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GSM Performance Customer Car Colouring Book Edition 1
How Do I Fit OMP TRS-X Seats Into My Fiat 500?
Customer question, OMP TRS-X seats in a Fiat 500
A customer asked us how to fit our OMP TRS-X seats into his Fiat 500, and the answer is a short list. The seat is the OMP TRS-X and the car end is the Sparco direct fit sub-frame for the Fiat 500. The Sparco sliding runner kit goes between them if you want the seat to move.
Here is the setup, with the prices.
- The seat is the OMP TRS-X, £264.00 inc VAT, a steel frame seat approved to FIA 8855-1999
- The frame is the Sparco Fiat 500 sub-frame, £113.40 inc VAT per seat
- It bolts to the original floor mounting points and gives the seat the standard 345mm x 271mm base mount pattern
- The Sparco sliding runner kit is £41.94 inc VAT per seat and adds fore and aft movement
- One seat is £419.34 inc VAT with the runners, or £377.40 inc VAT without
- The frame is right hand drive, so pick driver side or passenger side
The setup, from the floor up
It is a simple stack. The Sparco sub-frame bolts to the 500’s original floor mounting points and brings the bolt pattern up to 345mm x 271mm, which is the standard for base mount seats from Sparco, OMP and Corbeau. The TRS-X bolts to that pattern, so the sub-frame does the work of a bracket.
We already sell a pair of TRS-X seats on Sparco frames as a package for the Mini R53 for exactly that reason: both use the same 345mm x 271mm base mount spacing. The same sub-frame listing covers the Fiat 500 from 2007 onwards. The floor is the same across the standard car and the Abarth 595 and 695.
The TRS-X can also side mount, but a base mount sits you lower, and a low seat is the main reason to change in a car that sits you this high.
Why the TRS-X
The TRS-X is a steel framed FIA bucket seat, and it sits a step above the TRS-E. Steel weighs more than fibreglass and satisfies the same scrutineer, which is what keeps an FIA 8855-1999 homologated seat at this money. It has velour trim, a fixed back with no head support wings, and it takes a four or six point harness. It is head and neck restraint compatible.
OMP list it for drivers both under and over 6ft, across a 28 to 36 inch waist. It is supplied as the seat only. Our TRS-E against TRS-X comparison shows the two side by side with a 5ft 10in driver in each.
Garreth: Add the sliding runners if anyone else is going to drive the car. A Fiat 500 gets shared more than most, and being able to move the seat back is worth £41.94.
Cameron: I would leave them off if it is your own car. Sparco say many people fitting their vehicle specific sub-frames find the fixed position is already right, and it is one fewer part under the seat. They are also not FIA approved, so they are for road and track day use only.
Garreth: That is fair. If the car is going to compete under FIA rules, the seat bolts to the frame with nothing in between.
Cameron: Whichever way you go, mock the seat up in the car first. The 500 has very little width to spare, and I would sooner see it in there than guess.
Garreth: Agreed. Bring your height and your waist size and we will do it with you.
Cameron: And the TRS-X is listed for drivers over 6ft as well as under, so there is more room to choose a build than people expect.
The parts in this setup: the OMP TRS-X in our showroom, and the Sparco sub-frame for the Fiat 500. The trim on the showroom seats includes fluorescent yellow, which the listing offers alongside plain black.
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From £113.40 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
What it costs
This is the setup we would quote, with every price including VAT.
| Part, all inc VAT | For one seat | For a pair of seats |
|---|---|---|
| OMP TRS-X steel frame bucket seat | £264.00 | £528.00 (order the seat twice) |
| Sparco Fiat 500 direct fit sub-frame. Choose driver or passenger side. | £113.40 | £219.60 (the 2 frames listing) |
| Seat and frame together | £377.40 | £747.60 |
| Sparco sliding runner kit, optional, one kit per seat | £41.94 | £78.00 (the 2 kits listing) |
| Seat, frame and runners together | £419.34 | £825.60 |
The 500 has very little width to spare, so tell us your height and build before you order. We will say whether the shell clears the door card and the tunnel once the car is back together. Ask us for the manufacture date on the seats too, since an FIA seat’s expiry date is set by when it was built.
How the fitting goes
The Sparco frame bolts to the original floor mounting points, so nothing is drilled. The standard seats come out whole, so keep them, because this installation is reversible.
Fit the runners to the frame if you are using them, then bolt the seat to the runners or straight to the frame. Start every bolt by hand and sit in the car. Torque it all down, and recheck the bolts after your first drive.
Tell us about side airbags in the factory seats before anything comes out. Our bucket seat mounting guide explains base mount against side mount. Our Fiat 500 bucket seat guide and Fiat 500 reclining seat guide cover the other seats that suit the car.
One seat or a pair
The frames are handed, so you can fit the driver side now and add the passenger side later. If both seats are going in, the 2 frames listing is £219.60 against £226.80 for two singles. That saves £7.20.
The runners work the same way, with the pair listing at £78.00 against £83.88 for two single kits, and you can drop us an email or click to open a chat if you want it checked against your car.
Questions about OMP TRS-X seats in a Fiat 500
How do I fit OMP TRS-X seats into a Fiat 500?
Use a Sparco direct fit sub-frame for the Fiat 500 on each side and bolt the TRS-X to it by its base. The frame bolts to the original floor mounting points, so nothing is drilled. One seat and frame is £377.40 inc VAT, or £419.34 inc VAT with the sliding runners.
Does the OMP TRS-X fit a Sparco sub-frame?
Yes. The Sparco frame gives the standard 345mm x 271mm base mount pattern that Sparco, OMP and Corbeau base mount seats share. We sell the TRS-X on Sparco frames as a package for the Mini R53 for the same reason.
Do I need the sliding runners?
No. They add fore and aft movement and are worth having if the car is shared. They are not FIA approved, so they are for road and track day use, and they only suit base mount seats.
Which Fiat 500s does the frame fit?
The listing covers the Fiat 500 from 2007 onwards. The floor mounting points are the same across the standard car and the Abarth 595 and 695. The original 500 from the 1970s is not covered.
Is the frame for right hand drive cars?
Yes. You choose driver side or passenger side when you order.
What size driver is the TRS-X for?
OMP list it for drivers both under and over 6ft across a 28 to 36 inch waist. The 500 is narrow. Tell us your height and build and we will check the shell against the cabin before you order.
Tell us about your Fiat 500
Come and see the TRS-X, or ring Garreth and Cameron on 0115 647 8650. Give us your car, its year, your height and your waist size. We will put the seats and frames together for you.
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