Scottie's Tribute A352 build

[oxford1360]

Are you using those as a guide for the shape of the seat backs, or the shape of the rear bulkhead.....or both?

Whichever it is, the idea has been duly stolen.

[Mister Towed]

Nice idea using the bits of bucket as formers Scottie.

Before setting your seats in stone, you might want to put something on the floor and something against the rear bulkhead to simulate where your back and backside will actually be, and see what the driving position is going to be like.

I'm not sure how much height there is in the cockpit of your car, but if that was a Sammio body, having the seat back where you've put your bits of bucket would result in a driving position that's too upright, leaving your head sticking up too high into the airstream and spoiling the aerodynamics. If you move the squab forwards and angle the back rest you'll effectively lower your head, but you'll also move your feet closer to the pedals and your arms further from the steering wheel. This gives you the classic 'Italian Ape' long arms/short legs driving position that old Alfas/Fiats/Lancias always had, and which I rather like.

[Mister Towed]

Here you go, this shows how far forward my seat squabs are and the angle of the backrest -



That gives a comfortable driving position and doesn't leave me sticking up out of the car like Noddy.

[Scottie22]

Oxford,

Chris supplies a rear bulkhead type thing that fits behind the seats, but because the XKSS has that divider thing,
(which I have had to re-create) the seat backs themselves act as a bulkhead.

So in answer to your question, the plastic bin bits were put there as,
(if you like), a pattern. I will replace them with alloy, which will form the combined bulkhead/ seatback.

Mr Towed,

I take all your points on board, and thanks for the excellent pictures!

I already have been in and out of the car so many times with the plastic buckets at different angles, and sponge foam of varying thicknesses under my bum and back.
I reckon now I have a pretty good idea of where I need to sit and at what height.
As I said earlier, I have now ordered the seat foam in what I think are the correct thicknesses.
If I have made a misjudgement, it will in sitting too low, which can easily be remedied later, by raising the seat a bit higher, but I don't think so at present.

[Scottie22]

By the way, the idea of using the bin was not mine, but came from the "other side"! One of the lads used a bin to shape his seat backs, and I nicked his idea! (Like you do)

[Paul L]

Scottie - Nice bit of recycling for the seat backs.

Mr T - I do like the fact you "dress" to take the car out, very Downton Abbey.

Cheers, Paul.

[Scottie22]

Oh! Is that Mr T?

I thought he'd hired a male model to pose for him :-)

[Scottie22]

Today I cut out the four blanks in aluminium, which will form the seat backs and squabs.

As I said earlier, I had planned to cut the floor and drop the pan to give extra head room, but I found another way to tackle the problem!

Instead of dropping the floor, I set about dropping my bum.

I had intended to mount the seat foam on a flat bit of ally, but if I were to do that, I would lose about one inch of the recess, which goes exactly
where a drivers bum would end up.
So I cut out this bit in order to gain this important inch.

This cutout can be seen in the third picture.
I was dissapointed with the result, as the finished seat squab had no torsional strength,

However, I had put so much thought and effort to getting this far with it, (and the concept does work) that I was very reluctant to scrap it and start again.

Also, I had already cut out the second (passengers seat) and being

as tight as a fishes rear orafice, decided to give it the rigidity it needs by welding a very lightweight steel frame on TOP of the alloy so as not to lose any headroom.

I was so cheesed off with the way it had turned out, I packed up and will do that another day. :-)


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[Scottie22]

I had a picture taken last night to illustrate the head room I have been able to salvage by using the seating method I chose.

I am almost worried now that I am too low!

However that can be sorted very easily at a later stage, but one thing for sure, my head will not stick up above the screen like it has in other soft top cars I've had!


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[Scottie22]

I'm having a minor problem with the forum at present, when I hit "forum" on that page, the bit that usually tells you who is on line is missing?
Does anyone else have the same?

[Mister Towed]

Looks like a good driving position Scottie, think you need a shave though.

[Mister Towed]

Been looking at images of xkss's on't t'internet Scottie - it looks to me like the originals just had a leather covered floppy 'cushion' attached straight to the rear bulkhead with press studs for the backrest, rather than an actual seat back with any kind of former in it. I'm guessing the squab would be a similar cushion just plonked on the floor, maybe held down with a few clips (or a bit of velcro these days) but I couldn't find a picture.



Would be a lot simpler to make, methinks...

[Scottie22]

Yes, as you can imagine I've studied stacks of pictures including that one you posted, and I reached the same conclusion as you did.
Curved alloy seat back with only 2 inches of foam and flat alloy panel on the floor with 3 inches of foam.
That pic you posted is the best yet to illustrate how the screen top should look, and I will copy the shape, it will be in steel not alloy, but will be functional and look almost as good.

[Scottie22]

I was thinking I may well use velcro to attach the rear seat backs to the alloy if I can get away with it. I can try it anyway.

[Paul L]

Scottie - Sounds like you getting closer to your final seat design.

Also there was a problem with the forum yesterday (there is a thread about it in the Sammio section).

Good luck, Paul.

[Scottie22]

Yes you are right Paul, I know exactly what I'm going to do now, and have all the bits to do it with.
More importantly, since I decided not to fit the Spitfire hood-front onto the screen top, I have been all at sea, totally undecided on what the hell to weld to the screen top to make it look right, and also to actually be able to fit a waterproof top on to it.
I now know what I will do here too, and will go ahead shortly, then all of a sudden the build will kind of jump ahead a bit I hope!

[Scottie22]

I was so disgusted with the alloy seat bases I had "made", I decide to scrap them and start again.

I realised it was my obsession with alluminium that had caused the problem. Alloy is fine, but not for everything, as I have found out!

So I decided to use what I should have use in the first place, plywood.

They were quicker and easier to make than the shite I first turned out, so I was pleased with them.

I put in more time doing odd other things that needed doing
and here are the pictures:

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[Scottie22]

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[AndyP57]

Very good progress on the seating Scottie,

We are having similar thoughts with our Navigator as, being based on the Spitfire chassis, the Rump to Toe distance isn't as generous as the Pilot which is based on Herald. This is why Mr T can fit the reclined bucket seats which wouldn't necessarily fit in the Navigator or A352.

Having had a good shufti around a real 'D' Type yesterday, that has the same clipped cushions which look right for our purposes.Ideas duly nicked

[Scottie22]

I'm sure you are right Andy, I have studied dozens of picturesof D's and XKSS's , and must have spent literally hours in and out of my car with different configurations, foam thicknesses etc.

As 6 footer, there is not much room in the cockpit at all.

The Spit was small enough, but with the A352 bodyshell, another foot at least is lost from behind, which makes it very cozy!
If I carry on with the intended seat pattern, I will only just fit in.
I have leg room, but shoulder room is very restricted also elbow room for gear changing and stuff.
I finally realised that what I intend to do, is in fact my only option!
Its taken me ages to reach that point, but at least I know now.
Good luck with yours too.