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Anyone ever think about making a Bench Seat for their seven?



I like the idea of trying to make a bench seat for my seven but I am not sure if I should make a one peice shell that straddles the tranny tunnel or make a tree peice padded cushion set.

If I made a one peice shell, filled with cushion foam and apolstered, I could put it on adjustable brackets.

The other way would be to just alpolster three cushions and put them in place....or semi mount them in place (depending on streering wheel and pedals).

Any thoughts or comments about this? What do you think the benifits would be? Any Draw backs or caveats?

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I'll keep an eye out for you!

To err is human...
I am more human than most.

Champion takes the back seat out of a jag with the fold down armrest removed. It is a great idea considering the back seat is usually in the best condition at the salvage yard. There also does not seem to be much of a market for back seats so it should be cheap.

Many cars don't have a separate frame for the back seat lower cushion, just a contoured floor pan with odd lumps in the bottom foam to keep it in place. The foam has wire molded into it to keep the shape and attach listings from the upholstery, using hog rings. The hog rings are soft and reuseable once straightened back into a C-shape after removal. Needle nose pliers are adequate to replace hog ring pliers.

The upper back seat usually has one bolt with a large washer at each lower corner and hooks to hold the top.

A back seat should add a little hip room and lower seating but adjustment would be a problem.

As for side bolsters, the side panels and tunnel can be padded and covered. Bare polished metal would be hot in summer and cold in winter.

If you decide to make your own seat, do not use standard density upholstery foam. It is way too soft so it would have to be very thick. Soft foam is a hassle to sculpt and smooth too.

If you want recesses in the seat, listings to pull the upholstery into the recess or a separate upholstered cushion is necessary. Cushions are typically attached with velcro strips.

Another option is to use fabric-covered marine cushions. They are water proof and uv protected.

The head rest can be a separate, adjustable component bolted to the roll bar and upholstered to match.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

I have flirted with the idea of a bench because I am ultra-tall (6'6") and would like to use all available space. However, I don't think I will because:

• Bench seats are pretty uncomfortable. When I was a youngster, benches were common so I had lots of experience with them. They hurt, but we put up with them because they were what we had.
• I would have to make some sort of provision for guest drivers, like a bolster for the back and/or movable pedals.
• Aluminum seats don't take up a lot of space and can be put on sliders.

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Dreaming the dream since 2003. Haynes chassis, Miata uprights, everything else from 1987 NA RX7 donor.

Being cheap by nature, I plan on a bench type rear with 2 squabs like the original. not because they are like the original, but because I like the looks and I think it will be less work l than trying to build 2 complete seats. I do plan on including some sort of contouring for both the back and bottoms. But I'm not there yet. What I haven't quite gotten straight in my mind, is how to provide for the crotch belt of my 5 point harness. I also want to incorporate some sort of headrest.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Bench seats traditionally have little or no lumbar support.

Seats that do have lumbar support are probably worse for a very tall person than seats without any, because it pushes on the wrong place. I'm only 6 feet tall, but first gen miata seats are very uncomfortable for me. Once I removed foam from the lower cushion and the entire lumbar pad, I was comfortable.

For best fit, sit in a box containing several bags of damp, play sand. Lay burlap and plaster of paris over the sand to have a removable shape. Cut the shape out of high density foam, then use spray foam adhesive to attach the pad to the flat foam over the back of the seat. A stretchable fabric will accept the compound curves better than vinyl.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

In the 60s Morgan used three lift-out pieces; two inflatable rubber bags, leather covered, supported on the floor by a piece of 1/4 inch plywood set at an angle (springy), and then a single leather-and-horsehair bench-type seatback with a plywood sheet to keep it all together.

As I recall the separate upper back supporting bar, a piece of ash, was fastened at the ends with wingnuts and a slot, so the back angle could be adjusted fore-and-aft a bit. I remember the whole setup to be pretty comfortable, and you could lift everything out of the car in less than a minute. No sliders, but it fit my standard 5'11" body just fine.

Mine had simple cheap lap belts as an add-on, which was better than nothing.

I'll admit...I like the look of a bench seat in a Seven. Pity it lacks comfort, adjustability, and a headrest for safety.

I ended up using the Miata seats w/sliders, and am quite happy with them. Getting ones with speakers in the headrest would be even cooler.

-dave

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...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
Visit my [Locost 7 build log]

I'm planning on making a red bench seat when I get to that point. I'm going with clamshells and a more "classic" look so I think a bench seat is the only way to go. I'll admit, it probably isn't the best choice for comfort but I don't plan on any long drives. Hell, I can't even stand to be more than 2 hours in any car, regardless of the comfort.

I went the bench seat route using a rear leather seat. Comments and photos are on Page 2 of my build log. "West Coast Ron's...."

Ron

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They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. By the time you finish the car it'll feel like you've done it on your knees.

Old and busted:



Basic bench lasted only a few months of driving and was modified because it was hideously uncomfortable.

New hotness:



It is as simple as marine vinyl wrapped around foam scavenged from other buckets, with plywood sections to add lumbar, all staple-gunned to a plywood back. My former-uphosterer co-driver cringes every time he sees it. But it's WAY comfy now.

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The Lethal Locost
The Lethal Locost 2 - Even More Lethalerer

Ron
I like that pic...
Good job!
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=4690&hilit=West+Coast+Ron%27s&start=15

Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F
I like the idea of lumbar support.....and the pic you included is a nice clean shot of the red bench and bottom seat. Thanks for the suggestions.

_________________
I'll keep an eye out for you!

To err is human...
I am more human than most.

Hi
I have made my bench seat. Its like sitting in a lazy boy recliner.
It looks very tall in the bottom but you sink into it. I have tried a few thickness and this ended up with two types of foam in it and also has some hard foam in the back for lower back support. If I take another inch of foam out of the bottoms I hit the floor with my but. It also has good thigh support. This seamed to be my only inexpensive way to fit in as I am 6'4"

Have you guys had a lok at the fraser bench seat ?

I really like them, I personally like the idea of a bench seat since you could have more space in our limited width cars, but as mentioned above traditional bench seat, especially tjose of the Lotus are pretty dismal...

here a couple of examples

I'm running a bench seat in my Seven and from the four years of driving it, it works just fine for a non-race car. It was very simple to make using plywood, foam and the remains of an Austin Marina rear seat. The Eleven currently has the beginnings of a bench seat, but with a formed aluminum base, so there is no foam for padding. This seat is very uncomfortable when you go over bumpy pavement. This winter i'm planning on making up a pair of seats like this for the Eleven:



But in stead of aluminum, i'm going to try and make them up in some form of GRP. They should also fit the Seven, so if i dont sell the Seven in the near future it will get a pair of these as well.

That kinda reminds me of the Superperformance S1 seat: