Spit Seat Base Foam Shape

[rlubikey]

I've started re-covering the seats of my Spit, a job I've been dreading for some time! I've got the covers courtesy of the club shop and the foams from Park Lane Classics. I decided to start with the base (squab???) partly because it comes out without removing the rest of the seat, and partly because long journeys were giving me a sciatica-like pain.

On stripping down the driver's (RH) base, I'm getting more and more concerned that the under-side of the new foam is not as per original. This might not matter for many installations as the foam would just press into the basket if the shape isn't exactly right. But I want to add the hessian to the foam bottoms just like Triumph did, to stop the wire basket from cutting in to the foam over time. Trial fitting the basket to the new foam leads me to believe that the foam shape is not as per original. There are several places where the originals are chamfered and the new ones are not. In other places  the level is not the same. I believe these have been done to simplify the manufacturing process, making the cuts simpler and minimising the different stock foam thicknesses.

Take a look at these photos where I have hatched the areas where I have cut the RH seat base foam to make it more like the original. Have I made a massive mistake, or will adding the hessian make these bases top hole?

Does anyone do a fully moulded seat base foam, or at least a better copy of the originals?

Park Lane and Newton Commercial base foams look similar, if not identical. Does anyone else make seat foams, not simply re-sell Newton's or Park Lane's?

All comments, advice, criticism, hilarity, etc. gratefully accepted.

Thanks, Richard

[Clive]

Memory is not a strong point, but we fitted new seat base foams about 18 months ago, and had to trim bits, your pics look familiar.....

I do wonder if they are supplied oversize on purpose? I suppose  call or email to Owen may help clear it up. I probably should have done that!

[NonMember]

The trimmer who did mine recently had a bit of a moan about the Park Lane foams being oversize "so that you can trim them", and why didn't they just trim them themselves... He had a good moan about a lot of other things too, though.

[Colin Lindsay]

Just now, NonMember said:

The trimmer who did mine recently had a bit of a moan about the Park Lane foams being oversize "so that you can trim them", and why didn't they just trim them themselves... He had a good moan about a lot of other things too, though.

I suppose it's easier to trim oversize to suit your own car, rather than try to stick bits back on to an undersize foam... so they're erring on the side of caution.

[Nigel Clark]

I thought there should be a thick cardboard tongue-shape in the bottom of the basket to prevent the foam from bulging down through the wires of the basket.

I've recently got a full kit of covers and foam from Newton Commercial. This kit includes the cardboard tongues. Like you, I'm plucking up the courage to get started. Should be a good job to pass the time in lockdown!

Nigel

[rlubikey]

Clive, I was thinking of contacting Park Lane, but knowing his reputation amongst TSSC folk, I wanted to gather opinions here first.

Nigel, yes I've got the cardboard pieces to go between the foam and basket. I should have taken a photo with that in place, but basically it covers the central area and the right hand side of the RH foam. It is where there is no cardboard that I've had to trim the foam. As you say, Colin and Rob, you can trim something that's too big.

Thanks everyone. Keep those comments coming.

Cheers, Richard

[Clive]

Never hurts to contact a supplier especially if it is in a positive manner. The reality is Owen does have a great reputation, so it would have been handy to have some instructions with the foams...  but if nobody makes the point things won't change.

[dougbgt6]

Richard,

GT6 seats are different to Spitfire but not by much I think.

I did my foams a couple of years ago and just recently put on new covers, so it's fresh in the mind! My original foams had crumbled to what had a startling resemblance to cat sick under the seat. I realized I had been sitting directly in the wire basket and my back on the straps in the back of the seat, back. No wonder I had, well, back ache. 

As I didn't have the originals foams to look at I didn't trim anything and I didn't bother with the old cardboard or manky hessian, I just put the new cardboard in the frame. When you put the covers back on (use the cable ties, not the hog rings!) the whole thing gets compressed down, even so I found my hair touching the roof (getting a No.8 all over sorted that).

Having taken it all apart after 2-3 years to replace the covers I found no deterioration or indentation of the foam by the frame. 

And another excuse to show you my seats!

Good luck!

Doug

[NonMember]

14 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

GT6 seats are different to Spitfire but not by much I think.

I don't know how the late ones with headrests compare but the big difference between early MkIV Spitfire seats (as I have in my Spitfire) and (Rotoflex) Mk3 GT6 seats is that the latter have reclining backs where the former don't. Also, the GT6 ones had perforated pattern vinyl where the Spitfire were plain. The squabs are definitely compatible as I've swapped the driver's one.

[dougbgt6]

2 hours ago, NonMember said:

The squabs are definitely compatible as I've swapped the driver's one.

Yeh, that's what I meant and the backs, although they tilt, I can't see how the foams would be different.

Doug 

[rlubikey]

Thanks Guys. Yes Doug and Rob, I think the GT6/Spit/Recline/Non-Recline bases are identical - on the later marks at least. Sorry, no progress on seats today despite best intentions. Tomorrow's out too. More photos/progress on Friday maybe?

So, no one makes moulded seat base foams then, like Triumph originals???

Cheers, Richard