The steel seat frames on my 3B are both solid but ... the seat bottoms are totally roached out. Rusted springs, rotted horsehair, ripped upholstery etc.
So my choices are:
1. Buy a complete set of new seat springs from TRF ($$$), plus new padding and seat covers etc. and rebuild them
Or, for about the same kind of money, maybe less ...
2. Buy replacement seats; Miata MX5, Revington, TR Bitz, E-Bay, All Foam/No Springs versions, etc. (All with varying levels of complexity to fit in that skinny little sidescreen body).
(Oh, and I ain't a skinny little guy. On a good day I'm 250#s and not likely to squeeze into a Recaro Rally seat designed for someone with a 32 inch waist without a lot of butter and axle grease in strategic places.)
I'm just doing a daily driver, don't plan on making Pebble Beach this year (or any other year), so adherence to originality isn't all that big a deal and I'm already replacing my brake lights and dash lights with LEDs, plus an eye level brake light strip on my roll bar, sound and heat insulation, etc. Still trying to figure out a practical cruise control set up and I've already added 5.5 inch wires and some other bits and pieces that aren't "original" 3B so ....
In other words, more of a frame on "Resto-Mod" with upgrades, than a Frame off detailed Restoration. Still want that original external look and feel, but maybe a little better driveability for road trips.
Anyone have hands on experience with any of the replacement alternatives or the TRF rebuild materials?
So my choices are:
1. Buy a complete set of new seat springs from TRF ($$$), plus new padding and seat covers etc. and rebuild them
Or, for about the same kind of money, maybe less ...
2. Buy replacement seats; Miata MX5, Revington, TR Bitz, E-Bay, All Foam/No Springs versions, etc. (All with varying levels of complexity to fit in that skinny little sidescreen body).
(Oh, and I ain't a skinny little guy. On a good day I'm 250#s and not likely to squeeze into a Recaro Rally seat designed for someone with a 32 inch waist without a lot of butter and axle grease in strategic places.)
I'm just doing a daily driver, don't plan on making Pebble Beach this year (or any other year), so adherence to originality isn't all that big a deal and I'm already replacing my brake lights and dash lights with LEDs, plus an eye level brake light strip on my roll bar, sound and heat insulation, etc. Still trying to figure out a practical cruise control set up and I've already added 5.5 inch wires and some other bits and pieces that aren't "original" 3B so ....
In other words, more of a frame on "Resto-Mod" with upgrades, than a Frame off detailed Restoration. Still want that original external look and feel, but maybe a little better driveability for road trips.
Anyone have hands on experience with any of the replacement alternatives or the TRF rebuild materials?