Seat foams - where to buy?

Seat foams - where to buy?

Author
Discussion

hygt2

Original Poster:

419 posts

178 months

Tuesday 15th January 2019
quotequote all
The driver and passenger seats bottom foams has collapsed after 100,000 miles and 22 years. We can see there are bits of foam broken off on the carpet.

Having search the internet and forums, we cannot find anyone who sells the high density cell for the seats.

Can anyone here recommend anybody who sells the seats foams please?

Cheers!!

hygt2

Original Poster:

419 posts

178 months

Tuesday 15th January 2019
quotequote all
Apologies for the cross posting in advance. Since the Griffith and Chimaera have the same seats, I thought I'll ask here as well.

The driver and passenger seats bottom foams has collapsed after 100,000 miles and 22 years. We can see there are bits of foam broken off on the carpet.

Having search the internet and forums, we cannot find anyone who sells the high density cell for the seats.

Can anyone here recommend anybody who sells the seats foams please?

Cheers!!

Steve_D

13,737 posts

257 months

Tuesday 15th January 2019
quotequote all
hygt2 said:
The driver and passenger seats bottom foams has collapsed after 100,000 miles and 22 years. We can see there are bits of foam broken off on the carpet.

Having search the internet and forums, we cannot find anyone who sells the high density cell for the seats.

Can anyone here recommend anybody who sells the seats foams please?

Cheers!!
Take the seat out and inspect first.
It is not likely to be the foam....what happens is the seat 'springing' is a mesh of wires which both rust away and cut into the foam. If the wires are replaced or bodged a sheet of vinyl between the springs and foam will solve the cutting problem.

Look for earlier threads where peeps have 'repaired' the springs using cable ties. It probably works fine but not something I could do on a customers car.

Steve

rdl001

82 posts

64 months

Tuesday 15th January 2019
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I successfully replaced the bum foam sections of my standard Chim seats with this foam supplier from Ebay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/High-Density-Foam-Uphol...

Andav469

957 posts

136 months

Tuesday 15th January 2019
quotequote all
I have a brand new seat foam for a Mk1 Chimaera if anygood

hygt2

Original Poster:

419 posts

178 months

Tuesday 15th January 2019
quotequote all
Steve_D said:
Take the seat out and inspect first.
It is not likely to be the foam....what happens is the seat 'springing' is a mesh of wires which both rust away and cut into the foam. If the wires are replaced or bodged a sheet of vinyl between the springs and foam will solve the cutting problem.

Look for earlier threads where peeps have 'repaired' the springs using cable ties. It probably works fine but not something I could do on a customers car.

Steve
Thanks Steve. Unfortunately the foams have gone brittle and are breaking up. We looked at putting a mat between the wires / springs and the foam for support but there's just not much foam left.

Also we want to do this job once and then forget it for another 20 years so we decided we want new foams and replace all rusty / worn wires.

Would you be able to pm us any contacts please?

Cheers
Garrison and Marta

hygt2

Original Poster:

419 posts

178 months

Tuesday 15th January 2019
quotequote all
rdl001 said:
I successfully replaced the bum foam sections of my standard Chim seats with this foam supplier from Ebay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/High-Density-Foam-Uphol...
I have PM you.

hygt2

Original Poster:

419 posts

178 months

Tuesday 15th January 2019
quotequote all
Andav469 said:
I have a brand new seat foam for a Mk1 Chimaera if anygood
I have PM you.

geeman237

1,228 posts

184 months

Tuesday 15th January 2019
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Last year I rebuilt the bases on my Griffith seats.
Here is what I did using upholstery stretch webbing. If you or anyone’s interested I can post more details or PM me.

Technoholic

490 posts

65 months

Tuesday 15th January 2019
quotequote all
I'm interested, I'd like to know how you attached the webbing to the edges. Short of finding new seats, I think I'm going to refurb mine, but I assume that as well as the wire cutting through the foam, I think the foam is also beyond repair to get it back into shape and be plump, so I'd like to think about replacing the foam too. Is it one single piece of foam for the base? I've seen that blue foam stuff but wouldn't know how to shape it to fit the seat.

hygt2

Original Poster:

419 posts

178 months

Tuesday 15th January 2019
quotequote all
geeman237 said:
Last year I rebuilt the bases on my Griffith seats.
Here is what I did using upholstery stretch webbing. If you or anyone’s interested I can post more details or PM me.
Yes please!!

