Custom seats?

[CanberraBJ8]

Hi guys. I'm in the process of modifying a few aspects of my BJ8. I know the arguments re stock vs mod regarding resale - but I'm not planning on selling any time soon (Guess everyone thinks that ;-) ).

I guess I have been corrupted to some extent by a friend who has a very nice rally replica BJ8 (funnily enough the body numbers of our two cars are one digit different - 100 cars apart) which has just about every mod you could do - without going down the fuel injection/cruise control path. When I first bought my car I tried to get it totally stock - even buying some of those ugly little reflectors that bolt to the rear bumper...

I've changed my tune after living with it for 5-6 years. It is not a candidate for concourse - way too many poor treatments to the rebuilt by the PO. So I'm working on setting it up to be a good tourer (which was my reasoning for choosing a BJ8 over say a 100 in the first place. It has had an expensive engine rebuild to fast road spec, and currently has the diff being set up with a 3.54 ratio. I have a telescopic shock kit to put in the rear.

I'm re-trimming the the whole carpet set due to damaging the rear footwell carpet when I tried to move the fuel pump (to fit the shock kit). The screws holding it in place had ny-loc nuts on them. I needed to hold the screw heads to move the ny-locs. But the carpet was glued over the screws... and it was like pulling that loose thread! Now I have the entire carpet set out, and I'm scrubbing old contact glue off... I will line the cockpit with Dynamat.

So, rather that list all the things I am doing I'll just ask the first question of you guys. Has anyone made seats for their car? I have seats with almost new trimming - they are 'fine'. But they are also terribly uncomfortable to tour in. No lumbar support at all. I could try to modify them, but think I will have a go at making some from scratch. I plan on using a steel tube outer frame and then fibreglass the rest, and use the existing seat rails/adjusters. Essentially I'll use the Healey design, but making them slightly higher in the back, lower in the seat pan, with lumbar support and more side wrap-around/bolstering.

Any thoughts or comments?

 

[saltiga]

Hello BJ8 I was at the all british day in south aust this year and was taken by a healey with mini-lite wheels, i could not find the owner but i found his wife, The car is called "Thenearly" it has a nissan diff fitted hence the extra distance needed for the track [disc wheel rear brake drums not available and spacers are not allowed in S/Aust] Ican only suggest that by contacting the South Aust Healey club, contact with the owner could be arranged. I think this car had toyota or nissan seats fitted. I am not a member of the S/A healey club maybe i should join? good luck with your conversion Saltiga

 

[davidb]

G'day Canberra,

Probably sounds too simplistic but I purchased an excellent lumbar mesh support from my local CAA/AAA outlet at $15 or so, and it (almost) completely transforms the seat comfort. You're quite correct though, in that any length of time in a Healey seat is a form of masochism.

By the way, I kinda like those ugly little reflectors on the BJ's bumper. Bought an extra pair for my BT7 too.

Cheers mate
Dave

 

[CanberraBJ8]

"By the way, I kinda like those ugly little reflectors on the BJ's bumper." LOL - I guess you can look at it either way? I guess I am partly motivated by my friends fantastic car (in terms of mods that make the car more practical or better performing) and also my way of reconciling the less than perfect nature of my cars previous restoration.

We have a little 356 that is quite standard other than some tartan seat inserts (which Porsche included in some later models) so the Healy is becoming my outlet for 'fiddling'. I'm planning on not doing anything that permanently damages the 'standard' car under the changes. It would just need a re-trim in standard trim kit to come back to normal.

So, I'm:
-removing the rear seats and blanking them with aluminium (held in place by glazing rubber seal - has worked very well) and then fitting another sheet over to provide a flat parcel shelf. I've removed the seat back as well and will carpet right up to the base of the hood trim. I intend to make the carpet one piece that can be removed to a) allow drying should it get wet, and b) to allow access to screws that attach things like the fuel pump and cables etc. The rally car has no back seats and though the space is still relatively tiny, it is a lot more space than standard.
-doing 'something' with the seats - we'll see exactly what as time goes on.
-finding a spot - probably on the front of the seat base of the new seats - for a fire extinguisher.
-fitting telescopic rear shocks
-currently having a 3.54 diff installed
(engine already has extractors, lighten flywheel, DMD inlet manifold with the standard 2" SUs and slightly over size cylinders).
-and thinking about;
-retractable seatbelts - the standard ones are always falling off my shoulder etc
-leaving out the dash support bracket - have no radio and surely the air movement on hot days will be better without it.

And just to really make sure I'm 'over it' I'd like to refit the hood so there are less gaps around the windows etc...

