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GSM Performance Customer Car Colouring Book Edition 1
Customer Question: Can I fit Sparco Sport Seats In My Volvo C30?
Customer question
Yes, you can fit Sparco reclining sport seats in a Volvo C30. With the Planted Technology bracket made for the car, a Sparco base mount recliner bolts in on the factory mounting points, and a set of runners gives you fore and aft adjustment.
The C30 is worth a little planning first. It is a three door with a short cabin and a substantial centre console, and the factory seats carry side airbags and Volvo's whiplash protection. This guide covers the bracket, the runners, the Sparco seats that suit the car and the checks to make before the old seats come out.
- Planted Technology make a Volvo C30 bracket for 2006 to 2013 cars, part SB234
- The bracket uses the factory mounting points and is handed, so order one per side
- Sparco recliners base mount on the 345mm by 271mm pattern
- The Sparco runner kit fits that pattern and suits road and track day use
- The factory C30 seats have side airbags and a whiplash protection system
- Shell width matters in the C30 because of the centre console
What is on this page
Why C30 owners change their seats
The standard C30 seat is built for comfort over distance, which is fine until the road gets interesting. In a T5, with five cylinder turbo torque going through the front wheels, you can find yourself bracing against the wheel and the door on a fast bend because the seat is not holding you. A Sparco recliner gives much more side support while keeping an adjustable backrest for everyday driving.
What you should not do is bolt a seat straight to the floor without a proper bracket. You end up with the wrong height, poor alignment and a mount that may not be secure. The answer is a bracket made for the C30’s floor.
The Planted Technology C30 bracket
Planted Technology make a bracket for the Volvo C30, 2006 to 2013, part number SB234. It is steel and bolts to the factory seat mounting points in the floor, so nothing is cut. It is handed, with a driver side and a passenger side version, so order one of each for a pair.
Planted drill their brackets with slots for the runners of the major aftermarket seat makers, Sparco included, so a Sparco recliner and its runners bolt straight on.
The C30 shares Ford’s C1 platform with the second generation Focus and the Mazda 3 of the same period, which is useful when you are reading about other people’s builds, but each of those cars takes its own bracket. Order the one made for the C30.
Adding sliding runners
If more than one person drives the car, or you simply want to adjust the seat, add a Sparco sliding runner kit between the bracket and the seat. It bolts to Sparco’s 345mm by 271mm base pattern. The runners are steel and sold for road and track day use, not for cars competing under FIA rules. One kit does one seat, and there is a pair listing for both sides.
- Check the locking mechanism engages firmly at every position and the travel is smooth.
- With the seat fully back, check it clears the door card, the rear seat and the centre console.
- Check the seat height with the runners fitted, because they add a little under the seat.
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Which Sparco recliners suit the C30
Sparco’s reclining seats are a good match for a C30 that is driven every day. They give firmer side bolsters than the factory seat without the commitment of a fixed back bucket, and all of these base mount on the same 345mm by 271mm pattern:
- Sparco R100: the entry point, on a steel frame with deliberately slim bolsters, which helps in a car with a big centre console. It comes in cloth and vinyl, with special editions such as the Martini Racing and the vinyl Diamond Edition.
- Sparco R333: a step up from the R100 with deeper side bolsters.
- Sparco R500: built on a narrower tubular frame with lower side bolsters, an integrated headrest and harness slots, listed for 32 to 38 inch waists.
- Sparco GT: the top of the range, with more shaped bolsters at the hip and shoulder. There is also a Houndstooth Edition with black and white check centres.
Because the C30 cabin is short and the console is wide, shell width matters more than it would in a saloon. Tell us your height and build and we will match the seat to the car and to you. Our Sparco reclining seat line-up compared puts the measurements side by side.
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Before the factory seats come out
The factory C30 seats carry side airbags, and Volvo’s whiplash protection system is built into the seat structure. An aftermarket recliner has neither. Removing seats with airbags affects the car’s airbag system and warning light, so tell us the specification of your car before you order and we will talk it through. Our guide to installing seats in cars with side airbags explains what is involved.
Also check where the seat belt buckle will be mounted on the new setup, because on most cars it is fixed to the factory seat. Garreth’s advice is to send us your height, waist size, the car’s year and specification, and how you use it, and we will put the seat, bracket and runners together as one list.
Can I fit Sparco reclining seats in a Volvo C30?
Yes. Sparco base mount recliners fit on the Planted Technology C30 bracket, part SB234, which bolts to the factory mounting points.
Do I need one bracket or two?
Two for a pair. The C30 bracket is handed, with a driver side and a passenger side version.
Can I add runners?
Yes. The Sparco sliding runner kit fits the 345mm by 271mm pattern and sits between the bracket and the seat.
Which Sparco seat is best for a C30?
The slim R100 suits most drivers because of the wide centre console; the R333, R500 and GT give more support. Send us your size and we will match one.
What about the factory side airbags?
The factory seats have side airbags and whiplash protection, so tell us the car’s specification before ordering and we will go through it.
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For the C30Sparco R100 on a Planted bracket
Slim enough for the console, supportive, and bolted to the factory mounting points.
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