Interior/Exterior My JCW Work Truck - Ultimate Modular Rear Seat Delete
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Victoria, BC Canada
My JCW Work Truck - Ultimate Modular Rear Seat Delete
My JCW Work Truck – The Ultimate Modular Rear Seat Delete!!
PART ONE
I use my car for work. I work as an Energy Consultant, which means when I am working with homeowners, I need to transport my 'Blower Door' to the client's house, along with a small ladder, computer, clipboard, literature, and assorted small hand tools. Most of my peers use a small pickup truck or van for work, but I want something more FUN to drive...and getting good fuel mileage is not a bad thing, either.
I used my previous car, a 2006 MCS, to transport all this stuff, just by folding down the rear seats and more or less 'tossing it all in there'. It worked, but some stuff moved around a bit when driving, and some things (like the hand tools and literature) sort of 'duked it out' with each other, and the car's interior...with the predictable result that the rear interior of the car took a bit of a beating over the four years I used it this way.
Here is what the Blower Door looks like, all set up:
So the car has to carry that large red box (with the fan inside), the black case for the pressure guage, and an aluminum door frame that holds the fabric door in place....plus my briefcase containing laptop, scanner, and printer. Not easy to fit all that in a Mini and still have everything organized and easily accessible...but not impossible!
It was time to replace my Mini, and I loved the old one so much, I decided to get another one...this time a JCW (woohoo!!).
The JCW I bought is just SO nice, this time I decided to take the time to really set it up properly so all my work stuff fits securely, and is easily accessible.
This forum and others were so helpful to me, giving me lots of great ideas, that I decided to document my project and present it, in case others find it useful. I don't really expect anyone else will have the same specific needs as mine (if you do, PM me!!) in completing their own RSD, but maybe some of the stuff I incorporated into mine will provide some inspiration...
Here were my design objectives:
1). Definitely remove the rear seat entirely. Only used it twice in four years with the old car anyhow.
2). Find a way to slide the door frame underneath everything else. Previously it sat on top, with the end sticking out forward between the front seats at about shoulder level...making it awkward to reach things on the passenger seat...plus, it tended to slide back and forth in corners.
3). Create a totally, smooth, flat platform from front to back so things can be slid in and out easily.
4). Have a moveable system of anchors so I can 'tie down' any size or shape of anything
5). Make the whole thing look as OEM as possible...nothing cheesy that looks out of place, or cheap, or non-automotive
6). Entire system must have absolute minimal contact with the car, so no wear marks, scratches, scuffs, etc will develop over time
7). Must be installable and removeable with zero cutting, drilling, etc...so I can return the car easily to stock any time
8). Do whatever possible to minimize road noise, as it noticeably increased once I removed the rear seats.
9). Use as much of the available space as possible
10). Make sure everything has its own place, and is securely anchored so there are NO rattles, squeaks, or shifting, even during 'spirited' driving :-)
I don't think I really knew what I was getting into...in particular, making it look like a factory option...OMG did this ever take a LOT of time, doing fiddly little stuff to get it all looking right. If you ask me how much time this project took, I only have one word: STUPID. :-)
I have done a little custom work before, but this was a whole new level. Once you remove the rear seats, there is not a single straight line, level surface, or right angle to reference anywhere, and the entire thing not only has to sit in place properly, but is also constrained by:
i) fitting entirely inside the vehicle without touching it anywhere but its mounting points, yet filling the space as completely as possible (again, no straight lines, right angles or level surfaces)...aaargh!
ii) Being able to get it into and out of the car
iii) being able to open, slide, or swing parts of the system as needed, without interference, with doors open or closed...
I think I ended up making most measurements five or six times, and many of them had to be adjusted afterwards anyhow.
The first step was to figure out if the door frame could fit with the long end on the bottom instead of the top. I came up with the idea of a peice of 4” PVC pipe as a way to slide the frame into place...but would it fit??
well, yes, JUST...but only if I slide the frame up between the arm rest support, to within a half inch of the emergency brake...
CLOSE, but workable, and definitely better than having it up next to my shoulder! So I started to build my frame around this pipe, planning to place a platform on top of it...
And to build a couple of drawers, one on each side of the pipe...
I thought about four drawers – two small ones sliding out toward the front, and two longer ones sliding to the rear, but in the end decided (thanks goodness for my sanity) to just stick with two, opening towards the back.
