Hundreds Of Products Ready Today. Dispatch/Collection Alfa Romeo 156 bucket seat guide
Type 932, 1997 to 2007
Two fitting frames are made for the Alfa Romeo 156, one by Sparco and one by Recaro, and on a car of this age that is unusual enough to be worth saying first. It also changes the order the decisions come in. On most cars you settle on a seat and then go looking for the kit. On a 156 the frame and the seat get chosen together, because each maker builds its frame to carry its own seats and will not stand behind anything else bolted to it.
Sparco list theirs for the 156 from January 1998 onwards, so it covers most of the production run. The Recaro frame costs well over twice as much, and that only makes sense if the seat going on top of it is a Recaro. Everything below is arranged around that split.
- Two vehicle specific frames for the 156, one Sparco and one Recaro
- Sparco list their frame for the 156 from January 1998 onwards
- Each frame only carries seats wearing the same badge
- Frames are priced one per seat, so a pair means ordering twice
- Base mount seats and reclining seats bolt straight onto either frame
- Side mount shells need the frame plus that brand's side mount brackets
- The Sparco brackets also fit OMP, Cobra and Sabelt seats
The badge on the seat picks the frame
Both frames do the same job. They bolt to the floor where the standard seat used to sit and give you a mounting point at the right height. What separates them is what each maker will guarantee on top.
The cheaper route by a distance, and the one most 156s go down. The frame takes a base mount seat or a reclining seat on its own. For a competition shell you add a set of Sparco FIA steel side mounts, and those brackets are the flexible part of the whole page because the listing names OMP, Cobra and Sabelt seats as fitting them too.
Dearer, and narrower in what it will take. The frame carries base mount Recaro seats and Recaro reclining seats directly. The Recaro steel side mounts fit three models and nothing else: the Pole Position FIA, the Pole Position with ABE, and the Pro Racer SPG XL. If the seat is a Recaro this is the tidy way to do it. If it is not, use the Sparco frame.
Most FIA rated shells are side mount only, so the more competitive the seat, the more likely you are buying a frame and a set of brackets rather than just the frame. A couple of the seats below carry both fixings, and the OMP TRS-E and the Cobra Monaco Pro can go straight onto a Sparco frame with no brackets at all. On a budget build that saves you a set of brackets per seat.
The fitting kit for a 156
The Sparco frame is SKU 004990010 and it is handed, so a driver side frame and a passenger side frame are different parts and you pick the side on the product page. The Recaro frame is SKU 863816. Both are priced per frame, per seat, which is the thing that catches people out: a pair of seats means adding the frame to the basket twice.
Both makers say the same thing about mixing brands, that a sub-frame is built to suit seats of its own make and fitment cannot be guaranteed with anything else. So when you order a frame on its own, put the seat you are fitting in the comments box at checkout. We check it before anything ships. That matters more than it sounds, because some of these frames are a complete replacement frame and others are adaption bars that mount to what is already in the car.
- Sparco 156 sub-frame, SKU 004990010
- Sparco frame is handed, choose driver or passenger side
- Recaro 156 sub-frame, SKU 863816
- One frame fits one seat, either way
- Sparco side mounts are FIA approved and sold as a set
- Recaro side mounts fit Pole Position and Pro Racer SPG XL only
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Bucket seats that fit
Cockpit width is the quiet constraint in a 156. The centre console sits close and the door card is not far the other way, so the shells that work in this car tend to be the ones with narrower shoulder supports rather than the widest thing in the range. The seats here have gone into 156s before and they come from the brands the brackets actually name.
The Auto Style pair and the Mirco are the exception to that. They are on the list because they have been fitted to these cars, but neither brand appears on the Sparco bracket listing, so if you want one of those on a shell route send us a message before you order and we will check the combination.
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Treat this as a shortlist. We stock more than is on this page and the right answer comes down to your build and how you sit in a seat. Cameron does the fitment side here, and on a 156 the first thing he wants to know is which badge is on the seat, because that settles the frame before anything else gets decided. Send over your height, your waist size and what the car gets used for and he will cut it down to two or three.
Reclining sport seats
If the 156 is still doing daily miles with the odd track day, a reclining seat is the easier swap and the cheaper one. All of these are base mount, so they go straight onto either frame with no brackets in between, and you keep the backrest adjustment that a shell takes away.
The Auto Style seats are the value end and they do the job properly. The Sparco R100 and R500 sit just above them. The two Recaros are a different order of money and they are the ones worth having if the car is a keeper, because a Sportster CS is as comfortable on a long run as it is holding you through a corner.
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Harnesses
A bucket seat changes the job the belt is doing. The seat holds you through the corner now, and a standard inertia belt is built to let you move around. What you buy depends on where the car goes. Bolt in and clip in club harnesses suit a road 156 that sees the occasional track day. If the car is competing, the FIA rated belts carry the standard a scrutineer looks for, and the shoulder straps need a mounting point behind you that is up to the load, which usually means a cage or a harness bar rather than the standard rear belt mounts.
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FIA belts carry an expiry date and championships check it, so the cheapest rated set is a false economy if it runs out halfway through a season. Tell us the class you run in, or tell us the car never leaves the road, and we will point you at the right one rather than the dearest one.
Roll cages and bracing
Eligibility is the other thing to settle before you buy. Approvals vary by discipline and they change year to year, so check the regulations for your championship first. Where a cage has to be signed off, the paperwork follows the car, so keep the certification with the logbook.
What fits what
Mounting, sizing and shell material for everything above, so you can see in one place which seats need brackets on top of the frame and which do not.
| Seat | Mounting | Waist | Height | Shell | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucket seats, frame plus side mounts unless noted | |||||
| Sparco Sprint | Base or side mount | 32in to 36in | All heights | Steel | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Sparco Rev QRT | Side mount | 32in to 36in | All heights | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Sparco QRT-R | Side mount | 32in to 36in | All heights | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| OMP TRS-E Velour | Base or side mount | 28in to 36in | Under 6ft | Steel frame | FIA 8855-1999 |
| OMP Champ-R | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Cobra Monaco Pro | Base or side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Steel frame | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Sabelt GT3 | Side mount | 32in to 36in | All heights | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Auto Style Type BS1 | Side mount | 32in to 36in | All heights | Fibreglass | Road and track |
| Auto Style Type BS6 | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Fibreglass | Road and track |
| Mirco RS1 3D | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Recaro Pole Position FIA | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Recaro Pole Position ABE | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Fibreglass | Road and track |
| Reclining seats, straight onto either frame | |||||
| Auto Style Type AK | Base mount | All sizes | All heights | Steel frame | Road and track |
| Sparco R100 | Base mount | All sizes | Over and under 6ft | Steel frame | Road and track |
| Sparco R500 Fabric | Base mount | 32in to 38in | All heights | Steel frame | Road and track |
| Auto Style Type BS5 | Base mount | All sizes | Under 6ft | Steel frame | Road and track |
| Sparco R333 | Base mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Steel frame | Road and track |
| Sparco GT Houndstooth Edition | Base mount | 32in to 38in | All heights | Steel frame | Road and track |
| Recaro Speed | Base mount | 32in to 38in | All heights | Steel frame | Road and track |
| Recaro Sportster CS | Base mount | All sizes | All heights | Steel frame | Road and track |
Common questions
Which fitting kit do I need for an Alfa Romeo 156?
One of the two direct fit sub-frames, and which one depends on the seat. The Sparco frame is SKU 004990010 and Sparco list it for the 156 from January 1998 onwards. The Recaro frame is SKU 863816. If the seat is a side mount shell you also need a set of side mount brackets from the same maker to go between the frame and the seat.
Do I need one frame or two?
One per seat. The price on the product page is for a single frame, so a driver and passenger swap means adding it to the basket twice. The Sparco frame is handed as well, so select the correct side each time.
Can I fit a side mount bucket seat using only the frame?
No. Both makers state that their sub-frames take base mountable bucket seats and reclining sport seats, and that a side mounted seat needs side mounts or adaption bars on top. Budget for the frame and the brackets together if you are going down the shell route.
Can I put a Sparco seat on the Recaro frame, or the other way round?
Neither maker will guarantee it, because each builds its frames to suit its own seats. The brackets are where there is some give. The Sparco FIA steel side mounts name OMP, Cobra and Sabelt seats as fitting, while the Recaro steel side mounts fit only the Pole Position FIA, the Pole Position with ABE and the Pro Racer SPG XL.
What about an Auto Style or Mirco seat?
Those have gone into 156s before, which is why they are on this page, but neither brand is named on the Sparco bracket listing. Message us with the shell you want and we will check the combination before anything is ordered. Either way, put the seat in the comments box at checkout when you buy a frame on its own.
Which sliding runner should I use?
The Endurance kit suits base mounted Sparco, Auto Style, OMP and Corbeau seats, or any base mount seat with a 345mm mounting width, and it is not FIA approved for competition. The Recaro double locking runner has 220mm of travel and suits Recaro base mount seats, plus motorsport seats on side mounts at roughly 405mm wide.
Are the roll cages for the saloon or the Sportwagon?
The Safety Devices cage, part A012, is listed for the four door saloon. The cheaper OMP cage is listed as covering the 156 including the GTA. Read the vehicle line on each listing before you order, and ask us first if your car is a Sportwagon.
Do I need a harness bar or a cage for a 6 point harness?
The shoulder straps need a mounting point behind the seat at the right height and strength, which on a 156 means a cage or a harness bar rather than the standard rear belt mounts. Sort the mounting out before you order the belts.
Other Alfa Romeo guides
The 147 shares its era and a lot of its parts bin with the 156, though it takes a different frame and only one of them is made for it. Worth a look if you run both.