Original seats Heated & lumber support

[little_pete]

Hi guys,

I've been looking for a morris minor for a while and have finally taken the plunge, I've gone for the most solid one I've can and went for one where the floor and wings have been replaced (I can do basic maintenance but definitely can't weld) So I hope I can keep on top of the maintenance and keep it on the road for a long time. The person I bought it off has done a lovely job, just a few tiny (easy I hope) bits for me to do. First the original seats are not with the car he favored more modern ones, I've driven a mk1 mini (very similar seats) on long journeys ie to the north of France from Manchester. With new webbing and a small cushion for lumbar support the seats are fine for me. I've sourced some seats with covers in good condition but the webbing is all perished.

To cut a long story short I'm going to do the webbing on the seats and saw these heated seat insert kits

something like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WAECO-HEATED- ... vi-content

Anyone had any experience of this? Will the old vinyl/foam start to smell when they are on? Will this effect the life of the vinyl? I'll replace the switches with some nice matching toggle ones, on a holder below the main switch panel just in front of the heater I just thought while the seat covers are off.

Also has any successfully added some lumbar support actually in the seat, what did you use? did it make the seat look odd?

Thanks for any advice

Peter

[mike.perry]

I had extra padding in my Series MM seats and had them recovered in leather - excellent

[customjob]

Nice thought, I've got heated seats in my modern great for warming up those cold bones in the morning. several thoughts come to mind, Is your car negitive earth, would the electrical system support the massive power drain heated seats create. But the one that causes most concern is the old type foam padding and the covers I don't think fire resistance was ever thought of when they were made. The elements on my modern are built into the foam base and lower squab although climatic controled the obviously get hot enough to transfer heat through the padding. Looking at these you have seen, they look to sit between the padding and the seat cover, though they are covered themselves I'd be cautious.

[little_pete]

The car is negative earth and has previously been converted to alternator, I wouldn't plan on running them both continuously more just the time when the heater is still warming up.

I thought about the fire proofing, I imagine they don't get that hot and I would need much higher temperatures to ignite. I know if furniture doesn't have fire retardant filling the filling has to be encased in a fire retardant cloth, I imagine this is what the element is encased in. but I could always get some to put in between. Even better might be foil backed insulation to reflect the heat back, as long as it doesn't crackle. Main concern with fire would be a shorted wire inside the seat running at 3 amps. I leaning away from the idea due to cost at the moment, after starting to scrub the seats up I've just sourced I've found that all the straps are not salvageable, those things work out expensive when you have to buy 24! I don't think the budget will stretch for the heated elements as well. I was hoping some would be serviceable.

[customjob]

I can see where you are coming from on the cost side things, money these days isn't cheap. As i said on my modern the seats are climatic controlled, but thet are not perminently on. Once the cabin is at the set tempreture they switch off. Although it's a far more modern vehicle than a Moggie both seats when they are on run at around 16 amps which is a fairly big drain in its self. As is 3 extra amps for each on the kit, is a big drain for the small electrical system on a Moggie. Hope you get sorted out which ever way you do the seats.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

If you hope to start a family I wouldn't use the heated seats much if at all...

[les]

If you hope to start a family I wouldn't use the heated seats much if at all...

If you're old enough to need heated seats, starting a family would have happened long ago!

[charlie_morris_minor]

rather than using the webbing for the seat base I can recommend using this..
http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/pro ... 097af573cf

if replacing the straps i assume you will be replacing the foam as well.. i feel sure that modern seat foam will be fire retardant but you could check that with the supplier so even if you do not fit the heated seat now, there will not be a problem when / if you do the upgrade

[lambrettalad]

If they are so good at population management maybe they should be mandatory in boy -racer motors

[little_pete]

Need to spend the money on more important things like making the car water tight so no heated seats for now anyway. Maybe a project for the future