I cut out my platform from 3/8” plywood, using a cardboard template to match the curves of the interior panels (just did it once, flipped it over for the other side), keeping the platform edge about 3/4” away from the panels...yes, this will fit into the car by sliding it vertically behind the front seats, then laying it down...
At this point, I was starting to think about turning the whole thing into a giant, rear facing potato gun (Cantaloupe gun? Grapefruit gun?) That oughtta fix them tailgaters...
Stay tuned for Part 2...
PART ONE
I use my car for work. I work as an Energy Consultant, which means when I am working with homeowners, I need to transport my 'Blower Door' to the client's house, along with a small ladder, computer, clipboard, literature, and assorted small hand tools. Most of my peers use a small pickup truck or van for work, but I want something more FUN to drive...and getting good fuel mileage is not a bad thing, either.
I used my previous car, a 2006 MCS, to transport all this stuff, just by folding down the rear seats and more or less 'tossing it all in there'. It worked, but some stuff moved around a bit when driving, and some things (like the hand tools and literature) sort of 'duked it out' with each other, and the car's interior...with the predictable result that the rear interior of the car took a bit of a beating over the four years I used it this way.
Here is what the Blower Door looks like, all set up:
So the car has to carry that large red box (with the fan inside), the black case for the pressure guage, and an aluminum door frame that holds the fabric door in place....plus my briefcase containing laptop, scanner, and printer. Not easy to fit all that in a Mini and still have everything organized and easily accessible...but not impossible!
It was time to replace my Mini, and I loved the old one so much, I decided to get another one...this time a JCW (woohoo!!).
The JCW I bought is just SO nice, this time I decided to take the time to really set it up properly so all my work stuff fits securely, and is easily accessible.
This forum and others were so helpful to me, giving me lots of great ideas, that I decided to document my project and present it, in case others find it useful. I don't really expect anyone else will have the same specific needs as mine (if you do, PM me!!) in completing their own RSD, but maybe some of the stuff I incorporated into mine will provide some inspiration...
Here were my design objectives:
1). Definitely remove the rear seat entirely. Only used it twice in four years with the old car anyhow.
2). Find a way to slide the door frame underneath everything else. Previously it sat on top, with the end sticking out forward between the front seats at about shoulder level...making it awkward to reach things on the passenger seat...plus, it tended to slide back and forth in corners.
3). Create a totally, smooth, flat platform from front to back so things can be slid in and out easily.
4). Have a moveable system of anchors so I can 'tie down' any size or shape of anything
5). Make the whole thing look as OEM as possible...nothing cheesy that looks out of place, or cheap, or non-automotive
6). Entire system must have absolute minimal contact with the car, so no wear marks, scratches, scuffs, etc will develop over time
7). Must be installable and removeable with zero cutting, drilling, etc...so I can return the car easily to stock any time
8). Do whatever possible to minimize road noise, as it noticeably increased once I removed the rear seats.
9). Use as much of the available space as possible
10). Make sure everything has its own place, and is securely anchored so there are NO rattles, squeaks, or shifting, even during 'spirited' driving :-)
I don't think I really knew what I was getting into...in particular, making it look like a factory option...OMG did this ever take a LOT of time, doing fiddly little stuff to get it all looking right. If you ask me how much time this project took, I only have one word: STUPID. :-)
I have done a little custom work before, but this was a whole new level. Once you remove the rear seats, there is not a single straight line, level surface, or right angle to reference anywhere, and the entire thing not only has to sit in place properly, but is also constrained by:
i) fitting entirely inside the vehicle without touching it anywhere but its mounting points, yet filling the space as completely as possible (again, no straight lines, right angles or level surfaces)...aaargh!
ii) Being able to get it into and out of the car
iii) being able to open, slide, or swing parts of the system as needed, without interference, with doors open or closed...
I think I ended up making most measurements five or six times, and many of them had to be adjusted afterwards anyhow.
The first step was to figure out if the door frame could fit with the long end on the bottom instead of the top. I came up with the idea of a peice of 4” PVC pipe as a way to slide the frame into place...but would it fit??
well, yes, JUST...but only if I slide the frame up between the arm rest support, to within a half inch of the emergency brake...
CLOSE, but workable, and definitely better than having it up next to my shoulder! So I started to build my frame around this pipe, planning to place a platform on top of it...
