Rear Head Rest Changed

Just bought a pair from the previously mentioned vendor, kudautoparts. Under $100, shipped for black Scion TC rear headrests. Here's the link. Will post back with fit and finish, they look to be a close match. We will see!

 

This guy on youtube did something similar. Just thought you might like to see it from another angle. His paint job is.. Different. Cool looking though, almost looks like blue streak metallic on top, pearl white on the bottom! He said he got them from a Tacoma, and that they match perfectly, for whatever that's worth.

 

Sorry - try group.iwerks

 

That werks, although he's not listing any Scion headrests at the moment.

 

Just received mine. The picture makes the cloth differences look much more exaggerated than in person. They aren't perfect but they are very close (close enough for me and I'm pretty picky about that sort of stuff). I didn't realize how much of a difference it would make, but the fact that visibility is improved by such a large margin makes this easily worth it in my book. I will take better pics after work, I just ran out and threw em on there and snapped a pic for you guys while I'm at work. Much improved. Thanks for confirming that the TC headrests do indeed fit well.

ETA: The photo makes the headrest on the passenger side look dirty for some reason. It's not, very good shape (both are in great shape.. how much use could they have seen in the back seat?). The same ebay vendor has more of them if anyone is interested. Like previously stated, better pics to come when I have the chance.

 

Thanks for the follow-up and the photo - good to know that they're a perfect fit!

 

Here's another pic. It's hard for me to contort myself to get a good view of the back seat (I'm 6'3" so it wasn't easy to fit in there backwards to take pics..Hah). But yeah, I'm very happy with them. There are divots on the post (lock side of the seat) that stops the headrest from falling back down. Would be easy to put more in and have it be adjustable if it sees a lot of use. The color match in this photo looks closer to in person (aka, the material differences aren't obvious)



ETA: Looks like the posting ended for the seats I linked to in the previous post. Just thought I'd share another posting for ya.

I saw one set in there that said they were a beige color. Not sure what color the softex is, but a C4 might benefit from that color? Just a thought. These are black though as far as I can tell.

 

Try taking a picture through the rear view mirror. It'll be the view you are seeing the most anyhow.

 

Just installed and they matched PERFECTLY with the fabric, at least on the 3 with the darker interior! The center OEM one is the one that is out if place ... Weird.

 

Oh... my... God... the view....

 

Exactly! It's amazing.

Requiem, where did you order yours from? Just curious.

 

eBay - group.iwerks, but there's a lot of folks selling them on EBay. I searched for the '08 Scion TC headrests. I am loving the clearance!

 

I'm sorry I didn't see that you had answered me when I asked the first time.. Hah. I should pay more attention I guess! Sorry about that.

 

Lol. No worries!

 

For anyone who installed the low-rise headrests - do they also fit the front seats?

 

Just tried it and they do NOT fit (posts are too narrow)

 

Thanks for checking! I find that the standard front headrest points too far forward (as others here have said). I have a laid-back driving position, with my back firmly against the back of the seat and my head touching the headrest, and it's giving me a crick in the neck.

 

Yeah I know what you mean. Almost an unnatural pushing of your head forward in relation to your back; I felt the same way about it initially but I've since gotten used to it. I would think that's so your head is extra supported if you crash, but I don't really know.

 

The headrest was introduced (and then mandated) to reduce whiplash if you're rear-ended:

"Head restraints are an automotive safety feature, attached or integrated into the top of each seat to limit the rearward movement of the adult occupant's head, relative to the torso, in a collision — to prevent or mitigate whiplash or injury to the cervical vertebrae. Since their mandatory introduction in the late 1960s, head restraints have prevented or mitigated thousands of serious injuries." (Wikipedia).

For best protection, the back of the head needs to be close enough to the headrest so that it would have no significant backward motion in a rear-end collision. But I think most drivers tend to sit with their upper body somewhat forward of the seatback, hence the forward tilt of the headrest. Here's a page at the IIHS showing a crash test dummy sitting just like that, with the seat positioned way back, requiring the headreast to be canted way forward.

In my case I set the position of the driver's seat so I'm in a comfortable full-contact position, as I mentioned above, and the headrest then pushes my head forward into an unnatural position.

 

I just bought a used 06 that is missing its rear seat headrests. The dealer has signed an "I owe" contract document . I realize that it will probably be a fight to get them to honor it. Ha!

Meanwhile, I am using the third row headrests from our 06 Sienna for the left and right seats in my Prius. The rails are really long so I can accommodate a tall passenger, and they slam down for a nice view. Even in the up position, I can see under the pad and through the rails.

The borrowed set does not include a narrow one for the middle, as the Sienna's third row headrests are all three the same.

If someone wants, I will try to post a pic.