revlis240 Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 (edited) My previous owner installed what appears to be knockoff aftermarket seats. They slide on a rail, and the prev owner just used a flat piece of steel to bolt the sliders onto the frame. Looks like this: The problem is that the flat piece of steel with the studs sticking out of it is not an ideal way to mount the seat. First of all the stud spins when tightening the nut that goes through the frame. and i cant hold the top because the seat is in the way. The rails from the floor pan have been removed: Any ideas? Thanks! Edited October 26, 2010 by revlis240 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Unless your previous owner mounted some tubing under the floor pan and the seats bolt through that tubing, just bolting the seat flat to the floor pan is unsafe. Hopefully there's some structure (other then the floor pan and factory longitudinal pan support) that we can't see in the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxgsfmdpx Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Those look like a "wanna be" M3 Vader style seat. What brand are those? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revlis240 Posted October 27, 2010 Author Share Posted October 27, 2010 no brand best i can tell. my floor pans are pictured above, I have no other reinforcing around where the seat bolts. How can I make this better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted November 7, 2010 Share Posted November 7, 2010 Not the ideal solution, but you could use some flat bar or reinforcement plates under the floor pan to reinforce the mounting....drill them to match the mounting studs on your seat rails. To stop the stud from spinning when tightening the nuts, put a small tack weld between the stud and the rail, or put a nut on it and tighten it down to the rail (can only do this if the stud is threaded all the way). Hope this helps. Nice looking seats...hope you're able to make them work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revlis240 Posted November 7, 2010 Author Share Posted November 7, 2010 Yeah thats what i figured I will do. I will create an "x" pattern on the bottom side, under the car, using some flat bar or some small tubing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revlis240 Posted November 16, 2010 Author Share Posted November 16, 2010 Here is my solution, for more details see my interior revival thread. Thanks for the advice! Thread on interior. likey? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Hawk Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 likey? No, sorry... I'd be concerned on every front. You're trusting your butt to thin sheet metal that is in no way connected to the structural portions of the unibody. The stock braces across the floorpans tie the seat mounts into the rail and the transmission tunnel. Your setup will eventually warp the floorpan and your mount holes will expand. Also, your setup will eventually kill your nice new interior through dirt and moisture intrusion. Lastly, you've set up a nice way to bottom out your spine directly on top of a road hazard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revlis240 Posted November 16, 2010 Author Share Posted November 16, 2010 (edited) hey doc, I know, im not happy about it either, but the previous owner left me little recourse. The seats have been mounted that way for 3 years, without the X pattern, and there has been no warpage of the pan nor major water intrusion from the holes. I sealed the holes with silicone and the car will never be driven in the rain anyway. The original bracing is still partly there ( see first pic), its just been chopped up. I know its not ideal, I just dont know what else to do. Edited November 16, 2010 by revlis240 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mario_82_ZXT Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Why not tack the studs so they don't spin? On the rest of the matter, I've seen WORSE stock. Honda N600 seat mounting comes to mind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Hawk Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 (edited) Maybe slather the outside bases of the bolts and nuts with silicone as well, to help prevent crud intrusion? Kudos for trying to make the best of the situation. I think if I were faced with that (heck, I am considering even doing it on purpose), I might have looked at welding in bar or better yet tube stock across the pan longitudinally, from one remnant to the other. One more thing: consider grinding off the sharp edges at the front of the cutoff mounts. You'd be surprised how often you end up reaching down there; it's no fun to find a sharp surprise. Edited November 16, 2010 by Doc Hawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticky280zx Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 take up all that carpet and junk, take it all out, grind to metal (which looks like its bubbling/rusting on the inside already), and add/weld some 2x3 steel tubing to the floor with holes in it (like stock) for mounting the slider/rails to. Problem solved, might cost you $50-75 and will be a hell of alot safer than what you have not to mention wont beat up or make your car rust anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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