Should I save or should I throw ? Seat question - Caution Gory content !

[NorthernThrux]

Since no one answered my thread in the general section in how to take apart the seats I bought, I just went ahead and did it. Took lots of pictures along the way to guide reassembly. Not hard at all, but I can see how putting the recliner adjusters back together (tensioning the springs) is gonna be a pain.

So this is what I found on the drivers side. Rust in the pan, on the springs and the recliner adjusters, a bit of corrosion on the seat rails and all screws. Lots of carcasses of insects long dead. But no mice droppings for a change ! Hardware will get blasted and powder coated or clear zinc coated before reassembly. Seat vinyl needs some small repairs, especially the driver's door side bolster.

The seat pads are not too bad. The bottom part is pretty good, but the springs are very weak. The backrest is also not bad, but the door side bolster (this is a driver's seat) will need to be re-sculpted if I reuse it. I have no real idea how much the felt and horse hair pads have compressed. Seat covers seemed to have good shapes still. So the question is, having gone throughout about 3 hours of labour, should I attempt to reuse the horse hair and felt pads or should I buy new foam ones ? I don't want to have to redo this for the next 25 years. For the lower springs, what are my options ? I've seen a post somewhere, where somebody cleverly filled the seat bottom with foam chips and that firmed things up a lot. I'm leaning to that solution. The backrest o-rings and elastic straps are pretty worn. I'l probably replace those with the worlduph.com kit. The strips that form the ribs on the back rest and seat bottom upholstery are also good and I will reuse those.

So, stay original as much as possible or just keep the covers/strips and redo with modern foam ? Which is firmer/more comfortable ?

thanks for your opinions or hints
Ravi

[MTemp]

Re rebuilding the seat tensioners - you need to make a simple tool - see page 10 of this thread

http://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/vie...3207&start=135

Mick

[NorthernThrux]

Mick,
Thanks for that thread. Hours of good bedtime reading.
Wife made the pad decision for me. She claimed the stench on the deck was overwhelming in the afternoon heat, even though she is an equestrian and rides 2 horses. Mould, mildew and who knows what have all been liberated by the heat. I can just imaging what a closed car in the midday sun might smell like. So out with the horsehair pads and in with foam and backrest repair kit. Covers and their horse hair inserts will be saved and repaired.

Ravi

[classic]

Re springing can be done, or get some high density foam and put it between each coil of the springs.

You'll need to do this after you have some covers on, as it's a bit of a sit and see how it feels.