Shot blast and paint?

or

Shot blast and powder coat?

Hi Jim
I stripped all the coverings and fibre pads off the seats and stripped the spring pack off the frame and processed them seperately....just sent the spring packs for grit blasting...the issue is that if you use hard shot blast it runs the risk of taking the temper out of the springs...So I had them blasted with sand and then blown over with black paint...
The spring pack detaches from the frame - by all means get the frame powder coated with a gloss level to match the old VW flow coat water based paint... but not the springs.. because the springs flex it is not suitable it all would crack and fall off!
G HTH

Yep, I'm at the stripped stage.

Need to replace a few of the gripper spikes and springs.

Both seat pads were pretty "thin" so going to replace those but retain the pads for the back sections

Are these any good?

https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/split-b ... tartRow=43

Yep I would recommend the fibre pads! They have an overlap which goes around the edge of the frame and you can soft iron wire them in place if you choose..
Be very carefull with the spikes, they break off and they pierce flesh very well...

I posted a thread on replacing springs from a donor. I swapped eight out and it is very easy and rewarding but the springs also give you body piercings. If you work out which are broken and can then unwind the repcement from the donor...and then wind them back in and tag them...it is easy..
You just need patience.

When you come to put the covers over the pads...you need to use seating wadding / upholstery padding to pad out and give the sape to the cover....just as VW did..

"You just need patience" haha....

Did you just buy a knackered seat to get the donor springs? Are all VW seat springs the same? ie from a Beetle seat for example

Heritage list the driver's seat base pad as LHD, but I can't think of any differences why it wouldn't fit in a RHD?

I actually helped advise a poster on here who had a frame with the runners cut off...he bought a seat from Volksheaven and swapped the seat pack over and I had the butchered carcass,
I have the frame tube in store for someone who wants to cut out a section to repair a rotten frame....
I had the springs and you just have to work which area of the frame the spring is needed from.

The frame I had was down eight springs and the donor has been cut with a disc and so I dug out all the short bits and chucked them and then used what I needed and kept the remains for Dave.
He has cut and shut several seats to reduce the overall seat height so he has them and is using them to substitute where needed.
Maybe some left!
G

Cheers,

Think I know of a pair of rough T1 seats not being used so will see if I can bag a few spares. From memory it only needs 4.

Should be nice with the seat pads and heating elements fitted.

Who did you send them to ?

I'm sure they didn't use sand as that's been illegal since the 80's in commercial blasting.

Most company's use a aluminium oxide for light work or fine crushed glass.

At low pressure you don't get heat build up using the correct media.

I've done a few seats of seats, blasted powder coated or painted and as yet nothing has cracked or damaged while doing them.

The only fault I find is that the grease in the frames comes out when being powder coated, not so noticeable when done in a dark colour but if done in a light colour you do see it before the bases are fitted, it should have a light spray before refitting as well.

i bow to your greater knowledge...maybe it was zirconia...
However I have always have had the seat frame powder coated and the spring pack just blown over with black paint...
Been very pleased with the results

G

It's like the old saying Porsche engines just bolt in.....

LOL...
I used to play at/ practcice at cleaning ceramic coating blemishes on aerospace components (that cost £20k each) with a pencil blaster - but always willing to learn

to bolt Porsche engines in...

My blast cabinet came from B.A.E systems in Filton where I used to work (A380) nice bit of kit for the smaller items, my welder Bart also used to work there on the wings, it's amazing what kit they used to get rid of each year.

Mine came from over the road from the coating facility - best £20 I ever spent complete with feed...

I'm sure!