The EK generation is still one of the more respected small chassis from the 1990s, which is why it turns up at track days thirty years on. What it does not turn up with, on most cars of this age, is comfortable seats. The originals have mostly gone soft, the side support was never much to begin with, and on any car this old the foam has usually had enough. Most EK owners come to us wanting either more grip in the corners or a seat that has not spent the last decade leaning to one side.
There is one frame route on this car, and it keeps things tidy. Sparco make a direct-fit subframe that bolts straight to the factory mounting points. Pick the seat you want from the five below, add the Sparco frame and the runner kit, and the combination drops in without modification.
We stock one vehicle-specific fitting frame for the Honda Civic EK, made by Sparco. It is the piece that replaces the factory seat runners, sets your final seat height lower, and carries the seat bolt pattern that everything else in this guide is built around. The driver and passenger positions are sold individually, so a two-seat install means two frames in the basket. The subframe does not include the sliding runners; those come separately as the Sparco runner kit for Sparco seats, or the Corbeau 345mm runner kit for the two Corbeau seats in this guide.
£87.00 inc VAT a side. Sold individually, RHD driver and passenger listed separately. Takes all five seats in this guide when paired with the matching runner kit.
Every reclining seat we sell bolts down through a base mount pattern. All five seats in this guide line up with the 345mm x 271mm Sparco bolt pattern, which is what the Sparco subframe accepts. The two Corbeau seats are also drilled for the 291mm x 330mm Cobra pattern, but we do not stock a Cobra frame for this car. You do not need to cross-reference patterns if you are ordering from this guide.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Sparco subframe |
|---|---|---|
| Sparco R500 | 345 x 271 | Fits |
| Corbeau RRS Low Base | 291 or 345 | Fits |
| Sparco R333 | 345 x 271 | Fits |
| Corbeau VLS Alcantara | 291 or 345 | Fits |
| Sparco SPX | 345 x 271 | Fits |
The R500 is the seat most EK owners end up in, and the Sky vinyl version is the one that comes back most often from track-day cars. The taller backrest gives proper shoulder support that the factory seat never had, and the dual-density foam holds its shape through a full track day rather than just the first session. It keeps the same open, flat base as the entry-level Sparco recliners, which means getting in and out of a three-door is not a fight with the bolsters.
It fits all heights, suits 32 to 38 inch waists, and the Sky vinyl cleans up after a trackday with a wipe, not a session with upholstery cleaner.
The RRS Low Base is the pick for the driver who wants more side support than the Sparco range offers, without stepping up to a full bucket. The sculpted bolsters hold you through a fast corner better than either Sparco in this guide, and the handed RHD version makes sure the seat belt buckle clears correctly on a right-hand-drive car. The Low Base version trades a little backrest height for headroom, which is worth thinking about in any EK with lowered suspension, where the seating position tends to sit slightly higher relative to the roofline.
It is drilled for both bolt patterns, so it bolts straight to the Sparco subframe without any adapter.
The R333 is Sparco’s most affordable recliner, and on an EK it is the honest starting point for a car used mostly for track days on a tight budget. The base mount is lower than the R500, the trim is simpler, and the price reflects that. One thing worth knowing before you order: the R333 is published as a fit for 32 to 36 inch waists only. That is a narrower range than most of the seats in this guide. If you are on the edge of that window or above it, the R500 is the better call.
It is sold as a single, so a two-seat install means two orders. If you are fitting one seat and keeping the standard passenger side for now, the R333 is worth looking at carefully.
The VLS uses Alcantara and leather on the outer trim, where the RRS Low Base uses plain vinyl. It is the same Corbeau Sportline base-mount recliner underneath, the same dual bolt pattern, the same Low Base option is available, but it presents at a different level in a car that has had more spent on it. The Alcantara centre panels give better purchase through a corner than plain vinyl, and optional heated inserts and inflatable lumbar are available if the EK still does winter miles.
It comes as a handed pair with RHD driver and passenger positions already accounted for. If the EK has been sorted properly and the seats should match that, this is the Corbeau worth spending up to.
The SPX is a different proposition to the other Sparcos in this guide. Where the R500 and the R333 are practical road and track options, the SPX is built around a competition-spec moulded shell with full FIA homologation. It carries no integrated head support, which means on a track car you need a harness bar or a roll cage behind it, but in exchange the shoulder bolsters are aggressive and the shell is significantly lighter than any steel frame seat in this guide.
