1971 Fiat spider front seat hinges

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Jozy
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2024 6:31 pm
Your car is a: 1971 Fiat 124 Spider

1971 Fiat spider front seat hinges

Post by Jozy »

Hello, wondering if anyone has experienced this issue? While disassembling the seat to install new covers I had to drill out the lower screw on the upper seat frame due to it being frozen from corrosion. The issue is installing the new screw on the rotating flange for adjusting the upper seat angle. The screw hole on the flange is behind the hinge plate and the flange does not rotate out enough to allow replacement of the screw. Any help will be appreciated.

Jozy
18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3780
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: 1971 Fiat spider front seat hinges

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

Sounds like you may have a seat back hinge that isn't rotating all the way through its travel like it should. I recall that the hinge should rotate enough at one end of its travel to allow access to the pan head Phillips screw that you are talking about, both to remove the old one and insert a new one. If the hinge doesn't rotate enough, the hole in the cover isn't in the right place.

Since these hinges are stamped/welded together, I've never taken one apart. You may need a new hinge. But check first to see if something is blocking the internal gears from rotating all the way.

-Bryan
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