110/series LWB rear bench seats

  • Thread starter Austin Shackles
  • Start date
This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
A

Austin Shackles

Guest

BLRS sell seats as reproduction replacements for the longitudinal bench
seats in the back of LWB wagons, both series and 110.

these are apparently 48" long.

anyone got these (or indeed, LR originals) and care to measure them for me?
I need to know the overall width from top of seat back to front of seat, in
the horizontal plane.

I've a theory that I can mount such in the back of the disco - there's
enough width - either forward or rearward facing, and thereby get an extra
child-sized seat. Probably forward-facing, and it can then be accessed by
folding up the "small" side of the middle row seat until all the other seats
are filled.

rearward-facing makes more sense from the access point of view, but I
suspect the shape of the available space means the seat wouldn't be so good
in use, as it would lack foot-space - the middle row seat back, being at an
angle, would mean the seat has to be mounted too far back and would be too
near the rear door. I did think about the ones made for the back of the
Range Rover, but the back body of the RR is longer, and I think there
wouldn't be enough room in the back of the disco. A bench seat, raised off
the deck, would look to work quite well, provided the seat itself isn't too
big.

If it works brilliantly, I'll sell the resultant seat frame that it stands
on :) Have to work out a way of making it quick-release, ideally taking
its belts with it. This has to be legitimate, as they do this with some
minibuses, I think. If necessary, the belts have to go on normal fixed
mountings on the floor and the seat itself come out without the belts, but
that remains to be seen.

LR, after all, put forward-facing fold-ups in the back of the disco body
(and I don't think the disco 2 is noticeably longer than the disco 1) and
although they're not really suited to adults they're OK for kids.

 
"Austin Shackles" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> rearward-facing makes more sense from the access point of view, but I
> suspect the shape of the available space means the seat wouldn't be so
good
> in use, as it would lack foot-space - the middle row seat back, being at
an
> angle, would mean the seat has to be mounted too far back and would be too
> near the rear door. I did think about the ones made for the back of the
> Range Rover, but the back body of the RR is longer, and I think there
> wouldn't be enough room in the back of the disco.

I suspect looking at them it's the other way around... I'll get the tape
measure out later and check.

Surf Ebay for some coach / minibus seats.. could save alot of fabrication
and many have seatbelts included. I gets the only issue would be the bulky
size... Other considerations are fold down seats as fitted in the back of a
Nissan Serena.

Lee D



 
On or around Sun, 05 Sep 2004 10:24:57 GMT, "Lee_D" <[email protected]>
enlightened us thusly:

>Surf Ebay for some coach / minibus seats.. could save alot of fabrication
>and many have seatbelts included. I gets the only issue would be the bulky
>size... Other considerations are fold down seats as fitted in the back of a
>Nissan Serena.

most of the seats easily got would be too big. The ones from the back of
the LWB wagons are fairly compact, and might well work on a suitable frame.
I've no problem making the necessary frame.
 
What about emergency egress? Forward facing would be very difficult
to get out of in a hurry. The standard forward facing ones in a
Discovery have an 'aisle' down the middle, so the occupants can get
out the rear door.

Also (and I don't have a Disco anymore so I can't nip out and look) I
suspect that climbing in the back even with the middle-row seat fully
folded forward would be very tight. The rear doors are pretty narrow
as it is, and with the seat in the footwell (IYSWIM) I reckon it would
be hard to get in.

I've the BLRS ad in front of me, and looking at the P38 rear-facing
seat jobby it seems set up to sit very low. You'd have more headroom
in a Disco, so by mounting it higher on your frame you would possibly
end up with equivalent legroom? It's a lot more expensive than a side
seat though.


--

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 88" aka "Stig"
'77 101FC Ambulance aka "Burrt"
'03 Volvo V70

My Landies? http://www.seriesii.co.uk
Barcoding? http://www.bartec-systems.com
Tony Luckwill web archive at http://www.luckwill.com
 
I have just taken mine out for my conversion to a camper.

