Replacement Seat - Cipher Auto

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Nibbs
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Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:59 am
Location: Durham, NC

Replacement Seat - Cipher Auto

Post by Nibbs »

Finished installing some Cipher Auto CPA1019 seats this weekend. Black with gray stitching in my 2005 Turbo. They are priced OK at $360 a pair. I told my wife Subaru specifies new seats every 200K or 15 years, whatever comes first. I don't think she bought it.

I had initially thought I'd just pull the Baja seats out and pull the rails off - Didn't want to spend another $200 on seat plate adapters or new sliders/rails. I love you, sweetheart.. but... No. When I looked at the Baja seat rails (last photo here fyr), they are integrated into the seat about 9 different ways. There's no way that I could see to pull them off and be able to put the seats back on the Baja later (in case I want to have the originals re-upholstered). So I nabbed rails from a 1999 Legacy from a pull your part junkyard for $30. Almost kept the Legacy seats - They were in better condition than the Baja seats for sure.

Even the Legacy seat rails needed some time with a grinder and cutoff wheel before they were ready to adapt to the Cipher seats. I ended up just building 2 aluminum adapters from 40mm x 10mm bar stock. Then 25mm M8 button heads from the bar stock to the seats, 45mm button heads with 22mm spacers from the bar stock to the rails. Needed to raise the rails by 22mm so that the lever to move the seat had room to actuate.

I also had to cut the seat belt sensor connector from the Legacy and solder in the one from the Baja. I was hoping to keep the same seatbelt receiver ends, but one set of rails had bolted on belts, and the other was held by a nut. So I've got the Legacy's belt receivers - They seem to work just fine.

Seats look good, match (somewhat) the interior, and have a lot more support than the originals. I don't know if you want to go the same route with the aluminum rails, but I figure they have to be about as strong as whatever the nut insert in the seat is. Plus, between the 2 cars, I've found at least $4 worth of change under the seats. Still haven't found my original wedding ring that fell down the e-brake slot and in between the carpet and body. I'll look again in 2035.
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~Nibbs
Nibbs
Scoobytruck Lurker
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:59 am
Location: Durham, NC

Re: Replacement Seat - Cipher Auto

Post by Nibbs »

Riding around after the install, I can tell that the seat is 1 or 2 inches higher than stock. I'm 6' tall, and headroom was never a problem before. Now, things are a bit tight when I'm wearing a baseball cap. Seats are comfortable and firm.
~Nibbs
kensei
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Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 8:38 pm

Re: Replacement Seat - Cipher Auto

Post by kensei »

Nibbs wrote: Sat Oct 10, 2020 6:23 pm When I looked at the Baja seat rails (last photo here fyr), they are integrated into the seat about 9 different ways. There's no way that I could see to pull them off and be able to put the seats back on the Baja later (in case I want to have the originals re-upholstered).
From your photos it looks like certain parts of the rail & adjustment systems are spot welded to the seat pan, but I really can't tell. In your estimate would the original seat need to be pretty much dismantled/welds drilled out to reuse the rails? I am guessing so since you went a different way...

Thanks!
Nibbs
Scoobytruck Lurker
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:59 am
Location: Durham, NC

Re: Replacement Seat - Cipher Auto

Post by Nibbs »

>In your estimate would the original seat need to be pretty much dismantled/welds drilled out to reuse the rails? I am guessing so since you went a different way...

Yes - That's exactly the case. I looked at the Baja rails and each time I looked a another corner, I thought 'there's no way these are coming off'. The Impreza rails from 1999 were much more disassembly friendly.

I think these seats are here to stay. They are firm and comfortable. It's only a matter of time before I put a big stain on them, but enjoying the new fuzzy finish for now.
~Nibbs
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