/2 Seat Restoration

[fredheiler@aol.com]

If you're like me, you don't really enjoy upholstery work, because you're much better at mechanical work, but you might get pressed into seat re-upholstery duty in the course of a good restoration. Here's a photo of the two types of seat frames for the so-called "narrow" two-up seats used interchangeably in the 1960s; the one on the right uses a chunk of 1/4-inch rubber hooked to the front and rear of the seat, while the other uses eight strips of flat coil springs. After 60 years of use, the chunk of rubber usually splits (and is tough to fabricate), but the flat coil springs can easily be cleaned up and reused. With a new cover (which BMW still has) and slab of new foam, the two seats look identical and work great.

 

[20774]

My R69S came with the wide seat and the flat springs...being wider it might have 9 rows if I count things right. Can't say as I've heard/seen the use the rubber block before. I see where Duane Ausherman mentions either springs or the rubber pad/block.

 

[kbasa]

My extra wide dual saddle has springs, but the foam that lived between the springs and the cover is totally dissolved to dust. Has anybody replaced the foam?

 

[fredheiler@aol.com]

Sure. I buy a slab of new 31 x 13 x 1 1/2-inch foam from a company that sells motorcycle seats. I don't recall which one -- might be Euro Motoelectrics. I've never done a wide seat -- you might need more than a 13-inch width.

 

[fredheiler@aol.com]

Here's an R60/2 "narrow" (as BMW called it) seat frame -- wire-brushed, glass-beaded and repainted. Rehooking the long flat coils was relatively easy, but try not to mix up the 1-inch hooks and 1.5-inch ones like I did; I sorted them out and ended up with the short ones at the back and long ones at the front, so tension seems pretty even. However, getting new 6 mm bolts on the two coil springs was more challenging than it looks, but a good magnet and needlenose pliers does the trick. New foam and BMW cover will complete its restoration.