LocostUSA.com

My old seats are wore out and the seat place wants $1100-1200 to redo them The foam is completely gone is why it costs so much. My locost is rather narrow and my butt is rather wide. I only have 16.5" to put them in. Seats with bottom bolsters will not work because as I said my butt is too wide and I have the tunnel and car side to keep me in. So I started searching and found these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bomber-style-se ... -Y&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bomber-Style-Se ... bF&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bomber-Hot-Rod- ... QM&vxp=mtr

Kind of cool but wish there was a head rest. Anyone have experience with these or any other bomber seats? Russ

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You meet the nicest people in a Locost Se7en.

Russ, have you thought about the traditional Lotus style with 2 seat squabs and a single back made fromplywood, foam and vinyl? I think it would look great in your car.

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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

I was about to make the same suggestion. Most "Bomber" seats aren't known for being terribly comfortable without a parachute to sit on. The Lotus style seats shouldn't be hard to produce with a little determination, and definitely for a lot less than $1100!

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Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/

I second the suggestion to do the original Seven seats. Basically a bench under you, a bench behind you, with your butt wedged between the tunnel and the side panels.

I'm not sure of your build, but I know that most of the builds have 8" tunnels, and I'm thinking that with a bit of creative thinking we could narrow that so that you'd get an extra couple of inches (1 inch per side) in butt width.

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Geek49203 aka
Tim Wohlford
Louisville, KY
Hayes front, S10 +2 rear, Lalo body.

I had the same problem as you, narrow car and wide driver. I built my own seats by cutting down a leather back seat that was given to me for free. I've got aluminum side bolsters attached to the frame, then made seat cushions by carving up the foam from a rear bench seat then stapling the leather to some 1/4" plywood. The back and bottoms just fit snug in the car. Price was just right too. When I made the passenger side I fancied up the other one too, I just don't have a picture of what it looks like now. I cut the top so it's curved though and straightened out some of the seams a bit.

Kristian

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V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7587
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18172

Russ,

Don't you have a pair of 914 seats? If I recall you stripped them and were left with just the plastic shell. If so there are companies that sell replacement foam and covering. As best as i can remember they are close to 18" wide. My car has 19" on the driver side and just barely 17" on the passenger side. Have to force the passenger seat down but the drivers side is loose enough that the slider works.

Good luck!

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Larry in Seattle

Those are made the same as my GO4 seat but with a different frame. The bomber frame hides the corner overlap. The side frames are nice looking but in a locost, they are hidden by the tunnel and outer frame.

Here is some info on my cheapo go4 seat:
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16414&start=15

I have a sewing machine, but I was just looking for a quick repair. I'm sure you could build your own pair for about $80. The foam is the most expensive thing. I'd consider ordering a higher density foam for the bottoms and use standard upholstery foam 2 inches thick for the back.

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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 cut up and remade some junkyard seats that I got for $10 each. I didn't have any experience rebuilding seats or with sewing and they still came out OK. I think anybody that can build a car from scratch can build seats. Even if it is outside your comfort zone, give it a try. In my case I figured I would only be out $20 if I made a mess of it. Here is a description of what I did.

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=17454&start=0

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My car viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16434
1930s Style Sports Car viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16888

I built some bomber-ish seat for the R1 project. I put some shape into the bottoms to make them more comfortable than traditional bombers.
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216&start=300


Pretty quickly gave up on those and put in a traditional Lotus style backrest and squabs.

http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216&start=315
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216&start=330

Ultra simple to build

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

One more thought. I can always find a leather couch for free on Craigslist here in the Chicago area. I always thought that would be the best "donor" for seat materials.

I think someone here made similar seats from a Camaro rear seat. here it is:http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=6355&p=117890&hilit=camaro+rear+seat#p117890


but that is on a 442 frame. a little more effort would be required to fit them to your car. but not too much.

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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

And that too is on my short list of donors. Gen IV 95-ish Camaro back seats. Bonus points since you can always get aftermarket skins for them from any number of vendors (it's great to have the Chevy ecosystem!).

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Geek49203 aka
Tim Wohlford
Louisville, KY
Hayes front, S10 +2 rear, Lalo body.

That is fantastic!
You even through in a pic of the full length ppf.

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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

The bomber seat fix is to cut out the bottom of the seat leaving an inch or so border and lace in some seatbelt webbing for a suspension. Thats how mine are being done. So just order the 16" from speedway and cut them up and fix'em.

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Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

Took the old Porsche 914 seats in to the upholsterer today. $600 for the pair and they will not be ready until just before the Gathering. Can't do it myself. No skill and no time. This Locost is becoming HIGHCOST!!!!!!! Steve, I will have a lot of 2" black webbing left over from my new seat belts. Do you want them? Also have red from my old belts if you want that. Russ

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You meet the nicest people in a Locost Se7en.

Don't do it! Residential upholstery leather is processed differently from automotive upholstery leather and won't stand up properly to use in cold weather...the polyurethane surface finish will crack off with cold weather use. Not all residential furniture leather is like that, there is high-grade top grain leather in the marketplace but the majority of what's out there in the lower and middle price range furniture market is bicast split grain where the "touch surface" is actually a polyurethane coating over a heavily corrected and colored split leather backing.

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Bill H
Winnipeg, MB, Canada