Painted Seat Tracks

[rixter]

Hi,

In trying to free up the adjustable seats in my Alpine V, I realized that the PO got very liberal with what looks like epoxy paint.. apparently when coating the floor pans. This paint is everywhere... in the tracks, through the return springs for the adjustment lever, on the rubber bumpers and on the lever rubber tip. Naturally nothing moved... no surprise... frozen solid. In peeling off this paint, that comes off rather easily other than in the springs, it looks like galvanized metal underneath. Once cleaned up, everything now works perfect. My question is this: what finish, if any is supposed to be on the seat track mechanism? As I post this, I see that there is a used set for sale on eBay that look the same in the photo as mine.... black with some of the paint flaking off, but the lower track that mounts to the floor looks unpainted. Any recommendations? I want it to be protected from the elements but not glop up the works.

Thanks

Rick

 

[Geoff 67]

seat track paint

Recently repainted mine while restoring the interior. I used Rust-oleum silver "hammered" finish paint. Not the original galvanized look, but a lot better than a 46 year old finnish. Good luck.

Geof

 

[tom o]

I believe that the original finish was zinc plated, which is a electroplating finish.
I have not done mine yet, but complete disassembly would be necessary.
you would have to look for a plating shop in your area.

 

[alpine_64]

The actual brackets that the runners mount to, the ones that go to the floor were painted satin black, not body colour. The adjustable sliders would have been zinc IIRC.

 

[rixter]

I guess I will go ahead and paint at least some portion of the assembly to give it a consistent look and be careful not to get the tracks loaded with paint as the other person did. My main goal was not necessarily to make it original but to protect it and make to look a bit better.

Thank you for your responses.

Rick

 

[rixter]

SV Seat adjuster pins

Having reconditioned my seat tracks a while back, I discovered that the method for "securing" the adjustment pins was likely not the original way they were secured. See photo. These pins had been peened on the end opposite the spring end.... apparently by a blind individual from the missed center punch shots. That didn't look proper, but I retained that method at the time. Well one of these pins popped off (no surprise), and I am now back looking at this method of mounting to secure it a better way.... if not the original way.

Can anyone inform me of the original way the end of the pins were secured on series 5 seat tracks? I see no evidence that there were nuts to secure the end of what could have been a threaded rod protruding through.

Thanks
Rick