cafcross Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 Wanted to keep this on a low key but need some advice.Basically I want to strip out the rears in my GTI and false floor across the seat recess (plus a couple of other things but Speaking to a mate who is pretty clued up on all things automotive he reckons building a wooden frame and then use marine ply (stronger and more durable than MDF) to go over the top with sound deadening underneath, then carpet the top, with the join of the false floor meeting the boot floor so I can still obviously lift it up to access the wheel well.Has anyone done this before, or have any other recommendations? Expanding foam was also mentioned to 'fill the gap'. I wanted to keep the rear door cards or would this make the fabrication of the floor harder?Also, where do you presume I can get carpet the same colour as the boot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingy89 Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Ive just made a false floor today you wont be able make the floor level with the boot floor because a mounting for the seats sticks up inI the middle of it. I ended up making a frame about 3inch of the base to go above the mounting, putting 6mm mdf on that and then sticking the carpet over. Took loads of measuring to get it sit tight around the edges but to still able to lift it out to get to the spare wheel. Im quite pleased with it but i think i need something attached so it doesnt look like a van lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unheard Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Ford escort estate it has a big coragated plastic boot board. At the widest point it an exact fit between the seat bins. You would need 2 of them and cut them in half to make use of the widest part of both as one end tapers in. That would give you your split to gain assess to the wheel well. I have one as the boot board in the back of my sport. It's very good stuff, strong and rigid but no way near as heavy as wood. I would never want to a huge slab of wood in the back its just far too heavy. If i get a chance i will pick up a second one to make it an exact fit and give me a 50-50 split. I cut out the metal bit in the centre of the seats so i could have the board sit flat down and not have to make up a frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingy89 Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 If you cut the metal bit out you havent got the option to put seats back in at a later date. Also the wooden 'slab' isnt that heavy, put it this way the original rear seats weigh quite abit more than it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unheard Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Yes you have, there is a magic device that bonds two like metals together. They call this wizards box a welder. It would take all of about 10 minuets for me to weld it back in, not that i can ever see myself wanting to. The seats are way to heavy If i am not mistaken everything i took out the boot came to over 7 stone, that's a small child sittingin the back all the time There are only a few reasons you would want to strip the back out. 1 to save weight. 2 so you can stick more stuff in the back like an estate/mini van. 3 you don't like people asking for a lift. 4 you just like the look. 2 out of those 4 mean that putting a a bit of wood in the back is pointless. If you are going to use it like an estate and load it up then a light weigh board is betteras you have less unladen weight. It is also pointless if you aim was to save weight. Lots of modern cars have a corrugated plastic boot boards not a bit of wood. Ford just happens to have been using that for a long time. The standard lupo has MDF covered in carpet for the boot boardthe 3L has coroplast covered in carpet. I don't see the point in lugging about weight if it really is not needed. It cost's a surprising amount of extra money on fuel and you get a free power upgrade without it. I really could not go back to having seats in the back of the sport now. It would feel to slow unless they werethe lightweight 3L seats with the 3L boot board and minus any spare wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cafcross Posted October 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Kingy, that is exactly what I'm looking to do! Perfect that man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingy89 Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 no probs matey unheard, if your that worried about the weight then u may aswell strip everything from the interior and just have a lightweight race seat and a set of clocks, be gti speeds then and save you fuel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unheard Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 I am not worried about it, if you want wood i never said don't do it it's just if you have the option of going for something lightweight why not do it it's logical. Weight reduction is were a hell of a lot of the research is focused on modern car design because cars are needlessly heavy. The plastic is incredibly strong. Wood to me just seems a crazy thing to have in a car unless it is a composite but hey. I have stripped everything out of the back that i can as well as under the bonnet. I have cobra clubmans that although not super lightweight will probably go in and replace the heavy standard seats. Just by removing all the crap from the back i got 20 more miles form each tank with no change to my driving. I now get an additional 30-35 to each tank with normal driving although its more fun now so I can't really tell what i could get if i tried. I have had an additional 50 miles over what i could ever get before but that was hard as the sport is not really an eco car that's what the 3L is for. It certainly is a lot nicer