 

[davidb]

Ah....... 356 Porsche, and Nicole Kidman...all in the same breath. I gotta move to Australia.

Not to get off topic, but curious about your 3.54 diff. Quite a good thread recently about these. The US guys find them more difficult to find because of a lack of old Brit donor cars. I got mine locally several years ago from an Austin Westminster - where did you source yours?

Rectractable seatbelts in your Healey - good idea. My threepoint non-retractable dinosaurs are a pain in the fundamental orifice.

You're much more ambitious on your Healey projects than me - you must have a beer fridge in the garage, full of Foster's, in which case I'll need better directions, and possibly a map...

Cheers
D.

 

[CanberraBJ8]

You know, its a funny thing that Fosters beer - I dont know ANY Australians who'd drink that stuff, and I dont know that pubs even stock it... Its a very good marketing campaign that Fosters Brewing have done world wide...

I got my 3.54 from Dan Lampert - on the 3.54 diff thread. Was $630 delivered to australia! Thought that was a pretty good price - thats a brand new crown wheel and pinion too. I'm looking forward to diving the car once the axle comes back from the workshop (thats if I have got the rest of this stuff together so I can drive it...

 

[bob hughes]

Ever thought of trying another seat, say from a Mazda MX5, I've been eying up the seats in my wife's MX5 and they may fit, not really tested the dimesions in earnest, but it is a thought.



Bob

 

[CanberraBJ8]

Guess I really still want the seats to look like they are meant for the Healey - even if they are custom.

 

[DerekJ]

If you are into changing things around a bit, you could consider installing a Facet fuel pump in the boot. It fits nicely in the left hand well and the spare wheel can still fit without any problem. I also have a regulator in there too. Much easier access and not exposed to the elements.

 

[bighealeysource]

Hey CanberraBJ8,
One thing you might consider is a little kit that Alan Hendrix of Hendrix Wire Wheels over here in North Carolina sells that tilts the seat back 'back' some so you are not sitting so straight up in the seat. Basically just tilts the front end up to give you more of an angle. I can't use it in my 100 - top gets in the way -but understand it does make the seating position more comfortable.
Regards,
Mike

 

[Randy Forbes]

I had thought about it too, and was looking at some seat from this place: https://www.classiccarseats.com/weightanddimensions.php But at the moment, I don't see the ones I was favoring__they were an appropriate lo-back design. Any seats that stand taller then the top of the cockpit opening look out of place in a Healey (I know, just my opinion...).

 

[Cottontop]

Ever thought of trying another seat, say from a Mazda MX5, I've been eying up the seats in my wife's MX5 and they may fit, not really tested the dimesions in earnest, but it is a thought.

I have had a 2000 Miata NB and now have a 2010 Miata NC. I have measured the seats in both cars and in my opinion, the seat bases (without modification) are too wide for the Healey.

When I re-did MY 100-6, I installed MGB-GT seats without the lollypop head rests. Because of the thickness of the seat backs, I did have to modify the area behind the door jambs. Because the seat bases are an edge mounted rubber pad (like a trampoline) with foam on top, they are VERY comfortable.

I had my seats upholstered in fabric to help to combat the HOT Texas summers.

Tim

 

[CanberraBJ8]

Wow Tim... what haven't you modded there?! :-0 I wont be afraid to do a little now

I am thinking of cloth inserts too - our 356 has tartan inserts and they look pretty cool. If I can find a light blue/grey and Cream combination it should fit in nicely I think.

Randy - I agree the top of the seats need to sit below the top of the body. I had a TR6 many years ago and I totally ruined the lines with a roll bar. High top seats do the same, in my view.

Mike, Interesting - I had been thinking of modding my original seat with the same idea. It is part of the reason I've removed the trim sections that box i the hood mechanism - on my car they stop the seat backs moving back at all. I think I'll incorporate that idea into the new seats.

 

[BoyRacer]

I have found that the best fit are seats are from a Mazda Miata.

 

[wheelguy]

Email me at allen@hendrixwirewheel.com and I will email you my tech tip on how to make your Healey seats the most comfortable seat for your back. It is a simple tip you can do yourself and NOT change your seats. There is no charge for the instructions. Thanks R.Allen Hendrix Hendrix Wire Wheel

 

[BoyRacer]

One thing I failed to mention about putting Miata seats in a Healey, other than the confort. Well, the Miata seats that I used........they have speakers in the headrest. If that matters to anyone who likes to hear some good tunes while driving... and not having to crank up the volume so the cops hear you coming.