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Murdlem Samba Member
Joined: February 06, 2004 Posts: 506 Location: Port Angeles, Washington
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Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject: Heated seats. |
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I just bought seat heaters for my convertible. Anybody else ever install these?
Carbon fiber heated seat inserts from sportsimportsltd.com. Cost $100 for both seats including shipping. _________________ Eric Meldrum
68 Ghia
Check out my blog. https://vwlifenet.wordpress.com/ |
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John Moxon Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004 Posts: 13943 Location: Southampton U.K.
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karmann57 Samba Member
Joined: October 22, 2004 Posts: 705 Location: Airdrie, Alberta
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Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 7:26 am Post subject: |
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Something I have contemplated if I were to build a true daily driver.
The installation manual is right on the website. |
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smuenchrath Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2005 Posts: 371 Location: Calgary, Alberta
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Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:47 am Post subject: |
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I think that's an excellent reason to keep your 58 Vert Shane Top down with the seat warmers going... _________________ 68 Ghia Regatta Blue Convertible
69 Ghia Toga White Coupe
74 Westfalia |
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Altema Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2010 Posts: 2903 Location: Lower Michigan
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Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:29 am Post subject: |
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Hmm, seat heater, I thought that's what the rear heat vents were for!
Ok, so it takes a few minutes as opposed to almost-instant, but it works... eventually
I do have a lot of friends that love them but they always get them factory, so I've never had to install them. However, a couple things to keep in mind are to make sure you have enough free cable to move you seat without pulling the wires tight, unless you are the only driver. You also need to consider your power source. If you take it from the front, use the main positive feed before the fuse panel, and put a fuse on your supply to the seats if not already included.
One friend of mine will not order a car without heated seats, and she keeps them so hot I almost got burned a couple times (remote start, seats set on max). She's a model, so it's usually warm enough in the car without the seats being set to toast!
Paul |
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karmann57 Samba Member
Joined: October 22, 2004 Posts: 705 Location: Airdrie, Alberta
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Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 11:11 am Post subject: |
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smuenchrath wrote: |
I think that's an excellent reason to keep your 58 Vert Shane Top down with the seat warmers going... |
That was the plan, I just can't live without them now! Sadly not to be. |
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1960bus Samba Member
Joined: September 15, 2005 Posts: 285 Location: UK
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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A friend of mine has put them in his 66 vert. He hasn't reinstalled them yet though. He took the pads off a Volvo seat.
Having driven my friends z4 in the past it does make a real difference on a chilly day with the roof down. _________________ Dan
1958 Ghia Vert
1960 RHD Deluxe Microbus
1966 RHD Devon Kombi |
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retrowagen Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2004 Posts: 1856
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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I have at present two cars (moderns; a Subaru and a Volvo) with heated seats. It's a nice cold-weather feature. A few thoughts in context to adding those to an old Karmann Ghia:
1.) Be certain there is ample cable length so that you don't damage seats (upholstery) or cabling, should you move seat back or forth in extremis.
2.) Is the car 6v or 12v? Is the seat heater even compatible with 6v?
3.) Normally, electrical heating elements put a tremendous draw on an electrical system. Are you going to run the risk of melting your wiring? Maybe even catching the car on fire, or causing other electrical gremlins?? (sorting out electrical systems after a melt-down is not fun at all)
4.) Newer moderns have a timer relay to switch off the "bun warmers" after a few minutes' use. There have been some recent medical studies indicating that even more than a few minutes' sitting on a normal car's heated seat is damaging to the blood vessels in the skin. _________________ David Ruby
President, Karmann-Ghia World Club |
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bluedot Samba Member
Joined: April 25, 2013 Posts: 439
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 12:17 am Post subject: |
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I have seat warmers in our 62 vert, and they are wonderful on cold days. |
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2639 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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kiwighia68 Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013 Posts: 2867 Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 1:15 am Post subject: |
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mcdonaldneal wrote: |
4.) ... I would suggest it's more common in the elderly population, most Sambanistas not quite there yet :wink:) |
I'm one of the "elderly" Sambanistas you refer to. I'm not going to install heaters in the seats. Living in a country with more sheep - about 80 million - than people - about 4.5 million - I'm going to get a pair of sheepskin seat covers. I'll use them in winter and take them off in summer.
