Seat Brackets

Since the first time I drove a Beetle, I hated the seat brackets. There were a nightmare to adjust and (in my case) they were easily broken. It also doesn't help that I stand at 185cm/73", which makes for lots of stooping and leg cramps. I was determined since the beginning of this restoration to replace the seat brackets with something new and improved, even if it meant being creative at the local hardware store.

My first idea was to use the square tubing with the perforated sides as one side of the bracket with a piece of angle iron with similar perforations on the complementing side. The two would join together with a bolt or similar. It may not be lever operated, but it would pass inspections, wouldn't break, and would be versatile.

I had some trouble finding the square tubing I wanted, however, that wasn't attached to a street sign at the time. As a result, I consulted the welder that put my floor pan back together. He didn't have any, but he suggested a few places where I might find some. As a kind of after thought, he showed me what he had in stock.

After perusing his inventory, we found a combination of materials that would save a few dollars and a trip to the steel works. The upper bracket would be a steel pipe, measuring 13" in length and 1.75" in diameter. The lower bracket would be made of a type of steel channel which I was unfamiliar with, but I can describe it as being a square tube with the fourth side cut and rolled inward as to prevent our seat-side bracket from escaping through the top. This would allow the seat to move freely horizontally and there was enough clearance for carriage bolts to fasten the bracket to the body. The two pieces would be easily joined by a bolt going through both perpendicular to their length.

The first attempt (the passenger seat) is being made as I write this. We cut the steel to proper length and I retrieved one of the unfinished seats from the upholsterer. We also removed the original seat bracket completely. Tomorrow, I anticipate the installation of the seat and the beginning of work on the second seat. If I anticipate driving the car in the near future with passengers, I'll have to get a third seat in order to be able to juggle them all between the welder, myself, and the upholsterer.