2 seater Seats.

[Grizzly]

Hi all.

Can't believe i'm asking this but how do i tell which seat goes on which side of the car? I had a good look at the seats and can't find any marks to indicate which side they go......

I would assume the adjustment leaver would be outboard (door side) but the seats seem to fit either side??

also should the plate on the back of the seat that sits on the Seat runner bolted to the floor have any kind of rubber or leather fixed to it or is it metal to metal? don't know if makes a difference but i have the early type seats that can be pulled forward.

Thanks.

[ericbushby]

chris,
The seats on my S3 are identical and there is nothing on the metal seat pad.
Of course, after 50 years and thirteen owners, I do not know if anything is original.
Eric in Burnley
1967 S3SE DHC

[Quart Meg Miles]

Same here, metal to metal. Adjustment to the outside; it's difficult enough without it being on the inside where the tunnel tapers!

[greg40green]

Interesting this .

I was in an upholsters last week getting a price to recover my 2 front late Elan S3 seats ( 2 owner car,very original , seats never been out of the car and interestingly in the basket weave material of the S4 ) .

On entering the premises there were 2 other pairs of Elan seats plus a single one stripped of upholstery .

1) The stripped seat had a total of 6 long springs across the back of the seat frame with serpentine springs in the seat base ( serpentine springs are the ones that look like a repeated letter 'S' )
Sprung loaded bracket ( allows the seat to be adjusted back and forth ) on the very outside of the front leg ie if fitted in the drivers side ( RHD ) the bracket would almost certainly rub against the sill carpet or fitted in the passenger side would almost certainly catch the carpet on the gearbox tunnel.

2) My seat frames have the sprung loaded adjusting brackets fitted / welded to the inside of the front legs but both to the right hand side when seated ie drivers side close to the inner sill , passenger close to the gear box tunnel , not a pair ?
Serpentine springs to the seat base and back.

3) Another pair of seat frames were handed with the adjustable sprung loaded brackets fitted / welded to the inside of the front legs and dependent how fitted in the Elan the brackets could be both close to the gear box tunnel or if the seats were fitted the opposite way the brackets would be both nearest the inner sill . A pair ?

4) The other pair were the same as number 3 but had metal pads welded on the rear tubes not allowing the seats to tip forward ie Sprint spec ( ? ) ., both 3 and 4 had serpentine spring's to the seat base and seat back .

QUESTIONS . Was there any 1 manufacturer of the Elan seat frames , is there such a thing as a 'handed pair ' of Elan seat frames and whats the story with the 6 long springs across the seat back rather than serpentine springs ( These were definitely original fitments ie no extra fixing holes , same lattice work wires as the other seats.

I'm personally thinking that you got what seat you got when you bought your Elan but with regards the adjusting sprung brackets being fitted to either the inside or outside of the legs this would have required 2 jigs during the manufacturing process and different handed adjusting brackets and handed springs so there must not be any one 'pair of Elan seats ' ????

[Paul Chapman]

I also have a late S3 (45/7765) which has basket weave material S4 type seats that although being a multi-owner car I have no reason to believe are not the originals. The adjustment on both seats is also located on the right-hand side of the base plate, so not a handed pair at all.