baibbas

I got a rear seat deletion kit from Schrader:

http://www.rearseatdelete.com/mustangcoupe05.html

It's really nice and looks great put in, but the lower panels are a little flimsy and can't hold much weight in case I wanted to put something in the back like luggage or boxes. In my 2000 Mustang I used wood backing on my deletion kit to provide reinforcement, but in my 2011 kit it's ABS plastic. Is there some lightweight strong material I can use to reinforce the lower panels so I can put some weight on it? I know I could probably use wood again like pine or plywood but I was thinking something more durable like fiberglass or plastic I could cut with a dremel saw.

Thoughts?

freyes

Is there an air gap between the ABS plastic and your floor? If so, I recommend cutting rings of acrylic or PVC tube (1 to 3" diameter) to take up the gap. ABS plastic has a yield strength of 40 Megapascals, which makes it about half as strong as acrylic and one third as strong as aluminum. But if you prevent the ABS from sagging under the weight of a heavy object, it should be fairly resistant to cracking. If there are no gaps between the ABS and the metal floor, you should be fine without the reinforcement, as long as you do not throw heavy objects on the carpeted ABS. Adding plywood will increase weight, and you will loose some of the advantage of a rear seat delete.

157dB

Rear seat delete to save weight and you are adding more weight to it...

Whats your purpose for the rear seat delete again...???

WesleyEng.com

He's not trying to save weight, the rear seats weight like nothing. You can hold the entire rear seats on your pinky.

baibbas

Thank you! What part of "lightweight strong" was not understood?

Something like an epoxy board of fiberglass board I could use under the kit to support the weight and it would still be way lighter than having the seats themselves installed.

Siber Express

16 pounds of savings, I think I will leave the seat in.

baibbas

Why leave the seat in? You can barely fit a female in the back seat, a full-grown adult cant' fit in the back unless you have a midget driving in the front with the seats all the way up. The back seats are useless in a Mustang as far as I'm concerned.

WesleyEng.com

I think you're exaggerating or over compensating. They fit males and females fine.



Or maybe your females are too big.

baibbas

that's not answering my original post.

baibbas

and the females are tall skinny American women, not 5 foot tall circus midgets.