Rear seat

[///Sniper535]

Ok, so i think I'm never gonna get a hold of rear head rests fo rmy car. So I know it's possible to fit E32 rear seats in an E34 with some modification. Can I also utilize the E32 power or manual head rests?

[myles]

Ok, so i think I'm never gonna get a hold of rear head rests fo rmy car. So I know it's possible to fit E32 rear seats in an E34 with some modification. Can I also utilize the E32 power or manual head rests?


Have a look for ebay seller cc-automotive in the uk. I requested rear head rests from him and he got it exactly right. The cost wasn't too bad either. What color/trim are you looking for?

[///Sniper535]

Parchment/pergament.

but i dont want to cut up my seats

[Tiger]

You have to to put in rear headrest. I did the work on my car. Only two slits and it has cover to hide the slits.

[myles]

I agree with Tiger. You have to cut a couple of slits in the top of the seat back. There is then a trim which sits on top of the seat to cover the slits.

The E32 headrests would also require the seats to be cut and then a whole lot more work to make the mounting work. E32 headrests mount to the seatback and the E34 headrests mount through the seatback into a bracket mounted on the rear firewall.

Parchement is a common colour. He shouldn't have too much trouble getting it. Come to think of it I know of a wrecked car near me that has rear parchement headrests in it. Its been sitting in the yard for a while now so they are probably getting pretty crappy.

Also I didn't think they started making parchement colour trim until late 1990. Have you done an interior swap?

[///Sniper535]

yes I did. When I talk about the E32 rear headreats, i mean taking the rear seat backs along with the head rest.

[bubba966]

but i dont want to cut up my seats

Factory rear headrest installation has the leather cut just like you would have to if you retrofitted in a set of rear headrests.

Why go to the hassle of trying to make an E32 rear set/headrest combo work when you can just slap the proper E34 ones in?

Ask around to places that are probably more likely to see rear headrests in the cars in their yard. Like www.fabdirect.com or other UK breakers.

[myles]

The E32 rear seats are wider than the E34s rear seat. I think Shogun has previously said that the swap is not so easy.

[Ross]

Before you go to all the touble I would suggest driving, and reversing a car so equipped. These things block rear vision a lot in most cars. MBs have a dash control to pop them down they are so in the way.

[nirvana19]

I think he got a look on the rear headrests on my car. Now of course he didn't reverse my car.. but I've never had any problems. The headrests aren't so big as when in the regular position a they only protrude a bit above the rear of the seat and aren't so wide. Also isn't one in the center. To be fair though I don't recall doing much reversing in the other E34s I've driven so they might be better, but I do know that my car as is has excellent visibility compared to most cars I've driven.

Also, were rear headrests available on US cars? I've never seen them on another E34 (I always look for them) but I just saw a 93 525i advertised which had rear headrests. I have a Canada car so I always though that was why, but was it actually just a rare option?

[Tiger]

No problem reversing on mine either. I retrofitted mine with all the parts from Bekkers Import. I had a deal on one of the headrest that they had leftover and just had to buy one new one at near dealer price. I think it still costed me about $200 or so. I remembered everything dealer cost would be over $350+.

[525i winter driver]

Ok, so i think I'm never gonna get a hold of rear head rests fo rmy car. So I know it's possible to fit E32 rear seats in an E34 with some modification. Can I also utilize the E32 power or manual head rests?
i have a backseat in really nice shape (the back is... the bottom is torn but repairable) with headrests but it's fabric (natur colour) - looks to me it would be fairly easy to modify an existing seat to fit them, been thinking about doing it myself...

[bubba966]

Also, were rear headrests available on US cars? I've never seen them on another E34 (I always look for them) but I just saw a 93 525i advertised which had rear headrests. I have a Canada car so I always though that was why, but was it actually just a rare option?

They were standard on US M5's. Options on the rest of the line as far as I know. I do know that when I was buying a new set of front springs at the dealer not so long ago there was an option of checking rear headrests or not on the spring table. Apparently they effect the weight balance of the car enough to effect which rear spring are on the car.

My car doesn't have 'em yet. Plan on it at some point. But I'm not expecting that I'll find a used pair in black Bison as the Bison leather was a rather rare interior option.