My previous update had a few photos of the seats so I figured I should probably put an update on them!

The seats had a long and convoluted journey.

At first I planned to just buy some Inatrim GT40 seats (http://www.intatrim.co.uk/gt40.html). Then I sat in them and realised they didn’t fit. I’m very broad in the shoulders and the “wings” dug into my shoulders. I was uncomfortable in seconds. So back to the drawing board.

The seats in a GT40 are incredibly narrow (450mm or less) and laid back which eliminated almost all the “off the shelf” options. So the first thing was a CAD model. That’s Cardboard Aided Design ( © “Project Binky” ) 

The cat was fairly happy with the cardboard seat but I wasn’t quite so keen.

I followed the cardboard seat with a fibreboard mock up. It’s pretty much just extra stiff card.

And of course then sat it in the car.

The next stage was something with more structural strength. A 1mm steel mock up. Still trying to get the general dimensions nailed here rather than looking pretty or anything. Steel being chosen because it’s very easy to just tack together and just grind the welds off to change things.

The steel mock up went through a few iterations. Losing height from this

to this

The seat base equally went through plenty of revisions. From the initial version through this.

and then finally settling on this. Shown here being tested with the belts.

Then when I was happy I chucked the mock up out…well actually I cut it apart and re-used the bits!

Then I started to make the seats properly in aluminium. I’d decided that the seats will be fixed like the originals. Although a metal base not ribbing. I also decided that the best way to do the seat backs was to have them pivot at the base. That way the space behind them can be utilised/accessed.

First off the base, this was in two pieces. A flat section.

then a formed section

And finally the back

The back is hinged and bolted to the rear bulkhead. I considered some kind of quick release (and I may still do so) but felt bolting was best for now. There is btw no seat adjustment. You either fit or you don’t.

I welded in some strip to the rear bulkhead so that it could bolt to it.

Then of course repeat for the passenger side. So the seats look something like this at the moment.

They will of course be trimmed but that will happen later. I also need to make up some headrests for them.