Moving the front seats inwards

[Boris113]

I heard somewhere that from 1992/3 the front seats in defenders were moved inwards for slighty more room, is this true?

If so does anyone have a direct comparison between 2 vehicles and is it worthwhile doing to my 1989 90?

I hopped into mine and then into dad's but his seats were moved inwards during a rebuild...and he also has an auto box, bulkhead removal bar, td5 xs type seats and a small boy-racer type steering wheel so it wasn't a totally fair test...

Thanks, Harry

[GBMUD]

RHD cars only:

My 1987 90 seems to have more elbow/shoulder room than my 2004 110 if that is any help. From 300Tdi on the handbrake moved to the right. If you plan to move the seat inboard any you will probably want to consider moving the handbrake lever, either to the LHD position or replace with a Disco/RR lever and mount it up on the seatbox - a job I will undertake one day...

Chris

[eds]

Ive got a Dec 93 110.

I got rid of the original vinyl seats and put in a set of seats from an older model maybe 88 csw.

Although the replacement seats did fit they were so tight together they no longer slide back and forth.

I would say that if the seats are moved inwards on later models it is only by half an inch max.

[nickwilliams]

TD5 vehicles onwards had the outer two front seats moved inboard by 25mm. The fastening bolt pattern for the outer seats is identical, just the centre seat was made narrower by 50mm. I found this out when I bought a TD5 seat box to replace the rotten 2.5TD era one when I did my rebuild.

If you don't have (or ever use) the middle seat then this is probably a worthwhile mod - the outboard side elbow room on a Defender is dreadful for anyone bigger than a midget (which presumably is why everyone drives around with their elbow out of the window).

I wanted to retain the middle seat so I made a set of rails which moved the mounting holes back outboard by the required 25mm. They were made out of 25mm box section so they also raise the seat base by 25mm.

Nick.

[western]

vehicles with the front seats moved inwards have a narrower front centre seat than pre-300tdi vehicles.

[Chicken Drumstick]

TD5 vehicles onwards had the outer two front seats moved inboard by 25mm. The fastening bolt pattern for the outer seats is identical, just the centre seat was made narrower by 50mm. I found this out when I bought a TD5 seat box to replace the rotten 2.5TD era one when I did my rebuild.

If you don't have (or ever use) the middle seat then this is probably a worthwhile mod - the outboard side elbow room on a Defender is dreadful for anyone bigger than a midget (which presumably is why everyone drives around with their elbow out of the window).

I wanted to retain the middle seat so I made a set of rails which moved the mounting holes back outboard by the required 25mm. They were made out of 25mm box section so they also raise the seat base by 25mm.

Nick.

But there is method in the madness. By sitting so close to the window it maximises your ability to see the front and rear wheel while off road. Something you'd really appreciate if you drove an RR/Disco off road much.

And of course it gives the ability to seat 3 in the front, which is impossible in most other vehicles.

But Land Rover did listen, people said they wanted more elbow room, more refinement and a more comfy interior. So they built the Discovery, which is essentially a Defender style chassis, Defender style axles, engines, gearbox and transfer box, with Defender style towing and hauling ability, Defender style axle articulation, Defender style off road ability but with more elbow room and a more comfy interior.

[GBMUD]

And of course it gives the ability to seat 3 in the front, which is impossible in most other vehicles.

And in a Defender is merely impractical!

But Land Rover did listen, people said they wanted more elbow room, more refinement and a more comfy interior. So they built the Discovery, which is essentially a Defender style chassis, Defender style axles, engines, gearbox and transfer box, with Defender style towing and hauling ability, Defender style axle articulation, Defender style off road ability but with more elbow room and a more comfy interior.

Would that not have been the RangeRover? As the RR moved up-market there became a niche for the Discovery to drop into the slot vacated as the RR moved upmarket in the mid-late eighties.

Chris

Edited to add: I put that last but well, didn't I?

Edited March 6, 2012 by GBMUD

[nickwilliams]

vehicles with the front seats moved inwards have a narrower front centre seat than pre-300tdi vehicles.

I thought the change came with the introduction of the TD5 rather than the 300TDi, but I could well be wrong.

Nick.

[mickeyw]

If you are lucky enough to have the early lift handle doors, you have more elbow room already. The door cards are a good 1/2 inch thinner than the push button items.

Seat movement had definitely happend by the time the 300tdi came along.

[Eightpot]

And if you use miltary/S111 type split doors with sliding windows, you get even more elbow room and more leg room. The width issue really only started when they fitted wind up windows.

[Boris113]

Thanks all, I already have 2-part doors from a very early 110 and the doors cards/handles have been removed for the more simple anti-burst style so I have already gained a fair bit of room. I think I will have a go and move the seats in my an inch, my cubby box is fairly slim anyway.

Harry