And to build a couple of drawers, one on each side of the pipe...
I thought about four drawers – two small ones sliding out toward the front, and two longer ones sliding to the rear, but in the end decided (thanks goodness for my sanity) to just stick with two, opening towards the back.
I cut out my platform from 3/8” plywood, using a cardboard template to match the curves of the interior panels (just did it once, flipped it over for the other side), keeping the platform edge about 3/4” away from the panels...yes, this will fit into the car by sliding it vertically behind the front seats, then laying it down...
At this point, I was starting to think about turning the whole thing into a giant, rear facing potato gun (Cantaloupe gun? Grapefruit gun?) That oughtta fix them tailgaters...
Stay tuned for Part 2...
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Victoria, BC Canada
My JCW Work Truck, Part 2...
My JCW Work Truck, Part 2...
Now that the basic concept was getting fleshed out, time to install soundproofing mat before I go any further. This was not fun...big guy, small car...you get the picture.
I found some anchor rails in black that would allow me to install anchor rings anywhere along their length, but I did not want the rails to get scratched up, and thought it would look much better if they were recessed. To achieve this, I glued to the plywood platform some pieces of an old camping pad 3/8” thick, leaving spaces between for the rails.
To make sure I had a platform that was completely flat for sliding things, but hinged to fold up at the back (more on that later), I had to find special hinges. I piano hinge would have worked, but would have had to be mounted on top, leaving a valley with a bump in it.
To mount these hinges I needed thicker wood, so doubled up the 3/8” plywood, which made it flush with the blue pad.
I also radiused the edge of the padding to make the carpet curve nicely around the edges.
Stay tuned for Part 3...
Now that the basic concept was getting fleshed out, time to install soundproofing mat before I go any further. This was not fun...big guy, small car...you get the picture.
I found some anchor rails in black that would allow me to install anchor rings anywhere along their length, but I did not want the rails to get scratched up, and thought it would look much better if they were recessed. To achieve this, I glued to the plywood platform some pieces of an old camping pad 3/8” thick, leaving spaces between for the rails.
To make sure I had a platform that was completely flat for sliding things, but hinged to fold up at the back (more on that later), I had to find special hinges. I piano hinge would have worked, but would have had to be mounted on top, leaving a valley with a bump in it.
To mount these hinges I needed thicker wood, so doubled up the 3/8” plywood, which made it flush with the blue pad.
I also radiused the edge of the padding to make the carpet curve nicely around the edges.
Stay tuned for Part 3...
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Victoria, BC Canada
My JCW Work Truck Part 3
My JCW Work Truck Part 3
For the rear fold up section, I needed it to either stay up at 90 degrees, or stay flat. No need to have it in between, and I wanted to avoid any catches or latches...so the solution was a gas strut, with the geometry set up to it would be fully compressed at 45 degrees, and fully extended at 90...meaning the strut would push the platform up OR down, with a 'tipping point' in the middle.
You can see in the above pics the two metal hooks on the bottom of each side...these anchor the entire assembly to the rear seat belt mount with turnbuckles.
I discovered at this point the entire assembly will not fit into the car attached together...the frame has to go in first, then the platform. This is fine since my plan was to use the bolts securing the rails to hold the platform down, so I just installed the rails once the rest was already in the car.
I needed to have a way to securely mount rear support feet for the folding section, and a bracket to hold the vertical blower door frame rails in place, after the platform has been carpeted. So, I installed long bolts with nuts, AND some epoxy glue around the seated heads, to make sure they would not turn when I tightened the final nuts (screw heads will be under carpet, not accessible).
Brackets had mounting holes countersunk to accommodate nuts...
On the other side, I had to remember to countersink to accommodate nuts, AND the socket needed to tighten them...
I painted black any part of the entire system that might be visible once fully assembled, OR that might end up with a small gap in a carpet seam...to make it much less visible if that should happen.
Time to build the drawers. Another forum member built in a tissue dispenser in his RSD, and I think that's a great idea so I did it as well. The tissue box sits in the front of the passenger side drawer.
I wanted the drawers to be strong, so the plywood on the bottom is glued and screwed to the sides on all 4 edges. I had to recess the plywood into the drawer front, in order to make a smooth edge for the carpeting.
