Mounting new seats

[79cord]

Last weekend I bought a pair of 1st generation Integra front seats I couldn't resist for $50... even though they're Blue...
I'm still looking for Beige ones, but the originals are getting too scruffy! so these will do for the moment & I though everyone might be interested to see how they mounted in to my 1979 Accord Hatchback.
http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/11/web/2051000-2051999/2051977_95_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/11/web/2051000-2051999/2051977_105_full.jpg

My Accords original seat tracks were easily mounted to the new seats even though the Integra mounting holes were spaced 20mm wider and 5mm shorter in length.
The inboard mountings posed few problems just requiring a mounting hole in the seat track to be slotted for the shorter Integra mounting points.
Outboard thankfully the seat bases look as though they had been widened from an older design with the outboard mountings on a seperate welded on 'extension' with formed shapes for narrower mountings still pressed into the frame, the front one even retaining a hole in the appropriate location so I only had to drill an 8mm hole 280mm rearward for the required rear outboard mounting and hold a nut inside while I tightend the mounting bolts.
The slide adjustment lever also required some minor alterations though as the Integra seat bases extend further forward & lower, interfering with its use. The adjustment lever bends 90 degrees upward for 30mm before bending again accross the car, so I hammered this unneccessary bend to a straighter angle as shown in the picture to provide the needed clearance.
If you have an '81 Accord though remember they had a revised floor and seat mounting locations compared to earlier models, so mounting might not be so simple.

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/11/web/2051000-2051999/2051977_106_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/11/web/2051000-2051999/2051977_107_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/11/web/2051000-2051999/2051977_108_full.jpg
Both are now in the car but here are some photos with just one for comparison.
The Integra seats mount roughly 25mm lower than the Accord originals, compromising rear foot space a little, but compensate with more shape to the backrest for more rear knee room. No clearance problems for me though you have to get used to the relocated rake adjustment lever, which is probably in a better location since the seatbelt could easily become snagged in the original.
Not sure if the Default backrest rake angle is a little more upright than the old though I guess some spacers & longer bolts at the front seat mountings could alter that easily enough.

Oh & while I had them out I also put the seats of the bathroom scales, so at 10.6 kg each the Integra seats are 200 grams heavier than their Accord counterparts.

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/11/web/2051000-2051999/2051977_96.jpg
In other news the Accord has a new claim to make for absurd haulage. I've previously put a fullsize top-loading washing machine in to it & shut the rear hatch. Last weekend I fit 6 of my grandmothers dining chairs in the back without even having to consider moving the front seats... & the chairs weren't fold or stackable either.
Dining table next... though I think that will have to go on a roof-rack!
Hatchbacks rule!

[BITESIZE]

Just dye them black and they'll look awesome!

[Hazwan]

Nice work. When I got my lude seats in, the originals were shot. It hurt my back.

And hatches rule! I WANT ONE!!!!!!

[2ndGenGuy]

Man those seats are clean. Why not take the covers down to a shop and get new covers sewn to match the original colors if you don't like the blue? That would be so tight!

Man, your whole car looks good! I want your bumpers and bumper ends so bad! I bet shipping a bumper overseas would cost a fortune!

Just how different are the seat mountings between yours and the '81. My 2g Accord Hatch seats are so comfy and well-bolstered, I hate to get rid of them but they're so high up my head is against the ceiling sometimes. But those Integra seats look like they'd be a good alternative.

[79cord]

Sorry I can't confirm the differences of the '81 seat mountings, Tomatofiasco's the man for that.

All I can really say is that the earlier Accord seats and their mountings on both the seat & body were almost perfectly symmetrical aside from their adjustment mechanisms, with the mounting holes on the seat being 420mm wide x 280mm long, the body mountings being the same width apart, but a little longer. The transverse body reinforcement that provides the frt seat mounting is approximately 70mm high off the floor with the rear mountings approximately 55mm high.

Some pictures around seemed to suggest the '81 transverse member might have been made higher which would force the seat higher as well, & the inboard mountings moved further outboard? Which would add further complexity.

I also have some 2nd gen (88-91) CR-X seats I considered fitting to my car but their seat mountings were 380mm wide x 306mm long! so that would have been a lot more work.
The 1st gen Integra mountings having been 445mm wide x 275mm long, but as said easily re-drilled to 420mm wide.
Out of interest I went to measure the mountings of a friends '89 Civic hatch seat but gave up once I saw they were all of different heights, lengths & widths -wildly asymmetric which would seem diabolical to mount by comparison. (& the reason he gave up trying to mount the equivalent years CR-X seats).

How did Hazwan go mounting Prelude seats for comparison (even though Sedans have an inch extra height in their roof-line). & their mounting ideas for anyone who might want to go that route ? (Not enamored by their styling though personally).

The integra seats definately hold you in place better, though I think they may be a little lacking in lumber support compared to the original Accord seats, though I'd have to remove their covers to add anything neatly there...& I think I might space the front up a little higher to add some rake to the default backrest angle. & I wish they had the Accords 'pod' style head-rest.

Regarding colour I know gold Interga came with beige/brown seats so I will wait... But I think I might have most of a blue interior so wonder if one day a burgandy Accord with a beige interior would look good changed to blue?


Pre '80 bumper ends couldn't be that difficult to find over there. Though their mounting holes to the body moved with them, the bumper sheetmetal was the same apart from their rubber strips.
Non-American bumpers were still the same shape/size but didn't have substantial added reinforcement behind them though so their indicators could be better incorporated.
Still contemplating what the Accord might have looked like with more delicate bumpers less inspired by the US 5MPH impact regulations.

[Hazwan]

I can't confirm the mesurements but on 81 the middle hump is higher and so does the transverse member thinggy, and the seats are higher.

As for the lude seats, the shop who did the work welded new brackets to the stock lude rails and chopped the crossmember thing a bit (and of course reinforce it again) allowing the seats to be the stock Accord height. The lude seats are higher by default anyway, at least compared to the stock seats. I'd say CRX seats are perfect, height wise compared to lude and you need to get creative with the mounts.

[79cord]

As for the lude seats, the shop who did the work welded new brackets to the stock lude rails and chopped the crossmember thing a bit (and of course reinforce it again) allowing the seats to be the stock Accord height.


Goodness sounds like some serious surgery!

For the 2nd gen Accord seats if you didn't mind a bit of extra angle perhaps just the rear seat mounts on the body could be cut-down & rewelded, with the seat getting lower as it is slid back... might require a little extra effort to slide it forward (& up) for shorter drivers though....
Or maybe the foam portion of the seat cushion could be trimmed/replaced in the middle to sit you lower in the seat without completely re-doing the seat covers.
(Removal & replacement of the covers isn't that hard.)

[soliddzign]

Do you guys think Del Sol seats would make a decent fit? I've seen a pair locally for pretty reasonable price. Mine are shot but I really like the height and everything about them. I've never even been in a Del Sol, so I'm not even sure I'd be comfortable in them.

[MessyHonda]

Do you guys think Del Sol seats would make a decent fit? I've seen a pair locally for pretty reasonable price. Mine are shot but I really like the height and everything about them. I've never even been in a Del Sol, so I'm not even sure I'd be comfortable in them.

you can always install them and if you dont like them sell them to someone else