Poppy
I was thinking about fitting a couple of swivel seats in The Duck (Convoy), been having a look around. But can't find any say they would fit a Convoy, does anyone know which ones would?
Cheers
Cheers
wildman
I have a swivel base and bucket seat out of an RV that is narrow enough for a posh passenger seat, base is 10.250" x 12.750" x 10" high, it is complete with lapbelt if you wanted to use it in the back. Looking for £65 complete.
GRWXJR
Poppy - as you probably know already, my swivel seats in Sully the LDV Convoy came out of a Mitsubishi Delica 4x4 people carrier thing - but not the front seats, the middle ones (& I changed the belts using the Delica ones while I was at it, and had the runners they came on as well). I did have to mess about to fit the original drivers seat base to the one seat, and got creative with shortening the runners and mounting the passenger seat on Unistrut.
I suppose that you can fit just about any swivel seat as long as you mess with it a bit. I don't know, but doubt that there were ever any designed for the LDV Convoy in the 1st place that are a straight 'bolt-in' swap though.
I did mine with the Delica seats simply cos they were on eBay and for sale close enough to check them out and pick them up (seats are bulky/heavy so cost lots to deliver). The fact that I won them for much less than the cost of buying a pair of swivel bases didn't hurt either :cool1:.
So I took a punt and was prepared for the fact that I'd have a faff to get them to fit - to be honest once I'd got my head around it it wasn't too bad, and was managed with basic tools (Hacksaw, measuring tape, drill, some bolts and unistrut, and a piece of plate metal to fix the Mitsubishi seat to the LDV base.
I decided that retaining the LDV drivers seat base was simplest as it meant I kept the same mountings and ensures the seat stays properly lined up with the pedal box & steering. Did mean I lost the ability to raise/lower the seat when the original got removed as the replacement doesn't have that feature, but fore and aft runners etc. are the same and of course it now swivels (though not right round as my bench/bed and the steering wheel mean it can't go more than about 120 degrees, but enough to face into the living area, so ok - I removed the RH armrest off the drivers seat as well to help in the limited space). The passenger seat will go 360 degrees, has 2 adj armrests, will recline and can be moved fore & aft on the shortened OE Mitsi runners as well :banana:
I think you'll have to accept that you'll have some adapting work to do whatever to get swivel seats in there instead of OE - but I'm glad I did mine, it has made the interior much better.
:goodluck:
I suppose that you can fit just about any swivel seat as long as you mess with it a bit. I don't know, but doubt that there were ever any designed for the LDV Convoy in the 1st place that are a straight 'bolt-in' swap though.
I did mine with the Delica seats simply cos they were on eBay and for sale close enough to check them out and pick them up (seats are bulky/heavy so cost lots to deliver). The fact that I won them for much less than the cost of buying a pair of swivel bases didn't hurt either :cool1:.
So I took a punt and was prepared for the fact that I'd have a faff to get them to fit - to be honest once I'd got my head around it it wasn't too bad, and was managed with basic tools (Hacksaw, measuring tape, drill, some bolts and unistrut, and a piece of plate metal to fix the Mitsubishi seat to the LDV base.
I decided that retaining the LDV drivers seat base was simplest as it meant I kept the same mountings and ensures the seat stays properly lined up with the pedal box & steering. Did mean I lost the ability to raise/lower the seat when the original got removed as the replacement doesn't have that feature, but fore and aft runners etc. are the same and of course it now swivels (though not right round as my bench/bed and the steering wheel mean it can't go more than about 120 degrees, but enough to face into the living area, so ok - I removed the RH armrest off the drivers seat as well to help in the limited space). The passenger seat will go 360 degrees, has 2 adj armrests, will recline and can be moved fore & aft on the shortened OE Mitsi runners as well :banana:
I think you'll have to accept that you'll have some adapting work to do whatever to get swivel seats in there instead of OE - but I'm glad I did mine, it has made the interior much better.
:goodluck:
Teutone
Whatever you do to your seats, don't mess with the seat belt anchor point. Wouldn't be nice to go flying on impact.
Poppy
Thanks guys, as usual a great help 
Will bare you in mind 'wildman', but I'm no where near ready to do the job yet....was just thinking out load
Will bare you in mind 'wildman', but I'm no where near ready to do the job yet....was just thinking out load
GRWXJR
If like me you get seats with the belt receiver on the seat, then the seat becomes the belt anchor point for the MOT, so the seats MUST be secure (tends to mean using the correct fitted threaded points in the floor, or reinforcing any new ones so they are up to the job, which applies whether the seats are the belt anchor points or not btw).
There can't be any rust holes or issues with the floorpan within 300mm of an anchor point (so the seat fixings if that is the seat belt anchor point, or the actual original floor belt receiver mounting point otherwise), or it'll fail the MoT.
mumumum4
I put in swivel seats in our 51 plate LDV Convoy. I used the original front driver seat, and bought another front driver seat on ebay, complete with base. I took out the double front seat and put the other driver seat in the passenger side. I bought very heavy duty swivel plates, which, if I recall, were universal, but I still had to drill out 4 holes on each one to fit exactly. It takes a bit of work, and a few few drill bits!, but I got it done and they work fine. I found a very good youtube video which helped a lot, as you have to pull the sliders back and forth to fit it.
