I’ve tried to keep things as original looking as possible on LGL but the replacement seats just weren’t working for me.
The replacement elephant hide seats look the part but are fairly basic in their design… simply a block of foam with a vinyl cover. They’re very well made, as you might expect from Exmoor Trim but I felt like I was sat on the car rather than it.
Roundabouts make the passengers slide about (I have the wheel to hold onto) and with the material being vinyl, driver and passenger end up with sweaty legs and back (even in winter). But the biggest concern for me was the top of the seat back came to just below my shoulder blades. I didn’t much like this. A shunt from the rear would not be good… and as folks round here drive dangerously close…
Something had to be done to improve the user experience….
Exmoor Trim make a replacement high backed seat in a variety of fabric. They’re a lot more moulded to the shape of the human body and also came in leather… no more sweaty parts!
On on…
Whilst the replacement sets form Exmoor keep an element of originality, comfort and safety overrule this.
Seat bases and backs removed
The new seats.
The older style are secured through the seat frame with a pin and split pin. The high back seats are bolted through the seat frame. The threads (1/4” BSF) first needed a bit of a clean to remove over spray.
As I still have a lot of BSF threaded stainless steel fixings to hand…
… the mild steel bolts supplied with the seats were exchanged for stainless ones
Seat backs bolted in place
Next comes the leather retaining straps for the seat bases. A 2mm pilot hole is drilled to accept the screw.
Original retained straps fixed to the seat bases
Problem… The timber strip on the underside of the seat base isn’t long enough to locate behind the retaining tab. Therefore the seat base slides about. It would fall on the floor if the leather strap wasn’t in place.
Measured next to the original style seats, something has gone amiss in manufacture. 20mm amiss.
Quickly measure the depth of the MDF strip I need to extend… 9mm. I happened to have a lot of 9mm ply wood kicking about…
4 small blocks cut to size…
… pilot drilled, counter sunk…
… and glued and screws in place
Both seat bases with their new extensions
Hey presto it all works. The seats stay in place and they are so much more comfortable…
I never used to worry about such things, but most pleasingly, everything now matches in the cab.
Hi. I would like to know where you sourced the new seats please.
Also, are there any other vehicles which seats would fit. I do like searching car dumps but I need to know what might fit and what does not. E xmoor looks good but it would be good to keep the cost down if possible.
Thanks. Your columns hav been very useful in my rebuild of a series 2A 1971.
Hi Nick, Thanks for the message. I got mine from Exmoor Trim and if Im honest, for the price they could be better but I will stick with them for now. It’s not as if I spend hours of my time behind the wheel.
I recall that Smart Car and Mazda RX8 seats were a popular conversion back in the 2000s but I have no idea how these would fit onto the seat box. If I were you, I’d be looking for a set of second hand Defender seats but I guess you won’t find them at a scrap yard.
Good luck with your search.
Regards
LGL.
Little Green Landy 
Where are the seats from?
LikeLike
Hi. I would like to know where you sourced the new seats please.
Also, are there any other vehicles which seats would fit. I do like searching car dumps but I need to know what might fit and what does not. E xmoor looks good but it would be good to keep the cost down if possible.
Thanks. Your columns hav been very useful in my rebuild of a series 2A 1971.
LikeLike
Hi Nick, Thanks for the message. I got mine from Exmoor Trim and if Im honest, for the price they could be better but I will stick with them for now. It’s not as if I spend hours of my time behind the wheel.
I recall that Smart Car and Mazda RX8 seats were a popular conversion back in the 2000s but I have no idea how these would fit onto the seat box. If I were you, I’d be looking for a set of second hand Defender seats but I guess you won’t find them at a scrap yard.
Good luck with your search.
Regards
LGL.
LikeLike