TR2/3/3A Let's talk seats

[RJCOX]

I did get in touch with Tim (2talltr3) and had a great conversation. I'm going with his foam (he doesn't sell just the foam on ebay). He's a gem, and so far, I'll highly recommend him. The price was pretty good too.

I decided to let an expert do the foam for me for a lot of reasons. I'm taller than most but not that tall, and I seem to sit low. I mean, my legs are long and that's most of my height I guess. I couldn't figure out what kind (apparently there's more than one kind) of high density foam. How thick makes a difference (I would like to see over the dash, and maybe the steering wheel too). Cutting it to shape. Might be easy, might be easy to ruin. Even if the HD foam at Joann's Fabric was perfect, it ain't cheap (76 for 2x3x5" for a few more dollars I get what he uses in his $900 a pair seats, all cut and ready to install.

I don't think I'll be doing concours any time soon, but if I decide to, I can always order a set from Skinner and pull out the foam and replace. Or better yet, a whole set of seats and just swap them, That is, if I ever get to show concours. Right now I'm almost all original, just my seat springs, and two folding seats.

I guess the PO played musical chairs (seats) at some time, or maybe the PPO did. Heck, in 60 years anything could have happened.

So another week or so to get my frames cleaned up, maybe some rattle can black (that stuff with the primer included) to paint the insides. CJD welded washers around the rear bolt holes of his seats (they apparently were pretty wrecked). I wonder if that would be a good idea as a preventative? I don't weigh much (143) but to make the frames last better?

I have a TRF recover kit with their "horsehair" and padding. I have bookmarked CJD's post even after reading it thrice! Might even spring for seat heaters (I have always wanted them). I know, not original. If my TR was running right now, I wouldn't be driving it in this weather. We got snowed on pretty good and it melted some and refroze. I don't even like driving it in my Jeep.

I must remember to take my before pics!

Ron

 

[RJCOX]

These are the seats as they came to me. Hardware was sitting in the pan. I'm trying to post some pics of the underside of my really bad one but I think the file size is setting me back.

Both plans are in pretty good shape, but not flat. They are both passenger seats but no big deal there. Got some rust, and took a wire wheel to them before it got too cold to work on them. I'd do the sandblast thing, but the wind is howling out here so I'm calling it a day.

Correct me if I'm wrong John but aren't the seats pans supposed to be flat (besides the ridges, that is).


You'd be surprised which one of these has the better springs





I didn't even bother to clean out the mouse nest.




This is the one with the the torn up cover, after removing it's mouse nest.

Funny how two seats can be so different on the outside yet the worst one looks the best underneath. I'll have to replace one completely eventually if I plan to show, or even sell the car and want top dollar. Honestly, I hope to pass this car down one day. Will I ever show it? Who knows? For now, I can start looking for a good replacement, but not rush. I know where to get recovering kits including springs.

All my money (well most of it) will be going into paint.

Ron

 

[RJCOX]

Some more pics. Hope you have a strong stomach.





Those shiny black areas are POR15 I think. I couldn't get it off even with a powered wire brush.



Where the shiny was you could see where the black was brushed on, but not where the rust is. I'm thinking whoever put it on, put on enough to cover what was already rusted only, then the rust continued to develop where there was no POR15. I dunno, sounds reasonable. The rust isn't really that bad, all things considered. We have a heavier wire brush that goes on the grinder. As soon as it gets a little warmer, or just not so windy, I'll take that to the pans. Will also need to hammer and dolly them a bit as I think the bottoms need to be flatter (excepting the ridges).

 

[RJCOX]

Not much going on except stripping the rust and junk off the seats. Under the "red" paint is a coating that resisted me to no end. Our sandblasting cabinet is too small for the pans by just a little bit, and it was once again too windy to set up outside, but endeavor we will.

I took a heavy-duty wire brush mated to a cut-off grinder (I think that's what it's called) as recommended by dad. It's made by Kobalt and I have to give it props. I used that thing nearly non-stop (except when my hand slipped off the trigger) for over an hour and it never overheated. You know it's cold when you're breathing out steam while your inside your shop.

