Will Recaro Pole Position Side Mount Seats Fit The OMP Bracket On A BMW E36?
A customer asked whether an OMP BMW E36 bracket with sliders will take Recaro Pole Position side mount seats on Tegiwa side mounts. We cannot say yes to the OMP frame from its listing, because it is listed as a base mount frame and the Pole Position is a side mount seat. The PCI Racing E36 sliding sub frame at £330.00 a seat carries its own side mounts and its own slider, so that is the build we can stand behind.
- Prices read from the live site, inc VAT
- Every fact comes from our own listings for the OMP, PCI Racing and Recaro parts
- The OMP and Tegiwa questions are answered with what we can and cannot confirm
Not on the OMP frame as listed. Use a side mount frame
£330inc VAT
We check the combination against your seat before you order.
- The OMP E36 frame is listed as base mount, and the Pole Position is listed as side mount
- The OMP listing names no sliders
- The PCI Racing E36 sliding sub frame has side mounts and the slider built in
- We have no fitment data for Tegiwa side mounts, so send us photos and the hole spacing
The short answer: the OMP frame and the Pole Position do not line up on paper
The OMP BMW E36 direct fit subframe, part HC798, is listed with a Base Mount fixing type, and the seats it names are base mount seats from Corbeau, OMP, Recaro and Sparco. The Recaro Pole Position, in FIA and ABE form, is listed as a side mount seat sold as seat only. So we can’t tell you the Pole Position bolts to that frame.
The OMP listing also names no sliders, so if the bracket you have came with them it may be a different part from the one we list.
“Send me a photo of the bracket and the part number on it,” Cameron says, “and I’ll tell you what it is before you spend anything.”
What the OMP E36 frame is listed as
OMP’s E36 frame is a steel base mount frame, sold one per seat position, so you order twice for a pair. It carries two bolt patterns. Sparco, OMP and Corbeau base mount seats share 345mm by 271mm, Recaro base mount seats use 405mm by 290mm, and Cobra seats sit on their own pattern.
That Recaro pattern is for Recaro’s base mount seats, and the Pole Position has no base pattern listed. It’s a side mount seat, so the side mounts are what attach it to anything. “The Recaro name on the seat doesn’t get it onto this frame,” says Cameron. “Where the bolts are does, and on a Pole Position they’re in the sides.”
- From £115.92 inc VAT
- Part number HC798, sold as a single
- Fixing type: base mount
- Bolt patterns 345mm x 271mm and 405mm x 290mm
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From £115.92 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Product cards show prices excluding VAT. Prices in the text include VAT.
Tegiwa side mounts on a Pole Position
We don’t list Tegiwa side mounts, and we hold no fitment data for them. That means we can’t say they fit a Pole Position shell, and we can’t say they fit an E36 frame. We’d rather tell you that than guess.
Recaro’s own listing for its steel side mounts is a good reason for caution. It says they are not universal, that a wrong bracket means the seat will not sit at the correct angle or height, and that in some cases it will not bolt together at all.
“If the seat’s already got Tegiwa mounts on it, I’d get the hole spacing and a photo before anyone buys a frame around them,” says Garreth. The PCI Racing frames below come with their own side mounts, so on those the Tegiwa question may not come up at all.
A photo of the mounts
Both sides, with the seat shell visible behind them.
The hole spacing
Measured on the seat shell and on the mount, in millimetres.
Coupe or saloon
And the year of the car, so we can match the frame.
The frames we can put under a Pole Position
Two PCI Racing frames for the E36 are listed as complete fitting kits with side mounts included. The listings say any side mount bucket seat bolts straight to them, and the Pole Position is a side mount seat. If you are not sure which of these matches your seat, drop us an email or click to open a chat and we will work it through with you.
This is the one for a car that needs the seat to move, whether it is shared or still used on the road. The slider is built in, so there is no separate runner kit to buy. PCI’s S1 slider bolts to the base with four bolts where a conventional slider uses two.
It is handed, so order twice for a pair. We also list a pair of the sliding frames, two PCI Racing E36 sliding sub frames, at £660.00, which saves you adding two single listings to the basket.
- From £330.00 inc VAT per seat
- Part number SM-E36-S1, E36 1992 to 1998
- Side mounts and slider included
- Handed: order twice for a pair
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PCI describe this as the low option for an E36. It gives the largest range of adjustment and the lowest seat fitment in their range, with no slider, so the seat is set at installation and stays there. They add that most E36s at this stage of their life are track cars, which makes this the sensible choice over the sliding frame.
If yours is shared, they say to take the slider instead.
- From £240.00 inc VAT per seat
- Part number SM-E36-A1, E36 1992 to 1998
- Side mounts included, no slider
- Handed: order twice for a pair
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From £240.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
These are Recaro’s own mounts for the Pole Position ABE, the Pole Position FIA and the Pro Racer SPG XL. One set covers one seat position. Recaro say a sub-frame or seat rail adaptor still has to sit between the bracket and the car’s floor.
