Update Seat Rail Mounting

[Okiesnake]

Thanks to GeorgiaSnake, I got ideas for mounting adjustable seat rails. See http://www.uniquecobra.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=138&SearchTerms=seat .
However, I was a little uncomfortable with mounting the seat to the wood spacer with screws as described in the link. I used GeorgiaSnake's basic idea but modified it slightly. I used a 2" sleeve spacer around a stove bolt at the front of the seat rail mount to set the seat at an angle. At the rear I did not use a spacer. The rear bolt entered through the bottom rear of the seat in the hollow vertical corner of the backrest between the fiberglass shell and the inner leather upholstery. I did have to pull out a few of the staples in the bottom of the back rest and then reattach them afterwards. I also used a dremmel tool to cut the rear bolts off flush with the nuts.
To know where to drill holes through the cockpit floor I put washers around the seat rail mounting studs after I put the seat in position. After lifting off the seat, the washers were left in the proper position so that I knew where to drill the holes.
Word of warning! Don’t be a stupid as I was at first! Make sure to position the seat rails so that when you drill through the outer rear side, you don’t drill through the brace void where you can’t get a though bolt.! I had to re-drill the mount holes because of my lack of foresight.

[pgermond]

Okiesnake,

Good info, but if I DON'T install adjustable seats then I have a reason my bride can't drive the car (I'm 6'3". she is 5'-something) [:P]:D[^]


Phil

427 Roadster, #4279436
Southern Automotive FE
Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[pgermond]

Okiesnake,

Good info, but if I DON'T install adjustable seats then I have a reason my bride can't drive the car (I'm 6'3". she is 5'-something) [:P]:D[^]


Phil

427 Roadster, #4279436
Southern Automotive FE
Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[GeorgiaSnake]

Congratulations Okie. I was not concerned as much with the seat mounting except to keep it in place. My thought process was that when strapped in with the 5 point belts the seat can't come loose and I have some easy felxibility with the wood. Don't fret over the holes I did the exact same thing, drilled two holes, put the bolts in, slid under the car and couldn't find them. Ha they were inside the rear frame rail [8]

Post some pictures, between the two of us we may offer everyone a solution to an aggrevating part of the build.

Randy

Unique 289 FIA
Southern Automotive 396
Team III 16's
Brilliant Silver

[GeorgiaSnake]

Congratulations Okie. I was not concerned as much with the seat mounting except to keep it in place. My thought process was that when strapped in with the 5 point belts the seat can't come loose and I have some easy felxibility with the wood. Don't fret over the holes I did the exact same thing, drilled two holes, put the bolts in, slid under the car and couldn't find them. Ha they were inside the rear frame rail [8]

Post some pictures, between the two of us we may offer everyone a solution to an aggrevating part of the build.

Randy

Unique 289 FIA
Southern Automotive 396
Team III 16's
Brilliant Silver

[Okiesnake]

Here is a pic of the seat upside down showing the seat rail with the front spacer sleeve. The spacer is about 2". Before I had a 3/4" spacer under the front seat and I like the larger seat angle better. Not only does it make the seat much more supportive and therefore more comfortable, it allows me to get more arm room. The steering wheel was always too close in my oppinion.
http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/okiesnake/seat rails.jpg

[Okiesnake]

Here is a pic of the seat upside down showing the seat rail with the front spacer sleeve. The spacer is about 2". Before I had a 3/4" spacer under the front seat and I like the larger seat angle better. Not only does it make the seat much more supportive and therefore more comfortable, it allows me to get more arm room. The steering wheel was always too close in my oppinion.
http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/okiesnake/seat rails.jpg

[Okiesnake]

Another view
http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/okiesnake/seat rails 2.jpg

[Okiesnake]

Another view
http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/okiesnake/seat rails 2.jpg

[Okiesnake]

A ratcheting box wrench worked well for tightening the rear through bolts on the rear of the seat. I did have to temporarily remove some staples.
http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/okiesnake/seatWrench.jpg

[Okiesnake]

A ratcheting box wrench worked well for tightening the rear through bolts on the rear of the seat. I did have to temporarily remove some staples.
http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/okiesnake/seatWrench.jpg

[Okiesnake]

Pic showing washers to know where to drill holes through the cockpit floor. (see first post)

http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/okiesnake/washers.jpg

[Okiesnake]

Pic showing washers to know where to drill holes through the cockpit floor. (see first post)

http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/okiesnake/washers.jpg

[Okiesnake]

I cut the top of the sleeve spacers at an angle although it is probably not necessary. The "Larger Hole Washers" were used to make room for the thickness of the stove bolt squared base.
The diagram is certaintly not to scale. The diagram looks like the seat sits up much high than it actually does.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/okiesnake/SeatDiagJ.JPG

[Okiesnake]

I cut the top of the sleeve spacers at an angle although it is probably not necessary. The "Larger Hole Washers" were used to make room for the thickness of the stove bolt squared base.
The diagram is certaintly not to scale. The diagram looks like the seat sits up much high than it actually does.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/okiesnake/SeatDiagJ.JPG

[Brent]

Very nice work. That looks like it will work great. How much will your seat track raise the seat? I don't want to sit any higher in the car than I have to.

