New rear leather electric rear seats finally sorted.

[Big_Richard]

Is the padding mandatory? where do i get it from, what thickness etc ? I'll give the rear a go if its easy enough.

cheers

[WGB]

The padding is not mandatory but if your coconut pads are collapsed you will not fill out the new covers properly and they will look saggy and wrinkly.

Clarkes Rubber sells everything you need for next to mothing.

I would check the pads you've got but 1/2 cm and 1 cm foam is all that is required.

There should be foam already on the pad edges and all you have to do is glue another layer if needed.

Again quite happy to turn up sometime and get you started - it takes a while and a bit of force but is really not that difficult.

Bill

[Big_Richard]

The padding is not mandatory but if your coconut pads are collapsed you will not fill out the new covers properly and they will look saggy and wrinkly.

Clarkes Rubber sells everything you need for next to mothing.

I would check the pads you've got but 1/2 cm and 1 cm foam is all that is required.

There should be foam already on the pad edges and all you have to do is glue another layer if needed.

Again quite happy to turn up sometime and get you started - it takes a while and a bit of force but is really not that difficult.

Bill

cheers 

in regards to the help, id rather bring it up your way if required, this place would give you nightmares   

[AMG69]

Outstanding Bill - and still heated I assume?

[WGB]

Outstanding Bill - and still heated I assume?

Of course!!!

Bill

[Big_Richard]

i pulled the cover off the seat base thismorning, it appears to have bee played with in the past if the coconut pads are suppsed to be in there?

it has a heshin base material ontop of the springs and then foam.

After an hour of swearing and cursing, the cover has finaly been installed - what a crap job, one would have to be insane to want to do this for a living  But having said that im sure with experience and know how one could of installed it much easier

thts enough effort from me for one day, i lost about 2 litres of sweat in the process. The back rest, can be done by a pro 

[WGB]

It's very character building isn't it - apart from the cost of the covers you can see with the physical effort involved why I spread mine over two xmases.

I think most coconut layers (They call them horsehair pads - but I think that is an historic misnomer) have long since collapsed and been built up with foam

Did you clinch down the hessian layer before you tucked in the leather edges?

Believe me - the rear seat squab is the easiest of all the seats and backrests to do.

I am really pleasd that my seats are finished - I'd rather remove the engine and transmission any day - but it can save a lot of money DIY.

Bill

[Big_Richard]

Yep, theres no way in this life time im even going to attempt to do the others, they look 100x more difficult. 

in regards to the hessian layer, im not sure i follow you - the hesian layer was firmy affixed to the spring tops and the foam on top around its edges was secured in place with those MB style wire crimped loops, seemed to of been done by a professional many years ago. The foam seems to be of an exceptionally high quality and had not collapsed at all, so i fit the new cover straight over the top and its a glove like fit. Looks bloody good, cant wait to get the rest done now! It does bring a very warm satisfying feeling on the inside just to see this base, i have no idea what it feels like to be in your position with all done, but i bet it must be good

I thank you for your encouragement 

[WGB]

If you look at those crimped loops they will be wire clinches and what happens is that the white calico layer is supposed to be clinched to the seat base first and then the leather stretched and tucked into it's channel.

It seems to work well enough without being clinched but it is easy enough to do and keeps the leather in it's correct position in relation to the underneath padding.

I made up my own clinches from wire when I did my front seat as the diameter of the wire is critical - if too thick it will appear as rub marks in the outside leather but for the rear I just used fencing cleats and a pupose built pair of pliers to apply them after I had manually spread the cleats a little.

Bill

[koan]

If you look at those crimped loops they will be wire clinches and what happens is that the white calico layer is supposed to be clinched to the seat base first and then the leather stretched and tucked into it's channel.

Hard to follow never having been there, do you have any pics of this job WGB?

koan

[WGB]

Sorry Koan.

I meant to take some pictures but it really is a pr&$k of a job and once started you really only want to finish.

The seat cover has an inner layer much like a petticoat which is crimped by wire crimps to the bottom of the "Horsehair" pads. This centralises the pads and is used to spread the loading more evenly and stop the cover from moving around the pad.

The ends of the leather covers (with stitched on compressed cardboard thickening) are then stretched, the ends rolled over and pushed into the channels which are present on the metal seat frame.

Bill