Bucket seat frame

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shane'o'mac

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Joined
Nov 6, 2013
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17
Fitting a fixed bucket seat to my car and was wondering if anyone knows whether 5mm thick ally angle would be strong enough to make a frame (to keep weight down) with steel strengtheners at mounting points or shall I just make it from steel box or angle as I have full access to workshop and welding equipment?
 
Hi Shane
The big question is whether your seat mounts are stronger than the bolt mounts to the floor. You could put in super strong seat mounts to find that the (8mm floor mounts I think) aren't up to it. I've just been working on the underneath of my car and I've found that there is some rust blistering around the seat captive bolts on the inside near the tunnel. If I was you I would start at the seat mounts in the floor and work upwards, It's pointless having 12mm bolts holdind the seats onto 4mm angle iron and then finishing in rotten captive 8mm threads in the floor.
Barry
 
Barry, good to see someone else with a red 2001, beginning to think i was the only one lol Sorry, I wasn't very clear with my intentions, I would drill out the original captive nuts to m10 and plate from underneath with new nuts and bolts! Because you're right the areas surrounding my mount points have the beginnings of rust too! So will treat that first Whichever way i decide, Thanks for the info, would the ally angle flex do you know? Or once bolted is it fairly strong?
 
Hi Shane
I really don't know about the alloy apart from I think it can fatigue with slight movements but I suppose if it's thick enough it will do the job. I know in early Westfields the seats were bolted through the floor straight into alloy sheet, the only concession being that they had to have steel penny washers under the floor to stop the seat mountings ripping through in case of an accident. Later Westfields had steel stretchers under the seat mounts welded to the chassis so draw your own conclusions. Yes good to know there's another red one :). I've warmed to the colour now and think it suits the car
Barry
 
I see, well I have a 2 metre length of 2.5mm 1.5" mild steel box and 2x500mm lengths of 5mm ally angle at 2" so will have a play and a measure up at work next week and see what will work the best, also have large 50mm repair washers at work so could use them plus there will probably be some plate laying about, lucky I work in a truck workshop so can mackle something together! Thanks for all the help mate! And yeah, was unsure about red at first as my mates is black and lowered and looks quite nice, as you say it deffinately a grower!
 
Hi Shane
I would think that if the alloy angle section you have is 5mm thick that you will have no problems with that as that's probably 5 x the thickness of the steel floor. Are the mountings going to be through the sides of the seats or underneath? Whichever way just make sure that in trhe event of an accident bolt heads can't be pulled through easily then you should be safe.
Red Puma's rule:)
Barry
 
The mount holes are on the underneath of the seat,so will use two runs of angle each side of the seat (so it will be like a square 'C' if you follow) lol and yeah will make sure it's all safe! Seems strange that the original mounts are only m6 but hey spose ford put more into safety development than what I'm going to! Cheers again for your help mate! Quick question, maybe you can help with? (Bit off topic but ill stick it in here anyway) cheap generic cone filter (eBay spesh) or the frp 'modded' airbox? What you reckon? Just to save me trawling through endless arguments on here lol?
 
Hi Shane
Bit of a sore point with me this one. I put up a post asking for the cheapest K & N complete induction kit as I had a price in mind. Got a few replies which weren't really helpfull which didn't really answer the questions I was asking. Basically there are loads of cheap cone cotton air filters out there but to site the air filter in the right place with the right size hoses and brackets there is only one and that is the K & N 571 induction kit. You can get the bits individually from different suppliers but it's lots of messing about.
PS Go for cotton rather than foam.
Barry
 
On the subject of the air filter, the link below are the ones I advise to all. I use them on all my Puma's.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Puma-1-7i-16v-RAMAIR-Induction-Air-Filter-Kit-LIFETIME-WARRANTY-/350632269891?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3AFord%7CModel%3APuma&hash=item51a34fd843" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I must also enquire as to why you don't just buy the tailored Ford Puma frames for bucket seats?
 
Thanks again for the replies and the advice, bottom line is you get what you pay for and obviously with quality comes a premium, i appreciate that and without wishing to open up a can of worms I was just after different people's opinions 8) i fully understand what i do may not be the best way but have to start at the bottom as my car is being done on as much of a budget as possible. I enjoy the tinkering and trying rather than buying for me is more fun, thats pretty much the only reason for me not buying pre-made or pre-fab stuff when I have time to have a go myself 8) same for the filter really, don't mind having a play with the 'frp mod' if its only gunna cost the same as a Mickey Mouse cone filter, even just for novelty factor. i still take everyone's comments and advice on board, I can certainly work up to better upgrades but for now at least just happy to hear what people think to my ideas! Cheers again Shane
 
This is how I mounted my bucket seats - its 3/4 inch thick walled box section mild steel with captive bolts welded in. The box section is welded to the floor which gives a lower seat position than the original lowering the overall center of gravity of drivers and passengers
 
Noobrider, yeah something along them lines for me! Are your mounts welded in front to back or sideways? My seat has the captive nuts welded in to the bottom of the frame, that's why I was gunna use angle for ease of accessing the bolts...... Using box with captives as a second option in which case will drill the existive captives off the seat!
 
They are mounted sideways so in that picture the top of the picture is the door side and the bottom is the centre of the car, I'll see if I can get a better picture tomorrow
 
Well last night got the car in work and attacked the seat! Drilled the stoppers in the original rails so the bottom half of the sliders came off (the bits that bolt to the original holes in the car) and luckily the frame on my seat was exact width! How easy! Drilled through the original holes in the rails into my seat frame! Nut and bolted with m10 high tensile bolts and ni-lock nuts and bolted in 8) happy days! Got the seat and harmed off my mate for free! So cost me nothing 8) will post pics if I can work it out....
 

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