Thread: A Low-ly Deuce

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BOBLOWE DOES LIVE IN SPRINFIEDO

sorry , trying to type in the dark , he lives in springfield mo .
he is building another car now , i think a sedan but it is hush hush .

Here is a front view of the car. It doesnt look as low from this angle. The tie rod is not attached as you can see. There will not be any springs/shocks showing since the air bag/shocks will be inside the frame rails. This picture is in the "all down" position. The blue on the axle is plastic wrap for protection.

I DIG , I DIG

I DIG , I DIG

We are now planning the height relationship of the engine to the frame.....since the thing sits so low, the engine is high in the frame but still lower to the ground than in a regular hiboy....make sense? The driveshaft needs a tunnel in the floor.

I am looking for input regarding seat suppliers....we need split bottoms and a single back.....backwards from normal. Of course, the sewn stuff is custom but has anyone recommendations regarding the base seat suppliers? Wise Guys? Tea's Design?
Who is the best for the bases?
thanks
mike in tucson

Mike,
How about having your upholstery guy just fab the whole thing instead of trying to find a ready-made. Perhaps you've seen those articles where the base is cut from a sheet of ply, has cut outs in the center that are spanned with webbing (all to allow for butt sink), and then built up with varying layers of different density foam. Likewise for the back, but usually without the holes/webbing. Have them pad the tunnel as it passes "through" the seat so it acts as an arm rest.

Bob, Can you recall the link to the seat-build article you referred to? What's the average height of the seat above the floor if the floor is flat and an A top is chopped 2 inches? What is the chop height on this deuce?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Bob, good idea. We could also fab the base from sheet metal with the webbing. The trans tunnel is going to also have an opening console for all the switch stuff. We have an old race car
bucket that we are using for our mock up and have defined the seat height that puts our "typical" shoulder at the correct relationship to the top of the door.

Don, this is a roadster but the top is effectively lowered at least 2-3 inches. Havent measured it compared to a stock soft top. However, since we have our seat of the pants height, I think we can go from there. Right now, there is headroom. A folding seat back is planned so it might be wise to buy the back frame since it would be lighter than a typical homemade job. The seat back will have to match up to the sheet metal on the tulip panel to conceal the top when it is stowed down.

If we fab the seat bottoms from sheet metal, they can be integrated into the floor and can be used for storage OR we can try my idea of having air conditioned seats!!!! A butt cooler might be cool.....we could use perforated leather in the seat inserts.....did Kenny use perforated ostrich in the Willys? Air could come thru the little holes????

thanks guys, good ideas

mike in tucson

Butt cooler????? OOOOOOOO, that's cool!!!!!

Maybe we can find something for you in Vegas next week. Actually, if you build the bases out of metal, you could also use those "flat" (actually have a little arch to them) springs that zig-zag.

Don, that info comes from the data base in my head..............a scary place you probably don't want to see!! Seat height is something you want to dial in if you don't go ready made. As each person has a torso length to deal with, leg room concerns, and any number of other physical variables, it's sort of an empirical thing. For instance, if I were doing the car you are, I'd want to thin the back, and recess it under the tulip panel a bit to give me more leg room. I'd try to keep the bottom cushion as low as possible to keep my head as low to the windshield as possible, give a little more entry room (A doors are pretty narrow, and I don't bend as well as I used to ), but not so low that it didn't give enough tush cush, and support under the thighs for longer drives. Also be mindful of the "run", making sure the bottom cushion comes up almost under the knees. Miss that and on longer drives you'll regret it. You also want some rake to the upper section for good lower back support.

Bob, dont forget that important angle of the foot to the leg.....if your foot is bent too far up, it cramps the front of you leg......maybe a club cab roadster?

Actually, with the HR&Hp body, there is extra room since the tulip panel opening is moved back about 3 inches (I think) and the doors are lengthened to the front. Very easy to get in and out of. Right now our biggest concern is not seats but foot room. With the engine raised relative to the body floor, the transmission gets kinda wide. Trying to crowd a left foot, a brake, and the gas pedal into the small space is tough.....should have used a new corvette transaxle!

see you at SEMA

mike in tucson

we used ultraleather in the seats and real alligator for the inserts . we start seats from foam a company called ISS .
they sell seats also . very good company to deal with .

Kenny....is ISS in Texas?

This is a link:

http://www.interior-supply.com/index.shtml

will give them a call

thanks

mike in tucson

Did you get your weatherstripping for your car? I got my car in July and those where missing have contacted them but no reply!
Ken

Ken, we recently got a care package from them via mail that had the door and top weatherstripping in pre-cut pieces. If you havent talked to them recently, you might try again to refresh their memory.....they said that they were making the kits up and may have missed your serial number. I'm nowhere close to getting ready for paint so the weatherstrips for mine will sit for a few months.

mike in tucson