Date:         Thu, 11 Sep 2003 11:22:56 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: vanagon front seat ideas? what other seats fit? what have
              some of you
In-Reply-To:  <OF836CC023.21AA24C4-ON85256D9C.0058F84D-85256D9C.0059C542@cit.canadair.ca>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>I am just curious.. but can you please tell me what you dislike about the
>vanagon seats?  Personally I've been very happy with my own, and I
>particular enjoy the swivel base.

My 84 Caravelle doesn't have swivels. The seats are in good
condition, are firm and quite comfortable. But no real side support
for cornering. This can kill.

>   With a drill and some bolts and washers, you can make just about
>any seats fit anything.  Just be sure you get the entire
>seat/adjusting base assembly.  They won't rotate like your current
>captains chairs, but they won't be rotten either!  I was clued in to
>this by a junkyard guy.  Nothing makes you feel rich like riding in
>a Mercedes seat!

Depends on rail spacing. I fitted a rally bucket to my 75 Kombi...
had to make an aluminum plate to bolt to the seatbase, then attached
the rails to this. Comfy! The palate assembly raiused the entire seat
by about 50mm. The front cushion roll was fine, but then, I'm perhaps
a little taller than average.

>   If you want to change out the seats,it's your choice but be aware
>   that many other seats have a nice comfy lip on each side on the
>   seat base to hold you snug in the seat in corners etc.
>   This is fine,and indeed a great idea IF you sit in the seat by getting
>   into your car and sitting down.
>   We don't get into our vans like that...we climb up and in.Then you
>   find what a nuisance that lip can be.That extra couple of inches
>   you need to raise yourself to clear the seat can be a PITA...literally
>   if you land on the raised seat edge... ;)
>
>   On top of that,the material on the edge of the lip will wear in fairly
>   quick fashion and the driver's seat outer edge looks like crap before
>   too long.

Those "lips" bolsters hold you in place (some, that is... most are
soft pseudobolsters and collapse uselessly under any load at all).
NECESSARY in hard cornering. Lots of accidents are caused by the
driver losing his leverage on the wheel, as he's using the wheel as a
support in cornering... result is usually turning TOO tightly and
hitting the inside of the bend. Bolsters can really transform the
driving experience. This is why racers use them.

For upholstery wear, I am well aware of this... have heavy-duty
wear-resistant patches (and esthetic) stitched on.

I have noticed that Corolla seats from the mid80s have nicely
deep-bolstered backs and are hard-wearing.

Headrests? This is incorrect. They are head RESRAINTS. They are not
there to support the driver's head! They are there to reduce whiplash
injuries in an accident.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
64 (3) 473-8863
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut