450 SEL Seats - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 03-08-2004, 10:28 AM

Hi--well, Ingrid is back on her feet so to say. Now that she's running--I need to address the seats before my girlfriend will ride around in her and embrace her (and me!)

What's the best/least expensive way to replace/repair the seats. They are all shot.

I need the dark blue, and am thinking seats from a W123 may work.....

Thanks

psfred · #2 03-08-2004, 11:56 AM

Least expensive? Go to Walmart and buy some Coleman sleeping bag mats (the eggcrate ones). Two layers (eggcrate together) glued and top part folded over to match the factory size, sew down to spring with cotton string (carefully or the string cuts right through). Go to the fabric store closest to you and check out the cut-rate section, find some heavy vinyl close to the correct color and sew up a set of covers using the old ones as patterns with 1" foam instead of cotton padding. You may want to use the thinner closed cell foam polypropylene mats as a base, too. Did one front and the rear seat in my brother's 300D this way.

Best? Buy new pads and covers from World Uphholstery or Adsit, etc. Be prepared to lay out some cash for this ($1000 per seat up front, $2000 for the rear in leather, cheaper in Tex).

Middle of the road: buy used pads in good condition (or used seat in good condition) and replace your rotten ones, make new covers from Italian Upholstery leather (this is what I did -- pads were fine). Use garment grade leather if you can find it, the upholstery leather is a bit thick and harder to manage.

See pics from the vinyl seats I did last year -- leather in the works.

Peter

STORMINORMAN · #3 03-10-2004, 12:17 PM

...in the ad from Summit I saw they had "leather look" vinyl racing seats, with provisions for safety harness or shoulder belts, were adjustable, reclinable, and came with sliding tracks for $199.00 each.

I would love to see one in the flesh, so to speak.

Seems like a lot of bolt-in seating for less than the cost of one seat cover.

Cheers!

300SDog · #4 03-10-2004, 01:20 PM

Lambswool seat-covers are not bad...... extremely comfortable and there's an ebay market for used ones if/when you find proper junkyard 116 blue leather instead.

The best lambswool designs include headrest covers and list for somewhere at/less than $300 a pair...... w123 seats require adaptation for seat rails to fit - and they never made leather 123 seats - with lots of 20 yr old 123's seats suffering similar problems as your SEL.

STORMINORMAN · #5 03-10-2004, 01:35 PM

I currectly have lambswool front seat covers on my W116: they are certainly of the el Cheapo variety (actually got them new for $20 each) but seem to fit OK, sure were nice and warm this winter (it was 72 a couple days ago, here in Oregon) but do seem to slide around a bit... I'm thinking of adding some kind of a hold-down belt where the cushions intersect.

Well, for $40 what should I expect?

Mark DiSilvestro · #6 03-10-2004, 06:38 PM

Last year, I bought a pair of sheepskin seatcovers at Costco for $60.
They fit snugly over the bulky (but shredded) leather front seats in my "60 Fintail, but I have no headrests to deal with. I got mine in in Charcoal. I think those would look OK in a dark blue interior. Hopefully they're still availible.

Happy Motoring, Mark

#7 03-11-2004, 09:22 AM

Hey all,

my Sam's club seems to have really high quality sheepskin seats for like $30 each. Think I will buy..

BUT my real problem is the back bench seat. The padding is sooo shot it's just funny. Think the springs are ok (although not too much resistance). What do you all suggest I do for the rear seat. That's my real immediate problem. WOuld be emabrrassed to have somebodt ride back there...

Thanks in advance

STORMINORMAN · #8 03-11-2004, 11:05 AM

My leather is pretty sun-cracked in back, but since I don't usually have people back there (it is where my dogs would normally ride when not being transported in my truck) I took a pretty heavy-duty, rubber-backed carpeted mat, about 5 x 4, made a mounting bracket with straps which attaches to a rod & rides in those plastic closet-rod brackets: it fits behind the seat against the C-panels and holds the carpeted mat almost perfectly covering the seat cushion & seatback.

GoWolfpack, take your car to a couple local, small upholstery shops and ask them what they would charge to re-pad and cut a cover for your backseat in marine vinyl. Learn how to remove/re-install the seat and tell them you will remove the seat: all they have to do is cut the pads and cover it. You might be surprized how reasonable it could be. They might even give you a reasonable bid for your fronts, too.

I believe you can buy pretty good quality front & rear custom covers @ J.C. Whitney in vinyl for under $500, but you still are looking at pads, etc. Worth a call, anyway. This was kinda' my plan until I solved it for under $55. May still do it someday when I have an urge to spend the dough.

Please let us know what you find out.

Mark DiSilvestro · #9 03-11-2004, 11:32 AM

If your rear seat upholstery is still intact, you could try removing it from the springs and making up new padding yourself. here's what I've done in the past. First a layer of thin carpeting over the springs to prevent them from cutting through the new padding. The thin indoor-outdoor stuff, as used on patios and balconies, works well and can be found at Home Depot. On top of the carpet, add as many layers as needed of polyester fiber pillow/quilting padding, availible at fabric shops. For a firmer padding, instead of the polyester you can also use layers of carpet padding, availible as foam rubber or recycled fiber from places like Home Depot.
If possible, try to arrange the padding to restore any original seat contours. You may need to use thread, wire-ties, staples, string etc to secure the new materials to the springs. 3-M aerosol weatherstrip adhesive can be used to secure the different padding layers. Then reinstall the upholstery. It may not make the rear seat perfect but it should be useable.

Happy Motoring, Mark

#10 03-11-2004, 12:28 PM

Can I fit seats from say a W126 or W123 in the 116? I have heard both yes and no.

...Wondering if much good in trying to get seats from an old car like mine. But anytime I see an old 450 SEL--chances are it's seats are as bad a mine are!

300SDog · #11 03-11-2004, 04:16 PM

Jeeze, i musta got screwed on my $280 sheepskin covers with headrest covers too..... but am wondering if cheaper versions are authentic sheepskin or some kinda synthetic that could make life miserable. Real sheepies are not bad in Summertime too.

It seems rare to me for backseats to go to hell...... but these seats are easily removed and you might be able to tuck blanket over them if they are really horrible.

They've got two 116's at the Bowling Green Boneyard, but neither have blue interior..... yet the seats are in decent shape.

psfred · #12 03-11-2004, 11:04 PM

The easiest and closest to factory fiber padding for the bottom cushion in the rear is to get some sleeping bag mats (K-Marts are best) -- one of the 3/8 closed cell foam ones and two of the egg-crate type (Coleman brand is good).

Remove seat, remove cover (expect to sew a new listing on the back, the fabric "tail" there will likely be rotten along with the padding).

Cut the thin closed cell foam pad to fit the springs and sew it down with some cotton string and some "picking out" needles from the hobby shop. The needles are 2 and 3" long. Use some cotton string as thread.

You can use one or two layers of the egg-crate foam -- I don't remember exactly, but I think I used one. Align the rear edge to the rear of the springs, points down, then cut to fit the front with enough left over to fold back under, around the front edge of the springs, leaving about 1" sticking out. A bit more won't hurt. The reason for this is that the original padding is larger than the spring cage. You can measure the cover if you want to be exact -- the piping on the cover should be in the center of the edge you roll over.

Fold the foam over and glue it with spray adhesive, then sew it in place. Use some thin cardboard or heavy paper on top and bottom if you have trouble with the string cutting through, and pull only tight enough to hold the foam in place. Sew around the sides and back to keep the foam from slipping around.

Takes an evening or two, but it will sit much like the factory padding for about $25.

And replace the leaking window gaskets, front and rear, that caused the padding to rot in the first place.

Peter

STORMINORMAN · #13 03-12-2004, 11:44 AM

...the window gaskets. Is this a job an owner can reasonably tackle?

How do these cause water problems? What is the route the water takes?

Thanks!

psfred · #14 03-12-2004, 08:00 PM

Front a rear windsheilds use "lace" gaskets. Fairly easy to replace after you've done a couple, but most folks may want to use a glass place. Still used on US pickups, so they will know what to do. However, DO NOT allow anyone to use RTV sealant on them, only slow dry stuff, or they will leak worse than the old ones -- takes a couple days for the rubber to coform to glass and body.

As for the leaks, what usually happens is that the rubber shrinks, and allows water to come over the bottom body flange the gasket fits over. Up front this will warp the windshield bow and run down the firewall under the carpet, and in the rear will go under the rear shelf cover, warping it and running down behind the backrest and onto the floor. Both places the water will travel under the ashphalt sound insulation, so you won't see it. Causes high humidity in the car (do you get frost on teh insides of the windows?) that rots the padding.

Lots of posts on this -- the basic replacement procedure is to remove the trim at the base of the window only -- leave the rest in, please!, then pry the lip of the seal up and over the body flange starting in an upper corner from the inside. With car, you can get it started over, and push the window and seal out of the car. Once out, remove the trim, clean glass, and install new seal on the glass. Install the trim into the gasket, making sure it fits all the way into the slot, then wrap two rounds of heavy string/light cork or #10 electrical wire around the assembly in the slot for the body flange. Hold window into position over the flange and pull the cord out from the inside of the car to pull the lip of the seal over the body flange. With luck, the seal and flange will snap right into place. Really takes two people to do this.

Caveats are that the rear window heater wires run THROUGH the gasket, so have to be taken loose in the trunk and pulled through the holes in the body with care. Also, the trim at the base is clipped down, and you MUST pull with a flat, hooked tool DIRECTLY at the clips, or the trims bends up terribly. Looks horrible if you do this. Some silicone lube will do a long way towards making this eaiser. You must also have a nice, smooth painted area under the seal. Doesn't have to be perfectly flat, but must be smooth. This means any rust MUST be sanded out, primed, and painted with at least 24 hrs dry time before you can install a new seal. If you leave it, it will leak...

Peter

STORMINORMAN · #15 03-13-2004, 11:59 AM

Yup! I was WAY off base on this one. I was jus' HOPING it was something an owner could try to accomplish.

I usually let the glass experts and the transmission experts do their things.

I've been through the leaking winshield/rear window problems before, but on other cars. Anyone had any luck with the use of a silicone sealant that (supposedly) flows into the "hidden and hard to reach leaks around glass"? Permatex Item# 81730

Where are the critical junctures? Can it be accessed from inside the car either from the front or the rear?

Should I really get on the Search function?

Cheers!