Renagade seats, well sort of Options

[F4i]

This is my attempt at stock seats with a bolster. It would cost me way too much to ship seats to renagade so I am doing this and having them recovered in leather. Does anyone know how renegade does their bolster? Is it just dense foam or something like this?

[iiibdsiil]

They use sheet metal, errr aluminum to make the bolsters. You have the angles right, just it looks like a tube on my laptop.

- Brett Smith

[F4i]

3/8" solid alum. rod. +fiberglass when finished. Should be strong.

[Demick]

The renegade seat bolsters are fairly flexible, so I don't think they could be fiberglassed in place. I made my own high bolsterd seat as well. Stripped an original seat down to the shell. Created the bolster shape with foam-core glued into place. Cut some 1/2 inch plastic pipe lengthwise to make a half-round profile and glued that to the top of the foam-core just to round off the edge of the foam-core. Then I fiberglassed it all into place. Covered it with layers of foam (foam is 1-4 layers thick in various areas to get correct contour). Then I upholstered the seat. It ended up very tight - so I can't even sit in it unless I take my wallet out. But it does give good support.

Pic shows half of seat covered in foam ready for upholstry. Other half is fiberglassed and ready for foam.

Demick

[Demick]

This shows the new vs. original contour of the seat

[Demick]

And the final product.

Ended up being too much work though. Just buy a renegade seat - well worth the money.

[F4i]

I think your seat looks very good. To me it's worth the work because of shipping. I am only doing the fiberglass work. They are being recovered by a shop. My bolsters are not quite as large as yours and the renegade. And they are only 3/8" wide. I also bent them out just a little. Hopefully I don't have any fitment issues. You do not realize just how narrow a stock seat is until you raise the edges.

[Demick]

The shape and fiberglass work was easy. The foam work was pretty easy as well. It was the upholstry work that put me over the edge. Total cost was a little over $100 in materials:
$20 for fiberglass materials
$60 for upholstry materials
$30 for foam

That and about 25 hours of labor.

Demick

[F4i]

Sounds like the major grief is in the recovering.
A local shop can recover the door panels, seats, backpad & centre cushion for $1200.00 Cdn. It will be
in leather as I already have a hyde. The door panel lower and the centre of the seat will be in fabric
supplied by them.
Renegade seat recover will run $700.00 US plus shipping both ways. So I can do the whole car for what
it would cost from renegade. Plus I get a warranty

[pjhaun]

I bought a couple GT Pontiac Feiro seats on ebay for $50. They have speakers in the head rest. I had them reupholstered for $350 each. They are unblieveably comfortable. They fit a little tight but it is not a problem. See attachment:

[East coaster]

Do you have any pics of the fiero seats installed with the backpad??

Does anyone in the Northeast have a Renegade seat, I'd love to check one out and see how/if I fit in it?

[F4i]

I like the speakers. What a good idea. Reminds me of a video game chair. How appropriate

[pjhaun]

Here is a view from the right:

[pjhaun]

Here is a view from the left:

[joea9146]

Whats the hieght of the seats look like from the floor.... do you modify
the rails or have to do anything to lower the seats ?

[Brad Roberts]

The Renegade seats are weak. After 1 year of getting in and out of the car 2-3 days a week the lower drivers side left bolster cannot handle the stress of day to day in/out of a human. It flattens out and makes no attempt to support your ass/legs.

I have to be careful what seats we use because we have to be under the roll cage a certain distance and most of my drivers are 6 foot+. The Fiero seats above are great for people who are short or small in stature. We have to mount or seats on the floor.


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[F4i]

Brad it was you're comments about the renegade seats that helped prompt me making my own. That and
the cost. I spoke with the upholsterer about what to use for bolstering and he felt that aluminium would be
too weak. He said to make it strong. I can stand on them.

[Brad Roberts]

Sounds like you are on the right track. I know a guy in Arlington Texas was making seats for us also at some point. It is a lot of work. Good luck and keep us updated.


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[Van914]

Brad,
How are you mounting the seats to the floor? Are you using a seat mount or bolting through the floor?
Thanks
Van

Trying to keep my head off the roof.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Brad Roberts]

Hey Van (my brothers name is Van also)

I only use FIA approved seats on FIA brackets. We cut the cross brace out that holds the stock seat tilt bracket (it doesnt really do much) or just notch it for the seat brackets.


B