Customer Question: Can I Fit a Cobra Bucket Seat In My Honda Del Sol?
Customer question
We hear this one a lot from Honda Del Sol owners. The Del Sol is compact, with its targa roof and short cabin, and it really benefits from a more supportive seat, especially if the suspension has been upgraded or the car goes on track. Before you pick any fixed back bucket, though, you need to know what actually fits.
The cabin is tight, with not much room between the door cards and the centre console, and the roofline is low even with the panel in. So we recommend seats we have already seen fitted in a Del Sol: the Cobra Monaco Sport and the Cobra Monaco Pro. This guide explains why, and how to fit them.
- Yes: the Cobra Monaco Sport and Monaco Pro fit the Del Sol
- The Monaco shell is the widest Cobra seat we recommend for this car
- Monaco Pro is FIA 8855-1999; Monaco Sport is Road and Track
- Both can be base or side mounted, with 4 or 6 point harness slots
- Avoid the wider Monaco Sport GT in a Del Sol
- Planted Technology make a direct fit Del Sol bracket
What is on this page
Cabin space in the Honda Del Sol
The Del Sol’s cabin is narrow between the door cards and the centre console, and short, with a low roofline. There is room for slim fixed back seats, but a seat with oversized shoulder wings or wide bolsters will sit against the door trim or stop you adjusting it properly, which is uncomfortable and not safe.
From the Del Sols we have seen, the Cobra Monaco shell is the widest we would recommend without modifying the car. Anything wider and you are likely to be altering door panels or moving the console to get clearance. Shell height matters too, so tell us your height as well as your build.
The seats that fit: Cobra Monaco Sport and Pro
From past installs and customer cars, the Cobra Monaco Sport and Monaco Pro give the best balance of width, support and fit in the Del Sol.
The photo at the top of this page is a customer’s Del Sol with a Monaco Sport fitted. You can see how little room there is between the seat’s upper side supports and the inner door trim. It is a snug fit, but the seat drops in cleanly and still leaves room to reach the belt and set the seat position.
That small amount of space left over is why the Monaco is the widest Cobra shell we recommend here. Use it as your benchmark: measure any other seat you are considering against the Monaco, and against the gap between your own door card and console, before you order.
What the Monaco Sport and Pro offer
Both seats share the same Monaco shape: a steel frame, a fixed back, an integral head pad and shoulder support. The steel construction is strong and dependable under hard braking and cornering, and has a little more give than a rigid composite shell, which helps on longer drives.
The deep bucket shape and high side bolsters wrap around you and hold you in place through corners, which is exactly what the Del Sol's standard seats do not do. Both have slots for a 4 or 6 point harness, and both can be used with the car's standard seatbelt for road driving.
The key difference is the approval. The Monaco Pro is homologated to FIA 8855-1999, which suits competition use. The Monaco Sport is Road and Track approved, for fast road use and track days. Both are cut for drivers under 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist, and both weigh 11.4kg, which is the honest cost of the steel plating.
- Steel frame with a fixed back
- Integral head pad and shoulder support
- High side bolsters
- Slots for 4 or 6 point harnesses
- Base or side mounting
- Monaco Pro: FIA 8855-1999. Monaco Sport: Road and Track
-
From £282.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £264.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £419.40 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £222.60 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
The Cobra Monaco range
We list a wide range of Cobra Monaco seats in different trims and configurations, including 3D spacer fabric for breathability, velour and vinyl finishes, special editions such as Houndstooth, Tartan and the 40th Edition, and custom options with coloured stitching. Each listing says which Monaco shell it is built on, so it is easy to find a version that suits your build.
The one Monaco we do not recommend for the Del Sol is the Monaco Sport GT. It is the wide version of the Monaco shell, cut for a 36 to 38 inch waist with 20mm more internal room than the Monaco Pro, and that extra width is more than the Del Sol’s cabin comfortably allows.
Fitting the seat: use the right bracket
To fit a Monaco securely, we recommend the Planted Technology Honda Del Sol bracket. It bolts to the factory seat mounting points in the floor, so there is no cutting or welding, and it is drilled for the common aftermarket bolt patterns, including the 291mm pattern used on Cobra’s base mount seats.
The Monaco range can be base mounted or side mounted, which gives you a choice:
- Side mounting lets you adjust the tilt of the seat, which is useful for fine tuning your driving position or sitting more upright for visibility.
- Base mounting straight to the bracket places the seat as low as possible, which helps with headroom under the Del Sol’s low roof.
The Planted bracket works with either setup, with side mounts or sliding runners added as needed. Garreth’s advice is to send us your height and build along with the car, because in a cabin this short the seat height matters as much as the width.
Can I fit a Cobra bucket seat in a Honda Del Sol?
Yes. The Cobra Monaco Sport and Monaco Pro both fit, and the Monaco shell is the widest Cobra seat we recommend for the car.
Which Cobra seat should I avoid in a Del Sol?
The Monaco Sport GT, which is the wide version of the Monaco shell.
Is the Cobra Monaco Pro FIA approved?
Yes. It is homologated to FIA 8855-1999. The Monaco Sport is Road and Track approved.
Is there a direct fit bracket for the Del Sol?
Yes. Planted Technology make a Del Sol bracket that bolts to the factory mounting points.
Should I base mount or side mount the seat?
Base mounting sits the seat lowest, which helps headroom; side mounting lets you adjust the tilt.
💬
Proven in the Del SolCobra Monaco Sport or Pro
A snug fit in a tight cabin, on a Planted bracket with no cutting.
Need a personal recommendation?
We're here to ensure you pick the right seat.
Contact us today.