How should 65/66 seats work?

[obrut]

I recently purchased a 65 build 911 (probably 66 MY car). It has the non headrest seats.

The passenger seat has an outside lever/knob that you pivot to adjust the angle of the backrest. The passenger seat also has a rear knob on each side that you pull to release the lock of the backrest so you can tilt it forward to access the rear seats.

The drivers seat has the same outside lever/knob to adjust the backrest angle. However, it does not have the rear knobs - you can simply push the backrest forward to access the rear seats. In other words, the backrest is not locked to the base.

Is this correct?

[304065]

No, both seats should be identical in that regard. Each hinge is a different part number, because of the recline feature, but the tilt is the same left/right.

The parts book does list "seat without locking mechanism" and "with" but I have never seen one that doesn't lock.

If you can take a photo it would help.

[obrut]

Thanks for the reply. I'll take a pic (likely next weekend now) showing the differences.

Ps. Rhd / euro car in case that matters.

[JT912]

Ryan, my early '66 912 has the same seat arrangement as your car. Reasonably certain both are the factory installed seats.

[obrut]

Thanks John, the plot thickens...

Perhaps the factory assumed that the drivers seat doesn't need to lock as it will always have a person sitting in it when the car is being driven - unlike the passenger seat which needs to be prevented from titling forward under brakes when empty.

[JT912]

So after 23 years of ownership, I yet again learned something new today. I knew the front seat was different from the pass. side, just never really thought much about it. Pictures of the right and left side of my non-locker driver seat and the left side of my locker pass. seat. Could these non-lockers be the next sport seat?

[obrut]

I'm 99% sure that's my setup too.

[Jim Breazeale]

There is no seat back restraint on the driver's seat for 900 series seats before the 68 year models. Porsche did away with that feature in mid 63 (356Bs and 3546Cs don't have one either). Back then they had a "safety rear view mirror" along with seatback restraints on both seats. They dropped both features for some unknown reason. They reintroduced the driver's side seatback restraint and the "safety rear view mirror" in 1968. I guess the bean counters won over the engineers on those items.

Regards

Jim

[obrut]

Thanks Gents, most helpful.

[Bobs 67S]

Ryan,
in the 1965 Drivers Manual (printed in November 1965 for the Model year 1966) there is a photo and instructions to release the latch for the passenger seat "Backrest Lock". It only talks about the passenger seat there is no mention of this feature on the drivers seat.

(Just confirming what Jim B has found, thru his years of working with the cars).