Seat types?

I have just bought a 1985 110 Diesel.

The seats are rubbish and I have to get a new set while the LR is in UK before I ship it to New Orleans.

Having seen a set on fleabay UK I asked if they would fit, to be told that they wont fit a Defender (If, indeed mine is a Defender), only a Series.

Given the nomenclature '1985 110' is that a Defender?

If so, then I assume that the seats in a Defender are changed from the Series, but do they change within the Defender range too?

Molesworth

Reply to
Molesworth
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On or around Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:17:16 -0600, Molesworth enlightened us thusly:

Yes, but I think you can fit later ones, esepcially if you have the frames as well.

The seat backs are definitely different on later ones. A 1985 is "early" in this context. There's not much difference - the later foam for the back can be modified to fit the earlier frame - I did this on mine. The base foam is, I think, the same as so presumably is the base itself.

The lever which adjusts the back changes as well.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

"Molesworth" wrote

Whilst it predates the name Defender, a 1985 110 is what became the Defender

110 (but with different engine).

Have a look at...

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I'm sure they do something for you (at a price!).

Reply to
Bob Hobden

In message , Molesworth writes

Yes, the 110 denotes the wheelbase. Defenders are 90 or 110.

Reply to
hugh

Weren't they Defenders from '91 onwards though?

Main difference being the Tdi in place of the TD engine.

Regardless the seats in any 110 are pretty much the same unless you look at recent stuff.

So no unless you fit series frames they won't fit and to be honest I don't think you would really want to.

Depending on how bad yours are you can just buy foam or covers and DIY replace assuming there is a seat to start with. In which case Exmoor Trim is the place to click as per the other reply.

Lee

Reply to
Lee_D

When Land Rover only made 'traditional Land Rovers' they had no need for the name Defender - if you told someone that you had bought a Land Rover they knew what it was going to look like! As such, they simply used the wheel base to differentiate the two main derivatives - 88 and 109 up to 1982 (ish) and then 90 and 110 with the introduction of the newer slightly longer coil sprung models in the early 80's.

This situation continued unchanged until the Discovery was launched. Now when you said you had a Land Rover, it didn't have to mean that it was a traditional Land Rover. Therefore, to differentiate the traditional Land Rover from the Discovery they called it the Defender. This also coincided with the introduction of a new engine - the 200TDi. This was fitted to both the Discovery and Defender in the early 1990's.

My own Land Rover is a 1989 110, but has a 300TDi engine and later R380 gearbox. As such, it is effectively a Defender, but without the badge!

Seats - the very early 110s used the same seat arrangements as the outgoing

109 and 88 Series III leaf sprung vehicles, with the later ones using the seats as fitted right through to the Defender days. I don't know if yours users the later type or the earlier Series - Exmoor Trim will be able to tell you (I think if they are properly fitted and are like car seats they are probably the later ones. If they are simply a seat cushion bottom and seat cushion back resting against the bulkhead they are the series type). I fitted Exmoor Trim Trakkers Extreme seats to my old Series III - which were excellent. My friend who bought my Series III continues to rave about them. My 110 has standard Defender style high back seats which are fine.

Henry Devon

-- Warm up my mail to reply.

Reply to
HM

So 1985 would be early for a Defender?

Reply to
Molesworth

at least 5 years too early. Its just lovingly refered to a 110 which should be the badge on the grill if it is origional.

Lee D

Reply to
Lee_D

Remember, Defender is just a name used to differentiate the traditional Land Rover type from the Discovery.

The 110 Land Rover (later called the 110 Defender) was introduced in 1983 with the series style seats. I know that they had the new 'defender' style seats in by 1989 (as I have a 1989 110). So, 1985 is mid way between the two types of seat.

You can easily tell. Look at your seat. Is it on a metal frame held down to the floor by 4 bolts, with a lever at the front that you pull up to slide it backwards and forwards? If so it is the later type of seat. If it simply a cushion on the base and a cushion at the back resting against the bulkhead then it is the earlier series type.

And yes, a 1985 110 is an early one. Introduced in 1983, and still made now, so yours was made 2 years in to the 26 year production run (which is ongoing). However, as Land Rovers have been made since 1948, you could argue it is a very recent one!

What type of engine have you got? A standard 2.5D or Petrol?

Henry

Reply to
HM

It's the diesel with serpentine belt.

Trubble is, it's in UK and I'm in USA. I'm shipping it in January to meet EPA etc rules. However, my interest in seats is because the prev owner says they are the only thing that need doing, so I wanted to get new ones in UK before it shipped. I shall have pics by Monday and then I'll know. It might be possible to just buy some recover sets. We will see.

Thanks again,

Alan

Reply to
Molesworth

You can get full re-trim kits shipped to the USA, loads of places do them.

Reply to
Nige

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