I am thinking of doing the rear seat deletion...since the rear seats are weight and really unless you are short...which i my household...no one is. I am 6'-9", my wife is 5'-8", oldest son is 6'-2", youngest son is 6'-8" tall.

Concerns about doing the deletion are:

Sound from exterior noise will it be greater? I am going to install Borla Stingers in a week.
According to what I have read, can not set anything on the bottom panel and back panel is fixed and might not hold the trunk contents in place?

I am purposing that I could make the bottom panel out of say 1/2 cabinet grade plywood covered in carpeting to matchin interior. Underneath the paneling add sound deadening foam for obivously sound and also support. The back I was thinking of a continous piano hinge type and utlitize the latching mechanism that seats use so I can lay the panel forward when hauling a larger object that the trunk can not hold. (I have had to do this two times due to computer cases) So does anyone make such a beast for the deletion that would do this? OR where does one go to get dimensions for that bottom and back panel from?? (short of ordering a deletion kit)

hmmmmmmm

 

I drove a Boss LS and didn't notice any extra road noise.

 

How heavy do you think the rear seats are? I couldn't imagine more than 30lbs total. I know for sure the bottoms weigh next to nothing. If you want to do a seat delete for aesthetic reasons then go ahead. Your car will not get any faster without a back seat. Just saying.

 

Totally agree. I understand if someone is going to delete the seats for aesthetics, especially with some type of X Bracket in its place, but I don't see it making someone any faster. I doubt it would even help 60' or 1/4 mile times.

Now delete the rear seat, front passenger seat, shaker audio system, spare tire and then maybe you might see an improvement, but not much IMO.

Sound wise, I don't think it will make much of a difference. I'd say your best bet to get the dimensions on your own would be to take the seats out and just write down measurements with a tape measure.

 

The plywood is going to weigh more than the rear seat. Just saying.....

 

Has anyone deleted the seat for a subwoofer/amp? I'm not sure I care to take up trunk space with all that...

I do agree that not much weight would be saved by removing them.

 

I'm planning a delete so my standard poodle has a place to sit. She's 45-ish pounds. The delete kit I'm looking at is the one AM and LMR sell, and while it says it's not for storage, it's just 1/4" plywood, there's nothing stopping you from just adding a few reinforcing "joists" across the bottom. Because it's made of wood, makes it easy to attach stuff to it, make it stronger, and make it a useful shelf.

 

If planning to use it for a dog that size the plywood is going to snap. Could reinforce it but then going to be right back in same weight area. For original poster either of these would be good and depending on if looking at the BOSS LS version slightly cheaper.


http://www.trucarbon.net/2005_2013_M...c010-lg123.htm

Is a good option there is one out their that is solid so dog couldn't try to go in the trunk but couldn't find it without doing a lengthy search.


Found the other one...

http://www.trucarbon.net/2005_2013_M...c010-lg124.htm

 

No way 1/2" would snap. You could probably use 3/8" and it would be fine. Possibly a slight flex but no way would it snap. And ply is a bit lighter than OSB.

 

45 pounds on 1/2 of plywood laying at an angle I wouldn't put money on it supporting it but I could be mistaken but I prefer the carbon fiber look personally too.

 

1. You guys must have read something in my post about weight savings being important to me that I'm not seeing. When did I say I was trying to save weight. Can someone put it in bold please? My entire purpose is to find a place to put my dog.

2. You guys clearly didn't read the part I DID type about reinforcement. Added weight? See point #1 above. Not my concern. And the amount of reinforcement required would not weigh a lot. I took an already-broken 3/16" fiberboard spare tire cover in my old Impreza wagon, reinforced it simply by screwing a pair of 2x1's (thats 1.75"x0.75" finished, FYI) to the bottom of it, and drove an hour out to a friend's place with a 100 lb. engine block sitting on it.

My point is simple. It's already cut to shape with proper mounting and matching carpet. I want a rear seat delete because I have no use for rear seats, and that space could become a very nice useable area that fits my needs, with a little help.

 

I'm 158# and walk on a 1/2" 20 yr old ugly grey piece of crappy ply everyday in my unfinished addition. 4' span across a 2' floor joist and barely notice a slight flex. My floor deck is 3/4" t&g glued & screwed and zero flex. Plywood is awesome.

 

I think he was talking about the one from AM or LMR that has 1/4" plywood. I think it might work if he bolsters the bottom like another poster mentioned.

 

That was a very helpful photo....Thank you....I wondered if there were contours underneath the seats not. As for the look....it does look nice. Thank you for that link.

 

Thank you....I looked at the link that shows the carbon fiber look and yes I will have to supply some joisting in there for support....that is why I was thinking 3/8" or 1/2" either cabinet grade or a MDO board. The cabinet grade is only 1.5 lbs per sq foot on 1/2" vs MDO being made of masonite composite I will have to research I am betting increases to 1.9 bls per sq foot on 1/2". I will take the seats out and do some measuring....and when I fabricate this, I will have photos for all to see. I read that the rear seats weight approx. 30 lbs total. I am not concerned about mileage, but usefullness of the area.

 

In case you are looking for an alternative ... here is our x brace:

http://www.steeda.com/store/steeda-m...race-555-5093/



Best Regards,

TJ

 

TJ, excuse my ignorance...what does the X brace do for my car?

 

From my understanding, it increases the structural rigidity in the rear, similar to what a strut tower brace does in the front end.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, or add information if any was omitted.

 

 

Basically to take the twisting out of the body and stiffening up the car's shell itself.....I have thought about the stiffener across the front towers under the hood.....I do know that when I push the car some in a tight turn it seems to want to roll or twist alittle, like it is unstable....I figure that I will put in above and underneath the car here in the future....