Discussion
The seats were made for TVR. Occassionally find second hand sets for sale when people fit competition seats. This is also an option.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
If its any help the seats in my 400 were exactly the same as the ones in my previous 350. However, my SEAC seats are completely different and the drivers seat is well..........knackered so I'd love to know where its from. Any ideas????
I must say though, I like the look of the new Zertec seats as a long term answer!
I must say though, I like the look of the new Zertec seats as a long term answer!
The seats were made for TVR to fit the cars. Recaro and others make seats for the car industry and just because they have that label doesn't mean that TVR did a parts bin on them.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
quote:
The seats were made for TVR to fit the cars. Recaro and others make seats for the car industry and just because they have that label doesn't mean that TVR did a parts bin on them.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
True... what it does mean though there is a good chance the subframes are the same
No. The Wedges are really difficult to find seats that will fit because the tunnel is really wide. When I fitted Sparcos, the subframes were not the same dimension or size either.
The morale is fit before you buy as many of the seats that are out of there don't fit or hit the arm rest on the door or can't be moved forward enough and so on.
You can often pick up some Recaros from a Cavelier SRI but doesn't mean that they will bolt in or that they will fit or give you the same head clearance (they are often a lot higher). The only ones I know that might fit are from an Allegro or a Pontiac Fiero(or summat like that) and even then I would measure everything before shelling out hard earned dosh.
Steve
The morale is fit before you buy as many of the seats that are out of there don't fit or hit the arm rest on the door or can't be moved forward enough and so on.
You can often pick up some Recaros from a Cavelier SRI but doesn't mean that they will bolt in or that they will fit or give you the same head clearance (they are often a lot higher). The only ones I know that might fit are from an Allegro or a Pontiac Fiero(or summat like that) and even then I would measure everything before shelling out hard earned dosh.
Steve
Steve,
What sparco seats did you fit in yours?
I can just about see them in the picture of your car on the back of the holy book but I can't work out which ones they are.
Did you have any trouble fitting them? Did you need new adjuster rails?
Has anyone else found sports seats that fit?
Cheers,
GF.
What sparco seats did you fit in yours?
I can just about see them in the picture of your car on the back of the holy book but I can't work out which ones they are.
Did you have any trouble fitting them? Did you need new adjuster rails?
Has anyone else found sports seats that fit?
Cheers,
GF.
The Wedge seats were made (at least initially) by Callow & Maddox Brothers (Cambro) in Coventry. Althought they share the same method of construction as a good many other Brit cars, they aren't the same as any of them. However, I had a few seating problems with my Tasmin, and the following may be of some help...
The seat base is sprung with a simple lattice of steel wires. These corrode (especially in the DHCs) and cause the base to sag, leading to crushed foam and split coverings. The foam is special to the seat, as the Wedge seat is deep under the thigh.
Metro seats use the same springing, but are wider, so the wires can be snipped from the Metro seat and attached to the TVRs.
The Metro slides have the same front-rear mounting pitch, but are wider and have a latch on each slide, linked by a rail across the front. The Wedge seats only latch one rail. I cut a section from the adjuster rail on the Metro seats and welded the ends together at the correct width for the TVR, thus improving the seat security (easier to adjust, too, by pulling up the lever between one's legs! Ooer...).
The foam padding and split seams etc. can be repaired by a competent vehicle upholsterer at minimal cost.
I acquired a damaged pair of seats for my Tasmin to replace the Cobra bucket that was in when I bought the car. It was a pain to climb in and out of, and the foam padding kept rolling around the seat tubes. The guy I got the seats from replaced them in his car with the electric leather jobs from a Rover ?400 series, minus the motors. They went straight onto the original slides, if I recall. Hence my need to use Metro slides!
W.
The seat base is sprung with a simple lattice of steel wires. These corrode (especially in the DHCs) and cause the base to sag, leading to crushed foam and split coverings. The foam is special to the seat, as the Wedge seat is deep under the thigh.
Metro seats use the same springing, but are wider, so the wires can be snipped from the Metro seat and attached to the TVRs.
