removing the back seats

[etlsport]

im takin a 2 week trip to the beach on wednesday and decided since its just me and m'lady i only really need two seats and i might as well get some extra room (id just fold the seats up but i HATE the sound of the leather rubbing on the vinyl when the front seats are back and back seat is folded up) so anyway, i pulled the brackets off completely (locktite is a real mother! i had to use an impact wrench for the front of the back seat) then also pulled out the seat belts, and carseat anchors..... so now i have holes in my floor.. those of you who removed your back seats permanantly.. what did you do about the holes? i put aluminum tape over them for now to keep the bugs out.. but im worried about rust starting in the bolt holes (i will be on the beach) i guess i could always put the bolts back in.. but luggage sliding is much easier with a smooth floor

[mbeach]

I put the bolts back in.

Be careful with all of the bolts that go through the floor -I broke a tiedown bolt just torqueing it in by hand. I used to get nervous pulling the rear seats just for that reason.

[etlsport]

it was bugging me that tape was sealing holes in my vx, so i put the bolts back in place for now, thanks for the heads up mbeach, i will definately be careful when tightening them down when shes ready to get put back together.. lucky for me im not big enough to put any real torque on the bolts haha, i figured id check here to see if anyone else has come up with an ingenious way to plug the holes.. from what ive seen if all the VXers got together for a week, we could have an entirely new VX designed and built!

speaking of getting together if anyones gonna be in the deleware beach area over the next week or two and wants to meet up gimme a shout!

[nfpgasmask]

Hmmm, I have been thinking of doing this very thing also. I am a family of 2 (me and my wife) and I don't usually cart friends around often, and when I do, they can sit on the floor in the back I thought if I take the seats out.

So, I was thinking of pulling the seats and then buying some real thick rubber diamond plate matting and filing out the entire area with it.

But, now I'm wondering, sounds like pulling the seats leave actual holes to the outside in the floor? Is that what you guys are concerned about?

Bart

PS - I hate the rubbing leather sound too.

[etlsport]

yeah, i pulled the bolts out and while i was inside puttin the bolts into my toolbox so i wouldnt lose them i noticed the bottoms were pretty nasty, so i got to wondering where they led to, i looked in the back of the vx at the holes and wouldnt you know it, i was lookin at asphalt, so i put tape over them but realized the paint was probably stripped off inside the holes from the bolts, so i replaced them with a dab of lock tite to make sure they were sealed.. the last thing i need is rust

im definately thinking about just leaving them out now that theyre gone im lovin the room.. so i was looking for a more permenant solution than just leaving the bolts in place

[nfpgasmask]

im definately thinking about just leaving them out now that theyre gone im lovin the room.. so i was looking for a more permenant solution than just leaving the bolts in place

What about some sort of rubber plug or something? Something flat but with lips on it that you could seal off with silicone sealant? When you're back in there next time, would you mind taking some photos of how the back cargo area looks with the seats out and also some shots of the where the bolts stick out? This will save me some time and help make my decision up without doing the work you did!

Thanks -Bart

PS - It would be cool to make a stand or floor mount for your back seats so you can use them in the living room while they are not in your VX!!

[Tobert]

I pulled my seats out this weekend. I love all the space it freed up and the dog seems to enjoy it too. I'm thinking of making a small part to cover over the rear floorboard area and turn it into semi-hidden storage.

I just put the bolts right back in and didn't worry about sealant. When torqued down a little, they should seal just fine, since there shouldn't ever be any kind of pressure on the bottom side. I also pulled the seat belt bracket but left the seat latch for now.

I really like the rubber diamond plate idea.

[Ldub]

PS - It would be cool to make a stand or floor mount for your back seats so you can use them in the living room while they are not in your VX!!

Now THAT'S a good idea...my back seat has been wasting closet space since about three days after I purchaced my VX back in 03....brilliant!

[Gussie2000]

Hey etlsport !

I got all my gear to install the aftermarket sound system in my toy,since you did the same job i was wondering if you can e-mail to me the pics of the rear panels removed so i can follow up the procedures.

I don't know if you install any amp,but if you do please explain me where & how do you run the power cable through the firewall;I was took an close eye at the firewall to find out an path,but to me there's no clear spot to drill in.

My e-mail is VZEEI6VS@MSN.COM OR GUSSIE2000@HOTMAIL.COM.

I'll appretiate all you competence.

Hey,soon i'll making a trip to PA to visit my aunt so if the a opportunity we may meet up.
take care buddy.See ya !

[etlsport]

heres where i ran my power for my amps, there are two holes in the firewall they're plugged by grommets, i used the one on top to run a 4ga power wire though

as for the photos of the rear panel removal, they can be seen here...
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/sh...y.php?cat=3163


definitely let me know when u are down this way, i get together with another local vx owner quite a bit, it'd be cool to get a few people together