Has anybody got any pics of homemade expanding foam seats?

If so can they post them so I can have a look.

Cheers!

some details here
in the feb 2005 diary area

with some piccys

he didn't seem taken by the stuff

This any good!?


[Edited on 22/3/05 by bccox18] - Bloody pictures!!

Here

Or Here

[Edited on 22/3/05 by bccox18]

with lots of work he ended up with this

It it really worth the effort?

Its really depends on what your looking for.

I've got a Tiger Cat and as is the Tiger way, you cant bloody fit any "normal" seats (well, without mods), particulary shell type ones, due to the 'Pigs Ear' sections for the rear suspension

I wanted something comfortable, but not pricey .

The expanding foam seats fit the bill perfectly. Very comfortable over long journeys as perfectly moulded to my backside, easy to make and cost about a tenner!

The only downside is that they dont look too pretty, but my cars no show queen so not a problem really!!

Bob

NS Dev - this is the way i'm going. I should have at home some web sites showing how they are made. Ben Marriott and Martin also have foam seats. Ben should be at the next Locost Midlands meeting. Fromt what I've seen, covered in black gaffer tape they look ok and are damed comfy once you've got the hang of making them.

This thread has been covered before - try a search, it should turn some stuff up.

oh, get your foam from a boat builder / GRP suppiler not from a motorsport company its 200% cheaper.

Bob,
Do you post on the Tiger Owners Club forum? I think someone there had a set of second hand Tiger seats (with the pig ear cutout) for sale, if not post in the wanted section.

Mac
Viatron

quote:

---

Originally posted by MikeR
NS Dev - this is the way i'm going. I should have at home some web sites showing how they are made. Ben Marriott and Martin also have foam seats. Ben should be at the next Locost Midlands meeting. Fromt what I've seen, covered in black gaffer tape they look ok and are damed comfy once you've got the hang of making them.

This thread has been covered before - try a search, it should turn some stuff up.

oh, get your foam from a boat builder / GRP suppiler not from a motorsport company its 200% cheaper.

---

Can you cover expanding foam seats in anything other than gaffer tape?

Mac (Viatron) - You have U2U

Bob

quote:

---

Originally posted by clbarclay
Can you cover expanding foam seats in anything other than gaffer tape?

---

I ment more like leather/vinal/cloth etc.

Preferably with a thin layer of foam padding underneath if the seats are too firm. I'm not sure how hard/firm expanding foam goes, but obviouesly quite hard if you can give it a gel coat.

yes, it will be hard (matting plus gelcoat over the foam, just gel would crack I think) but as I have said on seats before, if the seat fits properly, you don't really need padding, that's only to fill the gaps on seats that don't fit right!

just to be pedantic........

your clothes will cause ripples, bulges etc..... you will put on and loose weight.

I know you race in a metal seat but over a long jouney i'd expect some amount of flex would be an advantage.

I'm planning on doing this over the weekend. I'll put up some piccies when its done.

So mike, does this mean your going to strip off before you make your seat for perfectly molded finish.

*yuck*

Cheerio

D

*Smilking cos my lights just arrived*

some piccies would be great Dave!

I am a little way away from seats at the mo, just worrying that cos I am short in the leg and the ST chassis is quite long, a foam seat might not get me close enough to the pedals!

Then mount the pedals nearer the rear of the car (seat). If your using a prebuilt pedal bow this is slightly harder, but still posible.

[Edited on 24/3/05 by clbarclay]

I have considered it, but it means chopping about an awful lot of nicely powder coated chassis, and a lot of extra complication in several other areas, which I don't really want!

or sell me your pedal box (converted back to cable) and make your own!!!!!

errr, no!

But I will provide materials and some labour if you go the homemade route!

thinking one more try at the top mount, then i'll convert my top mount pedals to bottom mount ....... if i've already got the pedals why make new???

that's ok, but you'll find that by the time you have converted them, the only bits you will use are part of the shaft and the bush tubes, the pedals will be too long for floor mount and the pivots not in the right place to suit the shortened pedal!

Done this one before!

The shafts are useful to save cutting out new profiles from sheet though.

Nat
For what it's worth..
On mine I used an inclined plywood seat-back to position the seat squab a bit forward. The back has a wooden spacer block lying on the floor to hold its inclination angle and it's fixed to the ali back panel with stainless screws.

I needed to get my long body-short legged butt a bit closer forward.

Repositioning the pedals rearwards, away from the bulkhead would be a pain.

I used cut foam, not liquid moulding type, but otherwise it was a pretty similar principle. Steel floor though, and the seat is fixed directly to it from beneath.

If I had an ali floor I think I'd be tempted to weld some flat steel straps across the chassis on top of the floor and fix to them through the floor plate.

regards
Dave

Cheers Dave,

I think I will be doing similar to the sloped plywood backrest, I like being fairly reclined and like you said, I am short legged tall bodied too!!

I am still thinking about the floor strips. The only downside is welding with the powdercoating and polyurethane sealer in close proximity!

My 2 penn'orth: on my ST the floor is steel, not ali. I know because a) it was hard to drill through and b) I checked with a magnet.

Because of the ST harness mount height problem I was planning to bolt the seats directly to the floor with some honking great washers I saw in Wickes at the weekend - they must be 2" diameter.

Anyone any thoughts on this with a steel floor, or should I still be looking at some bracing/spreader plates?

With a steel floor, I'd be happy with that. Certainly Ian gray said that's what most people do as far as he knows.

My car has the race thin lightweight alloy floor, I riveted it in!

in my mind the seat doesn't take a lot of force - the seat belts should be holding you in so that should cover it nicely.

Yup, my thoughts as well.

quote:

---

Originally posted by MikeR
in my mind the seat doesn't take a lot of force - the seat belts should be holding you in so that should cover it nicely.

---

Errm, surely with a rear collision you're going to be pushed back into the seat..... even the smallest bolt is going to hold it in place as its being pushed onto its self - yet has the force spread about the whole seat area.

I'm not sure about cornering as i'd expect a lot of the force to be taken by your seat belt (i'm assuming a min of 4 point here).

Perhaps I'm just wrong.

(that last line isn't supposed to sound like that, i'm just trying to say i've not finished mine so i could be completely wrong & yes mine will be hard against the bulk head)

[Edited on 31/3/05 by MikeR]

[Edited on 31/3/05 by MikeR]

Ah ... I was thinking about my own setup - my seat is forward of the rear bulkhead by about 200mm so is totally dependent on the floor mountings. I believe your seat is probably mounted hard against the bulkhead so you are indeed right.

Hello,

Heres some pics of mine:

http://www.irvined.co.uk/gallery/Arches/cimg0232

http://www.irvined.co.uk/gallery/Arches/cimg0238

It needs some trimming and covering. But its nice and comfortable - I'll probably make another which has me sitting lower down and further back, but its a good start.

HTH

David