They are not anything anyone would sensibly want to sit on whilst travelling
with too little foam under your bum, no back rest to talk of and nothing to
support under your knees.

When I have replaced them, there will be armchair comfort of caravan
standard upholstery, but that takes up a lot of space.

The bench seats are really a compromise, between load carrying with them
folded out the way and Land Rovers ruse to keep the purchase tax down by
having the vehicle declared a bus.


--
Larry
Series 3 rust and holes


"Austin Shackles" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> BLRS sell seats as reproduction replacements for the longitudinal bench
> seats in the back of LWB wagons, both series and 110.
>
> these are apparently 48" long.
>
> anyone got these (or indeed, LR originals) and care to measure them for
me?
> I need to know the overall width from top of seat back to front of seat,
in
> the horizontal plane.
>
> I've a theory that I can mount such in the back of the disco - there's
> enough width - either forward or rearward facing, and thereby get an extra
> child-sized seat. Probably forward-facing, and it can then be accessed by
> folding up the "small" side of the middle row seat until all the other
seats
> are filled.
>
> rearward-facing makes more sense from the access point of view, but I
> suspect the shape of the available space means the seat wouldn't be so
good
> in use, as it would lack foot-space - the middle row seat back, being at
an
> angle, would mean the seat has to be mounted too far back and would be too
> near the rear door. I did think about the ones made for the back of the
> Range Rover, but the back body of the RR is longer, and I think there
> wouldn't be enough room in the back of the disco. A bench seat, raised
off
> the deck, would look to work quite well, provided the seat itself isn't
too
> big.
>
> If it works brilliantly, I'll sell the resultant seat frame that it stands
> on :) Have to work out a way of making it quick-release, ideally taking
> its belts with it. This has to be legitimate, as they do this with some
> minibuses, I think. If necessary, the belts have to go on normal fixed
> mountings on the floor and the seat itself come out without the belts, but
> that remains to be seen.
>
> LR, after all, put forward-facing fold-ups in the back of the disco body
> (and I don't think the disco 2 is noticeably longer than the disco 1) and
> although they're not really suited to adults they're OK for kids.
>


 
On or around Sun, 05 Sep 2004 13:05:30 +0100, Tim Hobbs
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>What about emergency egress? Forward facing would be very difficult
>to get out of in a hurry. The standard forward facing ones in a
>Discovery have an 'aisle' down the middle, so the occupants can get
>out the rear door.

good point, however, the seat tips with the press of a single button
accessible from the rear or front, and it's no worse in this respect than a
2-door car, where you have to tip the front seats to get out.

>Also (and I don't have a Disco anymore so I can't nip out and look) I
>suspect that climbing in the back even with the middle-row seat fully
>folded forward would be very tight. The rear doors are pretty narrow
>as it is, and with the seat in the footwell (IYSWIM) I reckon it would
>be hard to get in.

I thought that so I tried it. Put an old spare minibus seat in the back,
shut the back door, and climbed in the through the side door, sat on the
seat (just) and got out again. If I can do it, small anklebiters will find
it dead easy. And I have side steps as well, to step on.

>I've the BLRS ad in front of me, and looking at the P38 rear-facing
>seat jobby it seems set up to sit very low. You'd have more headroom
>in a Disco, so by mounting it higher on your frame you would possibly
>end up with equivalent legroom? It's a lot more expensive than a side
>seat though.

yeah, I looked at that. However, the nature of the space available strongly
favours a forward-facing arrangement, see ascii-art below:
___________
_________/ \ If you envisage turning the
| proposed bench the other way,
_ | you have much less foot space.
__ | ||
/ / | || The can't go much nearer the
/ / ___| || front of the vehicle as the
/ / |_____|| top of the back seat gets in
/ / | the way, however, feet can go
_____/ /____________| in the traingular-shaped bit
|______/ behind the middle seat, as they
do with the forward-facing ones in the
disco 2. In fact, the ex-minibus seat (which is much bigger than a typical
LR bench) is almost suitable, but it's only a 2-seater. I did wonder about
using a 2-seater bench and still using one of the sideways fold-ups, but I
don't think that'll work.

