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Sun Apr 29, 2007 4:50 pm

Ok, maybe this is an impossible question but lets see. I am pretty far from having a set of seats, but would like to weld in the cross bracing that they mount to now while I'm in the welding faze . My question is, can someone give me some measurements ? I will probably be using something like race-trim seats or similar . I should have a bit of movement since I am using 1 1/2 x 1/4 flat for the cross bracing . So, from the tunnel, how far out to the inside hole ? outer hole ? How far between the front holes and the rear ? how far back from the firewall ? I realize i should have seats before doing this but i just dont have them yet. Can anyone give me some basic measurements and I will work from there ? Thanks in advance !! Jerry

Sun Apr 29, 2007 4:55 pm

Your thought about wanting the seats first is your best bet...Measure once weld once kind of thing :D

Sun Apr 29, 2007 6:08 pm

Bro, you can always mod the brackets on the seats. I would check PRP's or Beard's websites to see if you can get some specs to get you close.

Sun Apr 29, 2007 6:37 pm

Well, I'm going to head to the junkyard tomorrow and see if I can pick up some cheap sliders . I'll get those all mounted in and then worry about the seats down the road :D I could always fab some brackets if I need to for the seats to sliders . About how low of a slider would you recommend ?

Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:12 pm

I used fiero sliders.

Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:15 pm

Thanks for the pic Murzi !! They had several fiero's last time I was there too !! I'll have to see what else looks good while I'm shopping :D

Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:17 pm

civics also sit pretty darn low to the floor. I like the seats in the MRspyder and the Matrix. nice texture to the fabric and I believe it is also waterproof.

Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:24 pm

Well I ended up taking Murzi's advice "now theres a suprise " :D and picked up tracks from a fiero today. Of the probably 50 or so sliders I looked at, they were the ONLY set that mounted flat . I certaintly could have made some other's work , but these should be a no brainer. So for anyone else looking for cheap sliders that mount flat , fiero's !! And they were only 12 bucks !! Once again..... Say it with me class.. Thank you Murzi !!

Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:47 pm

Im going to check the local salvage for seats. Do the Fiero seats bolt to the floor or to seat tracks? What besides the seats do I need from the donor car?

Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:53 pm

I was gonna go this route but then I checked Hunsaker website and the seat sliders made to bolt right up to the seats are only $50 which mean alot less work for me.
I's all a matter of what your time is worth too. I won't work for less that that so why would I bust my ass to save a few bucks.

Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:38 pm

I agree with Elwood. If you can buy nice stuff ready to go initially go with it.

I had bought the Fiero seats initally to use in the buggy, but when I started getting quotes of 6-700 bucks to recover them, they became Slider donors :lol: :lol: :lol:

The PRP roadsters were a good compromise as they were light, comfortable, and less than 400 bucks to my door.

I have always said there is a realtionship between money and time when it comes to buggy building. If you can spend money you can save time. No money....start getting creative and building welding grinding etc.

In the build of my car, I had neither time or money. I thought alot and piddled more. In the end it took me 4 years and about 4000 hours on the internet to complete. :lol: :lol:

The car is gone now. I don't miss it....I miss the build.....

For those building, take your time and enjoy it, because once it is done it is not the same....

MURZZZZ

Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:53 pm

MURZI wrote:
Quote: The car is gone now. I don't miss it....I miss the build.....

You know, that is one of the most profound statements I have heard in a long time.

I have a wall full of pictures of cars I have built. (my drag bug is 197, my buggy is number 199, my dump truck is 201 and my flat bed is 202) I have done GTO's, F100's, Chevelle's, Dump Trucks, elCamino's, Miata's, 1 Mopar and over 75 VW's. The one thing they all have in common for me also, is the build. Every time my wife says I never keep anything nice, you always sell it, I reply I'm keeping you.

Cheers to the brotherhood of the build!

Tue May 01, 2007 2:22 pm

Well for me , I have done the research on the seats, most of what I want actually come with the sliders. But... I am probably a good year from being to where I will need seats and dont really want to lay out 3 to 5 hundred for seats that will just take up space in my garage .I do however need the sliders to lay out some supports before welding in my floorpans . 12 bucks for sliders seems like a bargin even if I dont end up using them in the long run.

Murzi, before the buggy I have rebuilt 3 wrecked motorcycles over the last few years . Fixed/rebuilt the first and traded up to the next,and so on. I now have a pretty badass bike that just sits there :cry: I do believe I enjoy the build/research/project probably more then the finished product. I am extreamly hopefull to be able to get alot more use out of the buggy when it's done. The plans are for me and the girlfriend to take it camping and weekend jaunts :D

p.s. I'm 39 and am on car number 33 :shock: most of which were projects of one sort or another :D Just the way I like it !!

Tue May 01, 2007 7:07 pm

jbreddawg
Summit Racing mail order has a couple of seat track sets that may interest you. They initially may seam pricy, but reduced fabrication = quicker finished product sometimes.

Go to www.summitracing.com and look at these part numbers:
SCA-80-9040-20 for $ 48.39 each and BST-51255-01 for $ 106.99.

I have used the first and it allows for a lot of adjustability. Both kinda of indicate they fit just there brand of seat, but I have never had anything that cannot be modified to fit something else, even dirt.

Wed May 02, 2007 11:36 am

I dont know if your dead set on a certain seat style,but I just got a set of those "Universal seats" advertised here at Samba.
They are new,black cloth (looks durable and not "soft" like your cars),and come with sliders built right in.Nice quality and are a "low back" style.They are narrow which works great for us.Looks like somthing made for a commercial vehicle of some sort.
All you do is basically drill 4 holes in your floor and bolt them down.
$150 with shipping.
Thought that was a good deal considering most of the seat track kits i found were $100 and up by themselves.
Only drawback to them is they dont recline or fold forward.

Wed May 02, 2007 12:35 pm

I bought Sunfire seats from the wrecking yard. The Sunfire seat legs were different sizes to mount to an uneven floor so I removed the legs and fabbed my own mounting brackets. I kept the sliders on the seats.

I cut out the VW seat rails and bolted my brackets to the pan. They fit tight but adjust well front to back and the seat back will lay down.
The seats are comfy and easy to replace from the wreckers.

Sun May 06, 2007 8:44 pm

I just used a pair of Summit dual locking sliders and fixed seat mounts. I am extremely pleased with the results. About $45 per seat with sliders and fixed base combo. They bolted right up to the molded high back seats, and perform like a charm. The fixed base portion is only a couple pieces of aluminum angle with nuts and bolts. But the sliders are top notch. And buying the set made it easier than finding angle stock so a quick install. And they are easy to remove which I like!

Mon May 07, 2007 6:49 am

Here's what I did to mount my seats. I used the racetrim seats. I welded brackets to this frame and bolted the seats to them.
Steve

Mon May 07, 2007 1:31 pm

Steve, those look great !!! Do they raise the seats up high ? this is my plan , I am going to weld 1x 1 1/4 flat steel in an X pattern to use to support the seats . I'm then going to lay my flat sheet steel down over the top of the support and add some weld underneath to attach it to the sheet as well as the sides of the tunnel and the outer rails. The sliders will be mounted on the top. Maybe overkill, but the last thing I want would be for the seats to rip out incase of an accident or something. I have ordered the metal and it should be here in time for the weekend :D I will post some pics along the way.

Mon May 07, 2007 6:26 pm

It didn't raise them very much at all but I mocked everything up with wooden blocks. That way when I welded the tubing in I knew exactly where my seat was going to be. My seats are fixed and not on sliders. The square tubing is welded to the tunnel and to my body lift frame.