leather seats

[colin carthy]

1700ss 1987 live axle short cockpit se7en.

 

can bench seats be replaced with new type leather seats with head rests or similar??

 

my other half does not appreciate standing starts! (no neck strength!)

 

cheers

 

 

colin carthy

[I.Mupferit]

They sure can, you will often see leather seats in the 'For Sale' section where people are trying to lose weight from their cars, maybe for track use.

 

I find them very comfortable and, personally, wouldn't want to be without them.

 

Brent

[STEVE GILBERT]

Actually it depends on how tall you are. I am 5.11 and the new type leather seats fitted well in my s/c 7. When I sold it I intended to fit the older type leather seats from the new car. Problem was for the new owner they were just too big and he reverted to the bench seats. He was also 5.11 So to sum up for me the latest seats were OK, the old style were too thick.

[Crudders]

Colin,

 

Before investing in new seats, check the clearance between tunnel and body sides - the original short cockpit chassis had a wider tunnel but the same overall body width, so the current Caterham leather seats will NOT fit.

 

There are various 'roadster' type seats available from Demon Thieves and such like with narrow bases. These are cheapish in cloth or vinyl but leather is usually "£POA", which probably means "£lots".

 

Sorry to piss on your chips. I built my car with the intention of fitting leather seats at a later date but after 7 years and 25,000 miles I'm still running the bench, and while it might not look that sexy it does have some advantages:

 

It doesn't weigh a great deal.

 

You can lift it out and hang it up to dry when it gets wet.

 

You can lift it out and dry/oil the ali bits underneath when the car gets REALLY wet.

 

When you get 'volunteered' to get some DERV for the camp site generator, you can lift out the passenger seat base and stand the diesel drum on the floor.

 

It's not great on a long run though - you should see the state of my RRR's after the Le mans trip.

 

That wasn't meant to sound like an invitation.

 

 

 

Crudders

[STEVE GILBERT]

I'm not sure on the details of the width issue of s/c cars, however the latest style seats fitted well in my 83 s/c car. It did have a ford axle from day 1 if that means anything. Seats moved for adjustment perfectly as well.

[Casbar]

Fitted leather S type seats to my 91 long cockpit xflow.

 

Better to use pre fab securing strips to bolt them to the floor with. The ones Caterham supply are riveted on, and sometimes come loose. Speak to James Whitting, he can advise you

[Crudders]

Thanks for that Steve - it sounds like I might be talking out of my bottom.

 

My comments were based on a mate's 1985 short cockpit car, which wasn't wide enough to take leather seats, although admitedly the older style 'Restall' seats.

 

That car has an Ital axle but i don't think that's relevant.

 

Maybe the newer seats are narrower?

 

Maybe I dreamt the whole thing?

 

My advice to measure up before buying has some merit at least...

 

Crudders

[colin carthy]

crudders,

 

thanks for your comments.

 

must agree bench seats are good in many ways.

those 's' type seats do look comfy though!

 

bench seats did me and the other half fine for our trip to spain..

ouch!!!

 

 

colin carthy.