General 500 Seats

[Franko500]

Hi,
I have placed an add in the classified section, but thought i would raise it here as well.

Unfortunately my 500 only came with 1 front seat and that was so rusted i had to cut it out & throw it away.

Does anyone know of 2 seats that are available? I shall be recovering them so i am not too concerned about the trim, as long as the frame/runners are ok.

I am in Herne Bay, Kent, UK and can collect or arrange courier.

Cheers
Sean

 

[Bambino]

Sean,

What colour are you going to paint your car?

I have a pair of restored seats covered in very good quality black vinyl with red pinstripes that I no longer need. Only problem is that they are here in Oz

Chris

 

[Franko500]

Cheers Chris, they look nice! But hate to think how much it would cost to send them. Also not sure on colour yet. Don't know if to keep standard or go off list

 

[Vitesse]

Sean speak to Franco at Ricambio he knows so many people in the 500 world he must know someone with some.

Tony

 

[Bambino]

Sean,

Try here http://www.ebay.it/itm/COPPIA-SEDILI-ANTERIORI-ORIGINALI-FIAT-500-F-L-R-126-OTTIMI-CON-MOLLE-COPLETO-/261475207506?pt=Ricambi_automobili&hash=item3ce1230952

or Fiat 126 (aka Niki 650) seats also fit and to my mind are both safer and possibly easier to find. They lock down, recline and have a rudimentary headrest. Without the headrest they look very similar to the standard 500 seats.

Chris

 

[Franko500]

That might be a good idea Tony,

Thanks Chris, but i think i will try locally first. Im not in too much of a hurry as i have plenty of other things to do for now.
I have 2 sets of 126 seats available to me already. They do look a good idea as long as i dont want originality.

Sean

 

[Bambino]

I thought Italy was local ...

This is what my interior looks like.

Chris

PS: I'm following your rebuild thread with great interest. Excellent work.

 

[dunnah01]

Whilst we're on the subject of seats mine came with no rear bench - I've got the back rest part but if any body knows of a rear bench frame around the North of the UK I'd be very happy to give it a good home. I'm going to refurb it anyway so condition is not critical as long as it's restorable.

 

[Vitesse]

Sean there is a seat on Ebay at the moment not too far from you in Brighton for a starting price of £4.99.

Tony

 

[Vitesse]

I don't know if you have seen Sean? 2 more on Ebay, they look in good condition in Woking £25.

Tony

 

[Franko500]

Cheers Tony,
I am on the case!

 

[Franko500]

Hi all,
I am after some technical help. I am just doing some final checks before getting the shell ready for painting and I thought I would try the seats I have from my 500D on the runners. One is an L seat and I think one is a 126 seat.
However they do not fit!
Main problem is the rails are all wrong. The profile that fits in the seat base runners are not formed properly, also the width of the rail varies from 30 - 34mm, where as the inner width of the seat runners is 29 -30 mm.
I have also checked the distances on the inside of the seat runners to get the width that the rails should be set apart. This is very close to the rails width.


Could someone please check there seats/rails and do a few measurements for me. I will probably get 2 more seats to use for the actual car, but presume they should all be about the same.


Looks like I might have to drill the spot welds out and remove the rails so that I can shape them better to fit the runners. I have tried altering them in the car but they are just too strong to bend & shape. Oh well so close and yet so far.

 

[fiat500]

I never thought of that being a reason for those annoying runners. One of mine was a bit tricky but I had two different makes of floor panel...one was old stock. I alway struggled even with an original floor.
So I measured mine at around 30mm but take into account my seat runners may have "accomodated" the floor runners by stretching a bit given some gentle force used on one side.
Can you just grind down the flanges in situ to scribed lines made using a steel offcut, sort of T shaped to run down the centre of the floor runner making tangs on the arms of the T at 29mm or whatever measurement it turns out?

 

[Franko500]

I have tried squashing them using vice grips, g clamps etc. made them closer to 29 mm so I could grind them a bit. Biggest problem is the top parts that sit in the runner needs to be flat, I have tried with a large hammer, but the metal is quite thick gauge and does not bend easy & they need to be flat & straight otherwise they won't slide easy.
Damn these pattern parts!

 

[fiat500]

I know it's not you style Sean, but you aren't going to move those seats often once done. Too far back= no legroom in the back. There is an optimum position so long as you aren't freakishly tall.

 

[Vitesse]

The runners on my seats are bent, you can see over the years that when the seat has been lifted to allow people in the back and allowed to bang foward that has caused it. There is a clear curve on them, I tried to bend them straight but it was impossible. Hence my passenger seat which is worse needed persuading on with a bit of wood and a hammer. As Peter said its not likely to move too much once on.

 

[Franko500]

All sorted.
I removed all 4 seat rails, i used a large vice and pressed the rails so the top parts are flat, then squeezed the rails together in the vice until the width was about 26mm. Doing this caused the top sections to angle slightly so i then pressed them flat again.
They are now all welded back in place and the seat runs back & forth okay.
While they were out i also filed the notches out a bit more so that the seat adjuster fits in the gap properly. Dont you just love pattern parts!