Golf 7.3 Sport Seat Upgrade : Comfortline to Sportsline GTE GTD GTI R

Upgrading Golf 7.3 Comfort Seats to GTE Sports Seat 

I have never like the Golf 7 Comfort Seats ! They look and feel is just not what I like. Compare to my 2009 GTI Mk5, the seats are just too plain. The local leather is also far from what factory provide like on the Passat B8. 

I wanted to upgrade to the sport seats from the GTI but the red threading and pattern would make the car interior look funny.  My next choice is to go for the GTD which is beige and would blend nicely into my interior. In Europe the trend of people to buy the GTI/GTD is choosing the base trim which is the famous VW Tartan design. Very difficult to find leather or higher material used sport seat in good condition and RHD.  

I decided to go for the GTE blue tartan design.  Found a seller in Europe selling parts from scrapped test vehicles.  They are not in used scrapped car business but deals in exporting/scrapping of test vehicles from Volkswagen. Ordered from their web site in good faith and crossed fingers. After about two weeks, the seats arrived. Collected them from the forwarder in Changi Air Cargo Terminal. 

How to fit this into my little Golf ?

I went with my car stripped of the rear seats and passenger seat as it is impossible to fit all the GTE seats into my little Golf 7.3 . I stripped the pallet at the terminal and fitted the other seats and carried the driver's seat back. 

Packaging was professionally done by the supplier ! 

Packed nicely and tightly....little chance of damages.

They even shipped the LHD central console which I have to throw away as it would not fit . Only retrieve the arm rest and some parts. 

As it is German law that all safety equipment cannot be sold as used, the seats came without seat belts or airbags. Believe me, it is a real PAIN swapping the seat airbags from my original seats to the GTE seats. Totally PITA ! Nevertheless, I got to learn about seat removal and disassembly plus airbag replacement. 

Rear seat...see the seat belt...it is cut ! You cannot use this broken belt. Have to swap over from the original seat. Another PITA operation. 

Temporary fit...no seat belt buckle ! 

Removed the buckle and airbag from the original seats. Practising on the original seat makes perfect fitting the airbags onto the new GTE seats. Yet, still a lot of back breaking work. 

Not for the faint hearted to do this ! 

Sliding in the airbag module needs almost total removal of the seat fabric cover ! 

The front passenger presence detector is also missing. The detector would warn the driver to have the passenger put on the seat belt. On the LHD version, the front passenger detector is on the right seat which is what the driver is sitting on.  The presence detector is a big contact mat placed "inside" the seat cushion.  So, it is not possible to remove the presence detector mat from the right side seat and put it onto the left side seat since it is not removeable.  So the only option is to swap the entire seat cushion from left to right.  I decided that it is just too much work just for the presence detection to remind the front passenger to put on the seat belt. I deleted the option for the seat belt reminder for the passenger seat.

The rear seat came with side airbags. A feature not even found on our latest GTI/R Golf 7.5 . The cost would go up when this option is added and thus not viable as a selling feature. However, as mentioned all the safety apparatus have been deleted in Germany. The side bolster which contain the airbag had it's side airbag deleted. Only the bolster can be used to add comfort to the rear seating position. Instead of the regular plastic trim which is obviously very hard, the soft cushioned side panel/bolster is a welcomed edition.....said my rear seat passengers ! 

The plastic side panel 

The "cushion" panel replacing the original plastic trim

On the left side. Added comfort welcomed by rear passengers

Only a "Airbag" for a smarter appearance. It have been deleted.

The rear side airbag installation requires a new trim to be fitted. The two trims are side by side.....the newer trim on left. 

The side trim replacement required. Left is for airbag !

The mounting of the cushion booster need a separate part as it is anchored at the bottom and top. The bottom is secured to the new plastic trim but the top require a new bracket to be mounted.

The top anchoring stub of the airbag booster 

Factory provided mounting hole

Added a new stub nut mounting

Installed the new securing bracket for the booster

After installing the new side trim, the anchoring point is exposed

When fitted, the space is for the bolster "side airbag"

Also took the opportunity to replace the rear passenger centre seat belt.  The original was intentionally cut by the German side as a preventive measure so that safety item cannot be reused. We swap the original belt mechanism from the old seat to the new.  The means that double the work to remove and reinstall is required.  Removing the rear seat centre belt mechanism is no easy task. Not for the faint heart as lots of dismantling of the entire rear seat back rest is necessary.  

The new back rest with the swapped belt installed. 

The perfectly functioning rear seat belt. What a pity !