After four years, I finally found the time to rebuild the driver's seat on the SD. Typical problems of poor support and a low driving position.

This is the third seat I've done on the W-126 and it still remains a slow process.

The seat spring was found to be in good condition with no breaks. So, the only item requiring replacement is the "horsehair" pad. It's available from GAAH for $120. and it fits perfectly. I also cut to fit a 1" piece of memory foam to sit above the pad and below the leather covering.

It's a bit of a slow process to secure all 12 attachment points with a knitting needle and some retaining plastic buttons, but nothing technically complex.

After reinstalling the seat back and the tracks (cleaned and regreased), the installation back in the vehicle was uneventful.

Two tricks however:

Remove the rear seat cushion before even thinking about getting the front seat out. Otherwise, you'll surely damage it. R & R happens through the rear door.

There is a carpeted cover that is hooked to two springs at the front of the seat. If you remove the springs from the seat bottom, you cannot reinstall them. So, the carpeted cover with the springs must be installed onto the seat prior to installing the seat in the vehicle. However, the cover is not attached to the steel crossbar at this point. Otherwise you can't get to the plugs. Even with the cover lifted upwards, it limits access to the plugs for the electrical controls, so, don't bolt the seat down until you plug it in. Then the cover can be fully attached to the bar and the seat can be secured.

The main reason for the post is the benefit of the new cushion. It's comfortable as hell and the driving position must be 1.5" higher than previous.

When I peer over the dashboard, the top of the wheel is dead even with the defroster outlet. I'll bet that none of the 20 year old seats will match this. The additional benefit of a more commanding view of the road is striking.

So, consider rebuilding the seat on the W-126. It'll take you 4-5 hours or so over two weekends. But, it's worth it.