Pool Noodles & MB seats

[norton]

I saw this on another MB web site a couple of months ago, but I can't find the site now. What the post was about was using Pool Noodles ( the 4 to 5' long 3" round foam things that kids play with in the swimming pool) to firm up worn out car seats. On the MB's, 4 to 6" long sections can be stuffed into the spring box on the seats to make your seats like new. Now I would never do a thing like this to my new to me E320, but boy did it work great, you can even over stuff parts of the seat to make thigh bolsters or a lumbar support. :oops:  If anybody comes across that site please post it.

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe

[ted280sl]

Mike,
  Noodles and stuffing certainly have their place in uphosltery but, I found that my seats had springs which had broken. My local body shop was able to restore the seat springs by welding the springs back together. They feel great and have been in place for several years now.
regards,
Ted
1969 280SL with very comfortable seats (working springs and some extra padding)

[graphic66]

http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/showthread.php3?t=118422&highlight=pool+noodles

[norton]

Thanks Dave  But what the heck was I doing on a Diesel forum?

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe

[mdsalemi]

Having seen a 113 seat apart at Motorwerks I can vouch for the broken spring thing.  A 35 year old driver's seat on a 113 is almost certain to have broken spring steel inside.  Problem is, these are not springs in the conventional sense, it is a "fabric" of spring steel.  I probably have a few broken myself.  But the pool noodle sounds like a novel and inexpensive solution!

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored

[norton]

Thanks Mike    You know the pool noodles are not realy that far feched, I had taken the seat out of the E320 to install a Mercedes kit to stiffin the side bolsters on the lower cushion. The kit is 2 peices of foam that you stick in springs, of course it is formed, and has a MB part number on it (and an MB price)but it is just foam. When I got the seat out I found that the kit had already been installed, and that the springs where just worn out, so in went the noodles

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe

[Chad]

I saw this on a diesel forum and did this also to a 1983 300TD wagon.  It works well enough, but the noodles do move and sometimes you will find an unconfy configuration. It is 80% satisfying, but definitely cheap to do. Perhaps I need to take them out and redo the whole thing.

I'm not sure I would do it with a W113. Just took it to an upholstery shop and know it will cost some bread.

-CD-
1967 230SL, 113.042 10
1983 300TDT, WDBAB 93A7DN

[mdsalemi]

Chad and others,

One of the members of our local MBCA chapter, an enterprising and energetic 16 year old, did this to his 300 turbodiesel sedan with astoundingly good results.  They could not move around as there was no place for them to go.

I think the thing to do is to understand that you should probably repair the steel basket first, either by repairing or replacing the broken spring steel pieces.  I can almost guarantee that on any 35 year old car, at least the driver's seat needs work.

Second, if your "horsehair pads" are broken down they should be replaced as well.

Finally--to augment the seat and add support--the empty spaces can be filled with pool noodles, cut and or bent into the positions needed.

It is on my list of winter projects this year to remove the seats and repair the springs, and then add the noodles.

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored