Dispelling Rumors:02 vs 03 seat info and Sparco seat bracket part numbers

[FastLaneTuning]

Hey everyone,

Thought I might share some information I just learned from the good folks at Sparco. I'm helping Lee aka PunkyFunky sort out the problem he's having with his Corbeau's, and that lead me to the problem that a few people were having with getting aftermarket seat brackets for the 03 MINI's. So here's what I learned straight from the horse's mouth:

There is no difference between the 02 model and the 03 model. If you have an 03 model year MINI (One, One D, Cooper, Cooper S) and you have had problems installing an aftermarket seat, you are a rare case. The guy I spoke to on the phone today at Sparco has sold 50 sets of seats to MINI owners, and not one of them has complained about fitment. Lee was a rare case, well, not really, since he made the mistake of getting Corbeau seats that don't mount well in ANY car, but that's a whole other story that he has been sharing on this messageboard.

They confirmed to me today that the 02 model MINI's and the 03 models use the same seat brackets that bolt to the same chassis. Whatever you have heard before about them being different is now defined as being incorrect information. There is also no difference in right hand drive vs left hand - except that the cars end up on the wrong side of the road when the drivers sit on the right....

JUST KIDDING!

And now, in case anyone was EVER wondering this information, here are the part numbers:

Chassis Brackets
00499038SX - Left Hand Side Seat
00499038DX - Right Hand Side Seat

Sliders
00493 - Universal Application

Glad to be of ANY help, not sure if anyone really cares, but hopefully this might help someone in a search when they're trying to look up this information someting in the future!

[punkeyfunky]

Quote: Originally Posted by FastLaneTuning

Hey everyone,

[SNIP!]
And now, in case anyone was EVER wondering this information, here are the part numbers:

Chassis Brackets
00499038SX - Left Hand Side Seat
00499038DX - Right Hand Side Seat

Sliders
00493 - Universal Application

Glad to be of ANY help, not sure if anyone really cares, but hopefully this might help someone in a search when they're trying to look up this information someting in the future!

Ah.... I didn't catch this FLT... I'll speak to retailer today and see if they have ordered these part numbers. I'm expecting Sparco's to arrive soon... (I've waited long enough!)

Lee

[FastLaneTuning]

Lee,

As always, keep me informed.... Hope you SOMEHOW got a set of brackets that AREN'T being made at either one of Sparco's headquarters, but i wish you luck! talk to you soon

[punkeyfunky]

Quote: Originally Posted by FastLaneTuning

Lee,

As always, keep me informed.... Hope you SOMEHOW got a set of brackets that AREN'T being made at either one of Sparco's headquarters, but i wish you luck! talk to you soon

Hmm. I spoke to retailer and gave the part numbers. Retailer contacted Sparco.

Retailer says that Sparco have different numbers, but are 100% sure that the brackets will fit. I say that this is for a 2003 MINI, which is different to a 2001 model. Retailer (refers back to Sparco) and says Sparco are still sure.


Only thing I can do now is wait for them to actually turn up.

Nothing ever goes smoothly...
:/

Lee

[FastLaneTuning]

Lee,

Nope, it never does!!! But if, somehow, you get brackets that fit your car, let us ALL know what part number they are for both sides, and I'll cross reference them.... and proceed to give Sparco a piece of my mind for telling me what they've told me about not making them yet.... and then proceed to order a driver and passenger bracket....

haha!!!

Hope everything goes well, talk to you soon!

[nulltty]

Call up WineCountry Motorsports in Sonoma CA, I got mine through them.

The Sparco base bracket with seatbelt mount part number I have , 00499038sx, 00499038dx (one is driver, other is passenger)

You'll need to buy the sliders too, otherwise the holes won't line up with the bottom of the seat.

Didn't have a fitting problem with those part numbers. I have 2003 MCS.

Quote: Originally Posted by FastLaneTuning

Lee,

Nope, it never does!!! But if, somehow, you get brackets that fit your car, let us ALL know what part number they are for both sides, and I'll cross reference them.... and proceed to give Sparco a piece of my mind for telling me what they've told me about not making them yet.... and then proceed to order a driver and passenger bracket....

haha!!!

