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Author: Subject: My arse is too high...
David Jenkins

posted on 7/6/15 at 08:42 PM Reply With Quote
My arse is too high...

My car has evolved considerably since it went through SVA, and sometimes I didn't notice the side effects of some of the changes...

Originally I had some cheap seats, a small steering wheel and very direct steering. After a while I found that steering the car was very wearing on my wrists, so I got a slightly bigger wheel - problem solved. A while later I decided that I needed more comfortable seats so I got some fibreglass shells that needed upholstering - far more comfortable.

Much, much later I was aware that I couldn't really see the warning lights that are on the dash, just above the steering shaft boss, as the rim of the wheel just obscured them... well, I could see them, but I had to adjust my head position to do so. I was beginning to wonder if I needed to get yet another steering wheel, a few inches larger diameter.

Now, reading this as an external observer, you've probably worked out the problem - the combination of a larger wheel with a fatter rim, combined with a higher seat cushion, has meant that my eye line has changed. Tonight I took the padded cushion out of my driving seat and... no surprise really... I can now clearly see all of the warning lights again!

So my next step is to strip most of the padding off the seat's fibreglass base insert, from about 4" (or more) of very firm foam to just 1", but the problem is that I'm already feeling the bumps on the road through the thick padding. I'm a bit nervous about making it much thinner, unless I can replace it with something more shock absorbant.

Now I'm open to suggestions for an effective material to shield my backside (and my spine) from bumps, without being more than 1" thick. Can anyone suggest something commercially available? I don't mind paying a bit if it will work well.

Cheers,
David






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MikeR

posted on 7/6/15 at 09:27 PM Reply With Quote
A dozen pork pies?

Seriously what about getting a properly modded seat that fits you perfectly?

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Dopdog

posted on 8/6/15 at 06:59 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by MikeR
A dozen pork pies?

Seriously what about getting a properly modded seat that fits you perfectly?


I was going to say that a bag seat is the way to go

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russbost

posted on 8/6/15 at 07:16 AM Reply With Quote
I use fibreglass seat shells with just 1cm or thereabouts of padding (I use camping bedroll) & find it perfectly comfortable, perhaps if you're really feeling the bumps you have the car set up too stiff? The only time I really feel anything is if I catch a sizeable pot hole & nothing really protects you from that sort of thing.





I no longer run Furore Products or Furore Cars Ltd, but would still highly recommend them for Acewell dashes, projector headlights, dominator headlights, indicators, mirrors etc, best prices in the UK! Take a look at http://www.furoreproducts.co.uk/ or find more parts on Ebay, user names furoreltd & furoreproducts, discounts available for LCB users.
Don't forget Stainless Steel Braided brake hoses, made to your exact requirements in any of around 16 colours. http://shop.ebay.co.uk/furoreproducts/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1

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David Jenkins

posted on 8/6/15 at 07:40 AM Reply With Quote
There seem to be a couple of roads near me that have a severe bump - they look like places where 2 'plates of road' are pushing together and raising a bump - imagine a sleeping policemen that's about 3 or 4 inches high, 6 inches across. They're not pleasant in my Yaris! I was going to make a joke about Essex roads, then I remembered where Russbot lives!

I don't want to go down the route of buying new seats - in the true Locost tradition I want to do this on the cheap, but in a way that works. A couple of layers of bedroll might work. I was also wondering about a few layers of wet-suit neoprene (if I can find somewhere local that sells it).






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russbost

posted on 8/6/15 at 08:10 AM Reply With Quote
Yeah our roads down here are absolutely great! NOT!





I no longer run Furore Products or Furore Cars Ltd, but would still highly recommend them for Acewell dashes, projector headlights, dominator headlights, indicators, mirrors etc, best prices in the UK! Take a look at http://www.furoreproducts.co.uk/ or find more parts on Ebay, user names furoreltd & furoreproducts, discounts available for LCB users.
Don't forget Stainless Steel Braided brake hoses, made to your exact requirements in any of around 16 colours. http://shop.ebay.co.uk/furoreproducts/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1

NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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alex1991

posted on 8/6/15 at 09:52 AM Reply With Quote
EVA foam is used in shoes to soften impact, might work in a seat?
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David Jenkins

posted on 8/6/15 at 10:13 AM Reply With Quote
My wife's just announced that we have a tatty old foam bed-roll in the attic - my son parked it there before he moved out about 8 years ago... I guess I'll give that a try to start with.

Russ - I used to be able to tell when I drove over the border from Suffolk to Essex in the tin-top, purely from the bangs, thumps and rattles that suddenly made themselves felt. Nowadays, the difference isn't so obvious... although Essex is still worse.






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David Jenkins

posted on 10/6/15 at 06:07 PM Reply With Quote
Solved!

It seems that 2 layers of bedroll and a covering of vinyl leatherette have done the trick - still comfy enough and now I can see the dash lights again!






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RogerM

posted on 11/6/15 at 11:24 AM Reply With Quote
Interesting, I might just have to try this camping bedroll approach as my seats are literally removing all felling from my backside!
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coyoteboy

posted on 4/8/15 at 11:10 PM Reply With Quote
I was going to say you can buy closed cell neoprene fairly cheaply in 5mm thicknesses.






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Mark100

posted on 5/8/15 at 02:16 PM Reply With Quote
just got closed cell neopren for ebay 1m by 1.5m by 12mm £13 works great
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MikeRJ

posted on 5/8/15 at 04:54 PM Reply With Quote
Something like the Airhawk seat covers used to improve long distance comfort on sports bikes might be useful for this problem.
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