Seat Backs Keep Coming Off

[dave t]

Guys I gave a pain in my a&%s with the seat back coming off every time I sit in the seat.
Seem not start at this after I fitted new leathers.

anyone got a remedy was going to screw them to the frame....driving me nuts!

Dave

[marwood82]

i have the same issue with the drivers seat.

i can clip it back in to place at the top, but it will come away pretty quickly.
i tried number plate tape as a temporary fix but it didnt work for long.

[delorean88us]

dave t Wrote:anyone got a remedy was going to screw them to the frame....driving me nuts

:o Put those screws away, no need to wreck your seatback by putting holes in it.

Take the seat back off, and on the metal clips which run along the top and sides, place copious amounts of silicone sealant. Push the seat back back into place and tighten the screws at the bottom. Hold the seat back in place for 15-20 minutes while the silcone sets, a hair dryer will aide in this operation.

A little tip I picked up from another owner which I performed on my car around two years ago, the seatback hasn't come away from the seat since I did this.

[Rissy]

It's a very common problem this, only on the driver's side seats, and only on the earlier cars.

Apparently, there was a solution devised for the later cars, but unfortunately, i've never managed to get someone with a later car persuaded enough to purposely remove the back of their driver's side seat so that I could take a look to see what the solution was.

Perhaps a call out to those with a later VIN# to do this via the forum!? Would help us early VIN# owners out quite a bit. I too have lost a lot of hair due to this issue. I've tried bending the clips in all different directions etc too. Nothing i've done works.

[delorean88us]

Rissy how late a VIN do you need? Mine is a late '81 and I still had issues with the seatback coming off.

Silicone sealant is the way forward to keep the thing in place.

[dave t]

....will put the screws away

silicone ok...its a start.

Thanks Rissy ...mines vin 2030... would be good to know what the later cars have?

[Rissy]

delorean88us Wrote:Rissy how late a VIN do you need? Mine is a late '81 and I still had issues with the seatback coming off.

Silicone sealant is the way forward to keep the thing in place.

I'm not sure of the exact VIN#, leading forward, for appropriate lateness of having the problem fixed. But I get the feeling that the issue is only really with the '81 cars. I'm presuming the problem was fixed at some point in '82....?

[dmc4087]

My drivers seat did this before I had the interior retrimmed in nappa (my vin isnt early, 4087)

I thought it was down to the crappy card material beginning to break up or sag?

[Rissy]

dmc4087 Wrote:My drivers seat did this before I had the interior retrimmed in nappa (my vin isnt early, 4087)

I thought it was down to the crappy card material beginning to break up or sag?

4087 is still a 1981 though.

[Rissy]

For 1982, you're looking at roughly VIN# 10nnn or 11nnn onwards, depending on which source you look at.

[delorean88us]

There are alternatives to the old card seat backs.

From a member of DMC talk
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?5761- ... -Seatbacks

And from DPI, although $180 a set for the seat backs alone.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... 7729955345

I would just go with a £3 tube of silicone sealant since it's inexpensive, will fix the issue of the seat back coming away from the seat, and it can be easily removed should you need to take it off some day. I siliconed mine over two years ago, and it's still fine now, no signs of movement.

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

[Dangermouse]

An issue I have seen is that people re-make their seat backs using a solid piece of press-board/hardboard and don't have a cut-out as in the original.

[dmc4087]

Rissy Wrote:

dmc4087 Wrote:My drivers seat did this before I had the interior retrimmed in nappa (my vin isnt early, 4087)

I thought it was down to the crappy card material beginning to break up or sag?

4087 is still a 1981 though.

I'd guess by September 81 they knew what they were doing.

I've never heard of earlier cars being more susceptible to seat backs popping off.

I would attribute it to the age, use, and quality of the materials.

[Rissy]

dmc4087 Wrote:I'd guess by September 81 they knew what they were doing.

You'd think eh. lol!

[dmc4087]

Rissy Wrote:

dmc4087 Wrote:I'd guess by September 81 they knew what they were doing.

You'd think eh. lol!

Lol yea, for a Delorean anyway.

The nicest one I came across was at a charity auction in Belfast a few years ago. Low miles, one of the last off the line. I couldnt get over how effortless the doors were to close.