Hope everything goes well, talk to you soon!

[punkeyfunky]

Quote: Originally Posted by FastLaneTuning

Lee,

Nope, it never does!!! But if, somehow, you get brackets that fit your car, let us ALL know what part number they are for both sides, and I'll cross reference them.... and proceed to give Sparco a piece of my mind for telling me what they've told me about not making them yet.... and then proceed to order a driver and passenger bracket....

haha!!!

Hope everything goes well, talk to you soon!

Well - I went into the retailer yesterday, and had a word about these part numbers. The numbers listed above are different to the ones my retailer has used. But, as I chased them about it, they went back to Sparco, and queried. Sparco are adamant that the codes above are for American market cars, and they have different codes for cars in the Euro zone.

I can only wait and see what turns up. And yes, I'm *still* waiting.

Lee

[FastLaneTuning]

alright, well i have some good news for once!

I got the sparco seats installed yesterday, and i'm happy as can be!!! i DIDN'T use sparco brackets, instead i called WEDGE ENGINEERING since we have an account with them, and they gave me a DIFFERENT part number for the 02+ MINI Cooper and S, since it was made from them.... I had the part number written down, i'll post again with it when i get back to the shop on monday, but they worked GREAT!!! only problem was, i was charged $207 MY COST for the brackets shipped next day air across the country, because they were 'special ordered' to fit sparco seats.... give me a break, but anyways, they are installed! now my only problem is getting the driver's side seat belt light to go out! i got the airbag lights to stay off by fooling it with a 3.9 ohm resistor tapped into the yellow snap in adapter, but i couldn't fool the seat belt light to stay off by doing the same thing!!

any ideas?????

[punkeyfunky]

Quote: Originally Posted by FastLaneTuning

alright, well i have some good news for once!

I got the sparco seats installed yesterday, and i'm happy as can be!!! i DIDN'T use sparco brackets, instead i called WEDGE ENGINEERING since we have an account with them, and they gave me a DIFFERENT part number for the 02+ MINI Cooper and S, since it was made from them.... I had the part number written down, i'll post again with it when i get back to the shop on monday, but they worked GREAT!!! only problem was, i was charged $207 MY COST for the brackets shipped next day air across the country, because they were 'special ordered' to fit sparco seats.... give me a break, but anyways, they are installed! now my only problem is getting the driver's side seat belt light to go out! i got the airbag lights to stay off by fooling it with a 3.9 ohm resistor tapped into the yellow snap in adapter, but i couldn't fool the seat belt light to stay off by doing the same thing!!

any ideas?????

Did you reconnect the blue connector that goes to the seat belt socket?

Lee

PS Sparco's expected to arrive 23rd/24th Sept. Right whilst I'm away on honeymoon. Damn.

[scott_roberts]

FLT, got pics of the Sparco's installed? I'm planning on getting MOMO seats. Supposedly the seats (MOMO Rookie Seat) work with the stock Cooper brackets...no hardware needed.

Are the Sparco's comfy? Can't stand the lower back arch in the stock Cooper seat...killing my back!

- Scott

[nulltty]

Installed Sparco pics here, http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...ghlight=sparco

[FastLaneTuning]

nulltty,

of COURSE, you have the same damn car i do, with the same damn seats i installed!!! yep, nothing really different from my car to his, so if you want pics immediately, there they are....