Unfortunately the seat foams are a lot worse than in this photo, with the edges and surface of the foams broken down with bits falling off like an old washing sponge frown

lancepar

1,011 posts

171 months

Wednesday 16th January 2019
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It's a shame Owen couldn't be persuaded to do more than Triumph Spitfire/GT6 trim he does a cracking product.

http://www.parklaneclassics.co.uk/product_600-002....

cool

pb450

1,301 posts

159 months

Sunday 20th January 2019
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You don’t need new seat foams. You simply need an old rubber mat, inserted between the seat foam and the stupid piano string wires which hold it in place. (And saw though the foam over time.)

Plenty of ‘how to’ threads on here, including one of mine. smile

Colin RedGriff

2,526 posts

256 months

Sunday 20th January 2019
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I would look for a local car trimmer and see if they would sell you some.

geeman237

1,228 posts

184 months

Sunday 20th January 2019
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At some of your's request here are more details on my seat rebuild. You will need to buy some Pirelli webbing and the Osborne clips (63006), some hog rings and hog ring pliers. You will also need some new steel wire of similar thickness to make the surround. You will have to cut all the old hog rings off, and I use bolt cutters. Take lots of photos and take your time peeling it all apart. Use a sharp knife to separate the foam from the seat frame.Use upholstery contact spray adhesive to remount the foam to the seam frame. Getting the tension on the webbing is important. There are some guidelines and videos on Youtube, search for pirelli webbing. It has to be very tight, but not so tight the webbing is deforming if that makes sense. See in the photos that I used elastic bands with the clips. I did that to get the basic measurement then I think I cut the webbing at least 1 inch shorter to get the tension. You may have to do a couple before you feel you have got it right. I had to use pliers to hook the webbing into the frame. Yes, you have to drill some holes in the frame, but only a couple I think. The little 'D' clips that hold the leather to the frame are springy and can fly around. They are available from a company called Bresco. I made the webbing hooks by hand using pliers and quality steel wire. It has to be fairly thick so it doesn't deform when you sit on the seat.

My local upholstery shop said sometimes you can fluff up the foam again using steam. I did get the upholsterer to stitch in some "stringers" (no idea why I want to call them that) too.

This was as found


Here is the seat with the foam and cover removed. You have to separate the seat back from the base. I didn't do anything to the backs on mine.


Close up of the rusted wires

Here you can see the rusted hog rings that need to be cut.

See the D clip holding the leather on. I carefully tap these off with a flathead screw driver and hammer or possibly pliers. Careful, as they have grips on and can tear the leather.

You will find these "stringers" as I think I will call them. These may be rotted out. They are used to pull the seat leather cover to shape around the foam. I bought some hessian/burlap stuff and glued it to replace those I could not used and ran a steel wire through and used hog rings to attach if I recall.









Here I have made the perimeter wiring.


The Pirelli webbing and Osborne clips


Here are the hooks you have to make for the webbing clips. You have to make them this shape so they hook into the frame.


Now you can see the blue elastic bands I used to help determine the final webbing length to give enough tension. Also note the hooks in the clips to the frame.











You fit the hog rings at the end for the most part.
Here is a photo of the pliers I used and the rings.
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/bpndnGbh[/url

I will attempt to answer any questions and feel free to PM me.]

geeman237

1,228 posts

184 months

Sunday 20th January 2019
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I just posted my how to on the Chimaera page of this thread.

indigochim

1,501 posts

129 months

Monday 21st January 2019
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Thanks for the tutorial, that's a job I keep thinking of doing. Maybe this is the time to do it.

Adrian@

4,289 posts

281 months

Monday 21st January 2019
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IMHO You have over complicated the issue...how about this, using all the same methods/springs to attach both the frame and hooks from the inside of the support rails. I will post a picture of the finished seat.

A@

Adrian@

4,289 posts

281 months

Monday 21st January 2019
quotequote all
Note the use of calico (with holes punched through to allow the inner seat hooks to attach to the frame (as the old wire base did) and the addition of the tyraps to attach the inner to the frame where the hooks had failed

A@

Adrian@

4,289 posts

281 months

Monday 21st January 2019
quotequote all
The finished seat..

A@