Farrar's car blog

[jawn101]

Okay, so this is interesting...

When I took the seats out, I noticed that there appear to be thick washers adhered to the driver seats but not the passenger seat.


And of course they're all stuck together.

Mine is the same way, 8 washers on the driver's seat glued to each other and to the seat tracks. None on the passenger seat.

[Farrar]

Mine is the same way, 8 washers on the driver's seat glued to each other and to the seat tracks. None on the passenger seat.

Yes, at first I thought they were corroded together, but when I got that pair loose I noticed that they were actually adhered on purpose. Now this explains why the driver's seat always looked like it sat slightly higher than the passenger seat -- the question is: why was this done? If it's on more than one car, there must have been a reason for it. I am tempted to just put one washer around each stud on both seats before I reinstall them, but if there was a good reason to put all eight washers on one seat, then maybe I should find that reason before I start playing with the JB Weld and Rustoleum...

Just thought of something: if the wood behind the passenger seat has come undone from the bottom, that means there are only a few screws holding it onto the other panels, right? I should be able to remove it. A friend of mine has access to a big work table and a jig saw, so we could cut a replacement panel.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Without the washers under the seats, you will have a hard time sliding the seat forward or aft. I think it makes clearance for the carpet to not rub when sliding the seat.

[Farrar]

Without the washers under the seats, you will have a hard time sliding the seat forward or aft. I think it makes clearance for the carpet to not rub when sliding the seat.

So does that mean that I should put 8 washers under the passenger seat, too? Or put four under each seat?

[sean]

So does that mean that I should put 8 washers under the passenger seat, too? Or put four under each seat?

Id go with 8 all the way around.

[Farrar]

Id go with 8 all the way around.

Thanks. Good thing they come in packs of 100...

FYI, I ordered washers with a 10mm hole and 20mm outer diameter. That's not quite as wide as the original washers, but I couldn't find anything available in that exact size. And at 2.2mm thick I think they will do the job of raising the seats past the carpet.

In other news, can anyone think of a material which is just as strong as 1/2" plywood but not as thick? I am considering replacing the wood panels behind the seats (one of which was damaged by water anyway) and would like to adhere some soundproofing material to the back. But the soundproofing material is at least 1/4" thick. That means the panels would have to be half as thick as stock. Lighter than plywood would also be good, but I am sure that's a tall order -- for light weight, strength, and durability, it's hard to beat The Original Carbon Fiber©.

[sean]

Any thought given to some thin plywood wrapped in fiberglass? You could probably cut the thickness in half and still be plenty strong with a few layers of fiberglass.

[Farrar]

Any thought given to some thin plywood wrapped in fiberglass? You could probably cut the thickness in half and still be plenty strong with a few layers of fiberglass.

That's a good thought. I wish I had access to my porch right now as there are a number of things I would like to make out of fiberglass... unfortunately, they're renovating our building so for the next few months I have no outside space to set up a workbench. I figure, however, that I can get away with setting up a couple of sawhorses in the parking lot one Saturday or Sunday when the weather is good, run an extension cord out the apartment window, and cut a new panel.

What about buying a sheet of 1/2" fiberglass and cutting it to fit? Can you cut fiberglass with a jigsaw or saber saw? Would the edges need to be re-epoxied for strength?

[stevedmc]

In other news, can anyone think of a material which is just as strong as 1/2" plywood but not as thick?

Have you considered using transparent aluminum?

[Farrar]

Have you considered using transparent aluminum?

No, but I could use Lexan and be able to see the mice building nests in the car...

Farrar