I left clearance above the drawer front so the carpet could go over the top.
More detail on the tissue holder...
Once assembled, I tapped on the bottom of one of the drawers and it sounded like a bongo drum. This will NOT do!! So, I cut a piece of black hardboard to fit inside each drawer, and glued it into place using Green Glue acoustic dampener. Now the drawer bottoms go 'tok-tok' instead of 'BONG-BONG'.
Stay tuned for part 4...
For the rear fold up section, I needed it to either stay up at 90 degrees, or stay flat. No need to have it in between, and I wanted to avoid any catches or latches...so the solution was a gas strut, with the geometry set up to it would be fully compressed at 45 degrees, and fully extended at 90...meaning the strut would push the platform up OR down, with a 'tipping point' in the middle.
You can see in the above pics the two metal hooks on the bottom of each side...these anchor the entire assembly to the rear seat belt mount with turnbuckles.
I discovered at this point the entire assembly will not fit into the car attached together...the frame has to go in first, then the platform. This is fine since my plan was to use the bolts securing the rails to hold the platform down, so I just installed the rails once the rest was already in the car.
I needed to have a way to securely mount rear support feet for the folding section, and a bracket to hold the vertical blower door frame rails in place, after the platform has been carpeted. So, I installed long bolts with nuts, AND some epoxy glue around the seated heads, to make sure they would not turn when I tightened the final nuts (screw heads will be under carpet, not accessible).
Brackets had mounting holes countersunk to accommodate nuts...
On the other side, I had to remember to countersink to accommodate nuts, AND the socket needed to tighten them...
I painted black any part of the entire system that might be visible once fully assembled, OR that might end up with a small gap in a carpet seam...to make it much less visible if that should happen.
Time to build the drawers. Another forum member built in a tissue dispenser in his RSD, and I think that's a great idea so I did it as well. The tissue box sits in the front of the passenger side drawer.
I wanted the drawers to be strong, so the plywood on the bottom is glued and screwed to the sides on all 4 edges. I had to recess the plywood into the drawer front, in order to make a smooth edge for the carpeting.
I left clearance above the drawer front so the carpet could go over the top.
More detail on the tissue holder...
Once assembled, I tapped on the bottom of one of the drawers and it sounded like a bongo drum. This will NOT do!! So, I cut a piece of black hardboard to fit inside each drawer, and glued it into place using Green Glue acoustic dampener. Now the drawer bottoms go 'tok-tok' instead of 'BONG-BONG'.
Stay tuned for part 4...
6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,894
Likes: 8
From: Philly PA
Trending Topics
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Victoria, BC Canada
Thanks very much for the comments and feedback, much appreciated!
There is a bracket I have fabricated on the bottom of the flip-up portion that securely holds the aluminum frame to stop it flopping, or even rattling...I will post Part 4 shortly, and you can see how it all comes together!
Cheers,
Doug
There is a bracket I have fabricated on the bottom of the flip-up portion that securely holds the aluminum frame to stop it flopping, or even rattling...I will post Part 4 shortly, and you can see how it all comes together!
Cheers,
Doug
5th Gear
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,056
Likes: 3
From: Bronx,NY
Thanks very much for the comments and feedback, much appreciated!
There is a bracket I have fabricated on the bottom of the flip-up portion that securely holds the aluminum frame to stop it flopping, or even rattling...I will post Part 4 shortly, and you can see how it all comes together!
Cheers,
Doug
There is a bracket I have fabricated on the bottom of the flip-up portion that securely holds the aluminum frame to stop it flopping, or even rattling...I will post Part 4 shortly, and you can see how it all comes together!
Cheers,
Doug
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Victoria, BC Canada
My JCW Work Truck Part 4
My JCW Work Truck Part 4
Soft close drawer slides very carefully aligned and installed, mounting holes for the anchor rail bolts all pre-drilled...
A cheap queen sized comforter from Wally World was stuffed into the seat wells under the frame, for further soundproofing.
Carpeting...aye aye aye what a royal pain. Never done anything like this before, but was absolutely determined not to ruin my painstaking work so far...let me tell you, cutting and gluing all that carpet around all those compound curves and complex shapes was incredibly time consuming, and difficult to make it look nice. A close up of one of my seams, and you can see the drawers were painted black before carpeting.
I really tried hard to cover up or disguise anything I used that was a standard hardware store item...really wanted this to look OEM if possible.
