Title: Low tech, Low budget seat improvement
Post by: krede on November 15, 2007, 10:55:32 pm
Though I find the Murena seats pleasing to the eye, I have never thought they were much god at giving support, when cornering,a fact that has somewhat spoiled the fun of going fast though, bends,roundabouts etc etc..
There might of cause be a number of reasons why I think the seats lets the car down.
1) The seats are now 25 years old and the foam has been worn and deformed over the years.
2) The seats are a Murena specific Item, and so, (as with many other things about this car) they have been made the simplest and (I suspect) cheapest way possible.
Surely the Recaro seats form various contemporary "gti's" are superior to the Murena seats.
3) From natures side, I have been blessed with a somewhat low "centre of gravity".
With most of my weight situated in, and around the "waist area".. I am easily dislodged from the seat as soon as a sharp turn comes up! :)
So.. for some time now, I have wanted to improve the seats.
Though I know it has been done, fitting other seats is a complete no no in my book (and Michaels I suspect :) ) so I had to make do with the standard ones.
Price also being an issue I decided to have a look at it myself, and see if I could come up with something... not too fancy...
There really isn't much too it.. and I'm sure any real " craftsman" will have my head on a plate for going around it like this..
But I though I'd share my experience with you anyway. :)
The seats are really a VERY simple construction.And taking them apart, and putting them back togeather is much easier then I expected.. so If you too feel your seats are "unsupportive " of enthusiastic driving.. don't be turned away from having a go at a similar operation..
First of the Fabric is attached to the seat my a number of "clamps"..
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/krede/Clips.jpg)
Remove all the clamps and the fabric comes off easily.
I had long expected that the "side" support "frame " of the seats could be improved.
So after carefully removing the foam I welded on an "extention" on top of it.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/krede/Tillgsbje.jpg)
The orignal black side support is much too low I think.
NOTE: If you are gonna weld on the seat with the fabric still in place like this, MAKE SURE that the rest of the seat is properly covered and protected(not shown), as any spatter from the welding wil RUIN the fabric in an INSTANT!!!really!!.. it will!!
This extension still fits inside the original foam sides, and thus the fabric will also fit.
Apart from the extra support I also wanted the sides of the seats to be a bit "harder"
I found that fitting pieces cut from an old foam mattress, and then fitted and "compressed" to the steel frame with tape. work well, as its easier to control that way.
My first attempt:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/krede/Fejl1.jpg)
Here I went too far, and put on too much extra foam..
Also its best not to add any extra foam towards the top, as this will constrict your sholders, and dont really offer any extra support.
Final go:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/krede/Forstrkning.jpg)
I found, that one really need to KEEP the old foam sides,and make them fit on top of any extra foam added, as this is the only way to retain the "shape" to fill out the fabric when reassembling the seat... cutting new foam and shaping it to fit is extremely difficult .
Of cause you will have to try, and "test sit" the seat a few times before its perfect.. and its better not to make it TOO tight a fit as I have found out that if the seat is just a tiny bit "too small" it will quickly become uncomfortable.
I'm pretty pleased with the improvements gained from such a simple modification.
And its DIRT cheap to do.. as long as you take care not to burn holes in your seats!!! (did I stress this point enough? ) :)
Not much too it really
There might of cause be a number of reasons why I think the seats lets the car down.
1) The seats are now 25 years old and the foam has been worn and deformed over the years.
2) The seats are a Murena specific Item, and so, (as with many other things about this car) they have been made the simplest and (I suspect) cheapest way possible.
Surely the Recaro seats form various contemporary "gti's" are superior to the Murena seats.
3) From natures side, I have been blessed with a somewhat low "centre of gravity".
With most of my weight situated in, and around the "waist area".. I am easily dislodged from the seat as soon as a sharp turn comes up! :)
So.. for some time now, I have wanted to improve the seats.
Though I know it has been done, fitting other seats is a complete no no in my book (and Michaels I suspect :) ) so I had to make do with the standard ones.
Price also being an issue I decided to have a look at it myself, and see if I could come up with something... not too fancy...
