Recaro Sports seats restoration

[Terminator]

I removed 2 recaro sports seats from the 72T today.

Had to use the easy out on a couple of the screws holding the runners in place

Having done this 3 times before I knew pretty much what to expect thay are not that well designed and 40 years takes it toll plus there was a bit of metal sticking into the back of the drivers seat so I knew all was not well.

Same old problems as usual broken and very bent frame and broken/rusted captive nuts where recliner mechanism attaches.

Time to get to the welders and get them back in shape

I have dismanted the tilt mechanism and the recliner mechanism and they are off to the paint shop and all the plated runners and levers are off to the plater.

The hardest part of re assembly is getting the main sprink back on the recliner mechanism. Its a real bitch.

[Classic]

That spring does look like it will be fun

[CamBiscuit]

Let me know if you'd like to see them go to a good home after you're done

[Terminator]

get in line Cameron

Phil has your pieces

[CamBiscuit]

Cheers Clyde PM your bank details

[Harry]

Hi Clyde,

I look forward to seeing the results!

Can you do me a favour and list the people you use to do the plating and painting of all of these bits and pieces in the sticky thread we have for listing service providers and vendors?

It would be good for us newbies to know who to go to to get this sort of stuff done.

Thanks!


Cheers,

Harry.

[Michel]

Clyde - be cool to see the process documented - there has been a very cool thread on the bird, of a self taught upholsterer very OCD very well executed

With the spring I recall seeing a home made tool for a similar task. Otherwise what is the method aside from cussing...

[Terminator]

Michel

Good idea I have gone a bit far to show the destroying process but will take pics from now on where I am involved.

My method in the past has been braket held by rubber in the vise and a bloody big flat head screw driver and 95kg of force!! Shoudl be easier now as I ahve been on hols and 95kg seems to have disappeared from the scales now!!

I have completely and I mean completely dismantled all 4 seat bases and backs.

They are held together by many staples and lots of those strong metal clips that upholserers use. Pointy nose pliers working in reverses i.e spreading are very useful for undoing all those clips.

For the tilt brackets I remove all levers and springs except the spring for the tilt leaver and get the seat frames welded, sand blasted and powder coated/ All levers and runners are replated and stoddards now do a kit of the correct shallow head hex screws and spring washers for reinstallation into the car

Its easy to see why the seats are crap after 40 years

Strapping has lost all elasticity, foam disintegrates especially where it sits over the shaped high steel bits of the frame and seat foram is just stuffed

Anyway all ready for boxing and sending somehwere haven't decided where just yet.

[Terminator]

and except for one side bolster on the drivers seat the the seats were 100% original so good to see how they were put together at the factory

[timp]

Clyde,

My tilt slide bases are going to need a full working over. If possible can you document the reassembly. I had a lot of trouble getting the hex bolts off the seats!

Thanks

Tim

[Terminator]

Will do Tim yes they are shallow heads and don't allow much purchase with the allen key and probably been there for 40 years or more too!

I didn't have to this time but in the past, the easy out has been my friend.

[Terminator]

Sent all the frames to David at Classic Road and Track and he has re welded all the frames and pulled them back into their correct shape.

The drivers seats was broken in several places but everything is solid and square again now.

I don't get the top half powder coated as (a) they can't ever be seen and (b) the foam at the top cannot be removed.

The tilt frames, in car brackets and side recliner brackets were ready when I dropped of the bases at the powder coaters so re assembly can begin.

You have to be careful as powder coating wrecks some of the fine tolerances so its out with the file in may areas to make sure all levers, lock nuts and seat locking mechanisms fit into the holes they once did without any issues and also I run a thread cutting tool through all the screw holes in case some powder coating has found its way in there also.

So first thing is to re install the in car side plates I leave them loose so that they can easily be adjusted to ensure the runners are square and the seats move back and forward easily once installed.

Second job is to put the side recliners back together they need to be re assembled and then locked in their max forward inclination otherwise you will never get the main spring mechanism back on. When you get these powder coated make sure you wrap the main thread at the back where the 2 halves join so that no poweder coating or paint gets on that thread . My powder coated is convinced that Porsche painted the 72/73 brackets and then had air blown over them to create the splatter effect and he does a pretty good job of replicating something like it in a far more duarable finish. He has done several sets for me so it=s pretty adept at it now.

1. Re install the cog wheel

2. Tighten the lock nut to almost max tightness but so that the locking cap can fit on you need to line up the slots.

3. Install locking cap

4. Spring in place ready for next step which will be tomorrow as its 11pm now.

[Terminator]

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[Classic]

They're looking so nice Clyde......nice job on replicating the "crinkle" finish.....

[mrar]

Thanks for the tutorial Clyde.