Seat rebuilding vs. ?

[John_Mc]

One of the weak links in my cars appearance is the seats. Driver's side is shredded pretty bad, and passenger has a few blemishes as well. I see that the rubber diaphragm is disintigrating and the straps on the back are present only in the loosest sense of the word. So, when one "rebuilds" seats using foam and cover kits from one of the big three, what actually do you keep to build on? Are you starting with just a frame and base? Have any of you used a professional reupholsterer to remake the covers vs. buying them? What does the total cost end up being for one vs. the other? Thanks for any and all input.

 

[tdskip]

Hi John - yes, you start with the frame and build up from there.

In some areas, probably San Jose, you can find people to built everything up for you in some cases more cost effectively than buying all the bits from the Big Three.

 

[BobbyD]

Rebuilding your seats isn't that difficult to do given all the proper components......in fact it was one of the first things I did back in '97 when I got my car. I didn't document things to the detail I do now but at least you can see some old Sony Mavica digital pictures showing the tearing apart stage. You might want to take a look at the VB Guide to Redoing your TR6 interior that shows the steps involved in re-upholstering, re-carpeting and re-paneling your car.

While this was pretty east to do on '75 seats the early seats with integrated headrest are more difficult. I have to admit I was pretty shocked to see how the prices have changed from '97 when I did mine! Today it's $530 for vinyl, $850 for leather, $440 for a foam kit, $44 for 2 diaphragms and $165 for 2 strap & clip sets! You can get brand new Suffolk seats from Moss in leather for $1500. Or Miata seats recovered in new leather for about $500. There's lots of options

 

[Gliderman8]

BobbyD is correct... rebuilding the seats is not difficult, just take your time. I stripped my frame, then repainted with por15, installed new foams, diaphrams, and I made my own straps for the back. I reused the hooks, and bought a roll of rubber strapping.

 

[tdskip]

Nice job Elliot.

 

[Gliderman8]

Thanks Tom.
Those seats were in such bad shape, any attempt to recover them would have looked good!

 

[justin_mercier]

I had to make the same decision when I got my TR6 2 months ago, and I ended up going the Miata seat route. Re-doing the foam and upholstry on the existing seats was going to add up wicked fast, and would have easily passed the 1000$ mark just for the seats.

I did miata seats, reupholstered in tan leather, for about 650. If my interior was black I could have saved about 200$ on that, but unfortunately there aren't as many places making tan seat kits for miata seats as there are black, and the tan are much more expensive.

 

[Lewis_McDorman]

Hey G'man, I need some of that webbing. Where can I buy some or would you have some left over that you'd like to sell? I only need to replace one strap.

Thanks

 

[BobbyD]

Thanks Tom.
Those seats were in such bad shape, any attempt to recover them would have looked good!

I thought his seats looked pretty good..... At least there wasn't good old Duct Tape holding them together

 

[Gliderman8]

Hey G'man, I need some of that webbing. Where can I buy some or would you have some left over that you'd like to sell? I only need to replace one strap.

Thanks

Lewis-
I might have enough left over for one strap as I only bought "just enough". Let me look to see if I can find it in my garage. If I find it, I'll be happy to send it to you.
I'll PM you after I look today.

 

[Gliderman8]

Lewis-
I found it! It is a piece that is just over 2 ft. which should give you plenty to make one strap.
PM (Privite Message) me with your mailing address and I'll be happy to send it no charge!

 

[71MKIV]

jeez, try to find a thread more than a day or two old and you have to go digging back through the arcives.

Re the replacement seats vs rebuilding the originals. I am rebuilding mine, and once you get them apart you see how especially in the spitfire it is so hard to get anything else to fit. The amount the seat bottom and the upright frame are built so they hang over the center tunnel is pretty obvious once you get them apart. I started with just the frames and everything else is new.

Any way....

I'll attemmpt to attach a pic of my first attempt at upholstery. I purchased the foams from Rimmer Bros UK, and doubled the price getting them here.
I did the upholstery because I couldn't find anything in the color I wanted, and in leather to boot. Plus as in a lot of things I do in life... How hard could this be?

edited to fix my spealing

 

[DNK]

I'm thinking something like this