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Old Midget MK I seats - rust - how bad is too bad?

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RickB said:
Does yours ever get rained or otherwise precipitated upon??

If so, please tell us the secret of how you keep the water out. :wink:
Click to expand...

It gets caught with the top off once in a while but only briefly and getting wet to the point of the seat bottoms soaking it up? It'd have to sit wide open in a pretty steady rain for a while. I use my tonneau cover if I leave it sit for a few hours.....
 
My first rule here when I need to fabricate anything is to take stock and see if I have something on hand that I can use.

I just happen to have some nice cedar T&G boards.
So, I made up my seat bottoms today. Just the wood part, the glue is drying.
It's starting to come together now!
I might just drive this car yet!!
 
I got the foam cut and fitted and the seat bottoms done.
Maybe tomorrow after work I can get the backs done, then I will just have to mount them in the car. It's going to happen soon.

I'm not sure how to attach the upholstery to the back. I'm sure there must have been some clips down along the bottom edge at some time?
 
Home Depot and Lowes rent out equipment. You could rent a small wire feed welder and after grinding off the rust weld new sheet metal in place for a near original look. Heck if I was anywhere near you I'd do it for you. Welding is not as hard or scary as you might think it is. Even getting one of those mapp gas riggs and brazing it together might be strong enough. Ugly welds can easily be fixed with a grinder.
 
Thanks Ray, that's actually very helpful.

So - anyone have an idea about what to use instead of those clips that I can buy today from Home Depot, Lowes or my True Value? That edge of my seat backs was pretty bad, the clips long gone.
 
You need 10 large clips and 28 smaller clips per seat. I took a set to Home Depot today and didn't find anything similar.
 
I'm guessing some of those are for the seat bottom which I won't need because I used wood and staples.

Also the bottom edge of my seat backs are not great - so I think I'm in "alternative fastening territory" there too.

I could rig up a pair of metal strips one for the front and one behind that would sandwich the bottom of the upholstery down there and hold it via screws or rivets from front to back.

Other ideas are most welcome.
 
Ah, brings to mind the old phrase about "Necessity..." You won't see it, figure out a simple solution down there.
 
Jim_Gruber said:
Ah, brings to mind the old phrase about "Necessity..." You won't see it, figure out a simple solution down there.
Click to expand...

That's a true fact Jim, but on the off chance I pull out the seat bottom for some reason and someone is looking I just don't want it to be embarrassing.

I'll wander through HD this afternoon, if nothing strikes me there then I'll head home to the True Value store.

A thought just occurred to me, I could add a bit to the bottom - maybe a piece of small tubing if I can find clips to fit.
I'll keep my thinking cap on and see what I can come up with.
 
Would a piece of old weather striping (draught excluder) do the trick?
 
Heck, maybe a brand new piece! :wink:
Good idea!!
 
Is there an awning/ tarp store in your area. we also have a place in town that sells everything nut & bolt related (https://www.spaenaur.com/) and they have every kind of auto body fastener - I doubt you need British here, just something that works.

Who knows, maybe if you have some stainless screws and washer left over from a carpet removal... :whistle:
 
You know what?

I just may have a few pounds of stainless screws and finish washers available...

Thanks JP! :wink:
 
I bought some clips at Ace Hardware.
They are the kind that you use to clip on to a piece of metal with a hole in it and then fasten something to it with a screw.
They are about 1/2 inch wide, U shaped at the closed end and then they come together at the other, made apparently of spring steel.
They might have too much tension, I don't know. I'll find out though. :wink:
 
practice on a piece of vinyl you don't care if you rip
 
Too late.

No - I didn't rip it but I did get one side done tonight.
That's murder on the hands!!

I'll do the other one tomorrow night, then hopefully provide pictures of two completed seats!!
 
congrats - we're waiting
 
Yes. sometimee the clips stay attached to the old vinyl. Hard to see with all the rust and everything. Look at the old material good, sure you will find a couple.
 
Thanks Mike,
I saw the remnants of some clips, really just reddish dust in the shape of clips. Understand that the bottom lip / edge of the seat backs is mostly gone. These were pretty much on the outside boundary of what a lot of people would have considered to be salvageable. However since it was really only about 3% rotted away and really solid everywhere else I decided I could 'restore' them.

The car sat in a closed shed for the past 15 years, no apparent roof leaks, however it was literally across a street from the shore of a large salty body of water (Puget Sound). I'm unsure whether it was this or something that happened before in it's life that rotted out the floors and the seat bottoms.
 
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