There really isn't much too it.. and I'm sure any real " craftsman" will have my head on a plate for going around it like this..
But I though I'd share my experience with you anyway. :)
The seats are really a VERY simple construction.And taking them apart, and putting them back togeather is much easier then I expected.. so If you too feel your seats are "unsupportive " of enthusiastic driving.. don't be turned away from having a go at a similar operation..
First of the Fabric is attached to the seat my a number of "clamps"..
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/krede/Clips.jpg)
Remove all the clamps and the fabric comes off easily.
I had long expected that the "side" support "frame " of the seats could be improved.
So after carefully removing the foam I welded on an "extention" on top of it.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/krede/Tillgsbje.jpg)
The orignal black side support is much too low I think.
NOTE: If you are gonna weld on the seat with the fabric still in place like this, MAKE SURE that the rest of the seat is properly covered and protected(not shown), as any spatter from the welding wil RUIN the fabric in an INSTANT!!!really!!.. it will!!
This extension still fits inside the original foam sides, and thus the fabric will also fit.
Apart from the extra support I also wanted the sides of the seats to be a bit "harder"
I found that fitting pieces cut from an old foam mattress, and then fitted and "compressed" to the steel frame with tape. work well, as its easier to control that way.
My first attempt:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/krede/Fejl1.jpg)
Here I went too far, and put on too much extra foam..
Also its best not to add any extra foam towards the top, as this will constrict your sholders, and dont really offer any extra support.
Final go:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/krede/Forstrkning.jpg)
I found, that one really need to KEEP the old foam sides,and make them fit on top of any extra foam added, as this is the only way to retain the "shape" to fill out the fabric when reassembling the seat... cutting new foam and shaping it to fit is extremely difficult .
Of cause you will have to try, and "test sit" the seat a few times before its perfect.. and its better not to make it TOO tight a fit as I have found out that if the seat is just a tiny bit "too small" it will quickly become uncomfortable.
I'm pretty pleased with the improvements gained from such a simple modification.
And its DIRT cheap to do.. as long as you take care not to burn holes in your seats!!! (did I stress this point enough? ) :)
Not much too it really
Title: Re: Low tech, Low budget seat improvement
Post by: macaroni on November 15, 2007, 11:30:29 pm
Looks good, any pics of the finished seat?
Or you could just get someone to sit in the middle seat and use them as a side bolster...
Or you could just get someone to sit in the middle seat and use them as a side bolster...
Title: Re: Low tech, Low budget seat improvement
Post by: krede on November 15, 2007, 11:39:07 pm
The finished seat looks exactly the same as before.. only the fabric is perhps a bit "tighter" :)
the fabric on my seats is a bit worn now, so When Im leaving for Kosovo this February for a 3 month tour Ill have leather upholstery made while Im away.
ps: Ohh I forgot to say,... of cause I only bothered to give the drivers seat this treatment.. any passenger will have both hands available to hang on for dear life!!! they wont need extra support ;D
the fabric on my seats is a bit worn now, so When Im leaving for Kosovo this February for a 3 month tour Ill have leather upholstery made while Im away.
ps: Ohh I forgot to say,... of cause I only bothered to give the drivers seat this treatment.. any passenger will have both hands available to hang on for dear life!!! they wont need extra support ;D
Title: Re: Low tech, Low budget seat improvement
Post by: phil75 on November 16, 2007, 08:48:53 am
maintaining fabrics is tended more and you are not afraid that in time the seams tear ?
because of origin east are already fragile
because of origin east are already fragile
Title: Re: Low tech, Low budget seat improvement
Post by: Anders Dinsen on November 16, 2007, 08:51:16 am
My Espace friend Erik in Western Jutland has made new foam for the seats in one of his cars from a block of hard foam, cut roughly to shape and then worked down to the exact shape using an angle grinder with a polishing disc. It's horribly dirty (he says he looked like he had been caught in a snow storm), but the result is perfect.
The wiper motor is from Yuguslavia... wouldn't surprise me about the fabric...
- Anders
Quote
because of origin east are already fragile
The wiper motor is from Yuguslavia... wouldn't surprise me about the fabric...
- Anders
