VET4LES

Good job.

Mez

Once you remove the foam and look at the wires, you can measure it. Just have a 1/2 in. extra and tie wrap the fabric to the wires. I thought about using contact cement to glue the fabric to the foam, but just laid it between the foam and the wires. I suppose gluing it to the foam would be all right.

The result was a slightly firmer seat bottom...hardly noticeable...but more important, it eliminated the sag which caused the discomfort. There is plenty of foam as a cushion, so adding a couple of layers of of nylon fabric over the wires really did the trick for me.

I tried to post pictures yesterday but could not log into my corvetteforum website and just learned they have discontinued the website support so I can't log in anymore. I never received notice, so I'll have to move it to a new site. What a pain in the a$$.

car2fast4you

Thanks for sharing your seat mod ideas!

If you could post some pictures it would be greatly appreciated.
I want to see what I'm getting myself into before I attempt it myself.

The seats definitely need to be improved.
I too suffer from the sore rump syndrome.

jaki30

Having a difficult time finding the material around here. Was thinking that a floor mat, cut to fit, would just about accomplish the same effect by distributing the foam load over the wires. Any opinions on this idea?

Mez

Old coat, old upholstery material, canvas, scrap carpet, blanket, etc.

I wouldn't use anything with foam or hard plastic as it will flex and break up. An excellent source is an old computer bag or luggage. I like the ballistic nylon as it is flexible enough yet won't tear easily. One side is smoother. You also want to lay the smooth part against the foam as the rough side could damage the foam.

Modshack

This whole idea has intrigued me...I've been planning to do essentially the same thing, but improve the foam at the same time. There really is very little of it in the center area. Found a source searchng "Memory foam" on line that custom cuts shapes. Looks like Both the bolsters and base could be done in a firmer memory foam for probaby $30. Gotta rip this apart in the next few days and do some measuring!....

candlemuse

Good Job. Thanks for the good info.

jaki30

I pulled the seats out of my 07 3LT and when I looked, there was a pad sililar to the carpet underlayment on the springs under the foam.
Is this in all the cars to begin with? Why would there have to be added?

Vettlldo

She tells you and you tell her the same lie?

Mez

Mine is a 2005 and there was nothing between the foam and support wires. My guess is GM changed the specs for the seat after finding out the wires were digging into the foam. The seats are manufactured by Lear Corp.

My car has heated seats which has a grid on top of the foam. Also, there is Velcro to attach the leather seat cover to the foam, so I would not recommend replacing the foam completely. I thought about cutting off the bottom 2 inches of the foam and adding higher density foam in its place. But I decided to simply add the ballistic nylon on top of the wires first. This seems to have eliminated the discomfort in my case, so for the middle section of the seat, no further modifications are planned.

I plan to add support under the side bolsters because there is absolutely zero support here. The seat frame eventually will tear the foam where you sit and slide into the driver's seat. If yours has torn, you should notice the outside bolster sitting slightly lower. My current thought to add support is drill a couple of holes thru the outer frame and attach a strip of nylon fabric to the outside support wire and the seat frame. I'll post the results when I figure out a simple and effective solution.

I like memory foam on my bed but for seats, I think a higher density foam under the factory foam would be a better choice.

MoVette!

I'd really like to see pics when you can!

LTC Z06

If you say so, I like the seats. Have you disassembled other auto's seats???

Mez

I've done complete restoration of a few cars over the years including a 1969 Camaro, 1971 Corvette, Triumph TR4, Austin-Healey 3000, Lotus Europa, and others. How many have you worked on?

I currently own a Lexus IS350 and Mercedes ML55 AMG which both cars have seats that are far superior in construction compared to the Corvette. I wish the GTO seats would fit into the Corvette. Those are really nice but unfortunately, I heard they are too large.

My issue with the Corvette quality of the seat construction is as follows:

1. The bottom foam sits right on the thin, steel wires. The wires eventually will slice in to the foam.

2. The wires are only in the middle so there is no support under the bolsters. None. As far as I am concerned, the side bolsters are for decoration only as they don't wrap around you thighs.

3. The outside edge of the bolster foam rest directly on the seat frame just above the controls. This is directly under the part you sit down when you climb in to the seat. My foam looked flattened as the sharp edge of the seat frame tore the foam. I reglued it and padded the seat frame to stop it from tearing again.

4. The bottom cushion simply is too small. The average person's thighs rest directly on the side bolsters so there is no chance the will hold you in place when you take a fast corner. In my opinion, GM designed the cushions to be small to make the interior look bigger.

There are a few other threads talking about the seats, so I am not the only guy.

Mez

Pictures...

Bottom of of seat foam. The 8 vertical lines in middle are wires. The four rectangular rust marks are the wire tension springs. The arrows highlight the lack of support between the wires and the side seat frame shown as red dots. This is where the seat bolsters are located.
.



Top of bottom cushion foam. The white fabric is the heated seat grid. The black strips are Velcro-like snap fasteners for the leather seat covers. The last wire supports are located where the seat heater grid ends.



This is the wire support system. I covered the 8 wires with black rubber hoses (highlighted with red dots) to reduce the cutting affect of the wires into the ballistic nylon. I don't believe this is really necessary. The yellow arrow highlight the fact there is no support system under the bolsters. The steel seat frame is at the far right and left with red dots. I covered the sharp edges with duct tape temporarily until I figure out a permanent solution to support the bolsters. The far right seat frame is where you sit on the bolster to get in and out of the seat. This is where the frame will eventually tear the foam and cause the bolster to go flat. Notice lots of electronics under the seat.



Another photo of the seat frame, foam and springs to highlight the gap in support for the bolster. This is the seat frame near the console.



This is the outside section of the steel seat frame with the duct tape added.

Mez

This is the outside section of the steel seat frame with the duct tape added. The controls for the electric seats are shown. The black post in the upper right section of the photo is the mechanical seat back tilt control. Getting the lever off is tricky because of the spring clip.

LMB-C6

Great info!

LTC Z06

Plenty, worked at a hot rod shop while in college, since we're now in a pissing contest.

BriscoCounty

Well, I think the side boltsters don't have much support as one, it would cost money, and GM doesn't do anything for free, and more importantly, the Corvette interior isn't very big. At just over 6'-2" and 215lbs, I fit okay in the car, but if the side boltsters were really stiff, then it would be very uncomfortable for me to sit in. The seats really aren't that big and guys like me actually sit on the bolsters for the most part.

Now, the GTO seats you mentioned, yeah, they were nice. I was hoping the Corvette had seats like that, but that was not to be. But the GTO seats are much bigger and that allows them to have more side support. I sat between the GTO side bolsters instead of sitting on them like I do in the Corvette.

If anything, I just wish the seat was longer for my legs, to provide a little more support under my thighs. I find myself now and then squirming around trying to get into that just right spot. But for the most part, the seats are fine. Just like most things on any car, they could have been better.

mousemaster

I have enjoyed this thread. There is a lot of good information here.

I would like to ask about seat modifications. I have a tall sitting height and cannot quite fit comfortably in the C6 ZO6 seat. Since the airbag is in the seat, I would like to retain the factory seat but I need it to be lowered.

I have used the electric seat adjustments and it just won't go down far enough. Since you have taken the seat out, do you think there is room for it to be lowered beyond the factory limits? I recongize that this might sacrifice the electric adjustment or require a modification. Any ideas?

Thanks
Mousemaster

Leprkon

I agree.. shut yours and show us hers...