Droopy seat

snaponbob · 05-22-2007, 05:48 PM

It just seems that every time I go to an autocross I am sitting lower in the car. Either I have been shrinking or the seat is getting worse. So .............

I took the seat out today. I had considered raising the seat, but I found studs sticking up, instead of bolts going down through the tracks.

So I removed the seat. WAY easy. First thing I noticed is that the seat foam doesn't even touch the springs (which are horizontal sine wave style). The front and back portion of the foam rests on the seat frame, and the there was at least an inch away. Translation - plop my ass in the seat and it compresses an inch before there is ANY support. Just for sh1ts, grins, and giggles, I looked around the house for something appropriate to pack between the spring and seat foam. I found a thin (1/8") spongy mat. After measuring the area under the seat foam I trimmed the excess length, folded the mat on itself with a resulting six layer mat. The seat cover is rather loosely clipped so I released the cover, slid the pad under the seat foam, put it all back together, and bolted the seat back in place. TA DA !!!!!!!!!!! Most of the stretch marks are gone, the seat is much firmer (a good thing), and I sit higher in the car. VERY nice.

Time, 45 minutes.
Cost, zero. Until somebody can't find that foam mat!!

TulsaSky · 05-22-2007, 06:02 PM

Hey I like that fix, were did that rubber mat come from, bathroom?
So what the seat needs is a little more bulk-strength to make it hold up the back side. I have a great car interior upholstery guy that did the Sunbeam Alpine may take it to him for the same type of fix. Grandparents well grandma used to put a sheet of plywood under the mattress when it started sagging, yep that will fix it!

TulsaSky

lostcause · 05-22-2007, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snaponbob

It just seems that every time I go to an autocross I am sitting lower in the car. Either I have been shrinking or the seat is getting worse. So .............

I took the seat out today. I had considered raising the seat, but I found studs sticking up, instead of bolts going down through the tracks.

So I removed the seat. WAY easy. First thing I noticed is that the seat foam doesn't even touch the springs (which are horizontal sine wave style). The front and back portion of the foam rests on the seat frame, and the there was at least an inch away. Translation - plop my ass in the seat and it compresses an inch before there is ANY support. Just for sh1ts, grins, and giggles, I looked around the house for something appropriate to pack between the spring and seat foam. I found a thin (1/8") spongy mat. After measuring the area under the seat foam I trimmed the excess length, folded the mat on itself with a resulting six layer mat. The seat cover is rather loosely clipped so I released the cover, slid the pad under the seat foam, put it all back together, and bolted the seat back in place. TA DA !!!!!!!!!!! Most of the stretch marks are gone, the seat is much firmer (a good thing), and I sit higher in the car. VERY nice.

Time, 45 minutes.
Cost, zero. Until somebody can't find that foam mat!!

Any chance you might have taken pics of what you did?

marklynn70 · 05-22-2007, 06:41 PM

Sounds great. What kind of mat was it? (For purchasing knowledge)

snaponbob · 05-22-2007, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostcause

Any chance you might have taken pics of what you did?

No, I didn't. Basically I was poking around, and had no idea where I was going with it. But, I can certainly undo what I did, and document it as it goes back together. Give me a few days.

snaponbob · 05-22-2007, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marklynn70

Sounds great. What kind of mat was it? (For purchasing knowledge)

No clue what it was. I was rolled up on top of some boxes in the garage. Sorry. But what it might have been was a 1/8" thick firm foam rubber mat.

marklynn70 · 05-22-2007, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snaponbob

No clue what it was. I was rolled up on top of some boxes in the garage. Sorry. But what it might have been was a 1/8" thick firm foam rubber mat.

Thanks I will start shopping around.

jayman · 05-22-2007, 09:45 PM

Hey, squishy ain't so bad sometimes...pretty easy on the 'roids

snaponbob · 05-22-2007, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayman

Hey, squishy ain't so bad sometimes...pretty easy on the 'roids

'Roids have nothing to do with it. THEY should be so easy to resolve. (TMI, huh?) I was sitting so damn low in the car I felt like a 90 year old driving by aiming THROUGH the steering wheel. There are even pictures of me autocrossing Streak and MOST of my helmet is visible. Mo' better now!!!

jayman · 05-22-2007, 10:46 PM

My seat is fine at 3400 miles...but...it seems that Droopy Seat Syndrome is the new issue of the month..which replaces last months' LSD problems

snaponbob · 05-23-2007, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayman

My seat is fine at 3400 miles...but...it seems that Droopy Seat Syndrome is the new issue of the month..which replaces last months' LSD problems

Hey, I would rather have to deal with a seat problem than a diff issue.

duck833 · 05-23-2007, 01:07 PM

The one mod I have not done yet is with the seats. Mine have not caved in yet but it is only time. Instead of having the dealer work on them I am going to do my own fix. I plan on having local high end shop replace the center section with a matching yellow leather and beefup the foam with a high quality material. This local shop does lots of mods and upgrades to high end private jets. planes and collector cars.

brycebequick · 05-23-2007, 01:33 PM

Thanks for the tip. I have already had my car back to the dealership once to have the drooping seat and stretched leather fixed. Now, only two months later, it seems the cushion is sinking again!

The leather isn't as stretched out and "soft" as it was the first time, but you can see where the foam padding (or lack thereof) has sunk.

Fortunately, if it gets too bad, I DO have the electric seat height adjuster!

Asucar · 05-23-2007, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brycebequick

Fortunately, if it gets too bad, I DO have the electric seat height adjuster!

Couple of phonebooks ought to do the trick too, don't ya think!

snaponbob · 05-24-2007, 04:03 PM

Well, I have the car back from the Saturn store. They have a new leather seat base cover coming to replace the stretched one. Warranty. Also, the right blinker/stop light is intermittent and the BCM will be replaced at the same time. Warranty. So, tomorrow we'll see if the material is the same or not.

AND there were free cookies!!!!

What's not to like.

05-22-2007, 05:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
snaponbob First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Lee's Summit, Mo. Posts: 1,344 My Photos: (0)	Droopy seat It just seems that every time I go to an autocross I am sitting lower in the car. Either I have been shrinking or the seat is getting worse. So ............. I took the seat out today. I had considered raising the seat, but I found studs sticking up, instead of bolts going down through the tracks. So I removed the seat. WAY easy. First thing I noticed is that the seat foam doesn't even touch the springs (which are horizontal sine wave style). The front and back portion of the foam rests on the seat frame, and the there was at least an inch away. Translation - plop my ass in the seat and it compresses an inch before there is ANY support. Just for sh1ts, grins, and giggles, I looked around the house for something appropriate to pack between the spring and seat foam. I found a thin (1/8") spongy mat. After measuring the area under the seat foam I trimmed the excess length, folded the mat on itself with a resulting six layer mat. The seat cover is rather loosely clipped so I released the cover, slid the pad under the seat foam, put it all back together, and bolted the seat back in place. TA DA !!!!!!!!!!! Most of the stretch marks are gone, the seat is much firmer (a good thing), and I sit higher in the car. VERY nice. Time, 45 minutes. Cost, zero. Until somebody can't find that foam mat!! __________________ Redline (pre-halt), Pearl, Black/Red, complete option list except auto, owner installed lock buttons, painted calipers, Solo Performance 3" single cat-back, Koni S/A's, Kurt hitch, OZ's, 295/30 Hoosiers for Solo's

05-22-2007, 06:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
TulsaSky First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Skiatook, OK Posts: 1,011 My Photos: (2)	Board under the mattress Fix Hey I like that fix, were did that rubber mat come from, bathroom? So what the seat needs is a little more bulk-strength to make it hold up the back side. I have a great car interior upholstery guy that did the Sunbeam Alpine may take it to him for the same type of fix. Grandparents well grandma used to put a sheet of plywood under the mattress when it started sagging, yep that will fix it! TulsaSky __________________ 06 Daytona Sunset Orange Corvette Coupe 06 White Impala FlexFuel LS2-Daily Driver 00 White Silverado Pickup-Daily Driver 64 Sapphire Blue Sunbeam Alpine – restored 07 Midnight Blue Red Line Sky Born 10/9-13 Delivered 11/14/2006

05-22-2007, 06:41 PM	#4 (permalink)
marklynn70 First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Oldsmar, Florida Posts: 2,560 My Photos: (282)	Sounds great. What kind of mat was it? (For purchasing knowledge) __________________ *Mark* Black Onyx B/R Interior 5-Speed XMMP36-Disk*Monsoon Stereo 18in Chrome Wheels _00565_ GM CAI Mud Flaps Stubby Antenna KS Little Chromies Chrome L/P Frame 1ST 1000 Badge Windscreen by http://www.windrestrictor.com

05-22-2007, 09:45 PM	#8 (permalink)
jayman First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 1,830 My Photos: (0)	Hey, squishy ain't so bad sometimes...pretty easy on the 'roids __________________ Silver Graphite '07 : red interior, tint, chrome rims, li'l chromies, chrome wipers, chrome domes, chrome vanity,chrome valve stems, chrome antenna, chrome sack... "I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul" C&H RED SOX NATION

05-22-2007, 10:46 PM	#10 (permalink)
jayman First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 1,830 My Photos: (0)	My seat is fine at 3400 miles...but...it seems that Droopy Seat Syndrome is the new issue of the month..which replaces last months' LSD problems __________________ Silver Graphite '07 : red interior, tint, chrome rims, li'l chromies, chrome wipers, chrome domes, chrome vanity,chrome valve stems, chrome antenna, chrome sack... "I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul" C&H RED SOX NATION

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05-23-2007, 01:07 PM	#12 (permalink)
duck833 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Eugene, Oregon/Scottsdale, AZ Posts: 417 My Photos: (0)	The one mod I have not done yet is with the seats. Mine have not caved in yet but it is only time. Instead of having the dealer work on them I am going to do my own fix. I plan on having local high end shop replace the center section with a matching yellow leather and beefup the foam with a high quality material. This local shop does lots of mods and upgrades to high end private jets. planes and collector cars. __________________ Ordered cars at two dealerships, ended up snagging one at Saturn of Beaverton, Oregon Member of the Snaggers Club RED Line Yellow Magna-Flow. CAI, chromies, stubby ant Loaded

05-23-2007, 01:33 PM	#13 (permalink)
brycebequick Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 29 My Photos: (0)	I may have to consider this.... Thanks for the tip. I have already had my car back to the dealership once to have the drooping seat and stretched leather fixed. Now, only two months later, it seems the cushion is sinking again! The leather isn't as stretched out and "soft" as it was the first time, but you can see where the foam padding (or lack thereof) has sunk. Fortunately, if it gets too bad, I DO have the electric seat height adjuster!

05-24-2007, 04:03 PM	#15 (permalink)
snaponbob First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Lee's Summit, Mo. Posts: 1,344 My Photos: (0)	Well, I have the car back from the Saturn store. They have a new leather seat base cover coming to replace the stretched one. Warranty. Also, the right blinker/stop light is intermittent and the BCM will be replaced at the same time. Warranty. So, tomorrow we'll see if the material is the same or not. AND there were free cookies!!!! What's not to like. __________________ Redline (pre-halt), Pearl, Black/Red, complete option list except auto, owner installed lock buttons, painted calipers, Solo Performance 3" single cat-back, Koni S/A's, Kurt hitch, OZ's, 295/30 Hoosiers for Solo's

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