Fully Articulating seats

[75_M20F]

Has anyone ever put fully articulating seats in a vintage mooney? What do they cost? My 1975 OEM seats have no headrest and no vertical adjustment, just wondering about the possibility.

 

 

 

 

[Hank]

They fit when you can find them. Expect to pay dearly. 

[Yetti]

Has it been recovered.   I would bet the holes for the head rest are there.  Feel around on the top of the back.   If they are there you can search for threads on say toyota head rests being the same spacing.   Or it is just a piece of tubing with two bends.  Then the head rest slips has a pocket that slips over the tubing.

 

[75_M20F]

31 minutes ago, Yetti said:

Has it been recovered.   I would bet the holes for the head rest are there.  Feel around on the top of the back.   If they are there you can search for threads on say toyota head rests being the same spacing.   Or it is just a piece of tubing with two bends.  Then the head rest slips has a pocket that slips over the tubing.

 

Is that your shaving kit or what?

[Yetti]

That is an official Mooney head rest cushion from 1975.   It is a cube of leather that goes over a cube of foam.  The pocket shown in the picture goes over the metal tubing that fits in the seat

[75_M20F]

Mine had been recovered around 2003 ish. I don't recall seeing any holes, but that was 13 years ago. I don't see how that cushion would fit my seat. I will try to find a picture. What does it look like on the seat?

Edited February 21, 2017 by Mooney_Mike

[Yetti]

This is the rear seat.  The front is similar.  And you made me look at the Antique Moss (yes that is the name in the Mooney catalog) carpet again.  Ugh

[Marauder]

My rear headrests on my 75 were missing and I had the ones like Yetti is showing on the fronts. My upholstery shop made a couple for the rear and like Yetti, being a big guy, I had the shop make the fronts a bit bigger.




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[75_M20F]

No, my seats don't have those holes. Or a metal loop sticking out the top. Strange since mine is a 75F like yours.

 

 

Edited February 21, 2017 by Mooney_Mike

[Marauder]

No, my seats don't have those holes. Or a metal loop sticking out the top. Strange since mine is a 75F like yours.
 
 

The holes may have been upholstered over. Do your seats look like they have been reupholstered? The holes are actually shafts that run down the seat back. If you have screws on the back of your seats, you could remove them and see if the shafts are there.




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[carusoam]

Bad news: chance of remembering the hidden structure when not looking for it is slim...

Good news: the hidden structure is probably inside most of them...

Better news: find the hidden structure and the Toyota headrests mentioned above....

Best news: having your local auto shop redo the leather and the seats will look nicer than a new acclaim...  this is a bit of a stretch.  But the other stuff I have learned about here at MS...

Funny question: why did most of the seats get the structure for head rests when even cars were not getting headrests in the '60s?   They became standard safety items to prevent whiplash when hit from behind.  Something that doesn't usually occur in Mooney's...

Best regards,

-a-

[75_M20F]

I will go take a look and see if I can locate the headrest holes. Makes one wonder why someone would remove the headrests to start with. Thanks for the information.

 

[cliffy]

Here comes the wet towel being thrown over the discussion-

If the airplane didn't come from the factory with headrests its going to require a DER controlled pull test aft to make sure the added leverage of the height extension is in compliance with the seat G forces required going aft.

Just sayin'   No one ever seems to mention this.   It is in reality a design change to the seat that has to pass G load criteria. 

I know, more regulation minutia 

[rbridges]

On 2/20/2017 at 8:57 PM, Yetti said:

This is the rear seat.  The front is similar.  And you made me look at the Antique Moss (yes that is the name in the Mooney catalog) carpet again.  Ugh

those drugs in the '60s definitely impacted fashion trends.

[Wakeup]

I took one of my seats to the junk yard and tried several different head rests until I found the look I wanted that fit.  Obviously take the seat before getting new leather put on.  Lol.   Troy 

[carusoam]

There has to be a few pounds of weight to add in the installed equipment section...

Best regards,

-a-

[75_M20F]

I have located and purchased  two fully articulating seats... thanks for the help.

[deanders]

The guide tubes are in the seat back. I had my seats reupholstered last year. I bought stainless tube and bent to fit the guide tubes and the upholstery ship covered the head rest loupe. It came out very nice.  

[75_M20F]

Here are my new articulating front seats. Yes, I have matching rear ones being reaplostered to match.

These got the frames painted, new foam, new leather.

[Drumstick]

They look great - out of curiosity- where did you get them?

[75_M20F]

5 hours ago, Hyett6420 said:

I fink i know.......that needlework looks familiar.

I think your right!