We swivel them to make an extra double bed for our 2 girls, by using a board kept in the overhead storage, a storage box on the floor (also kept in the overhead storage) at the corner near the sliding door, and the double rear seats behind the driver. A bit rough and ready, but it does for us with a very limited budget. The seatbelt is just the same one as for the door passenger seat of the double front seat that was there before, so no problems with that. The only trouble is the swivel handle on the driver side snagging the handbrake when you turn the seat, so you have to let off the handbrake whilst turning and then remember to put it on again afterwards.
This might not be what you are looking for as it means a big space between the front driver and passenger seat, but our dog sits there and looks out of the window, so it works for us. It has passed an mot since I put them in and there wasn't a mention of a problem with them.
Alison
We swivel them to make an extra double bed for our 2 girls, by using a board kept in the overhead storage, a storage box on the floor (also kept in the overhead storage) at the corner near the sliding door, and the double rear seats behind the driver. A bit rough and ready, but it does for us with a very limited budget. The seatbelt is just the same one as for the door passenger seat of the double front seat that was there before, so no problems with that. The only trouble is the swivel handle on the driver side snagging the handbrake when you turn the seat, so you have to let off the handbrake whilst turning and then remember to put it on again afterwards.
This might not be what you are looking for as it means a big space between the front driver and passenger seat, but our dog sits there and looks out of the window, so it works for us. It has passed an mot since I put them in and there wasn't a mention of a problem with them.
Alison
Poppy
I've just had a mate over who's also my bike machanic, he's just brought my N plate GS500E off me (more money in the pot) & is very excited bout my new project.....and I was very excited to find out he's been on a welding course & got himself a welder!!! He also reminded me that, he's very good with 12v electics & very willing to help :cool1::banana:
Poppy
Nice one....I'm happy with the gap between the two seat, as, we too have a :dog:
Beemer
Not excited about losing your bike though?
In order to realise our latest 'van, my beloved BMW bike had to go, but we still have her Suzuki Bandit.
Our 'new' van has swivel seats as standard and I must say they make all the difference. I just see fixed front seats as a waste of space, something you need lots of when living in a van.
Swivel every time!!:raofl:
GRWXJR
I thought about the adding of another LDV driver seat (and some had a single passenger seat anyway maybe?). I still have my drivers seat and thought about offering it to you, but of course I have used the base to mount my Mitsubishi sourced one, so its only half a seat really! I have to say though that my drivers seat I found pretty uncomfortable on the 200-mile drive home, and that made me decide to get something else
But as the floorpan of the LDV is universal to allow for LHD versions, the mounting points are in the floor ready to accept the single drivers seat base, so its a dead easy mount solution for the floor part at least. I think if I was doing it with hindsight I've have got another LDV driver seat and used the base to make the passenger set base as well cos it'd have been easier.
I should think an LDV drivers seat would be easy and cheap to source as a mount base. Then, even if you got swivels or complete seats like I did you've got ready-made mounts that fit the floor to put them on like mumumum4 has
But as the floorpan of the LDV is universal to allow for LHD versions, the mounting points are in the floor ready to accept the single drivers seat base, so its a dead easy mount solution for the floor part at least. I think if I was doing it with hindsight I've have got another LDV driver seat and used the base to make the passenger set base as well cos it'd have been easier.
I should think an LDV drivers seat would be easy and cheap to source as a mount base. Then, even if you got swivels or complete seats like I did you've got ready-made mounts that fit the floor to put them on like mumumum4 has
Poppy
Oh no, the GS had been sitting in the front garden for 2 yrs doing nothing!....still got my SV650s
I took my test on a BMW, many moons ago.I'm def' gonna go with the swivels....but later in the build
Poppy
wildman
Thanks guys, as usual a great help
Will bare you in mind 'wildman', but I'm no where near ready to do the job yet....was just thinking out load
not sure what I think about you picturing me naked Poppy, after all we have never met, hee hee.:banana::banana:
ricc
picked up an s reg vw sharon today,i was surprised to find that has swiveling front seats as standard... the seat alhambra is the same with different badges and the ford galaxy came off the same production line....if theyve all got the swivel seats there must be loads in scrapyards arround the country. theyd need raising to fit in a van... but should fit on the van seat bases fairly easily
windyjools
In our Iveco, I fitted seats (and swivel bases) from a Renault Espace. The swivel part works well, and the seats are fine for relaxing, but I don't find them particularly comfy for driving.
The problem is (I think) because the seat base is not shaped for the higher seating position in a van. They don't have the up/down and tilt that the originals had, so you lose some of the versatility of adjustment that the standard Iveco seats have.
Next time (always next time eh?) I'll stick with the original van seats if they are in good nick, then try to fit (or modify) swivels to fit them.
Maybe from something like the vehicles mentioned above, you can buy a pair of seats and swivels from a scrapyard for less than the price of one swivel from aftermarket m/home parts dealers.
That should retain the comfort and adjustment range of the van seat, but give the versatility of swivels.
That's the plan today anyway!!
The problem is (I think) because the seat base is not shaped for the higher seating position in a van. They don't have the up/down and tilt that the originals had, so you lose some of the versatility of adjustment that the standard Iveco seats have.
Next time (always next time eh?) I'll stick with the original van seats if they are in good nick, then try to fit (or modify) swivels to fit them.
Maybe from something like the vehicles mentioned above, you can buy a pair of seats and swivels from a scrapyard for less than the price of one swivel from aftermarket m/home parts dealers.
That should retain the comfort and adjustment range of the van seat, but give the versatility of swivels.
That's the plan today anyway!!