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September 20, 2010 at 11:46 am #233133
I got the uphostry out yesterday to bring it to the upholstry shop to get the seats made. But before I take them there I’d like to know if most folks use a seat spring section similar to the VW seats underneath the foam or do you just go with the foam insert? Seems to me that with just the foam the suchions would flatten out in a very short period of time making the seats uncomfortable.
Thanks for your input.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackSeptember 20, 2010 at 12:12 pm #242285Allen, Almost all the cars I have seen just use the foam covered with the upholstry material.I saw one Fiber Fab kit that had been fitted with bucket seats from a Jeep Cherokee.
September 20, 2010 at 1:35 pm #242286Bridget’s just foam. Looks original. Still good, 30 years and 35,000 miles later.
September 20, 2010 at 4:08 pm #242287My Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess is just foam.
I built the car in 1982, been on the road since 1983.
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
September 20, 2010 at 7:22 pm #242288Allen,
Mine is just foam as well and still holding up, but if you can figure out a way
to use springs you will be happy on long trips – one hour and my butt is
killing me.
Dale
September 20, 2010 at 7:28 pm #242289I’m with Dale, my foam only seat means about 1 hour at a time. The last time I went 100 miles, I walked like an Orangutan for the next hour!
September 20, 2010 at 7:33 pm #242290Hmm……..perhaps some modification to the beetle springs. I’ll have to think on that. Thanks
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackSeptember 20, 2010 at 9:29 pm #242291TD replicas: they separate the hard-asses from the, uh, other guys.
September 20, 2010 at 9:49 pm #242292Yes they do Ed.
From New Jersey, my Duchess, with it’s foam only seats, has made round trips to Indianapolis and Cincinnati, spent weekends on rallies and club trips in New England adn of course made numerous round trips to Carlisle.
We need to have a talk with Dale and Ringo!
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
September 21, 2010 at 6:46 am #242293From Jersy to Cincy? Welllll….just so happens that I lived in Cincy for 10 years and my son still lives there. That’s the first LONG road trip I plan in “Moneypenny”. And I am an old SGT so I guess my butt can still take it!
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackSeptember 21, 2010 at 12:57 pm #242294The previous owner of my MiGi cut a big hole in the under-butt board and put a rubber diaphram or strap across the hole to soften the seat a bit. I replaced the board with a solid piece and recovered it and thought that I had improved things until I drove it for a half hour and got a bruised butt. I also didn’t like sitting that much higher.
So… I cut a hole in the new board and attached the rubber under seat diaphram from an MGB under the hole. Feels a lot better!
I’m tall and need to hunker down a bit or the wind coming over the windscreen will blow my head off! I also have no butt padding ( I’m skinney)
I did nothing to the passengers side. as my mate is well padded and short!!! Maybe I just don’t care enough?
September 21, 2010 at 1:01 pm #242295There are many types of foam out there today. I would certainly look at a two part memory or softer section and a stiffer foundation. They also have some thermal foam that cuts down on sweating and its more breathable. You may spend a little more but could be huge savings on butt powder.
September 21, 2010 at 1:56 pm #242296Here is my solution. My London Roadster has a bench seat with holes cut out under the driver and passenger.After about an hour in the seat I would begin to feel the edge of the hole thru the foam as the area beneath me would sink deeper into the hole in the plywood, I used screws to fasten a piece of sheet metal to the lower side of the board.This allows the foam to sink just enough to be comfortable but not deep enough to feel the edge of the hole. The battery is under the right side of the seat so I insulated the positive terminal to avoid the risk of a fire though I have an inch of clearence.
September 21, 2010 at 7:19 pm #242297Hey Richard,
Where can I find that type foam? local stores, internet, upholstery shops?
Thanks, Ringo
Ringo40442.8059606481
September 21, 2010 at 8:26 pm #242298I have been pondering the seat question for awhile myself. For a lazy mans solution, I put a stadium seat cushion between me and the seat for an over 30 mile drive (may not be purty, but it helps). I have thought about cutting out the middle section of the seat board leaving about 2″ around the edges. Then taking some chair webbing like the aluminum lawn chairs use and weaving it in. I am not sure what would be gained would be worth the trouble Anyone want to try it 1st and let me know if it works?
Mike
September 21, 2010 at 9:43 pm #242299I am sorry i had not put this idea on site before I fixed my seats both with a cheep way we all can get at any Lows or that type of store i used coil springs at the rear of he seat mounted to the floor cutting the seat box at an angle to 0 at the back keeping the front at stock height and still hinged as stock just reinforced with a 1×4 I used 3 inch coil springs 2 for each seat mounted to a flat bar of steel with clips brazed on the bar and bolted to the floor the seat moves just a bit when i sit on it and absorbs all road shockmore springs for heaver people ? my springs came from engine shop out of the junk box
September 21, 2010 at 10:21 pm #242300There are several places I’ve used medical stores wheel chail pads and used a stiffer foan for foundation. Also an outfit by the name of foambymail diffent types and shapes. Had a company by the name of bestwayfoam send me some for my bike seat I like these guys. and found this http://www.become.com/seat-foam-replacement different types
November 19, 2010 at 11:49 am #242301What if…Take a stock VW seat cusion base with the springs etc., mount it to the TD seat wood, and cut the seat box down so the cushion is at the correct height in relation to the seat back. Hmm… something to ponder methinks.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackNovember 19, 2010 at 2:54 pm #242302I’d mock it up first with a homemade pine box before trying it on the kit fiberglass
November 19, 2010 at 3:25 pm #242303I hope no proctologists are reading this. They’ll be telling us to slather Preparation-H all over our but cheeks before a long drive in our TD’s.
We are going to have to start rating members car’s “butt-factor” on a scale of 1-10, i.e.: 65 hp/80 ft lbs/08 bf
Ringo…walking like a Oragutan is hard on the knuckles too.
Isn’t the foam they make those Tempur-pedic beds out of available in smaller chunks? Maybe call and get 500 samples?
January 17, 2011 at 9:38 am #242304Update:
I decided to try a fix on my seats over the weekend using seat strapping I bought at a upholstry shop. I cut out the center of my seat plywood and used the stapping underneath – seems to work real well. I will need to take it on a long drive when the weather gets better – I may need to tighten up the straps a bit if I sink down to much. I made it so I could tighten up the staps w/o to much trouble. I also am thinking of removing the metal tubing in the fiberglass seat stand so I would have heated seats in the late Fall and early Spring.
Will try to post some pictures tonight.
schu40560.4021643519
January 17, 2011 at 3:27 pm #242305The heated seats interest me keep posting, Let me know how that works.
January 17, 2011 at 8:20 pm #242306I’ve tried several types of foam and so far NONE have held up for much over and hour. I’m in the process of cutting in the hole idea and going to try a heavy canvas materal or a web then a 1/2 in thick very firm (almost solid) foam then the original foam and 1 in of memory foam. The wife has suggested just using something like a bean bag chair cusion. Gotta do something.
January 17, 2011 at 8:28 pm #242307If someone will measure the height from the seat base to the top of the seat cushion and let me know I can have my friend measure the height of his bug seat cushion and compare. I think the bug seat cushion frame with the springs etc might be a little high nbut doable if you use the spring bas rather than the piece of wood.
Thanks
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackJanuary 18, 2011 at 9:00 am #242308Sorry – didn’t get the pic’s posted last night – will get my son to give me a hand when I get home today.
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