2002

[Justin B]

Yeah, I know why you did it. I just have been thinking about doing that myself anyway somehow. It would be funny rolling through Oregon and stopping for gas, they would be clueless where the filler is till I get out and pop the trunk :P

[Charlie]

bump, pics added to the first post

Did you hack up the floor mounts to get those e36 seats in there?

-Charlie

[Justin B]

In the picture from the open driver side door it looks like somehow they might still be there, but of course its not my car so I have no idea what they look like still. I tore mine entirely out, they were all fucked up. I'm going to mount my seats as low as possible on some 1x1 or so steel stock with 8th inch landing plates on the tunnel and inside of the rocker area. I'm surprised those seats aren't higher than they are though, my sparco's wouldn't even come close to fitting with the original mounts still there. =(
/off topic thread jack :)

[benetton]

In the picture from the open driver side door it looks like somehow they might still be there, but of course its not my car so I have no idea what they look like still. I tore mine entirely out, they were all fucked up. I'm going to mount my seats as low as possible on some 1x1 or so steel stock with 8th inch landing plates on the tunnel and inside of the rocker area. I'm surprised those seats aren't higher than they are though, my sparco's wouldn't even come close to fitting with the original mounts still there. =(
/off topic thread jack :)

original mounts are gonzo. Hacked them out and welded in new rails with 1x1 as low as possible. They would be through the roof with the stock rails

[Justin B]

oh ok, my eyes must have been playing tricks on me. Speaking of, do you have any pictures of what you did for the new rails? I haven't done mine yet, I was going to have some 1x1 going across the front and back, then about 3 inches in or so from each side tie the front and back together with some more 1x1 if I think its necessary. Getting it all properly level, spaced right for the landing plates and notching the ends of the tubing to contour to the sides I think is going to be the biggest PITA

[Jean]

all these 2002s are making me sick.

[shmutzigE30]

wow beautiful paint

[Charlie]

all these 2002s are making me sick.

So buy one. You're in california, there's like 12 on craigslist every day.

-Charlie

[gwb72tii]

oh ok, my eyes must have been playing tricks on me. Speaking of, do you have any pictures of what you did for the new rails? I haven't done mine yet, I was going to have some 1x1 going across the front and back, then about 3 inches in or so from each side tie the front and back together with some more 1x1 if I think its necessary. Getting it all properly level, spaced right for the landing plates and notching the ends of the tubing to contour to the sides I think is going to be the biggest PITA

the hairiest part was welding the supports to the sheet matal flooring. too mucho voltage = big hole. i bot a millermatic 135 mig welder specifically to do this as the unit is first class and has adjustable voltage. up close the supports are not a "show piece" part of the car, but they function and when the seats are in they cannot be seen.
we are using the stock seat belts as the e36 seats have an integrated seat belt that will load the seat mounts/floor during an accident. the sheet metal flooring is not designed to withstand that kind of loading.
the outside stock seat mounts were a pita to getout, and then we had to get a BF hammer to get enough room to weld in the outside rails.
thinking about it now, it would probably have been easier to have two seatmount rails going side to side instead of fore/aft, but the railmounts on the e36 seats are beefy and the seats are actually pretty heavy so the fore/aft design gave the seats more support.

[Justin B]

Yeah, I'm a LITTLE worried about welding the landing plates to the sheet metal. I'm an OK welder, but I leave a lot to be desired when working with really thin gauge stuff. Especially welding 1/8" stock to whatever gauge the sides are made of. Enough penetration for the 8th but not to blow through sheet, ugh.

I already have a millermatic 175, so I'm good to go there, and the stock rails are already pulled out cleanly but I've been seriously slacking on getting out and actually DOING it since of course it's something that needs to be done eventually anyway one way or another.

The holes have been welded shut and all that wiring shit has been torn out, the wiring harness was hacked.

Sitting as LOW as possible and level without cutting the floor

Tight fit but it'll have enough room to slide....once everything is shimmed out right and I can figure exactly where I want the seats, that's basically it there. There is enough room for the adjusting knob, it'll be hign enough to slide just over the hump on the side of the tranny tunnel.


Yeah, its ratty, the outside is worse. Major panel replacement status but I have way too much sentimental value in this car. :grin:

Eventually it will be done and first full road trip is planned to be driving it up to the PNW Picnic =)

/thread jack