Hey guys I decided to make my own rear seat delete. I added a twist to make it more functional. Also I am not sure if this fits the R56, so if someone wants to just make the cardboard template to double check that would be great

I wanted to get rid of my rear seats because I really have no one ever sit back there and could always use the extra space. I also wanted the area under the platform to work as a functional storage space. I decided to add a hinge to the rear to make this as accessible as possible.

Materials:
1 – 2x4 foot sheet of plywood (I used ½ inch. Really wanted it to be as light as possible with ¼, but felt it was too flimsy.)
1 – 2inx4ft plank (For the leading edge platform)
1 – Door hinge
Automotive Carpeting (I used Headliner Material from Joann, but I’m sure there are much better matches out there. After Carpeting under the cover as well I used 1 ½ Yards total. If you want to use Joann they always have coupons which is a plus)
Spray Adhesive (3M is what I used)
Staples/Tacks

Optional:
Sound Deadener (Such as Dynamat or FatMat)
Velcro

1. Frist Remove the Rear Seats. There are a few guides out there if you need help, but it is only a few basic steps. First, the seat bottoms just pull out in you pull up from the bottom. Next, move into the trunk area and find the center mount for the rear seats. Take the Torx bolt out and “flip” the catch on the mount to free the center attachment. Next fold down the passenger rear seat back and start to fold down the driver side, but stop at about 45*. There is a certain angle that “unlocks” the side attachment, when you feel it pull the seat towards the center of the car to free the side mount. Repeat for the Passenger side, and your rear seats are free!

2. Next make a basic template out of cardboard. Really, this is an insurance step to ensure that the dimensions I found were pretty close. I found that the front edge measures to 42”, the back edge comes to 35.5” and the total depth is 21.5”. After making the template I placed it over the area to ensure that the fit was up to my liking. You may want to adjust the dimensions if you want it more/less close to edges.



3. Transfer your measurements to your material of choice. If you ensured the fit before, you shouldn’t have any issues. I covered all the edges with masking tape to minimize any scratches on my interior plastics.

4. Remove the center mount for the rear seats. It is two Torx bits that are covered by the rear seats. Remove them and it will come out easily.

5. Measure and drill new holes in the hinge to fit where the center mount was.



6. Attach the drilled hinge to the cover.

7. Bolt the hinge and cover to the existing mounting point, and ensure everything fits. The fit may not be perfect, but you’ll want to leave some room around the edges for carpet.










8. Next you’ll need a platform that fits over the front attachments for the cover to sit on. I cut a plank out to 42” and measured where the loop mounts needed to fit through.



9. Use spray adhesive on the carpet and cover and apply carpet, making sure to get out any air bubbles that may arise. I found it helpful to do it in steps. Fist, apply adhesive to bottom, add pressure and let dry, then move around edges. I also added some small staples to the bottom side to keep everything attached.




10. Attach all parts and admire your final product! The back of mine has a small gap because of the placement of the hinge on the board which I may move, but for now it's fine with me!





The carpeting actually fits much better than the picture shown. I also cut the front edge to look less bunched up. The zip ties are there to prevent the seat belts from contacting the cover (they fold).



Optional:

Sound Deadener – for some people, noise may be a concern when deleting your rear seats. You can add some sound deadener such as FatMat or DynaMat to remedy this. Just make sure not to cover up the access panel for the fuel system. I’ve heard that FatMat can create an awful asphalt smell so I believe DynaMat (though it does cost more) may be the best option.

Velcro – I wanted this to be as functional and neat as possible so I decided to add some Velcro to the leading edge of the cover and the platform. This helps with accessing the storage area by keeping it closed when I want and being able to open it at will. Truthfully, I had some Velcro lying around so I thought it may be a neat idea, really not necessary.

I am always open to suggestions so give me some feedback if you want!

 

My seats have been out since about 3 days after I bought the car. Thank you for the rough measurements. I put a piece of thin cardboard and was trying to perfectly get the edges...fat chance lol. I'll take your dimensions and see if they work on a R56

 

Yeah, I mean you could always cut my measurments out in cardboard to see if they fit the way you want, or adjust them to make it a closer fit. Good luck!

 

Good write up and awesome with the pictures.

 

Thanks man, just doing what I can to help people out.

 

After scouring NAM and other sites for a clean DIY, I came up with the following. Thanks for all the previous posts that I was able to gain knowledge from. Total cost around $35.
Materials;
2x4 sheet of 1/2" birch, $14.00
Roll of auto carpet from OReilly's, $13.00
3M spray adhesive, $3.00
PINs to hold it down, $5.00
Pulled the seats out and used the bottom cushion as a template.
Cut a 2" x 36" piece of the birch to use as a base for the rear of the piece. Used two toggle bolts through the seat bottom loops to hold the base. No holes drilled.

Trimmed the birch to fit so it had about 1/2" clearance to interior sides of car. Need room for carpet covering. Marked front and notched the birch so that the mount loops come up through.

Cut the automotive carpet so it was 4" wider than all sides of the birch, sprayed adhesive and applied the carpet. Took a little time and got messy but good result.

I ordered the pins from Amazon. They are 3/8" quick release pins 1" grip with a ring. These will slide through the front loops securing the main birch cover to the car.

Pulled old carpet from cross brace in rear and used old carpet as a template to cut out for rear cargo space loops then wrapped that area with the carpet tucking it in under birch piece, sides and rear cargo cover. I didn't glue this in case I want to reinstall the rear seat at some point.

Finally to cover up the rear seat holes on both sides of the interior, cut two small pieces of carpet and stuffed them behind the plastic.

Hope this helps others trying to do the same project. Nice and solid and now my golf clubs fit no problem

 

Have you tested the strength of it? How much can it hold?

 

I mean I can't give you an exact weight but I had to transport some supplies for my job and I can conservatively say that I had 50+lbs on it with no issues 👍

 

@Chief

Your install looks great. I was going to do the hoop look but I felt that the flat look was a tiny bit cleaner looking.

 

Cool, thanks for the info. I dont have a saw, would Home Depot cut it?

 

Not to the specific lines necessary. They only make straight cuts with the panel saw.

Pick up a jig saw, they're not terribly expensive.