 
On or around Sun, 5 Sep 2004 14:50:43 +0100, "Larry" <[email protected]>
enlightened us thusly:

>I have just taken mine out for my conversion to a camper.
>
>They are not anything anyone would sensibly want to sit on whilst travelling
>with too little foam under your bum, no back rest to talk of and nothing to
>support under your knees.

remember we're talking about primary school kids, here. They're mostly too
small to fit properly in the adult-sized seats... I doubt they'd be that
good for adults, any more than the folding ones in the disco are - they're
OK for short runs, but not suitable for extended use. However, kids are
different - lighter weight and shorter legs mean they can sit comfortably in
a much smaller seat than I can... and we're also only talking about half an
hour, max.


 
On or around Sun, 05 Sep 2004 14:20:58 +0100, Mr.Nice.
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>
>the frames are exactly 48 inches long
>the front edge sits 15 inches from the rearmost edge whith is the top
>of the backrest.
>they are also 16 inches high, that's from the bottom of the base to
>the top of the backrest.
>this is from the seats as fitted as standard to my 1984 110 csw.


excellent, ta.

that'll fit very nicely; and probably have more kneeroom than the
forward-facing disco ones, to boot.

All I'll need to do is devise legs for it, preferably a quick-release system
that allows it to be removed easily when not required, and invent 2 more
seat belt anchorages in the rear floor. the sideways seats in it already
will provide 2 belts the 2 rearmost anchorages are in suitable places, I
reckon, so I'll just need the one extra belt. hmmm. cue another email to
the chap breaking a disco :)
 
On or around Sun, 5 Sep 2004 14:50:43 +0100, "Larry" <[email protected]>
enlightened us thusly:

>I have just taken mine out for my conversion to a camper.
>
>They are not anything anyone would sensibly want to sit on whilst travelling
>with too little foam under your bum, no back rest to talk of and nothing to
>support under your knees.
>

are they in decent condition? might be interested. Mind, they're probably
vinyl, aren't they, and the rest of the thing is fabric - be nice to get
matching blue velour one, but I dunno if they do that. Probably would if
asked, at that - ISTR BLRS's seats are made in-house and on-site.

hmmm. if I do a decent job of designing the quick-release seat system,
maybe I could flog it to them as a disco mod...

 
Vinyl and thirty years old, the vinyl is not torn but not pristine either
and a couple of the fixings are broken where the back bolts onto the frame.
If you're not a make do and mend person like me, you'd be better off with
brand new ones, I think Exmoor trim do them as well.

You'd want to paint the frames as well.

--
Larry
Series 3 rust and holes


"Austin Shackles" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On or around Sun, 5 Sep 2004 14:50:43 +0100, "Larry"
<[email protected]>
> enlightened us thusly:
>
>
> are they in decent condition? might be interested. Mind, they're
probably
> vinyl, aren't they, and the rest of the thing is fabric - be nice to get
> matching blue velour one, but I dunno if they do that. Probably would if
> asked, at that - ISTR BLRS's seats are made in-house and on-site.
>
> hmmm. if I do a decent job of designing the quick-release seat system,
> maybe I could flog it to them as a disco mod...
>


 
On or around Sun, 5 Sep 2004 21:29:51 +0100, "Larry" <[email protected]>
enlightened us thusly:

>Vinyl and thirty years old, the vinyl is not torn but not pristine either
>and a couple of the fixings are broken where the back bolts onto the frame.
>If you're not a make do and mend person like me, you'd be better off with
>brand new ones, I think Exmoor trim do them as well.