Brent

[Brent]

Very nice work. That looks like it will work great. How much will your seat track raise the seat? I don't want to sit any higher in the car than I have to.

Brent

[Okiesnake]

I too had resisted adding seat rails for fear of setting too high. The improved seat angle results in your head not being much (if any) higher, than before the seat rails are installed. The greater the angle, the lower your head sits.

[Okiesnake]

I too had resisted adding seat rails for fear of setting too high. The improved seat angle results in your head not being much (if any) higher, than before the seat rails are installed. The greater the angle, the lower your head sits.

[Brent]

Another question I have is what about support on the back of the seat? If the seat is slid forward you lose the back support the rear bulkhead gives you. Your shoulder harness will be pulling rearward and down and the back of these seats are not very strong. I think the next thing to adress is a adjustable brace that will support the back of the seat when slid forward.

If you took a steel plate and welded an eye in the middle of it and mounted it to the back of the seat. Then take a steel rod with an eye on one end and holes drilled through the rod every 1/2" or so and attached it to the plate on the back of the seat with a bolt. Then make another plate to bolt to the rear bulkhead with a hole in the middle of it and weld a bushing to the face of it about 1/2" thick with a hole drilled sideways. This hole would be used to a adjust the support with a quick pin. The rod would extend into the trunk when the seat was in the rear position and slide out when the seat was moved forward and a quick pin slid through the bushing and rod would provide adjustment and lock the support in position.

If my wife is going to drive this car I want it right.

Any thoughts??

Brent

[Brent]

Another question I have is what about support on the back of the seat? If the seat is slid forward you lose the back support the rear bulkhead gives you. Your shoulder harness will be pulling rearward and down and the back of these seats are not very strong. I think the next thing to adress is a adjustable brace that will support the back of the seat when slid forward.

If you took a steel plate and welded an eye in the middle of it and mounted it to the back of the seat. Then take a steel rod with an eye on one end and holes drilled through the rod every 1/2" or so and attached it to the plate on the back of the seat with a bolt. Then make another plate to bolt to the rear bulkhead with a hole in the middle of it and weld a bushing to the face of it about 1/2" thick with a hole drilled sideways. This hole would be used to a adjust the support with a quick pin. The rod would extend into the trunk when the seat was in the rear position and slide out when the seat was moved forward and a quick pin slid through the bushing and rod would provide adjustment and lock the support in position.

If my wife is going to drive this car I want it right.

Any thoughts??

Brent

[Okiesnake]

Brent,
Granted I only weigh 175lbs, but the rear seat back feels strong enough during fast off-the-line launches. In fact the slight amount of flex may even add a little comfort. HOWEVER! My next quest is to still make the seat more comfortable. Tilting the seat angle helps a lot but there still needs to be more lumbar support and maybe even a little more tush support.
I fear that adding foam the bottom of the seat will make me sit up too high. I have heard of some type of gel material that they use on custom motorcycle seats. I don’t know what it’s called, where to get it or how much it costs. It is supposed to form to your butt and be very comfortable after it has conformed to your shape. Maybe replacing the entire existing bottom seat pad with this gel would not add any to the seat height.
For the lumbar support:
Un-stapling the bottom of the seat back and adding some foam in the lumbar area and then re-stapling the leather might help allot. I think this would be easy to do.

[Okiesnake]

Brent,
Granted I only weigh 175lbs, but the rear seat back feels strong enough during fast off-the-line launches. In fact the slight amount of flex may even add a little comfort. HOWEVER! My next quest is to still make the seat more comfortable. Tilting the seat angle helps a lot but there still needs to be more lumbar support and maybe even a little more tush support.
I fear that adding foam the bottom of the seat will make me sit up too high. I have heard of some type of gel material that they use on custom motorcycle seats. I don’t know what it’s called, where to get it or how much it costs. It is supposed to form to your butt and be very comfortable after it has conformed to your shape. Maybe replacing the entire existing bottom seat pad with this gel would not add any to the seat height.
For the lumbar support:
Un-stapling the bottom of the seat back and adding some foam in the lumbar area and then re-stapling the leather might help allot. I think this would be easy to do.

[Brent]

I was thinking more about a rear-end collision. That seat would fold backward and???????????

Brent

[Brent]

I was thinking more about a rear-end collision. That seat would fold backward and???????????

Brent