all" type of person myself. Others will disagree.

I'm curious about the manual seats - are they really the same as M5 but manual instead of electric? I'd love manual seats with the same adjustments, they'd be lighter and might not need cables adjusted every few years...

 

[usce]

I say go with what you want - I've never been an "OEM over all" type of person myself. Others will disagree.

I'm curious about the manual seats - are they really the same as M5 but manual instead of electric? I'd love manual seats with the same adjustments, they'd be lighter and might not need cables adjusted every few years...

thanks for your input. i attached pics of the seats in the touring for comparison

 

[Rittmeister]

Ah! Not the same as M5 seats. BUT - it's your car. I say do what you like best, you're the one who'll be driving it.

 

[usce]

Ah! Not the same as M5 seats. BUT - it's your car. I say do what you like best, you're the one who'll be driving it.

ehhh im leaning towards the electric m5 seats to be honest. just thought i would float the idea of leaving the m sport ones. thanks again for your input

 

[SidekickChuck]

If you are looking to install manual seats into the M5, I think the e46 m3 seats would be a good option.

 

[usce]

If you are looking to install manual seats into the M5, I think the e46 m3 seats would be a good option.

no I have an e39 m5 parts car being transplanted in to a clean e39 540i m sport touring that came with the m sport manual seats as per the pics. Just trying to decide if I keep the manual seats or swap in the m5 electric seats. I’m leaning towards electric m5 seats

 

[gsfent]

no I have an e39 m5 parts car being transplanted in to a clean e39 540i m sport touring that came with the m sport manual seats as per the pics. Just trying to decide if I keep the manual seats or swap in the m5 electric seats. I’m leaning towards electric m5 seats

Why not sit in both and see if you prefer one over the other??

Regards,
Jerry

 

[Rittmeister]

How easy is it to fit the E46 M3 seats? Has it been done? My assumption is that it wouldn't be a direct fit, particularly if you want to retain seat heaters etc, but I'm curious if the seat rails bolt in or not.

 

[SidekickChuck]

How easy is it to fit the E46 M3 seats? Has it been done? My assumption is that it wouldn't be a direct fit, particularly if you want to retain seat heaters etc, but I'm curious if the seat rails bolt in or not.

I have no idea. I recall someone talking about doing this WAY back in the day, circa 2007ish or thereabouts, but cant recall if they actually went through with it. Do not know if the mounts line up, but the seat size is almost identical, but doesnt have as much cushion as the m5, so not as comfy on longer trips.

 

[usce]

Why not sit in both and see if you prefer one over the other??

Regards,
Jerry

both feel fine, i think i prefer the m5 seats and as mentioned definitely prefer electric over manual. was just curious to see what the community thought. looks like im going to swap in the m5 seats most likely

 

[Conundrum]

I would prefer manual operation myself. In reality, unless there are multiple people driving the car, how often are the seat controls used. You set them where you want and then forget about it.. I've set mine and very rarely touch them. I see it as a feature that is barely used, why drive around with the weight of the system. I know there are other systems in the car that will completely blow that logic out of the water, but at least for the seats which are known to have seat twist issues, is it worth hauling around the extra wait for a feature that is not really used that often.

Is a compromise a viable option? Can the motorized system be swapped out for the mechanical system keeping the M5 seat look?

 

[usce]

I would prefer manual operation myself. In reality, unless there are multiple people driving the car, how often are the seat controls used. You set them where you want and then forget about it.. I've set mine and very rarely touch them. I see it as a feature that is barely used, why drive around with the weight of the system. I know there are other systems in the car that will completely blow that logic out of the water, but at least for the seats which are known to have seat twist issues, is it worth hauling around the extra wait for a feature that is not really used that often.

Is a compromise a viable option? Can the motorized system be swapped out for the mechanical system keeping the M5 seat look?

fair point ... i do prefer electric but do have a car with manual seats that i almost never touch as well. interesting you mention the swap as that is exactly what i did with my other car, i swapped in a "sports" interior with seats. the seats were electric but mine did not have any wiring so i moved all the cushions and leather over on to my seat frame. in theory it should be possible in this situation as well. thanks for the idea.