Cheap and washable, and no drain on my car's electrics. _________________ Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2639 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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kiwighia68 wrote: |
I'm one of the "elderly" Sambanistas you refer to. I'm not going to install heaters in the seats. Living in a country with more sheep - about 80 million - than people - about 4.5 million - I'm going to get a pair of sheepskin seat covers. I'll use them in winter and take them off in summer.
Cheap and washable, and no drain on my car's electrics. |
No shame in that Kiwighia68, no shame at all! We got sheepskin seat covers in the Kombi 14yrs ago and it's the best money I ever spent, cool in the 40deg Melbourne summer and warm in the freezing Scottish winter! We even had the rock and roll bed and the rear cushion covered, now there's a comfy nights sleep!
The guy threw in the headrest covers for 'free', we've never washed the front seat covers yet, although I'm in the middle of renewing the straps that hold the back seat covers in place. It all looked a bit, 'Pimp my ride' when we first had it done but I've never regretted them. _________________ 1978 marino yellow Bay Dormobile camper
1969 signal orange Karmann Ghia convertible
1976 martini olive Bay Dormobile camper
Stop dead photo links! Post photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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kiwighia68 Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013 Posts: 2867 Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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mcdonaldneal wrote: |
No shame in that Kiwighia68, no shame at all! We got sheepskin seat covers... We even had the rock and roll bed and the rear cushion covered, now there's a comfy nights sleep!... |
That "rock and roll bed" is too much information!
I travelled through the north of Scotland - the most beautiful country I've visited in 35 years of travelling - in 2010 and fully understand the need for heated seats.
At my age comfort trumps style, so sheepskin it will be. _________________ Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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Kmolenda Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2013 Posts: 309 Location: Cottage Grove Mn
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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I used to install them, they're pretty straight forward. BUT I had a pair malfunction due to a customer re wiring them to the 12v rather than switched accy ckt, and bypass the relay and completely melted and burnt his new catskin covers and melted the foam in the seat back. Not sure about putting them in a old vw seat possibly stuffed with straw or whatever that stuff is. And yes, they draw a lot... |
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kingkarmann Samba Member
Joined: November 05, 2003 Posts: 4105
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 11:49 am Post subject: |
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Sheeps wool has wonderful properties. It will keep you warm in the winter and help keep the seats cooler in the warm weather. I keep mine on all the time! _________________ "Depression is a malfunction of the instrument we use to determine reality.”
Mike Gerson
What is your "Bespoke Reality"? |
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scottkrough Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012 Posts: 166 Location: Nor Cal Garlic Capitol of the world
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 1:22 pm Post subject: Re: Heated seats. |
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Murdlem wrote: |
I just bought seat heaters for my convertible. Anybody else ever install these?
Carbon fiber heated seat inserts from sportsimportsltd.com. Cost $100 for both seats including shipping. |
Back on track to the OP's original question...
Yes we have them Installed in our 63' and love them..
It gets quite cool in the evenings here in Nor Cal and there is nothing like a flip of the hidden switch to warm you up nice and toasty like.. The wife and I cruise home from Santa Cruz or Capitola after sundown with the windows down smelling the fresh air and are very comfy with our bun warmers..
BTW we have an all new electrical system with the draw coming direct off the 12V post through a relay.. No problems when wired correctly. Seat covers would never fly here during the day and taking them on and off is not an option for me.
Switch location in pic.
_________________ Scott
Check out our 63' Ghia Build
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=519643 |
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GüteAndTite Early Convertible Güru
Joined: June 16, 2005 Posts: 2144 Location: Low So Cal
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scottkrough Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012 Posts: 166 Location: Nor Cal Garlic Capitol of the world
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swavananda Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2009 Posts: 889 Location: Can o' Scruz
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 10:06 am Post subject: |
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This was my project last weekend. This was the kit i used
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008D2LIRG/ref=ox...E965GQX9ZY
The kit seems like good quality and so far works fantastic. A nice addition to driving a vert in the Monterey bay area with unpredictable bone chilling fog, or as they say here ,the 'marine layer'. |
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swavananda Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2009 Posts: 889 Location: Can o' Scruz
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 10:36 am Post subject: |
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retrowagen wrote: |
3.) Normally, electrical heating elements put a tremendous draw on an electrical system. Are you going to run the risk of melting your wiring? Maybe even catching the car on fire, or causing other electrical gremlins?? (sorting out electrical systems after a melt-down is not fun at all)
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These kits have a 10 amp line fuse and maybe a 22gauge wiring. Not to much of draw on the system. |
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