removing hardbacks from sport seats

[fcs1965]

Can anyone help me with instructions on how to remove the hardbacks from sport seats? I am about to have them painted.

thanks,

chris

01 996 cab about to have sport seats

[Paul Fraser]

Unfortunately I can only give you written instructions as I am away from home (and photos). Easy job when you know how though.

Lift top on inner centre leather panel to unclip

Pull out leather from the bottom of the seat back rim (this is a plastic rim that tucks into the seat back rim) and gently tease out (do this from both sides up to the top.

You should now have access to the screws that hold the seatback onto the frame. You will also have to unhook the cables that operate the titling mechanism -- make sure you do not break any of the plastic clips.

PS Will check my digital camera to see if I still have the photos on it.

[Paul Fraser]

Saw the new post, so here are some (not very good) pix. (PS I've learned how to do manual focus since :) )

Before you start you need to take the seats out of the car. Be careful, I managed to gouge the trim on my passenger sill so put down padding and make sure it is secure: mine wasn't and it dragged the cover off. It is much easier to get someone to help you remove the seat and even then you will need to take it slow.

First take off the central leather section (it is held on a wire by the three white clips at the top -- lift up and then out to remove).

[Paul Fraser]

As you can see in the photo above the outer leather stole is already partially removed. You do this by locating the tags at the bottom of the rim of the seat at either side and pulling these out and upwards. Do this as gently as you can but it may require a little encouragement.

[Paul Fraser]

To remove the outer leather stole completely you now need to unhook it at the bottom -- IIRC there are three grey metal hooks and also unhook all the grey metal clips that keep it secured in the centre. The picture below shows one of the clips that has come adrift from the leather stole. Try to keep them all on the stole, and in the same position, as it helps with putting it back on later. It's a bit of a pain getting these off as they are quite tight and move around when you wrestle with them.

PS That set of pliers has been retired.

[Paul Fraser]

OK. Next you have to unscrew the seat back from the frame. I forget how many screws there are Probably four or six.

Edited September 7, 2005 by Paul Fraser

[Paul Fraser]

Next, undo the cabling. DO NOT break the small grey tab in the centre that both the cables pass through. A new seat back will cost you £380 (probably $600, although things seem to be cheaper your side of the pond -- if anyone can give me a price I'd be interested).

Note when you put this back together that the top of the black wire holders actually fit into the grey U sections at the top of the seat (the ones above where the metal clips have partially popped out). The black cable popped out as the seat back was tilted away from the frame.

Edited September 7, 2005 by Paul Fraser

[Paul Fraser]

And that is about it. Any questions please ask and I'll try to answer but you have the best of the photos. When reassemblng it is all in reverse order but when you put the outer stole on, remember to clip it onto the bottom of the chair and then hook over the hood at the top of the seat before reattaching the inner clips and then tucking in the outer rim working from the top downwards. It goes in easier than you would think -- good piece of design. I didn't do it this way and the leather was not tight and I thought I had wrecked my seats. Good luck.

Edited September 7, 2005 by Paul Fraser