Big diameter o-rings can be used for the stretchy bits, while the back panel is really not much more than a bit of pressboard (1/8" or 3/16" IIRC) with the center cut out that fits into grooves in the plastic trim piece around the hole w/2 screws retaining it at the bottom.
Spider Seat Internals - Back Panel
When I finally removed the sheepskin seat covers on my '82 Spider I purchased 2 years ago to have the seats finally reupholstered, I found that the back plate / panel was missing on both seats. Not only that, but the interior rubber "bladder" that stretches and cliips to the frame across the interiors back to keep the foam from moving backward, also needs replacement. I have the seats at the upholsterer now and he's waiting on these parts to finish. Any suggestions besides dismantlers etc. (Which I'm searching). Anyone have experience with other options or manufacturing these parts themselves somehow? Appreciate any help or suggestions.
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I don't know how different the seats are on your car from those of earlier spiders. I am sure that they are fairly similar, though. Here are a couple of pictures of the insides of the seat back. The suggestion of using "O" rings sounds pretty good to me. Do your seats have the plastic trim piece shown in the picture?
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Thanks you two for taking the time to reply. My seats are exactly the same as you have pictured (thank you for doing that) and yes I do have that plastic trim piece. The idea of cutting out a thin piece of thin wood is doable for sure and I think the best suggestion - the frame does have metal tabs to slide the board into. The rubber O-Rings however I don't fully understand. Is their purpose to keep the foam from blowing out as the original bladder type was? The original bladder was really a rubber 'sheet' that stretched across the interiors back and hooked with white hooks to the frame. Looks to me that they (o-rings) would make little difference installed or not. Am I mis-understanding their purpose or is that really all that is needed?
About all they do is tension the foam via it's connection on the wireframe around the seat center (that bead around the center trim? It ties to that) so that the seat retains the bolstered look.
As in it just pulls the middle section inward toward the back to give that nice shape.
As in it just pulls the middle section inward toward the back to give that nice shape.
Seat backs
The seat backs in my '79 werent wood - more like chipboard or light masonite when I took them apart. Some of the dismantlers may have them, Your idea of thin plywood may certainly work - if you want them to look like the originals, they need to have slight convex shape to them. They are secured by two screws with surrounds (like those on the upper door cover screws).
The seat backs in my '79 werent wood - more like chipboard or light masonite when I took them apart. Some of the dismantlers may have them, Your idea of thin plywood may certainly work - if you want them to look like the originals, they need to have slight convex shape to them. They are secured by two screws with surrounds (like those on the upper door cover screws).
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