Lee,

yeah, definitely said that I TOOK OFF the stock seat belts, so i have nothing to plug them in to!!! Europe has messed up your head man! J/k, but yeah, i went to the dealership today and they didn't give me a straight answer on how to do it - they were more impressed with the fact that i had got the seat air bag light to not come on than to help me get another light OFF.... jerks....

so the question still remains - when you take off the stock seat belt adapter (the 'buckle' that bolts to the seat) and don't use it when installing aftermarket seats - HOW DO YOU GET THE SEAT BELT LIGHT TO NOT COME ON??? Is it seriously as simple as installing the 3.9ohm resistor to the passenger side seat belt (blue) adapter like i did for the driver's side? I haven't done it yet, but when I get some time, I'll take a look at it.... thanks in advance!

scott_roberts,

hmmm, i wouldn't be too trusting about the MOMO seats bolting into the stock seat brackets, since the seat brackets appear to be integrated into the seat pretty well.... I really didn't look too much into the stock seats as I was more interested in getting them out and getting the Sparco's in!! This is the second car I have had the Sparco's in, and I couldn't wait to get back in them, since I had the car for about 3 weeks with stock seats and stock belts in it. Its more the harnesses than the seats for me though, I love the feeling of being so bolted in to a car that you can't even move!!! and yes, the seats are VERY nice too - got a lot of applause for them at the Nopi Nationals this past weekend for having them installed in my car.... I figure $3,000 in mods in 3 weeks time isn't that bad!! Too bad I won't be able to keep it up or else I'll have to say goodbye to the car to the repo man!!!! haha....

[nulltty]

Couldn't you cut off the stock belt plate and just have it buckled into the buckle? hmm... sally sells seashells by the sea shore.

But I guess you did away with the buckle too?

Quote: Originally Posted by FastLaneTuning

so the question still remains - when you take off the stock seat belt adapter (the 'buckle' that bolts to the seat) and don't use it when installing aftermarket seats - HOW DO YOU GET THE SEAT BELT LIGHT TO NOT COME ON??? Is it seriously as simple as installing the 3.9ohm resistor to the passenger side seat belt (blue) adapter like i did for the driver's side? I haven't done it yet, but when I get some time, I'll take a look at it.... thanks in advance!

[FastLaneTuning]

nulltty,

Correct. There are no factory seat belts, buckles, or connections left on my car. Front or rear. I have four point harnesses integrated into the rear seat back hook - christ, I have pictures of all this going up on my website soon, whenever we get it up and running again, I'll post pics of it, but more importantly, I still have the damn seat belt light on in my car!!!

I specifically bought a new car so I WOULDN'T have lights come on the dash! My Honda had just about every light on - from ABS, to SRS, to rear brake light bulb notification.... stupid honda.... I'm going to get some warranty service done on my car tomorrow, and I talked to the guys at BMW service about it VERY BREIFLY the last time I was up there, so hopefully they'll be able to help me with it this time.... Who knows though - can anyone offer any advice on what to do?!

[punkeyfunky]

Pah.

What a bunch of ****.

The Sparco's have FINALLY arrived. 2 x Torino 2's, and a pair of bases (as per FLT's part numbers above).

Of course, it appears that the retailer hasn't ordered the universal sliders, so I STILL can't get the damn seats into the car. Man.... I'm p*ssed.

As for the seat belt bracket (supplied with the base) - it appears to mount on the bottom of the seat, ie the holes line up. There are no bolts though, and I'm asuming this all comes in the universal slider kit.

The airbag light? Thats down to removing the airbags (duh!). The computer runs a resistance check across the airbag circuits (because each airbag contains a big fat capacitor that stores the charge to set off the pyro, that gets the airbag going), and when you remove the airbag, aka, disconnect the *yellow* connector under the seat, the resistance changes. This is why the 3.9 Ohm resistor thing works. My light is still on from when I tried to get the Corbeau's to fit; I'm waiting for my dealer to do a reset. Oh, the blue connector under the seat is for the electrics into the seat belt pretensioners.

Incidentally, for UK/Euro folks - the Rover 75 shares a number of bits and pieces with the MINI, namely, the connectors under the seat. I'm considering getting a set from a crashed/written off 75, so that I can use the other side of the 'yellow' plug to house the 3.9 ohm resistor. I'll post if/when I get it sorted.

So, 4 months after I originally tried to get the seats changed, I'm *still* waiting for damn retailers and/or suppliers. I honestly think I could do better myself...

</rant over>

Lee