Seat Clips?

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budzinsk
Posts: 55
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:55 pm
Your car is a: 1984 Fiat Spider

Seat Clips?

Postby budzinsk » Mon Apr 10, 2017 7:09 am

Hi Everyone. I have a 84 Spider, and I was wondering if there are clips or something that hold the seat covers onto the seat frame? The reason I ask is I get the seat cover up under the lip fine, but when I sit on it, it starts to come out from the frame. These are original seat covers with leather in the center and vinyl on the sides. Maybe leather shrunk a little, but just wondering if there is something that is supposed to be there to hold it in place.

Thanks
Rob

davery
Posts: 804
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:51 pm
Your car is a: 1985 Spider
Location: Ohio

Re: Seat Clips?

Postby davery » Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:22 am

budzinsk wrote:Hi Everyone. I have a 84 Spider, and I was wondering if there are clips or something that hold the seat covers onto the seat frame? The reason I ask is I get the seat cover up under the lip fine, but when I sit on it, it starts to come out from the frame. These are original seat covers with leather in the center and vinyl on the sides. Maybe leather shrunk a little, but just wondering if there is something that is supposed to be there to hold it in place.

Thanks
Rob


I have an 85 and the bottom covers are held in place by a metal (or hard plastic?) strip of metal that is sewn into the lower part of the cover. The cushion is compressed and this strip fits into a channel along the seat frame. It is held in place by the upward expansion of the cushion. I had an issue with mine of getting the strip to stay in the channel. I would get one side in and by the time I got around to the other side the first side was out. I finally realize the channel on the seat frame had been opened up a bit, so I closed it up and the strip stayed in place. Before I noticed this, I was thinking maybe the cushion had compressed with 30 years of use and was no longer able to hold the strip in the channel.
Don Avery
Dayton, OH/Sarasota,FL
1985 Pininfarina
2011 Eos
2012 Mercedes E550 Cabriolet

budzinsk
Posts: 55
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:55 pm
Your car is a: 1984 Fiat Spider

Re: Seat Clips?

Postby budzinsk » Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:31 am

Thanks. That sounds exactly what my issue is.... So you just tapped the channel closed a bit, and it has been working?

Thanks
Rob

profcucchi
Posts: 248
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2011 2:12 pm
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat 2000
Location: Toronto, On

Re: Seat Clips?

Postby profcucchi » Wed Apr 12, 2017 9:40 pm

budzinsk wrote:Thanks. That sounds exactly what my issue is.... So you just tapped the channel closed a bit, and it has been working?

Thanks
Rob


I took a rubber mallet and closed it up pretty well, but it didn't fix it.

I carefully used very small self tapping screws with finishing washers to hold the plastic strip in place. I made sure there was enough "give" for the material to bounce back when I get up.

Is it perfect? Nope. One corner sits well outside of the channel, but it looks good and has been holding so far.
1979 Fiat 2000 "Luigi"


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