Installing rear adjustable bucket seats into my 560SEL

[Grumpy560W126]

This particular upgrade was not on my "to do list" when I started the Interior swap back in September 2010 changing out all of the Burgandy in favor of all Black interior from a 91 560 parts car I bought. Though the installation is going very well, I am missing a few mounting brackets that were missing from the bucket seats so I am going to fabricate a few. Goodbye bench seat! Now it is time to do some welding.

[Grumpy560W126]

The black interior going in at last. I started this afternoon off with the switched +12V wire lead going from the mirror mounting bracket, over and down through the A pillar to the X30 power distribution block. I had to drill out some used connector pins so that I could solder in the new wires that I needed for the homelink auto dimming mirror I was going to use.

After all of the above was done I installed the front upper header panel, sunvisors and domelamp assembly. Still a very long way to go though.

[JohnM.]

That's pretty sweet upgrade! Definitely adds to the uniqueness factor.

If I ever run across a 500E with cream/beige leather I want its rear seat setup for my 300E!

[compu_85]

What car did the mirror come from? How did you arrange the wiring for it?

[Grumpy560W126]

Originally Posted by compu_85

What car did the mirror come from? How did you arrange the wiring for it?

I believe the homelink mirror was from a W140 or W201 I am not sure. I sent my original W126 mirror stalk to Rik(2phast)and he adapted the homelink mirror to my stalk and sent it back to me, as for the wires, there are only 2 and they are for switched +12V and the ground.

I had to solder the connector ends on the wires, that made the install easier.

[Grumpy560W126]

Originally Posted by JohnM.

That's pretty sweet upgrade! Definitely adds to the uniqueness factor.

If I ever run across a 500E with cream/beige leather I want its rear seat setup for my 300E!

Thanks! Though I still believe the installation of the rear adjustable buckets seats has been the coolest upgrade thus far that I have done to my 560.

[Grumpy560W126]

I spent several hours today making this wire harness from scratch. This harness is for the extra front interior lighting that I have added to the lower dash under panels. It is almost complete. I hope to have this completed and installed sometime tomorrow.

[Grumpy560W126]

Some progress over the last few months. The rear bucket seat rails and all brackets are now complete. I have been working on the wiring for the dual seat motors. I have also installed some interior trim pieces and a couple of door panels. This black interior is looking better than the old maroon interior ever did.

[TheDon]

very cool. I wanted to do this upgrade to my SDL when I had it.

[compu_85]

I wonder how hard it is to change to the power bench...

-J

[Grumpy560W126]

Originally Posted by compu_85

I wonder how hard it is to change to the power bench...

-J

If you have the rare electric bucket seats in the rear of a SEL why would you change them out for a bench?

Even so, it is very easy to swap in an electric bench seat, atleast for me it is though I just tossed out my bench seat, mounted some brackets, rewired here and there and will end up with the electric bucket seats in the back.

[Grumpy560W126]

So, I have decided to make a few changes in the locations of seat/window switches. The rear electric buckets have the controls mounted in the rear center console. There are a total of 4 switches (2 per seat) The original rear electric bench seat had the controls in the door, so what I decided to do was to move the window switch out of the door and into the rear center console and put the seat controls in the door since the seat heater switch and one seat control switch was already in there all I had to do was rewire a few things.

Since I had already installed one of the rear door panels I just started on the other side. The window switch and 5 wires had to be removed and run towards the rear console, the 2 seat switches and 7 wires had to be put back in the door.

Doing this will allow all 3 of the seat control switches (tilt,recline,heat) to be located together in the rear doors just like the fronts are and the window switches are now in the rear console just like the fronts are. This is a lot of work but one side is almost complete.

[Grumpy560W126]

Switch relocation is now complete and the rear door panels are installed.

[Grumpy560W126]

Passenger side rear door completed. Window switches are now located in the rear center console area and all seat controls are in the door panels.

[quartzboy]

been thinking about buying an SEL 560 and modding it and came across this thread. Am very interested to learn and see how your back seat mod turned out. Any pics or videos?