An Orion is a quieter choice than an Escort and usually a cheaper one. Same platform as the Mk3 to Mk5 Escort depending on year, three-box body instead of the hatchback, and a kerb weight that makes it a reasonable proposition for a modified road car or a period class at a club event. The seat situation on a Mk1 or Mk2 varies with the history of the car: the originals are often tired, frequently missing from project cars that have been through a few hands, and rarely the right shape for someone who wants to feel the car properly on a circuit or a good road.
A reclining sport seat is the practical answer for an Orion that is still doing road miles as well as track use. You get proper lateral support through corners, a better driving position from a lower seat height, and 4-point harness compatibility when the car needs it. The backrest still folds, which matters on a four-door. And on this car, the fitting frame includes the sliding runners in the price, which keeps the total cost down at the base of the build.
There is one fitting frame we stock for the Orion, and it covers both generations. The Mk1 and Mk2 share their floor mounting arrangement, so a single Cobra subframe handles both. It picks up the factory seat mounting points, nothing drilled, and it is specific to this chassis rather than a universal bracket. Unlike most of the frames in this series, the Cobra Orion subframe includes the sliding runner in the price. The runner is what sits between the frame and the seat base and allows the fore-aft adjustment. No separate runner purchase needed for any of the five seats in this guide, which is unusual and worth noting when you are working out the total cost of the build.
Listing 14387, £231.66 inc VAT. Covers Mk1 (1983 to 1986) and Mk2 (1986 to 1993). Takes Cobra 291mm pattern seats and Corbeau recliners on the 291mm side. Sliding runner included in the price.
Every reclining seat in this guide bolts down through the Cobra frame’s 291mm pattern. Cobra recliners are drilled at 291mm x 330mm and go straight on. Corbeau recliners are drilled for both 291mm and 345mm, so the 291mm side lines up with the Cobra frame as well as it does with a Sparco. The upshot is that every seat on this page fits the same frame with no adaptation. The table below just confirms it.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Cobra subframe (14387) |
|---|---|---|
| Corbeau PSR | 291 or 345 | Fits |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | Fits |
| Cobra Le Mans | 291 x 330 | Fits |
| Corbeau Sportline RRS Low Base | 291 or 345 | Fits |
| Cobra Misano Anniversary | 291 x 330 | Fits |
The PSR is the entry-level Corbeau recliner, and for a build where the budget needs to stretch across more than just the seats it is frequently the right answer. It is a compact seat, no exaggerated bolsters, a flat base that makes getting in and out of a two-door or four-door straightforward, and it is sold as a pair, which means both sides of the car are sorted from a single product. At £558 inc VAT for the pair, you are putting supportive, properly mounted seats into both front positions for roughly the cost of a single seat at the mid-range of this guide. The Corbeau PSR is drilled for both 291mm and 345mm, so it goes straight onto the Cobra subframe using the 291mm holes, with no additional hardware beyond what comes with the frame.
The Daytona is the entry point to the Cobra reclining range, and on a car that does track evenings as well as road use it earns its place. The bolsters at the shoulders and thighs are noticeably more built-up than the PSR’s, so the driver stays put through a corner without gripping the wheel for lateral support. Cobra build each Daytona to order through their Signature system, which covers spacer fabric, vinyl or leather in any colour combination you choose, with contrast stitching, heating or lumbar as optional extras. For proper sport seat support at an accessible price, the Daytona is where the Cobra reclining range makes sense to start.
The Le Mans has been in the Cobra range long enough to feel like the natural partner for a classic saloon build. The backrest shape is different from the Daytona, a little taller and with a different shoulder profile, and the Heritage edition adds a period-correct look that works well on an Orion being built with an eye on the car’s original era. It goes on the same Cobra frame as every other seat in this guide, uses the same 291mm bolt pattern, and is available with armrests as a separate listing if the car is doing enough road miles to make them worth adding. The armrests fold away for track use. For a build that wants something with a bit more character than a standard Daytona without moving up to the Misano’s price, the Le Mans is worth sitting in before you decide.
The Sportline RRS is the best-selling recliner we stock from Corbeau, and the Low Base version is the one worth considering for an Orion where headroom turns out to be less generous than expected. The standard RRS backrest carries enough height that a taller driver can lose meaningful clearance when the seat is mounted closer to the floor. The Low Base shell brings the seat down enough to recover it. The backrest is the sculpted Corbeau shape, deeper at the sides than the SVR profile, and the seat is drilled for both bolt patterns so it sits correctly on the Cobra subframe via the 291mm holes. Available as a single or a pair, so if you need two, one order covers both sides.
The Misano is the top of the Cobra reclining range. The cushioning is where the difference from the Daytona and the Le Mans shows: better foam density, more support on a long run, and a level of finish that puts it in a different bracket from either of them. It uses the same Signature build-to-order system, so the trim, colour, heating and lumbar options are all on the table the same as any other Cobra. The Anniversary edition is the one we stock regularly; the Spec 2 is the higher-spec variant if the budget stretches. Goes on the same Cobra subframe as the rest, same included runner, same frame price. The seat makes most sense in a car that already has proper work done underneath it.