There was a dark sticky like coating under the red and it too gave me a time until I really bore down on it. After stripping it down to bare metal I went to work with a hammer and the only dolly I had was was looked to be a section of I-beam though not huge (about 7 inches long, top 1.5 inches and bottom 3.5 inches) held in the bench vise (old metal heavy). I first started with just the vice, but it was limiting in what I could pound on so the iron I-beam came out. The narrow top was especially helpful in truing up the bottom of the seat where previous over-sized bottoms bent the pan down right where CJD said the most stress would be, the back set of screws. Unfortunately, I chose a two-pound short handle sledge since the dents/bends looked pretty bad after all that nasty coating was gone. I went gentle though and thought where to land my hammer. My arms are really sore right now. It came out pretty good but still needs some work, and there is a small tear near the rear-most bolt hole. I was pretty careful, but I could have created that, though I don't think so. Welding washers in on Sunday anyhow.

Next day off I'm going to Harbor Freight or Northern Tool and treating me and dad to a few and some dollies. The right sized hammer (and dollies) would have made my job easier (and maybe left my arms with feeling still in them.




I had tried to hammer a little bit on one of the pans yesterday but the coating and rust were hiding more damage than I thought. One bottom seam (around back where the side meets the pan) and one screw hole will need some welding and patching (Oh goody! A new skill to test out!). I'm honestly in favor of replacing the whole seat at this point. The springs are shot, and the bottom pan needs a whole lot of skilled labor that I might not be up to (well, I'm not up to hanging my own shirts right now) and I have two passenger seats. I was going to have to replace it eventually anyhow, but was going to live with it for a bit.

I did remind myself though, if it's broken and you don't fix it, it will remain broken. If you attempt to fix it, and fail, well it was already broken. But if you attempt to fix it, and you succeed, then you are a hero (at least in my own mind). That's what I tell the kids that work with me at my regular job. Granted, my regular job doesn't have me swinging hammers (much) or turning wrenches (much). But I do have to think through problems, and every skill I have, I had to learn, and sometimes had to learn from mistakes. So what the ****, I'm going for it. At least it'll give me something to do while I figure out where to buy a seat frame from.

My guess is the PO, or PPO, whatever, had two bad seats at one time. I mean, bad. You saw in my other posts, the brand new floor panels, sills and rockers? Luckily there was enough lube on the rails that they look pretty good if a bit grimy. I showed how the two seats didn't match, and of course one seat's springs were awesome and the other wasn't, which also correlated to the torn up upholstery. That seat just is going to take a huge amount of work, and in the end, if I want to show, or sell to a collector, it will eventually need replacing (at least the frame and springs). So for now, they get foam, my dodgy welding skills and my effort. Oh, and some rattle-can black. I'll make it the best looking piece of junk that I can, and safe. Then maybe, if I get those skills a bit less dodgy, I can be a little less discerning on it's replacement.

 

[LionelJrudd]

Ron, looking good. Dodgy welding skills only get better by persevering. The pan you have cleaned up looks great. Can you convert one seat into the fixed back style for the driver seat. They seem basically the same to me.

I don't have seats for my car so I am looking for some damaged ones to use as a pattern to make new ones.

 

[DavidApp]

The fixed seat back is a bit longer as it is welded to the base.

K.A.S. makes both bases and backs as separate units. Their bases are great.

David

 

[RJCOX]

Lionel,
Thanks for the encouragement, I can't wait to get my hands on the welder and "play" as this isn't as critical as, oh, a pillar weld. The hammer and dolly work is tough, but I'm really pretty satisfied with where I am so far.

David,
I'm still looking around for a non-folding seat and will check out KAS. Thankfully, it doesnt have to be a priority just yet. There's a gentleman who does business on ebay who got me foam to replace my springs, he might do just a seat frame for me.

I am lucky to have what I do, so I will persevere. I can't make it worse now, can I?

Cheers,
Ron

 

[RJCOX]

How about the back frame of the folding seat?