I've just acquired a 2007 Panda 4x4 - I'll put up a members motors thread when I've had chance to get to know it & clean it up a bit.

I'm usually found in the Classic Panda section, so please excuse a lack of knowledge about the mk3 seats! Sorry for all the questions below - just looking for a bit of knowledge from people who've had the mk3 for a while if possible.

Anyway, the driver's seat seems to have come a bit of a cropper over the last 110k miles, and I'm looking for some advice or ideas.

I'll try to get a picture (not easy) but it's going to be easier (for anyone who knows the seats) if I explain. The seat material on the backrest side bolster is ripped - I thought this would be just wear, but can now see that the seat structure is odd. As far as I can tell the bars on both sides of the drivers seat backrest have come in contact with the seat material & I can see the upright bar where the material is torn.

Does anyone know the structure of the seats? Comparing it to the passenger one, both side bolsters are distorted and it feels like the foam has moved/torn/collapsed. Should the foam go OVER the bars within the seat (coz mine don't)?

If it's a foam problem, is this common, and has anyone found a repair solution if so?

I'm not familiar with mk3 specs (ask me about mk1/2 seats though....). Are all the seats the same apart from the covers, or was the 4x4 different, and if so were they shared with any other particular model in the range?

I'm wondering if it's possible to find a seat the same & transfer the cover (I'll have to try to repair the rip!) - do the covers come off easily or is there a knack?

It seems that the dark grey seats with red side bolsters are not that common. I've been looking around breakers for a couple of weeks (and put a wanted ad here too), but there doesn't seem to be much of a supply - any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any help. :slayer:

Edit: picture of the tear is attached from the previous owner - you can't see the bar but it is just below the tear (there is no foam under the tear).

Hello

I spent a lot of time thinking about trying to remove the cover on my 1.2 2wd its held in by plastic tags but it really looks like if you could get it off it'd never go back on right. It seems you might have bolster damage too.

That interior colour will be quite a rare eBay find, if you can find one and if it's the same as mine that whole seat section is held in with 2x t50 and you'd be best to replace with a passenger seat as they are symmetrical at the cushion sections.

daveofkent said:

Hello

I spent a lot of time thinking about trying to remove the cover on my 1.2 2wd its held in by plastic tags but it really looks like if you could get it off it'd never go back on right. It seems you might have bolster damage too.

That interior colour will be quite a rare eBay find, if you can find one and if it's the same as mine that whole seat section is held in with 2x t50 and you'd be best to replace with a passenger seat as they are symmetrical at the cushion sections.

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Thanks - yes I'm sure the bolsters are damaged as they are not the same as the passenger seat.

Would a passenger seat (if I can find one) fit ok? I haven't yet studied it properly but all the seat base adjusters etc would be on the wrong side unless just the backrest can be swapped somehow.

You're right the back rest is not symmetrical only the bottom. So you would need the drivers seat. I was getting confused. I put rhd seats in my LHD car to get the less worn on the drivers side but no they're not symmetrical at the back rest.

Those seat covers were only used in the 4X4 and the Sporting models so they'll be harder to find unfortunately.

If you want to keep the red/ black theme going. The KA had some red black seats

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-KA-Z...15-BLACK-GREY-RED-HEADRESTS-VGC-/231307557502

Those are not the greatest condition, & unsure how original you want to keep it.

Wee Smurf said:

Those seat covers were only used in the 4X4 and the Sporting models so they'll be harder to find unfortunately.

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Brilliant thanks - that's useful to know.

Were the actual seats different do you know, or was it just the covers?

daveofkent said:

If you want to keep the red/ black theme going. The KA had some red black seats

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-KA-Z...15-BLACK-GREY-RED-HEADRESTS-VGC-/231307557502

Those are not the greatest condition, & unsure how original you want to keep it.

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Thanks for that.

The rest of it's not too bad actually, so I'm hoping to find a replacement driver's seat or (looking more likely) finding a way to repair the structure if anyone knows what's gone wrong with it. Although the cover is torn, it could be improved (it's never going to be a show car) with a bit of sewing, but at the moment the bar would just rip it open again.