This is the pick for the EK that has become a track-only build: caged, harness-mounted, taken seriously. At £2,816 each it is not a casual decision, but if the car is already talking roll cage, this is the seat worth speccing around.
The Sparco subframe bolts to the EK’s factory seat mounting points with no drilling on a standard floor. The frame lowers the seat height by 30mm to 50mm depending on the specific position, which is worth knowing before you order if the car is already sitting low. Torque the floor bolts correctly and check seat belt buckle clearance before you drive, because a sport seat often moves the buckle to a new position.
The Sparco runner kit covers the three Sparco seats in this guide. The two Corbeau seats need the Corbeau 345mm runner kit instead, since the Corbeau base uses a different runner attachment. Both runner kits are supplied as pairs.
| Your seat | Runners to order | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Sparco R500 | Sparco sliding runner kit, £78.00 a pair | Sparco subframe |
| Corbeau RRS Low Base | Corbeau 345mm sliding runners, £117.60 a pair | Sparco subframe |
| Sparco R333 | Sparco sliding runner kit, £78.00 a pair | Sparco subframe |
| Corbeau VLS Alcantara | Corbeau 345mm sliding runners, £117.60 a pair | Sparco subframe |
| Sparco SPX | Sparco sliding runner kit, £78.00 a pair | Sparco subframe |
The EK covers the Honda Civic from late 1995 to 2001 (MA8, MA9, MB6 and related chassis). If your car is an earlier EG generation (1991 to 1995) or a later EP3 (2001 to 2005), the floor mounting points differ and this frame does not apply. Check your production date if you are not certain which generation you have.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Waist | Height | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco R500 | 345 x 271 | 32 to 38in | All heights | From £686 a pair |
| Corbeau RRS Low Base | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | From £984 a pair |
| Sparco R333 | 345 x 271 | 32 to 36in only | All heights | From £449 each |
| Corbeau VLS Alcantara | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | From £1,200 a pair |
| Sparco SPX | 345 x 271 | 32 to 38in | All heights | From £2,816 each |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 18 October 2026. Where a seat is sold as a single, the price shown is per seat. Waist and height figures are the manufacturers’ published fitment ranges. If you are on a boundary, ask before ordering.
No. The Sparco subframe bolts to the factory seat mounting points on the EK floor. Torque the bolts correctly and check seat belt buckle clearance before you drive, since a sport seat often sits the buckle somewhere new relative to the standard position.
Every seat in this guide is listed by its manufacturer as 4 point compatible, with belt slots in the backrest. If you are planning harnesses, ask when you order and Cameron can check the full setup works together for your build.
The R333 shell is slightly smaller than the R500 because Sparco designed it as an entry-level seat, and the bolsters are less adjustable. If you are above 36 inch waist, or close enough that it feels like a guess, the R500 is the safer call. If the R333 fits, the extra price of the R500 buys more foam density and a taller backrest, not a different fit window.
The SPX has no integrated head support, so on a road car without a cage or harness bar there is nothing behind the backrest. It is FIA-rated for competition use, which assumes a harness system and a certified cage structure. For a road and occasional track car, one of the other four seats in this guide is a more practical choice. For a full track build with a cage already in place, it is the right seat.
If you are building a track-only car or already running a roll cage, a fixed bucket is worth looking at alongside the recliners here. There is a separate guide on exactly that: Budget Bucket Seats For A Honda Civic EK: What Fits, And What It Costs.
If it were my money: the R500 Sky pair on the Sparco frame for most EK owners, because the fit range covers most drivers, the vinyl is practical for track use, and the budget leaves room for the frame and runners without a second thought. The RRS Low Base if you want more side support and are between sizes on the Sparcos, since it covers both bolt patterns and every route stays open. The R333 if you are fitting one seat and the budget is tight, but read the fit range first. The VLS Alcantara if the EK has been done properly and the seats should match that. The SPX if the car is caged and you are taking it seriously.
If you are between two seats or between sizes, get in touch with your height and waist measurement. 0115 9893488.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the Honda Civic EK, with the Sparco fitting frame route that bolts each one straight to the factory mounting points.
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