Seat Extenders - Are these a thing?

[BorniteIdentity]

Yo.

 

I have a massive fetish for Jap imports - the sort of thing you go months without seeing.  I've already got a Granvia, but it's a bit 'full on' for daily duties.

 

Long story short, I happened across a Toyota Townace Noah about 3 miles from my house.  Liked the advert, Kids think it's cool (Autoshite disciples) so drove it.

 

OMFAG.

 

I drove off, and managed the first two verses of 'Wichita Lineman' on Radio 2 before my right shin spontaneously combusted with searing pain.  Shit the bed, it was extraordinary.

 

It's such a shame, because very few cars meet my exacting standards of shite (rare, jap and shite) but I do a lot of miles.  I'd manage 4.3 a day in this before getting out to walk.

 

Can one make the seat drop further back via extending rails?

 

 

Sadly, removing the drivers seat entirely and driving from the rear would require arm extensions, so I thought it best to start with the seat.

 

Anyone?  Would love to see Noah's Ark on the driveway, but I'd be disabled before autumn. (at least it'd be an ideal motor though...)

 

 

 

 

[catsinthewelder]

I've never heard of extended rails but anythings possible though different methods of construction will influence how you go about it.  I take it that the seat is on top of the front wheels in one of these? 

 

See if you can work out if the seat rails are bolted or welded in.  If they are bolted then you might be in luck as it should be possible to drill some new holes a few inches further back.  If they are welded then it's still possible but it will involve grinding and welding.

 

Either way bear in mind that the seatbelt and various reinforcements won't be designed for the seat being that far back so might need looking at.

[MarvinsMom]

you can, or at least could get these for a mini. 

 

they  were nothing more than an l shaped piece of metal with some more holes in them, to allow the seat to be set further back than standard.

 

however the way a minis seats are attached to the floor are different from anything else (just for a change) that i've ever seen. 

 

it may however be as suggested earlier than more holes could be drilled into the sliders on the seat base, or the sliders could maybe be extended with either some additional plate or smallish pieces of angle welded onto the seat runners.

 

mods like that though, i dunno if you would run the risk of getting into bother with the mot man, i know that seats and their fixings are part of the test, if just been securely fastened to the floor would do?

[UltraWomble]

 

I had these when I had the Mini (proper one) but modern cars are more complex with regards the seats and you would need to fabricate some means of mounting the runners on a longer base. It rather depends on where on the bodyshell the mounting points are, bear in mind the need for structural strength in the event of a crash.

[UltraWomble]

http://extendmyseat.com/

[FakeConcern]

I never understood why people used the seat bracket things in a Mini, because you sit sort of upright, it works even if you are quite tall. I am 6 foot & drove Minis with standard seats all over the place in (what I thought at the time) was comfort. Maybe because it was after driving a Mk1 Cortina!

 

Back to the OP, how about sit in the back seat & fit this?

 

[HH-R]

I wish it was an option, I need about 3/4 inches extra in every car I've ever had, my left knee usually resting right where 5th gear is. The B pillar obscuring vision would be an issue though, it's sometimes already bad enough when joining roundabouts/slip roads on some cars.

[inconsistant]

Expecting Arosa Limo. R dispoint.

[Asimo]

They were a dealer-fitted option for Citroen BX, I wouldn't have driven one without, 35" inside leg.

[Stixy]

I had to do this on my Pajero  ,

 

 i just cut 4  metal strips and drilled 2 holes in each of them  poked a bolt through one of the holes then used the other hole to bolt it to the floor through the original floor mounts then refitted the seat onto the 4 bolts sticking up through the metal strips .  The seatbelt is bolted to the drivers seat  on this so no problem.

 

as that sounds a shit description of what i have done I will take a photo tomorrow  

[Stixy]

.

[catsinthewelder]

Please don't take this the wrong way but if I was an MOT tester I wouldn't pass that as it is.  I'm probably wrong but I think the seat would move forward and bend the metal upwards if you had a crash as the strip would be strong in tension but not in compression.  If you had used a continuous strip of metal it would be a lot stronger as the rear fixing points would stop the front ones moving forward.  If that isn't possible could you replace the strip with angle which would be stronger.

 

[twosmoke300]

Just what I was thinking

[jakebullet]

If I was moving stixy's seat I'd be drilling 4 new holes and applying a suitable sized chunk of 3mm plate on the outside as a spreader plate.

[Stixy]

It could be better i know   but it was a quickie 8 years ago  , the strips are 8mm thick    and with the lack of headroom and my 17st  its not going to bend much  .   4 new holes would be ideal  but i cant remember why  i couldnt do that at the time as it would have been easier 

[brickwall]

Yep, I'd put some plate down too and then you'd be fine.

[barrett]

Yes! It's an extender!

 

Nothing productive to add except drive a Panhard 24 for a bit and you'll know how good you've got it

[forddeliveryboy]

Thin down the 8mm plate and you've invented a new simple form of seat height adjuster - brake to go up, accelerate/wiggle your arse to descend. Superb, way better than the shit system Saabs used to offer which always confused me.

[BorniteIdentity]

Thanks for all this.  Went back to look at it again, decided the B pillar would be right in my eyeline.  FML.

 

NEXT!

[Pillock]

Convert to pillarless with an angle grinder.

 

NEXT!