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Heated seats.
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Murdlem
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:20 pm    Post subject: Heated seats. Reply with quote

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.
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John Moxon Premium Member
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 6:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Call me old fashioned...but nothing could be further from my thoughts Confused .
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karmann57
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think that's an excellent reason to keep your 58 Vert Shane Smile Top down with the seat warmers going...
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Altema
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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 Laughing

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
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 11:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

smuenchrath wrote:
I think that's an excellent reason to keep your 58 Vert Shane Smile 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
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 2:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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retrowagen
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 2:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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bluedot
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 12:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have seat warmers in our 62 vert, and they are wonderful on cold days.
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mcdonaldneal
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 12:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.[/quote]

Ha! Being a doctor in Scotland, we call it 'Granny's tartan', properly known as 'erythema ab igne'.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Usually from sitting too close to the two bar electric heater, but apparently you can get it from car seats too!

http://www.lucianoschiazza.it/Documenti%20new/Eritema_ab_igne_eng.html

(I would suggest it's more common in the elderly population, most Sambanistas not quite there yet Wink)
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kiwighia68
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 1:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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mcdonaldneal
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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!

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


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.
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kiwighia68
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 3:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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Kmolenda
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 6:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 11:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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!
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 1:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Heated seats. Reply with quote

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.

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GüteAndTite
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

anyone that can answer this questions:

WILL SEAT HEATERS WORK WITH 6 VOLT CARS??????
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 7:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

None that I saw when shopping for mine were 6 volt...
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swavananda
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PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 10:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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
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PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 10:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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)



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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