Eric Cahoon

Hi Honda-Tech!

I couldn't find anyone with a similar situation to mine, but I was hoping one of you can help.

I have 91 Civic Si Hatchback (ED7, USDM, manufactured in Canada.)

The two mounting points near the center console for the driver's seat are damaged and essentially unusable at this point.

The placement on the mounting points is a terrible fit for the replacement stock seats I was using, which I bought used off someone else's car.

I ordered a cheap bucket seat and mounting brackets, but the mounting brackets are also a terrible fit. This makes me think there is an issue with the mounting points on my car rather than the seats, but I don't know for sure.

Since this is a major safety concern, I would like to find a way to make it possible to safely mount a seat as quickly as possible.

I have access to a power drill and bits for drilling metal, but I have no fabrication skills or tools at my disposal.

What are my options?

Should I find a body shop and ask them to try and cut out the damaged mounting points and weld in replacements?

I vaguely remember seeing someone suggest in another thread that it is possible to bolt a seat straight to the floor by drilling through the floor of the car. If this is true, where could I buy a bracket for such a purpose?

scelestus

Please define "damaged and essentially unusable". Someone took a hammer to the metal and mount point is unrecognizable? Metal is intact but threads are trashed? Something else more unusual?

And where did the replacement seats come from? If they aren't off an ED/EF, then they aren't going to line up, cause they weren't made to.

Marcos Barrios

scelestus is right we need more info or a picture to get a bitter idea
im guessing you have a broken bolt problem maybe?

Eric Cahoon

The inside rear mount (the one that is parallel with the floor of the car) has been cratered downward about a half inch at its center as though someone smashed it with a ball-peen hammer repeatedly. I don't think that actually happened, but that's what the damage looks like. As a result, the nut which is welded on to the sheet metal for the bolt to thread into has fallen off and disappeared, so there's just a hole drilled in the sheet metal through which you can see the floor of the car and nothing else.

The inside front mount does not have the sheet metal damage and the nut is still welded on, but the threads are damaged. I may be able to fix the threads with a tap and die set.

The replacement stock seats are from a 89-91 Civic Si (They have the hollow headrests and no CRX markings, I bought them used from a guy with an ED hatch.) but the way the mounting rails sit, they are too narrow at the front. I have to flex one of the rails sideways about an inch before I can get the bracket to line up with the bolt hole and threads. Its possible they're from an 89 Si, because I know the brackets are different for that year compared to 90-91, but I don't know HOW they brackets changed so I can't be sure.

My dad suggested that for the inside rear mount I could drill straight down from where the original mounting point is through the floor of the car, and purchase a longer bolt with a couple large fender washers and a nylock nut to secure the seat that way. That's my best plan for now because a body shop quoted my $200 to fix just the inside rear mount. I can't afford that, being a broke-*** college student.

As to why the aftermarket seat brackets I purchased don't fit, they're much shorter front to back than the mounting points in my car (at least a full inch, nothing I can fix by filing or re-drilling the holes.) I'm guessing they're meant to fit a 90-91 sedan, not a hatchback.

Eric Cahoon

Here's some pictures. First one is the passenger side for comparison, next 2 are the damaged mount.




Here's the passenger side inside rear mount. It's in good shape. This is for comparison purposes.


Here's the damaged driver's side mount. You can see how the sheet metal is is crater shaped. The nut that should be welded on underneath the hole has fallen off and disappeared as a result.


Here's another angle. Definitely no threads anymore.

Marcos Barrios

that helps alot
theres 3 ways i can think of off the top of my head
1st is the way you said by drilling threw to the floor and just added a long bolt and nut
and washers to fill the gap between the seat rail and floor

the other two need welding

2nd with a grinder cut the bracket open grab the broken nut and reweld it back on and then reweld the the bracket on

3rd is since you have that gap between the seat rail and bracket you can just weld a new nut on top of the bracket and then install your new bolt

and 4th just dont worry about that one bolt and find a way to make it level back there and say three bolts is good enough

what do you think?
yes ... no?

Eric Cahoon

I appreciate the suggestions.

The main reason I wouldn't go for option 4 is that I'd like to take this car Autocrossing and I'm pretty sure I won't pass tech if I'm missing a bolt.

I agree that option 2 and 3 would be workable alternatives. I don't have the equipment or experience to do them myself, though.

I prefer option 1 to option 3 because I can do the work myself and it will be cheaper, and probably the most secure solution. If there's something in the way where I need to drill, I'll take the car down to the local body shop and have them do option 3, maybe with a fender washer underneath the nut but on top of the sheet metal. That should be significantly cheaper than option 2 since they quoted me like $200 to do that.

Thanks for the help! I appreciate it.

Marcos Barrios

option 1 it is whats really important here is that you fix the problem and move on to the next thing on your list
good luck

Eric Cahoon

Yeah. Thanks a bunch for the help guys, I really appreciate it. Hit me up if you're ever in the Pullman area, I have email alerts on and check it regularly, I'd love to buy you guys some food and chat cars for a bit.