If you want Recaro hardware all the way down, a Planted Technology bracket is the other frame we list for the E36, in a coupe version and a saloon version. Count the doors before ordering. The Planted listing does not name seat brands, so we confirm that pairing with you first.
- £215.40 inc VAT per seat position
- Part number REC7207450A, steel, black
- For Pole Position ABE and FIA, and Pro Racer SPG XL
- Not for the Profi SPG family, Pro Racer SPA or Sportster CS
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From £240.00 Incl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £330.00 Incl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £115.92 Incl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
The Pole Position versions we list
All three listings are seat only, side mount and sold for a driver under 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist. The ABE and the 2018 Edition are filed under our E36 seat options. The FIA is not, so we confirm it with you before it goes on an E36 order.
| Seat | Approval | Fixing | Waist | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recaro Pole Position with ABE Bucket Seat | Road & Track | Side mount | 32" - 36" waist | From £1,039.50 |
| Recaro Pole Position FIA Motorsport Bucket Seat | FIA 8855-1999 | Side mount | 32" - 36" waist | From £995.40 |
| Recaro Pole Position 2018 Edition Bucket Seat | Road & Track | Side mount | 32" - 36" waist | £1,446.48 |
From means the lowest price across the trims on the listing. Prices include VAT. Seat only: frame and side mounts are separate.
For the full difference between the two main versions, read Recaro Pole Position ABE vs FIA. The listings give the FIA seat as homologated to FIA 8855-1999 and the ABE as sold for road and track.
What one seat costs on a PCI frame
| Build | Frame plus seat | Total from |
|---|---|---|
| PCI sliding sub frame with Pole Position FIA | £330.00 + £995.40 | £1,325.40 |
| PCI sliding sub frame with Pole Position ABE | £330.00 + £1,039.50 | £1,369.50 |
| PCI fixed mount with Pole Position FIA | £240.00 + £995.40 | £1,235.40 |
| PCI fixed mount with Pole Position ABE | £240.00 + £1,039.50 | £1,279.50 |
Prices inc VAT, lowest across the options on each listing. The seat is sold on its own, so a pair is the frame and seat twice.
The OMP frame is the cheapest part in this guide at £115.92, but on the listing it is the one we cannot confirm for a Pole Position. We would not price a build around it until we have seen your bracket. Our wider guide to which BMW E36 bucket seat mounts to use covers the other seat brands.
Common questions
Will an OMP E36 bracket with sliders take a Recaro Pole Position?
We cannot confirm it. The OMP E36 frame we list is a base mount frame with no sliders named, and the Pole Position is a side mount seat. Send us a photo and the part number on your bracket and Cameron will tell you what it is.
Do Tegiwa side mounts fit a Recaro Pole Position?
We do not list Tegiwa mounts and have no fitment data for them, so we cannot say. Send a photo and the hole spacing, and we will tell you what we can see. Recaro’s own mounts for the Pole Position are the Recaro steel side mount brackets.
Do I need Recaro side mounts if I use a PCI frame?
The PCI listings say the frame comes with its own side mounts and that any side mount bucket seat bolts straight to it, so you do not buy a second set. We still check the Pole Position against it before you order.
Does the PCI frame cover every E36?
Both PCI listings cover the E36 from 1992 to 1998. If your car is a 1990 or 1991 build, or a 1999 or 2000, tell us the year and whether it is a coupe or a saloon and we will check.
Which Pole Position should I pick, FIA or ABE?
The FIA listing is homologated to FIA 8855-1999 and is 6 point harness compatible. The ABE is sold for road and track and is 4 point compatible. Which one you need depends on where the car runs, so tell us and we will say.
Will a Pole Position fit me?
The listings size it for drivers under 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist. The FIA listing gives the shell as 235mm across its narrowest section. Call with your height and waist and the showroom team will give you a straight answer.
What we would buy
Garreth
Garreth's top tip
I'd put the PCI sliding sub frame under a Pole Position and leave the OMP frame alone. You get the slider and the side mounts in one part at £330.00, and it's the one the listing says takes any side mount seat. Buying a frame to suit mounts we've got no data on is the expensive way round.
If the Tegiwa mounts are already on the seats, I'd still start from the frame.
Cameron
Cameron's fitting view
For a car with one driver that lives on track, I'd take the fixed PCI mount at £240.00 and get the seat lower. You give up the slider for more height in the cabin. For a shared car, the slider is the better choice.
Send me the seat model, the car year and a photo of whatever's on the seat now, and I'll give you the full list before you order.
Not sure what your bracket is?
Tell us the car, whether it's a coupe or saloon, the seat, and what's printed on the bracket. Cally, our digital receptionist, takes your details. Cameron then gets back to you with the combination before you order.
