DeAgostini AE86 Build Journal 06 — Issues 59–71: Front & Rear Seats

After completing the dashboard, centre console and floor carpets in Build Journal 05, the next stage of the AE86 focuses on the seats.

Issues 59–71 cover the original front seats, their installation into the interior, and the rear passenger seats. I also assembled the optional racing seats from AE86 Custom Part Set 2.

Although I planned to use the custom racing seats in the finished model, I still wanted to assemble the original seats. They have a classic AE86 look, and I thought it would be good to document the standard interior before changing anything.

The work in this chapter was mostly straightforward, but there were a few things worth paying attention to, especially the seat-back screws, safety harnesses and sliding mechanisms.

For the earlier stages of this project:

• AE86 Build Journal — Project Introduction
• Build Journal 01 — 4A-GEU Engine
• Build Journal 02 — Chassis & Suspension
• Build Journal 03 — Rear Axle, Exhaust & Fuel Tank
• Build Journal 04 — Engine Bay, Steering & Electrical System
• Build Journal 05 — Engine Bay, Dashboard & Interior

In This Build Journal

• Milestone 1: Original Front Seats — Issues 59–65
• Milestone 2: Custom Racing Seats — Custom Part Set 2
• Milestone 3: Front Seat Installation — Issues 66–67
• Milestone 4: Rear Seats & Interior Assembly — Issues 68–71
• Overall Build Impressions
• Closing This Stage

Milestone 1: Original Front Seats — Issues 59–65

Issues 59–65 assemble the original driver and passenger seats.

I already had the custom racing seats prepared for this build, but I decided to complete the original seats first. I quite like their classic design, and wanted to see how the standard AE86 interior would look before replacing them.

Issue 59 — Front Seat Headrests

Issue 59 begins with the headrests for both the driver and passenger seats.

Both headrests are identical, so the assembly process is the same for each side.

Issues 60–62 — Passenger Seat Assembly

Issue 60 assembles the passenger seat-back frame and attaches the headrest.

The assembly is straightforward, but there is one particular point to watch out for.

When securing the seat-back frame to the upper seat-back pad, make sure the screwdriver is aligned straight with the screw hole. Tighten the screw slowly and carefully.

If the screw goes in at an angle, there is a risk of cracking the screw-hole area on the upper seat-back pad.

It is worth taking a little more time here rather than forcing the screw into position.

Issue 61 assembles the reclining frame and seat back, then attaches them to the seat-back frame.

Issue 62 continues with the passenger seat cushion, which is assembled and attached to the completed seat-back frame.

With that, the passenger seat is complete.

Issues 63–65 — Driver's Seat Assembly

Issues 63–65 follow essentially the same process as Issues 59–62, this time for the driver's seat.

After assembling the seat-back frame, reclining components and seat cushion, both original front seats are completed.

Looking at the two completed seats, I still think the original AE86 design looks good. The shape and colour combination suit the car's classic interior.

Although these are not the seats I planned to use in the finished model, I'm glad I assembled them rather than skipping straight to the racing seats.

Milestone 2: Custom Racing Seats — AE86 Custom Part Set 2

Next, I moved on to the optional racing seats from AE86 Custom Part Set 2.

These are different from the original seats, with a racing-style design and red safety harnesses.

Assembling the Racing Seats

The racing seat assembly took me a while, mainly because of the safety harnesses.

There are quite a number of belt components to assemble, and I was slightly confused about their orientation at first.

I had to spend some time figuring out how the different belt sections should be arranged before completing the harnesses.

Other than that, there were no particular issues with the assembly.

The completed racing seats look very different from the original ones. I like the racing-style design and the red harnesses, although I have to admit that the classic appearance of the original AE86 seats is hard to ignore.

Both versions have their own character.

For this project, the custom racing seats are the ones I chose for the finished AE86.

Milestone 3: Front Seat Installation — Issues 66–67

Issues 66–71 mainly focus on fitting the front and rear seats into the interior.

Before switching to the custom racing seats, I installed the original driver and passenger seats first so I could document how the standard interior looked.

The installation itself went smoothly.

