e28 power seats?

[REman]

Wondering if anyone has installed in an e12 and how they ran power?

As always so grateful to this site for helping me keep the Shark on the road the last 30 yrs that I've owned it !!

[528i-1981]

This thread might be helpful. If you can find an E28 wiring diagram, that will show you the basic layout. From there it's just plumbing, but using OEM harnesses will certainly make life a little easier. I think that the E28 e-brake console where the switches live will physically fit in an E12, but I don't know how much effort it will require for the retrofitting.

https://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=76064

[REman]

Thanks for forwarding the thread link Eric!
Just read through it and it doesn't reference an e28 to e12 fit unfortunately and still looks like a real pita of a job lol. A lot more work than I want to get into at this time. Too bad because I found a deal on powered seats.

[Mike W.]

My last one had E28 power seats in it, but came that way, I didn't install them. It also had the power to them unfused and evidence of a meltdown at some point. So if you or anyone reading this in the future does it, make sure you have a fuse or circuit breaker in there somewhere.

[REman]

Noted, good point thanks Mike!

Ivan

[528i-1981]

My last one had E28 power seats in it, but came that way, I didn't install them.

Mike, did the car use the E28 e-brake console, or was the switch block mounted somewhere else?

[Mike W.]

It used the E28 ebrake console. For years it was floating around loose before I finally anchored it down. Big improvement. It wasn't a perfect fit, but not bad.

[Lock]

I can add that I tried to install e34 seats into my '79, using a mye28 guide for e34s into e28. But there's two problems with e28/e34 seats in the e12. One, any chassis before 1980 has a different base with a raised beam in the middle (the e28 floor beneath seat is flat) so the seat base won't sit in place, I guess you could angle-grind the seat base or the chassis. And secondly the passenger side has weird raised bodywork to support the seat, where in the e28/e34 the seat base would support it. You could possibly cut that bodywork out as well but why.
Thanks to Eric who found some refurb Euro e12 seats online I have good condition seats now. They're nice, but the e34 seats really are miles ahead in comfort and the e12 is lacking somewhere to rest the drivers right arm so I'm considering making some hybrid e12/e34 seats with armrests and new seat covers.
Short story is I don't think e28 seats will fit unless you have a 1980 or later chassis, so REMan you should be okay. For power I was going to jumper into the power window breakers. Or you could run a new line from the battery, and Eric has been experiementing with auto-resetting breakers on other circuits which sounds like a good solution.

[Mike W.]

Thanks to Eric who found some refurb Euro e12 seats online I have good condition seats now. They're nice, but the e34 seats really are miles ahead in comfort and the e12 is lacking somewhere to rest the drivers right arm so I'm considering making some hybrid e12/e34 seats with armrests and new seat covers.

What kind of seats, comforts or Recaros? If it's the comforts, E28 armrests can be easily added as they appear similar to US spec seats.

[Lock]

What kind of seats, comforts or Recaros? If it's the comforts, E28 armrests can be easily added as they appear similar to US spec seats.

These are just e34 comforts. Do you mean that the armrest mechanism from them will mechanically fit into the e12 seats already, or rather that they will fit with the style?

I really like the e34 seat foam and was planning to see if I could fit the foam (at least the base) and e34 skins to the e12 seat frame. If I can mount the e34 armrest to the e12 back, that would be great but I haven't opened the seats up yet.

[Mike W.]

I meant E28 armrests will fit E12 seats.

I've heard great good things about E34 sport seats but no experience. Somehow I went from E12 to 28 to 39 and completely missed E34s.

[Lock]

Thanks Mike. You inspired me to look into the issue, and found a good part. I was thinking I'd need to open up the chair - turns out it's an external adapter mounted to the support. I'm going to get this and see how it goes. This and cruise control would be perfect.
https://e28goodies.com/product/set-of-e ... ort-seats/
The e34 seat foam is molded to humans, unlike the virtually flat e12 so that was a surprising difference. Pity they don't fit directly into my '79 chassis, but apparently the 80+.

[528i-1981]

The e34 seat foam is molded to humans, unlike the virtually flat e12 so that was a surprising difference. Pity they don't fit directly into my '79 chassis, but apparently the 80+.

The E34 comfort seat was shared with the E32 and also had heating available. Once you crack into the E32 option list, you can add an integrated telephone and fax machine (!) and a wine cooler. You know, to keep those Willamette pinots at exactly 55 degrees F during transport. That will give your upgraded alternator stuff to do. Imagine sending a fax while driving. I don't think the cell phone prohibitions explicitly apply to faxing.

That E28 Goodies site is great. Boy, the E28 enthusiasts are spoiled. Functional cup holders and airvent gauge holders for the E12 would be awesome. There are evidently so many E28s on the road that they can justify aftermarket frivolities like tartan plaid shift boots. Wowzie.