Anyone installed third seat in a wagon? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

CDN · #1 01-17-2004, 10:21 AM

I'm wondering if anyone has had experience in installing the third rear facing seat in a wagon. I've been told that this can be done with relative ease, and that the result will be just as if the seat had come installed from the factory. If this is true (and if we can find a seat - anyone willing to part with theirs?) it would simplify our search for a wagon, or at least open up a few more options. Just wondering if any of you have done this, or seen it done. I'd like to know how the end results look.

dmorrison · #2 01-17-2004, 10:32 AM

Yes I did it in my 82 300TD. I had another 82 300TD that had the rear seat and I swapped the unit out.
It is a bit of a job but very doable.
The doner car was not factory so the second seat headrests were not there.
I bought the headrest anchors in a kit from Mercedes. It did take some research on the part of the dealer to find the kit part number. But they did it.
You have to remove the back of the second seat to install the rail recievers. Cut the top of the second seat for the round trim pieces the headrests go into and pop rivit the recievers in the second seats.
This was all in a 123.
Are you talking about a 123?

Dave

lrg · #3 01-17-2004, 01:34 PM

I put an aftermarket seat in my 123 in about an hour. It's just like the factory setup but doesn't have the three point seat belts, only lap belts. Pretty much all the holes you need are already there so there's not much you need to do other than screw it in. If you want the true factory setup then you'll need the panels, retractors, etc. for the shoulder belts and those parts you'll need to scavange or pay pretty big $$ at the dealer to get. My aftermarket setup works great for accasional use and the whole kit cost about $450. You can find them at any of the places that sell replacemnt seat covers. The 124 seat looks like it's a bit more complicated so may not be as easy to install. They are definitely NOT interchangable with the 123.

CDN · #4 01-17-2004, 02:03 PM

That sounds reassuring. The wagon we have been looking at is a 123, but I have also seen one or two 124s advertised that don't have the third seat, so we have been thinking if we can't find one maybe we could add the seat to whatever car we buy. I have an aftermarket seat in my landrover that gives us seatbelts for 8, but it is a bit of a pain when you want the cargo space - you have to fool around taking it in and out, so I was hoping with the Mercedes that we could install one that would be just like factory. Dave would you say yours is ? i.e. when you fold it down it's basically gone and you have the normal back cargo area of the wagon? We would be using the third seat pretty much all the time so we'd like it to be as beautifully engineered as the original! Thanks for the info - now the challenge will be finding a seat and a car?!!