Issue 66 — Seat Details and Front Seat Installation

Issue 66 adds the remaining details to both front seats before fitting them to the front interior assembly.

One thing to be careful about is the screws securing the seats to the seat rails.

Do not overtighten these screws.

The seats are designed to slide forward and backward. If the screws are tightened too much, the movement can become restricted.

After fitting the seats, check that both can still move along their rails.

They should be secured properly without losing the sliding function.

Issue 67 — Rear Seat Cushion Supports

Issue 67 starts the next part of the interior assembly by fitting the cushion supports into the rear seat cushions.

There were no particular issues with this stage.

With the original front seats installed and the rear seat cushions prepared, the remaining work focuses on completing the rear passenger seating.

Milestone 4: Rear Seats & Interior Assembly — Issues 68–71

The final four issues in this chapter complete the rear seat assembly and join it to the front interior.

Issue 68 — Rear Seat Belts and Cushion Frame

Issue 68 fits the seat belts to the rear seat, followed by the rear seat cushion frame.

Issues 69–70 — Left and Right Rear Seat Backs

Issues 69 and 70 assemble the left and right rear seat backs.

Each completed seat back is then fitted onto the rear seat cushion.

The assembly was straightforward, and by the end of Issue 70, both sides of the rear passenger seat were completed.

Issue 71 — Joining the Rear Interior

Issue 71 brings the rear floor plate and the front interior together.

I made a small change to the assembly sequence here.

The instruction manual suggests joining the rear floor plate to the front interior before fitting the rear seat.

Instead, I fitted the completed rear seat onto the rear floor plate first, then joined the assembly to the front interior.

I found this sequence more convenient for handling the parts.

There were no fitting problems, and the front and rear interior sections came together smoothly.

With Issue 71 completed, the front seats, rear seating and interior floor assemblies have been brought together.

It's good to finally see the passenger compartment taking shape after assembling the dashboard and carpets in the previous chapter.

Overall Build Impressions — Issues 59–71

Compared with the engine-bay wiring and dashboard work from the previous chapters, this stage was relatively straightforward.

Most of the time was spent assembling the seat components and bringing them together with the interior floor.

There were no major fitting problems, but a few details are worth remembering.

• Issue 60 — Screw alignment: Make sure the screwdriver is straight when securing the passenger seat-back frame to the upper seat-back pad. An angled screw can crack the screw-hole area.
• Custom Racing Seats — Harness orientation: There are several safety belt components to assemble. Take time to understand their orientation before fitting them.
• Issue 66 — Seat rails: Avoid overtightening the screws securing the seats to the rails. Check that the seats can still slide forward and backward.
• Issue 71 — Assembly sequence: I fitted the rear seat to the rear floor plate first, then joined the assembly to the front interior. This sequence worked well for me.

One part of this stage I particularly enjoyed was comparing the standard front seats with the custom racing seats.

The original seats have that familiar, classic AE86 appearance. The racing seats, with their red harnesses, give the interior a different look.

I'm happy I took the time to assemble both versions. It also means I have a record of how the standard interior looked before making the change.

Closing This Stage

Issues 59–71 complete another major part of the AE86 interior.

The front and rear seats are assembled, and the interior floor sections are now joined together.

The seating work was generally uncomplicated, apart from a few small details that needed extra attention.

There's still more work ahead, but the interior is now looking much closer to a complete car.

Continue the AE86 Build

This chapter covers Issues 59–71 and the optional AE86 Custom Part Set 2 racing seats.

To follow the build from the beginning, visit the earlier chapters:

• AE86 Build Journal — Project Introduction
• Build Journal 01 — Issues 1–13: 4A-GEU Engine
• Build Journal 02 — Issues 14–22: Chassis & Suspension
• Build Journal 03 — Issues 23–33: Rear Axle, Exhaust & Fuel Tank
• Build Journal 04 — Issues 34–45: Engine Bay, Steering & Electrical System
• Build Journal 05 — Issues 46–58: Engine Bay, Dashboard & Interior

For the complete project, finished model photographs and video series, visit the DeAgostini AE86 Build Project page.