BLRS ones are something around 60 quid for new ones, so I doubt it's worth
making much effort to restore an old one for this purpose.

I might be able to persuade BLRS to make one covered in the blue velour to
match the rest of the seats...

having contemplated the dimensions, I reckon it'll work pretty well.

 
On or around Mon, 06 Sep 2004 09:40:51 +0100, Austin Shackles
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>On or around Sun, 5 Sep 2004 21:29:51 +0100, "Larry" <[email protected]>
>enlightened us thusly:
>
>>Vinyl and thirty years old, the vinyl is not torn but not pristine either
>>and a couple of the fixings are broken where the back bolts onto the frame.
>>If you're not a make do and mend person like me, you'd be better off with
>>brand new ones, I think Exmoor trim do them as well.
>
>BLRS ones are something around 60 quid for new ones, so I doubt it's worth
>making much effort to restore an old one for this purpose.
>
>I might be able to persuade BLRS to make one covered in the blue velour to
>match the rest of the seats...
>
>having contemplated the dimensions, I reckon it'll work pretty well.

Phoned 'em this morning. Blue velour no problem, same price as the other
fancy fabrics like the one which looks like treadplate. The only thing he
was really worried about was that I might send it back if it didn't work,
and leave him with a single, disco blue velour bench seat that was pretty
unlikely to sell.

I'll keep you all posted on the project. If it works really well, I might
consider making the relevant seat support for others to do the same thing.

 
Hi Austin,

I would be very interested in getting two forward facing seats in the back
of my Disco. I have the side seats and inevitably my second daughter gets
car sick travelling sideways.

Where on the website is the bench seat at BLRS?

A

"Austin Shackles" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On or around Mon, 06 Sep 2004 09:40:51 +0100, Austin Shackles
> <[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>
>>On or around Sun, 5 Sep 2004 21:29:51 +0100, "Larry"
>><[email protected]>
>>enlightened us thusly:
>>
>>>Vinyl and thirty years old, the vinyl is not torn but not pristine either
>>>and a couple of the fixings are broken where the back bolts onto the
>>>frame.
>>>If you're not a make do and mend person like me, you'd be better off with
>>>brand new ones, I think Exmoor trim do them as well.
>>
>>BLRS ones are something around 60 quid for new ones, so I doubt it's worth
>>making much effort to restore an old one for this purpose.
>>
>>I might be able to persuade BLRS to make one covered in the blue velour to
>>match the rest of the seats...
>>
>>having contemplated the dimensions, I reckon it'll work pretty well.
>
> Phoned 'em this morning. Blue velour no problem, same price as the other
> fancy fabrics like the one which looks like treadplate. The only thing he
> was really worried about was that I might send it back if it didn't work,
> and leave him with a single, disco blue velour bench seat that was pretty
> unlikely to sell.
>
> I'll keep you all posted on the project. If it works really well, I might
> consider making the relevant seat support for others to do the same thing.
>


 
My landie is going to have a luxury sideways facing seat as part of my
camper conversion.

--
Larry
Series 3 rust and holes


"Andrew Renshaw" <andrew.hart.i hate [email protected]> wrote in message
news:Ckd%c.24$0%[email protected]...
> Hi Austin,
>
> I would be very interested in getting two forward facing seats in the back
> of my Disco. I have the side seats and inevitably my second daughter gets
> car sick travelling sideways.
>
> Where on the website is the bench seat at BLRS?
>
> A
>
> "Austin Shackles" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...


 
Larry wrote:

> My landie is going to have a luxury sideways facing seat as part of my
> camper conversion.
>

Won't that make it a bit painful to drive?

P.
--
The email address above is real.

http://www.geekstuff.tv/Landies/
 
Paul S. Brown wrote:
>
> Won't that make it a bit painful to drive?

