Roadster Seat Upgrade

[frankeeski]

In an ongoing quest to make the Roadster just a bit more comfortable I have done the things many of you have. I installed the Warm Seat seat heaters to extend the driving season and to make early morning and late evening rides a bit more comfortable. I also added a spacer under each of the front of the two seats to recline them back a little. The one thing that is missing from these seats as far as any measurable sense of comfort is that they have no springs in the bottom cushion. In an effort to solve this I talked to a number of locals to get their input, one of whom was our own Dan Ziol. Dan suggested a two part foam attack placing a higher density foam on the bottom layer and the softer on top. This would lesson the impact of your bottom side on the plywood base. Still looking for a way to add spring to the cushion I talked to our upholsterer we use for our business. He does quite a few boat interior and these seats (the older roadster seats) are very similar to the boat seats he sees quite often. We decided to cut out the center and add webbing to the center of the seat, in this case a solid piece of vinyl cloth-backed fabric. It adds a bit of spring to the seat. The added bonus of the way the older roadster seats are made there is a measure of open space under the cushion bottom that allows a bit more range to the stretch of the vinyl. Here is a step by step of just how we went about it.

Here you can see the solid seat bottom the foam lays over and is then stapled too. This plywood is also only 3/8" thick, it would not work if the center were to be cut out.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa78/frankeeski/20120625_183019.jpg
Next is the new 3/4" thick piece of plywood for the bottom. We cut out the center, this allows the vinyl webbing some stretch.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa78/frankeeski/20120625_183058.jpg
Here the vinyl fabric is stretch over the new seat bottom plywood ring. This is almost a two person job to keep the fabric really tight.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa78/frankeeski/20120625_200900.jpg
Here the fabric is trimmed and a second row of staples is added for more strength.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa78/frankeeski/20120625_200916.jpg
Here is a view of the bottom of the finished plywood bottom.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa78/frankeeski/20120625_200924.jpg

[frankeeski]

Next the seat bottom is reassembled with the seat warmer, foam and leather covering.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa78/frankeeski/20120626_183708.jpg
And finally, here is the finished product. Doesn't look any different then before. However, with a week long trip in the Roadster planned for this coming holiday week, we anticipate the journey will be much more comfortable.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa78/frankeeski/20120626_183818.jpg
Just a note for any of you planning to try this. I did add a second layer of fabric webbing on the drivers side. I really don't know if it was necessary at this time but we will see.

[David Hodgkins]

Great job Frank! Have you had a chance to try it out yet?

[frankeeski]

Have you had a chance to try it out yet?

Both Julie and I have sat in the seats to see if we could feel any difference. It does seem to be much better. Without being on the road and only sitting in the car static neither of us can tell definitively that it will be better, at this point it couldn't be any worse. We will be putting a few hundred miles on the car this coming week on our trip up north. I will keep you updated.

[riptide motorsport]

Yes , I'll be interested to know the report. Sort of rough on my glutes too.

[vnmsss]

Nice work, Frank!!! :>))

Karen

[frankeeski]

Well, I am happy to say, after 5 days with our back sides firmly planted in the new seats, the modification was a huge success. We did not suffer at all from the aches and pains we have seen in years past when putting on miles as we do on one of these week long excursions. I highly recommend taking a look at this mod if you are using the vintage seats and comfort is high on the priority list.

[dallas_]

That's nice work Frank.

Thanks for posting. I always like seeing different kinds of upgrades and modifications.

[jetsbaby]

Were these mods made to the metal framed seats that F5 currently offers? Or the old wood bottom seats from years ago..

[frankeeski]

Were these mods made to the metal framed seats that F5 currently offers? Or the old wood bottom seats from years ago..

These are/were the older fiberglass bucket/wood trim seats. I don't see any reason this mod could not be modified to work with the newer steel frame seats. I'd imagine the new ones still have a removable seat bottom stapled to a piece of plywood.

[CraigS]

That's a great improvement. Many upscale car seats like Lexus are built this way. They have a molded foam cushion that sits in a pan that has springs attaching it to the rest of the frame. The cushion allows for some molding to the persons bottom but the springs do most of the bump absorbing. I understand that the strength of these springs is a tool used by the engineers to get the ride they want.

[skullandbones]

So I guess this is an anti-PITA project (ha!). I was thinking of a similar sort of project but I wanted to get some miles on the seats to see if it was just my imagination that they are a little too stiff. If I do it, I plan on using heavy duty seatbelt material braided together like those old fashion lawn chairs with white and green material. But it looks like you beat me to it. If you don't mind, can you explain what kind of vinyl you used in your project? Was it something like "naugahide"? I'm not sure if that will hold my butt. I'm about 210 lbs. Anyway, I applaud your ingenouity. It is very important to protect our vital organs! Thanks, WEK.

[jetsbaby]

These are/were the older fiberglass bucket/wood trim seats. I don't see any reason this mod could not be modified to work with the newer steel frame seats. I'd imagine the new ones still have a removable seat bottom stapled to a piece of plywood.

No wood..Steel frame seat with a very thick foam bottom..Most have upgraded to the new F5 seat due to the poor comfort issues that you are currently having..