The Cobra Orion subframe bolts to the factory seat mounting points in both generations of the car. Nothing drilled. The frame includes the sliding runner in the price, which is the part that sits between the subframe and the seat base and gives the fore-aft adjustment. Most frames we list charge for the runner separately; this one does not. For any of the five seats in this guide, the subframe at £231.66 inc VAT a side is the complete assembly, floor to seat, no additional parts required. Torque the floor bolts properly when it goes in, and check seat belt buckle clearance before you drive: a sport seat changes where the buckle sits relative to the side sill.
The frame is listed per side. A driver seat and a passenger seat means two frames in the basket.
| Your seat | Runners to order | Frame price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Any seat in this guide | Included with the Cobra subframe | £231.66 per side |
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Waist | Height | Weight | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corbeau PSR | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £558.00 (pair) |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | From £599.00 |
| Cobra Le Mans | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | From £619.00 |
| Corbeau RRS Low Base | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £498.00 |
| Cobra Misano Anniversary | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £1,649.00 |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 10 September 2026. Seat weights are not published by the manufacturer for any of the five seats above and we will not guess them. Waist and height figures are the manufacturers’ published fitment ranges; if you are near the edge of a range, ask before ordering.
No. The Cobra subframe picks up the factory seat mounting points on both Mk1 and Mk2 cars without any drilling. Make sure the mounting bolts are torqued correctly and check that the seat belt buckle clears the seat side properly before driving, because a sport seat changes where the buckle lands relative to the sill.
Yes. The Mk1 (1983 to 1986) and Mk2 (1986 to 1993) share the same floor mounting arrangement, which is why Cobra sell a single subframe listing that covers both. The frame product (14387) works on both generations. If you are not certain which generation your car is, the Mk2 moved to a more rounded body style in 1986 and is the more common survivor.
Every seat in this guide is listed as 4-point harness compatible by its manufacturer, with belt slots in the backrest for a lap belt configuration. If you are planning to run a harness, let us know when you order and we can make sure the whole setup works together for your car's use.
The Cobra subframe takes both Cobra and Corbeau recliners. Corbeau seats are drilled for two bolt patterns (291mm and 345mm) and the Cobra frame uses the 291mm side. The Corbeau PSR and the Sportline RRS Low Base in this guide both fit this way. There is nothing special to order or adapt; they bolt straight on through the 291mm holes like any Cobra seat would.
If the car is used primarily on track rather than road, a fixed-back bucket saves a small amount of weight and holds the driver harder. A reclining seat makes more sense when the car still does road miles, has rear passengers, or when the driver wants the option to adjust the backrest angle. There is no one right answer, and if you are weighing both options for this specific build, call us and we will go through it: 0115 9893488.
If it were my money: the Corbeau PSR pair for a build where the budget needs to stretch elsewhere. Both seats, one order, supportive and properly mounted, and the remaining money goes on the car. The Cobra Daytona if the driving is what the build is really about: proper bolstered support, the seat fitted to your spec. The Le Mans if the Orion is period in character and the Heritage edition suits the look better than something modern. The Corbeau RRS Low Base if I needed the headroom back after mounting. Cameron would fit the Misano into an Orion that already has work done underneath it, because a seat at that level makes sense when the rest of the car is sorted. All five use the same Cobra subframe and the same included runner. None of them need extra hardware beyond the frame.
If you want to talk through which one fits your Orion before spending, call us at 0115 9893488.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the Ford Orion Mk1 and Mk2, with the Cobra subframe that covers both generations, includes the sliding runners in the price, and bolts to the factory floor mounting points without drilling.
A pair of Sparco R100s going into a Skyline R34. The Planted bracket, the runners, cloth against vinyl, why the BRIDE rails you have been looking at will not take this seat, and the one question Garreth asks before he lets anybody order the lot.
Five reclining sport seats for a Toyota Chaser, from the Sparco R500 to the Recaro Sportster CS, on the same Planted SB418 bracket as our bucket guide but with runners in place of side mounts. Includes which runner matches which bolt pattern.
Five reclining sport seats for the Ford Fiesta Mk5 ST150, with the Cobra direct-fit subframe that bolts each one to the factory mounting points without drilling.
A Locust takes much the same seats as a Caterham or a Westfield, but it is a kit car, so the cockpit is whatever the builder made it. The five shells we would put in one, the 40cm versus 44cm decision that cannot be undone, and the measurement to take before you order.
Five FIA bucket seats that suit a Toyota Chaser, ordered by shell width, plus the two mounting routes: the Planted SB418 bracket and the BRIDE vehicle-specific sliding rail. Includes which chassis codes we can actually mount and which we cannot.
Not sure what fits, which approval you need, or what to choose next? Ask Garreth and Cameron. You’ll get a practical answer from people who handle the kit every day.