to drive with the sport engine as it pulls from lower down the rev range. When I can can stop using the car every day i will start to do a few more things to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little rich Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Personally id use mdf, alot lighter than plywood, cheaper, and easyer to use,Unless your having a pretty hardcore system mdf should be plenty strong enough,Keep us updated, im thinking of doing something similar, just not sure if i want to loose the rear seats again!Rich, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cafcross Posted October 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 I'm not having a system, so nothing needed strength wise, just want something easy to cut and cheap to buy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Ross mate, I've been thinking I'm going to do this soon too so if you do it first, I want to see one of your super informative write ups on it asap haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunalupi Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 This is what I have on the back of mine (not particularly good photo but you can get the idea):The flat floor is made of MDF and comes back to a short way behind where the rear seats used to be. The box is a bit of wood that attaches into the seat fixings, and the lid is a thin sheet that sits on the wood across and two rests opposite. I can store stuff out of sight in the box, or disassemble it within minutes if I need the bigger load space back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cafcross Posted October 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Lol okay Daryl!Kingy, have you got any pics of the frame? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingy89 Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 I havent no Its just a square basicly with 2 pieces making a cross inside it to give it some strength, if you make it cross just infront of the seat mounting you can put a piece of wood on the back side of it to hold the false floor firmly in place (basicly trapping it) just make sure it is a tight fit though as a tiny bit of monement would be very annoying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cafcross Posted October 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 How did you put the frame in? Bolted to the floor or just in there so tight that it doesn't move? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingy89 Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Just made the cross part of the frame around the seat mounting and trapped it in with a nother piece of wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cafcross Posted October 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Ah right. Thanks a lot mate, will be attempting this over Xmas, so if I need any more help I'll send youa message. Cheers again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunid-brake Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 (edited) I did this in my sport and have today subsequently decided to do it in my Gti, these are the plus points in my opinion,1. Saves weight2. Frees up tons of space (even for a girlfriends sized mega monthly shop at asda)3. Dont have to give lifts to other people4. Naturally it improves perfomance and the car is more responsive low end5. Saves your rear seats getting sun bleeched and dirty as can be stored cleanly for if you come to sellBad point is people who see it will laugh at you and your car and think your a tit, but you get to wipe that off when you smoke em at the lights, and also it makes the weight distribution even less balance so be careful round them bends in the wet ya'll.I just got hard wearing office flooring the same colour, cut it to shape and used all the bits of metal sticking up to fasten it down. Doesnt look half bad and is sod all aditional weight.Victim number 1 of my new weight reduction.... 1x Black Saxo VTS.... Blitzed lmao Edited October 5, 2009 by hunid-brake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little rich Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 My breakfast ways more than the rear seats in a lupo!Personally i wouldnt strip it for the weight as they dont way much, if i stripped a car it would be done properly!,Although a striped out lupo can hold tones of junk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unheard Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 My breakfast ways more than the rear seats in a lupo!Personally i wouldnt strip it for the weight as they dont way much, if i stripped a car it would be done properly!,Although a striped out lupo can hold tones of junk I disagree it does weigh a lot. If it didn't they would not have bothered changing them for the 3L. Just with the back seats out you can tell the difference especially if you climb hills a lot as i do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunid-brake Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 I disagree it does weigh a lot. If it didn't they would not have bothered changing them for the 3L. Just with the back seats out you can tell the difference especially if you climb hills a lot as i do.yep i completely agree. as soon as you take em out you can feel the weight of them. stack them all up and carry them up the stairs and you can feel the weight your savin. i live in cornwall and deal with hills every day and the weight difference allows it to pull stronger and ultimately has made it more responsive. by just removing the back seats, this is the cheapest quickest way to feel noticeable power gain. that being of bhp to the ton. do it for a week then put em back in and then you will appreciate our point. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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