Palio said:

Brilliant thanks - that's useful to know.

Were the actual seats different do you know, or was it just the covers?

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Just the covers.

Hi Palio
Have a look at a thread I started a while back. I had a similar problem, now fixed and happy to say the seat is holding up really well!
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/347695-panda-seats-repair.html

Gilbie said:

Hi Palio
Have a look at a thread I started a while back. I had a similar problem, now fixed and happy to say the seat is holding up really well!
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/347695-panda-seats-repair.html

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That's helpful - thanks. At least I can see what yours was like underneath.

I think my foam must have completely split and disappeared below the bar rather than above.

Can you remember if the side bolsters were a separate part, or if the whole back was one piece of foam? As mine seem to have completely split, it might not be possible to glue them as you did on yours.

Oh well, making progress in the sense of understanding how they have broken!

Hi, the side bolsters were part of the back foam (i.e. all in one piece)
As long as the foam hasn't disintegrated then I'm confident that you could glue it! (impact adhesive) I was worried about taking mine to bits but it was a simple job.
Good luck and if I can help then just ask.

Gilbie said:

Hi, the side bolsters were part of the back foam (i.e. all in one piece)
As long as the foam hasn't disintegrated then I'm confident that you could glue it! (impact adhesive) I was worried about taking mine to bits but it was a simple job.
Good luck and if I can help then just ask.

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Woof, I thought it looked like one piece from your pics!!

Fingers crossed for the foam being ok underneath then. Thanks for the offer, much appreciated.

Palio, if you're stuck looking for the replacement seat cover, let me know next week. I needed a part in May this year for my Panda and I managed to find only one Panda having phoned around every scrap yard I could think of. I remember that it was a Sporting and it did have the red and grey interior. I could phone and see if it's still there and if there are any seats left in it.

Wee Smurf said:

Palio, if you're stuck looking for the replacement seat cover, let me know next week. I needed a part in May this year for my Panda and I managed to find only one Panda having phoned around every scrap yard I could think of. I remember that it was a Sporting and it did have the red and grey interior. I could phone and see if it's still there and if there are any seats left in it.

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That would be great. :slayer: I think it's safe to say I'm going to struggle - I put out parts requests to those national breaker search places a couple of weeks ago, and no one has come up with anything.

My ideal would be a replacement seat the right colour. Next up would be a new cover as I don't think my needlework skills (I can do a button, though, so who knows?! ) will result in an invisible mend! 3rd choice would be a replacement seat in the wrong colour to swap the repaired fabric onto. I may be forced to try to repair the foam & bodge the cover, but I am not confident the foam can be repaired.

So yeah, if I stop waffling for a minute, I'd be really grateful if you can help track something down. :worship:

I don't know how far away VmanC's upholsterer is from you... -- but he did a great job repairing the seats on Pippin (additional foam and webbing). Just an idea.... :chin:

homeward said:

I don't know how far away VmanC's upholsterer is from you... -- but he did a great job repairing the seats on Pippin (additional foam and webbing). Just an idea.... :chin:

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I don't know, but it's a good idea. He can't be much further than Portsmouth though, which is still only 2 hours away.

Note that I'm in Belfast though! If it's the whole seat it might be costly to ship. If it's just the cover, it could go in the post.

It's a long shot though as it was the start of May when I saw it.

Hi Palio. I enquired about that seat for you. He said it was in good condition, no rips, but will only sell whole seat for £40. If you can't get anything more local to you, it's an option.

Wee Smurf said:

Hi Palio. I enquired about that seat for you. He said it was in good condition, no rips, but will only sell whole seat for £40. If you can't get anything more local to you, it's an option.

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Thanks - would he be able to courier it to me & what would it cost all in? The seat price is fine, but it won't fit in an envelope! I'd be very tempted to try to get it, as nothing is appearing locally (probably like buses though, and several will appear just after I find something!).