Extracting Car Seats

[EssexMame]

I have a 10 year old Alfa Romeo 147 that, paying a huge repair bill aside, is now consigned to scrap. Shame, except for one thing. I paid more for some decent "sports leather" seats in it when I bought it all those years ago. All seats are in good nick. Before I scrap it I was considering removing one of the seats as a game seat, and in time, perhaps a driving cab.

These are the type I've got (seems it might be worth extracting/selling in any case - got more than the scrap value I've been offered!)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alfa-Romeo-147-GT-Black-Leather-Sport-Full-Seats-Interior-Ti-Red-Stitching-Rare-/301338077545?hash=item4629262969&nma=true&si=7fkIHgGzyN8hLRSBsxjX0CJ53UY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

So, a couple of questions if I may:
Should I take the passenger or driver seat? The driver seat has a manual up/down adjuster but of course the passenger seat is less used. Indeed, virtually new looking (alas the OutRun blonde doesn't sit there often enough). That said, the driver seat isn't so bad either (the car has only done 60k miles).

How easy is it to remove? The seats have airbags in them (curtain type?) I understand that will keep the airbag warning light on (not a problem if it's scrapped) but any other risks - the airbag going off, other problems?

Will the scrap dealer likely give less money with one of the seats removed?

Should I take the seat or the "runners" on the flooring also?

Going on from that, it is a decent leather steering wheel too - worth removing ?! I have a G27 steering wheel/pedals - can it be attached somehow? Easily or not? Worth the bother?

Finally, I've replaced this good to drive but unreliable as hell car with a (hopefully) reliable and dull Ford Fiesta. Can I have a hug?

[lilshawn]

if you are going to reuse the seat, it's best to remove the module. (explosive and whatnot.) Don't really want that in your house.

but, it seems you are in luck, I've recently written off a car where it had multiple airbag deployments. (seats, curtain,dash, leg bolster, and steering wheel...about 5,000 bucks worth of just airbags in all not to mention the car itself... so, write-off!)

the "seat" airbags are pretty small (a little larger than your foot when inflated) it's mostly to bolster your hip down and over into the seat to keep you in place when impacted from the side so you don't drift up and over out of the seat and into the door during impact.

"side curtain" come down from the roof from a separate module.

anyways, I digress...depending on the construction of the seat, you may be able to uzip/unhook/unclip the cover from the backrest portion of the seat (at the bottom) and pull it up to access and remove the airbag module.

just fill it with something (padding etc) as not to cause a dent in the seat side due to the void and pull the cover back down.

[Howard_Casto]

Ok airbag woes aside.  You probably want the driver seat because bucket seats aren't necessarily symmetrical.  Assuming you want a hand brake/console/ect you'll want that flat edge on the side.  You want to take everything related to the seat because mounting might require you to get creative and you don't want to mod the seat, rather the mounts that come with it. 

Is it a scrapper as in a metal scrapper or an auto salvage guy?  Metal scrappers obviously don't care about the seats but an auto yard is probably factoring in the money they can get out of the interior in the estimate. 

The steering wheel question is iffy, mostly because car steering wheels are generally much larger than pc wheels and depending upon your mount it might get in the way and rub your legs. 
 

[EssexMame]

Thanks Guys! Interesting stuff on the airbags (feared it might not be as simple as I hoped). Doesn't seem impossible though. Any chance the airbag stuff can blow up in my face (when its disconnected from electrics)?

They aren't "bucket" seats as such, more normal seats but with a slight "slump" and sidings. Still, I can check the sides and see if they lower at the lips etc. The driver seat is in ok nick though so perhaps will go with that anyway.

Guy is a scrapper as far as I'm aware.

[thomas_surles]

Keep your face about a foot away and you'll be fine. They are small.

[lilshawn]

Any chance the airbag stuff can blow up in my face (when its disconnected from electrics)?

chances are pretty low. it's electrically operated so as long as you don't try and hook it up, you should be okay. just treat it as you would gun or rifle ammunition....

don't go prying on the case...Don't drop it...don't cut into the case.

common sense really.

[EssexMame]

just treat it as you would gun or rifle ammunition....

I'm in the UK, we aren't as used to handling ammunition as in the States 

[EssexMame]

Alas, I sold the car (for "Parts"). Would've liked to have the seat first, but then I don't think they'd have bought the car (the seats were probably the most worthwhile part).

So, I'm now searching for the same seats or equivalent in UK breakers yards! Hopefully they are available for less than I just sold the car for!

[Absontrythe]

chances are pretty low. it's electrically operated so as long as you don't try and hook it up, you should be okay. just treat it as you would gun or rifle ammunition....

don't go prying on the case...Don't drop it...don't cut into the case.

common sense really.