Date:         Fri, 28 Apr 2006 12:32:03 +1000
Reply-To:     Stephen Overmyer <S.OVERMYER@UWS.EDU.AU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Overmyer <S.OVERMYER@UWS.EDU.AU>
Subject:      Re: swivel seats
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

 

Date:    Thu, 27 Apr 2006 20:13:15 -0400
From:    Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: swivel seats


On the stock Westy the swivel mechanism is welded to the seat frame
overlapping the stock rails. Someone (I forget who) has a similar swivel
mechanism that doesn't requiring welding in place like the Westy
version.

                                          ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I have swivel mechanisms on both front seats that required no welding
and are completely removable if necessary.

They were made by either Projekt Zwo or Oettinger...I am not sure now
although I think it may have been the latter.
They are a solid two piece base fixed together with the swivel part. If
they are still available, I have no idea...

The seat is removed from the original tracks welded in the van and the
swivel mechanism sits over the top and is fixed in place over the tracks
with counter-sunk allen key bolts and nuts, connected to a thin handle
thingy that allows you to feed then into the original tracks and locate
under the holes for the bolts to align with.

Once the mechanism is installed (takes a few minutes since the top half
has to be swivelled several times to make the bolt holes in all 4
corners accessible) you slip the seat back into the new seat tracks that
are part of the top section of the swivel bases and there you
go...swivelling seats without the f*&#ing about of cutting and
welding....:-)

As with the welded in type, the seat height is raised around 20 to 25mm
which at first is noticeable but it isn't long before you adjust and
forget all about it...until you drive another T3 without the swivels and
it feels like you are sitting way too low...

The battery is of course harder to access but OK for checking the water
level....you just gotta remove the swivel mechanism to change the
battery but I only do that on average in all my vehicles every 8 years
or so....so I can live with that small inconvenience...

Cheers,
Steve O
NSW Australia
'92 Transporter WBX Kombi
'00 Transporter Double Cab
'03 Transporter Double Cab (work truck)
'78 Land Rover 109 Series 3 Soft top ute (ex-Aust.Army)