The Metro slides have the same front-rear mounting pitch, but are wider and have a latch on each slide, linked by a rail across the front. The Wedge seats only latch one rail. I cut a section from the adjuster rail on the Metro seats and welded the ends together at the correct width for the TVR, thus improving the seat security (easier to adjust, too, by pulling up the lever between one's legs! Ooer...).
The foam padding and split seams etc. can be repaired by a competent vehicle upholsterer at minimal cost.
I acquired a damaged pair of seats for my Tasmin to replace the Cobra bucket that was in when I bought the car. It was a pain to climb in and out of, and the foam padding kept rolling around the seat tubes. The guy I got the seats from replaced them in his car with the electric leather jobs from a Rover ?400 series, minus the motors. They went straight onto the original slides, if I recall. Hence my need to use Metro slides!
W.
quote:
Steve,
What sparco seats did you fit in yours?
I can just about see them in the picture of your car on the back of the holy book but I can't work out which ones they are.
Did you have any trouble fitting them? Did you need new adjuster rails?
Has anyone else found sports seats that fit?
Cheers,
GF.
They are Sparco sprint (about £89 +vat) and are bolted straight through the floor and some Tower View seat mounts. These bolt on under the chassis and provide a steel mount that is stronger that just the GRP floor and some big washers. Took a while to get the right position for them but very comfortable and supportive.
Steve
Thanks Guys,
After buying and applying a load of gliptone leather conditioner and getting the seats looking reasonable I found the drivers seat frame has cracked near the rake adjustment handle. This looks like a bit of hassle to get fixed so I think it will be easier and probably cheaper to get new seats.
Thanks for the rover seat idea I hadn't thought of that.
I would recommend the Gliptone stuff much better than the halfords one I tried first.
After buying and applying a load of gliptone leather conditioner and getting the seats looking reasonable I found the drivers seat frame has cracked near the rake adjustment handle. This looks like a bit of hassle to get fixed so I think it will be easier and probably cheaper to get new seats.
Thanks for the rover seat idea I hadn't thought of that.
I would recommend the Gliptone stuff much better than the halfords one I tried first.
Don't bin your seat just for want of a bit of MIG welding; that's what the previous owner of my Tas had done and he fitted that bloody awful Cobra bucket. I was just lucky to find someone else about to bin his seats....
It won't be as hard as you think to fix; if you're anywhere near Teesside I'd offer to help out.
W.
It won't be as hard as you think to fix; if you're anywhere near Teesside I'd offer to help out.
W.
After the leather had split on the seats in my '83 Tasmin, I easily replaced them with a pair of Mazda Miata seats. These were used but in exceptional condition and obtained from the local wreckers for only $50.00 Cdn. each! The mounting brackets were easily modified and some foam cut out to lower the seating position slightly. There is a website that shows how to mount these Miata seats in a Triumph Spitfire, apparently a common swap. They look way better than the original leather seats, are more comfortable and have provision for speakers in the headrest. I will be testing the latteral support at a track day at Shannonville this Friday.
Peter
Peter
Thanks Wedg1e I am keeping all the bits that I am replacing on the car so if I ever sell it they go with it(I can't see this happening with all the dosh I'm throwing at it! but you never know one day there might be a 450 seac my bank manager might let me have!).
I would like to get a whole new interior at some point as a previous owner seems to have had a speaker fetish (I've found 8 so far) and as you can imagine there are a few holes in the trim and I have not been able to find any pale cream letherette.
I will probably put some other seats in for now as the ones I have still could do with a colour wash and there is a small hole in one.
Thanks for the help everyone, its given me some options to think about.
GF
I would like to get a whole new interior at some point as a previous owner seems to have had a speaker fetish (I've found 8 so far) and as you can imagine there are a few holes in the trim and I have not been able to find any pale cream letherette.
I will probably put some other seats in for now as the ones I have still could do with a colour wash and there is a small hole in one.
Thanks for the help everyone, its given me some options to think about.
GF
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