Best Practices for Mounting E24 rear seats

[Crash513]

Hi all:

 

I know this topic has been covered numerous times in the past, but I have been unable to find an answer to this specific question.  I am in the process of modifying a pair of early E24 rear seats and armrest console to replace the back bench seat in my '73 tii.  I think we have the seat buckets and stuffing cut down to the right profile now, and the console just needs a little more tweaking.  What I'm trying to figure out is the best way to mount (bolt in) the seats.  We've considered sourcing or fabbing a bracket of some kind to attach to the factory seat mounts below the package tray, and simply bolting the bottom bracket to the rear seat bulkhead.  But we've also tossed around the idea of figuring out how to bolt them in with "L" brackets attached to the back panel and seat.  

 

Open to any methods used that anyone can share.  Pictures would be appreciated if available.  Thanks all.

 

- Crash

[joysterm]

I'm happy to tell you what I did to solve the problem but it was after a lot of trial and error. I first decided to fab my own brackets out of 1"aluminium angle stock , rivet  them to the seat backs and then fab another bracket to the bulkhead once i figured out  where they would sit.  Bolt them together, problem solved or so I thought. I quickly found out that if I wanted to remove the seats at any time it would prove challenging to get at the bolts as I created a custom tray that would not allow me to gain access to them because the tray had to go in first....so that was out.

 

So as necessity is the mother of invention, I decided to reinforced the seat back with fibreglass and a couple of,  1/2 plywood blocks sandwiching the seat frame. These gave me a stable base,  it also provided the correct standoff from the bulkhead by filling the appropriate thickness to fill the gap. Before I glassed in the spacers to the seat backs, I  drilled and countersunk a couple of 1.5'' 3/8 bolts that would go through the bulkhead and fastened. Once I marked the appropriate landing spots a drilled the bulkhead  with a 5/8 drill, this gave me a larger hole to help with the install.  Finished it off with a fender type washer, lock washer and nut. Easy access and adequately secure and supported after the seat alterations.

 

For the bases I used the existing bracket and re drilled the top flange of the bulkhead to accept a "rivnut"

 

I will try to did up some pics and post them but hopefully this gives you more food for thought. This is a challenge mod so take your time. I found the hat tray and filling the gaps on the sides took most of the time but I got the look I wanted so it was all good. The next one  (haha) will go faster.

 

 

the finished product....

 

Good luck...Mike

Edited March 29, 2020 by joysterm

[Crash513]

Thank  you, Mike.   This is a huge help!  I never thought to add a separate mount to the seat frame.  But the way you describe it makes a lot of sense.  If you do find any pictures, please share.

 

Thanks again!

 

- Crash  

[conkitchen]

Crash, 

Should you be interested in having someone (in Sac) install them for you at reasonable shop rates, give me a PM and we can discuss. 

 

The biggest contributor to installing is the base mounting method and fitting reinforcements to the seat bucket for chassis mounting.  Of course the head rest area needs finishing too etc... As Joysterm wrote of.  Pictures will get you half way there, but in practice, you will find more realistic needs reveal themselves.  

 

 

[fst2002]

Anyone else have any details on installing ... pictures are always helpful! ... Anyone???

[mrshahab]

I’m also curious about this. Any shops in LA area that can help with this?