[Mini] Fun in the pits - fitting the seats using custom brackets and spreaders

[Dr John C Bullas]

Greetings

Ok, the cobra FIA (expired) seats are being fitted, I have fitted the
drivers seat in the same way as described but without the rust proofing

Fitted the seat brackets on the inboard side to the L section rail on the
bottom of the seat, I applied masking tape to the tunnel and offered the
seat up.

Now the angles for drilling the brackets in situ on the seat are all wrong
so I used a short pencil (thank you screwfix) to mark where to drill

Pulled the seat out, centre punched the place to drill, drilled a 3mm pilot
hole (making sure  nothing behind like fuel lines, brake lines or battery
cables!)  then drilled an 8.5mm hole for the bolts.

With the seats temporarily bolted down on the inboard side, put masking
tape on the floor area and marked the holes for the outboard side

Removed the seat, drilled 3mm pilots then 8.5mm holes for the bolts

Painted a good glob of blue hammerite on the holes either side

Meanwhile got 8 of 2" x 2" 2 mm steel plates cut at metal supermarkets

Drilled them 8.5mm in the centre, cleaned the metal with a grinder in one
side around the hols

ground off the zinc plating on 2 opposite sides of the bolt faces on 8 of
8mm HT 35mm bolts

Fitted a 35mm high tension zince plated steel bolt into each and eld it in
place with a nut and split washer

MIG Welded the bolts to each plate on the ground faces

Painted both faces with blue hammerite

Tomorrow is fitting the seats in properly!

Harness mountings for the rear need reviewing, currently using large
spreader plates behind holes drilled in the top of the rear seat panel, I
might look at using the rear wheel arches as a mounting point somehow

NEXT PROJECT: a single chip based noise reducing intercom design

Pip pip!

FB