Mounting seat slides and installing the seat heater pads
This update covers seat heater pads, Breeze mounts, and ABS panels. I ordered the Breeze seat mounts and ABS to replace the fiberboard. Also, I ordered seat slides. Your mileage may vary. Still, I figured slides could help later. Related notes live on the Factory Five Cobra build hub.
seat heater pads: Seat mounts and ABS panels
I got the ABS sheet from Falken Design. It cost about $75 shipped. Therefore it is not cheap. However it should not crack over time like the Breeze kit fiberboard.
ABS Sheet – Black – 3/16 inch thick
24×36 inch w/Custom Cut: 10.125 X 14.875: 2.
Fitting universal seat slides
I ordered a set of Universal Bucket Seat Slider Tracks from Speedway. They lock on both sides with a wire pull between them. Of course they do not snap in like Legos. So you need to modify them. Aligning them to the Breeze mounts took about six hours. Then we attached the seats. First you drill two new holes for the seat brackets. Next comes some grinding and drilling to remove the studs. After that you align the bolts and use locknuts.
The seat is narrower than the track spring wire allows. Therefore I used 1/16th stainless wire and loops for spacing. Also, a turnbuckle lets me adjust firmness. As a result, both sides of the slide unlock cleanly.
Drill shield trick for leather seats
While measuring the Breeze mounts, we used a simple drill trick. Place scrap aluminum between the leather and the bit. As a result, you minimize damage when drilling the seats. The metal shield stopped the bit a few times as it broke through. Ultimately it kept the leather clear. It worked great!
Slides and heater pads
Next up was installing the seat heater pads from Cobra Valley Hot Seats. The kit is not cheap again. Still, it includes everything you need for two seat heaters.
First I unglued the seat and placed the heating element. If you are like me, you hate tearing apart something new. However it has to be done!
How I installed the seat heater pads
Gently pull the leather back from the pad. Meanwhile leave most of the padding in place. Take your time. Next, peel the adhesive tape and affix the pads. Then cut into the seat pad a bit to bury the heater cable. After that I glued the cut closed. Nice pink duct tape, eh? Finally I used Weldwood adhesive. The small can worked for both seats. Also, yes, it stinks!