In the end, I am very happy with the final results...just still cannot believe how long it took!! Note support feet for the rear fold down part do not actually touch the rear sill, until weight is put on them...this is so if I am driving with the panel folded down, the feet will not make marks or scratches from constant contact.
I am also happy to say road noise has been very well controlled...I think the road noise coming from the back is now less than it ever was before. I also got rid of the runflat tires while this project was underway, which helped even more.
Once you see the rest of the pics, it will become obvious why I needed the fold up / down portion to properly secure my door frame. I can now make any size or shape of 'tray' or 'holder' to anchor to the rails on the front portion of the platform, so this can all be easily adapted as my needs change or evolve...which is what I mean by a 'modular' approach.
If I ever no longer need to carry the door frame, I just might make a James Bond Grapefruit Gun after all, with a remote hatch opener I can activate while driving...look out tailgaters!!!
Tissue dispenser visible above!
Above you can see how the edges of the platform do not actually touch the interior panels of the car. The only contact points for this entire assembly are the two front metal 'loops' the seat bottom snaps onto, and the four rectangular 'loops' at the back of the seat well...plus the four turnbuckles securing it all to the bottom seat belt brackets...plus carpet on carpet along the front bottom edge.
In the above picture, if you look closely you can see the 3M film I had applied to the inside edges of the armrest supports (and to the top of the rear bumper) to prevent scratching...the door frame does not actually touch the emergency brake boot, it stops about 1/2" before it, even with the brake applied.
Stay tuned for Part 5 - The Modules...
Soft close drawer slides very carefully aligned and installed, mounting holes for the anchor rail bolts all pre-drilled...
A cheap queen sized comforter from Wally World was stuffed into the seat wells under the frame, for further soundproofing.
Carpeting...aye aye aye what a royal pain. Never done anything like this before, but was absolutely determined not to ruin my painstaking work so far...let me tell you, cutting and gluing all that carpet around all those compound curves and complex shapes was incredibly time consuming, and difficult to make it look nice. A close up of one of my seams, and you can see the drawers were painted black before carpeting.
I really tried hard to cover up or disguise anything I used that was a standard hardware store item...really wanted this to look OEM if possible.
In the end, I am very happy with the final results...just still cannot believe how long it took!! Note support feet for the rear fold down part do not actually touch the rear sill, until weight is put on them...this is so if I am driving with the panel folded down, the feet will not make marks or scratches from constant contact.
I am also happy to say road noise has been very well controlled...I think the road noise coming from the back is now less than it ever was before. I also got rid of the runflat tires while this project was underway, which helped even more.
Once you see the rest of the pics, it will become obvious why I needed the fold up / down portion to properly secure my door frame. I can now make any size or shape of 'tray' or 'holder' to anchor to the rails on the front portion of the platform, so this can all be easily adapted as my needs change or evolve...which is what I mean by a 'modular' approach.
If I ever no longer need to carry the door frame, I just might make a James Bond Grapefruit Gun after all, with a remote hatch opener I can activate while driving...look out tailgaters!!!
Tissue dispenser visible above!
Above you can see how the edges of the platform do not actually touch the interior panels of the car. The only contact points for this entire assembly are the two front metal 'loops' the seat bottom snaps onto, and the four rectangular 'loops' at the back of the seat well...plus the four turnbuckles securing it all to the bottom seat belt brackets...plus carpet on carpet along the front bottom edge.
In the above picture, if you look closely you can see the 3M film I had applied to the inside edges of the armrest supports (and to the top of the rear bumper) to prevent scratching...the door frame does not actually touch the emergency brake boot, it stops about 1/2" before it, even with the brake applied.
Stay tuned for Part 5 - The Modules...
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Victoria, BC Canada
that would make parking a nightmare. One of the great things about using the Mini is I can just about always fit into a homeowner's driveway...avoiding the entire issue of parking tickets, etc. Some streets here are 'residential parking only', and they are VERY zealous issuing tickets. Doing work for the homeowner you are parked in front of is definitely NOT an excuse to get out of a ticket.
Besides...would YOU want to tow a trailer behind your JCW if you didn't have to???
:-)
D.
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Victoria, BC Canada
At least I managed to get this done right after buying the car, instead of right before selling it...which has happened to me!!
Doug
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