Probably depends on how camp he is :)

--
EMB
change two to number to reply
 
On or around Tue, 07 Sep 2004 07:22:10 GMT, "Andrew Renshaw" <andrew.hart.i
hate [email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>Hi Austin,
>
>I would be very interested in getting two forward facing seats in the back
>of my Disco. I have the side seats and inevitably my second daughter gets
>car sick travelling sideways.
>
>Where on the website is the bench seat at BLRS?

dunno. I found it in the advert in LROI... their website is a bit useless.

However, you need to know the following:

* While they will supply the 90/110/88/109 style bench seats trimmed in the
disco fabrics, they aren't gonna be too pleased if you try to send it back
when you can't make it fit.

* the seat frame is designed to be supported full-length on wheelboxes, and
as such needs a suitable support frame. When I've made one, I'll be quite
happy to either make one for you or supply dimensions for you to make your
own.

* To get 3 seats in the back you require the 48" seat which will almost-fill
the width at the back, meaning that access is through the side doors with
(part of) the centre seat folded up. You should be able to do 2 seats in
the back, offset to one side, by using the equivalent 33" bench made for the
90/88 and still have rear door access, although of course that's no use to
me. The same points about supporting it apply.

* you have 2 seat belt mountings you can use, the rearmost pair of the ones
for the sideways seats. You'll need to fabricate the middle mounts, 2 off,
either for a 2 or 3-seat installation. Seat belt mountings are 7/16" UNF
thread, on a captive reinforcement plate of "suitable dimensions" underneath
the floor. IMHO, "suitable" means a minimum of 100mmx100mmx3mm steel. The
reinforcing plate doesn't actually have to be welded on as far as I know,
since all it's really doing is making it very very difficult to pull the
nut through the floor, but it's a pain in the backside if you don't make it
captive somehow.


 
Austin Shackles wrote:

> * you have 2 seat belt mountings you can use, the rearmost pair of the ones
> for the sideways seats. You'll need to fabricate the middle mounts, 2 off,
> either for a 2 or 3-seat installation. Seat belt mountings are 7/16" UNF
> thread, on a captive reinforcement plate of "suitable dimensions" underneath
> the floor. IMHO, "suitable" means a minimum of 100mmx100mmx3mm steel. The
> reinforcing plate doesn't actually have to be welded on as far as I know,
> since all it's really doing is making it very very difficult to pull the
> nut through the floor, but it's a pain in the backside if you don't make it
> captive somehow.

Easiest way to make it captive is a couple of pop-rivets.

--
EMB
change two to number to reply
 
On or around Wed, 08 Sep 2004 09:22:58 +1200, EMB <[email protected]>
enlightened us thusly:

>Austin Shackles wrote:
>
>> * you have 2 seat belt mountings you can use, the rearmost pair of the ones
>> for the sideways seats. You'll need to fabricate the middle mounts, 2 off,
>> either for a 2 or 3-seat installation. Seat belt mountings are 7/16" UNF
>> thread, on a captive reinforcement plate of "suitable dimensions" underneath
>> the floor. IMHO, "suitable" means a minimum of 100mmx100mmx3mm steel. The
>> reinforcing plate doesn't actually have to be welded on as far as I know,
>> since all it's really doing is making it very very difficult to pull the
>> nut through the floor, but it's a pain in the backside if you don't make it
>> captive somehow.
>
>Easiest way to make it captive is a couple of pop-rivets.

that's what I've done in the past, weld nut to plate, put plate under
vehicle floor, drill for pop rivets and rivet it in. works fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

H
Seat back keeps falling forwards
Replies
4
Views
383
Anaconda
A
dag019
Rear storage box
Replies
6
Views
579
kevstar
kevstar
D1Nut
97 D1 Electric Seat base removal in situ - where your bum sits on
Replies
3
Views
513
DiscoRay
DiscoRay
s8ndst0rm
Rear Folding Seat Position (Photos Included)
Replies
5
Views
764
Anaconda
A
S
seat backs questions
Replies
8
Views
1K
grewth
G
Back
Top