how can you remove Caterham headrests

[Blue7]

Hi

Just joined and have a Caterham CSR260 with leather seats. I bought a tonneau cover with the car but can't see how it can be fitted without removing the headrests and worse still I can't see any way of removing the headrests. Does anyone know how to remove the Caterham headrests?

Blue7

[Porkbrain]

Yep, you have to remove the headrests to fit the tonneau, dunno how they come off on a CSR.

However, I took mine to Oxted trimming, 1 hour and £50 later and they had expertly sewn on headrest 'ears' so it just fits over them

[gedG]

Mine just pull out (not a CSR though), but can be a bit tight. Oxted and Soft bits for Sevens will fit ears to your tonneau, so it will fit over the headrests.

[Tango7]

They can be a snug fit! So best try and move them from side to side and pull upwards. To put them back lean them sightly forward to help overcome the metal lug that holds them firm when in place

[Blue7]

Many thanks for very swift (seven-style) responses Porkbrain, GedG and Tango7. I have just been outside to try to pull them out with no joy, I think even Arnold Schwarzenegger whould be challenged and end up ripping the entire seat out!

I think the best option is going to be having them altered by Oxted of Softbitsforsevens, two companies I had never heard of before so many thanks for the information. I will Google them for addresses with a view to posting the tonneau cover down to them for alteration (I live in Scotland).

This appears to be a very useful forum, thanks for the help guys.

Blue7

[Porkbrain]

Yep, tried to remove mine and couldn't.

Oxted site is http://www.oxtedgroup.co.uk/pages/caterham-7.shtml

Soft bits for Sevens is http://softbitsforsevens.co.uk/

Oh, and for all things Lotus/Caterham 7 head to http://www.blatchat.com/
You can search and read posts but can only post if you are a current club member.

And welcome

[sjmmarsh]

They are just a push fit, held in place by a piece of spring steel at the rear of the headrest inside the seat. If they haven't been removed for a while, they are likely to be held in place by light corrosiom - use a bit of WD40 at the rear and leave overnight.

Steve

[Shred-head]

I have a CSR200 with leather seats. The headrests 'just' pull out.

I built the car myself and it was quite a job sliding them in so I wouldn't look forward to removing them on a regular basis.

[Blue7]

Hi Steve

The car is only a month old and built by Caterham. I contacted Caterham and they confirm that they are difficult to remove and best solution would be to have the tonneau altered, which is what I have decided to do because the headrests just will not budge. It is however interesting to know how the headrests are held in place because with any "normal" car there is usually a release button ... but then Caterhams ain't normal ;-)

Some guys here recommended either Oxted or Soft Bits For Sevens to have headrest pockets fitted, Oxted charge £82 and SBFS charge £55 (inc p&p), so I have parceled it up and sent it off to SBFS. The tonneau cost £125 new from Caterham, if I had known about SBFS I would have bought one of theirs instead for £105 + £10 p&p

Blue7