Monday 21 December 2009
07:00

Please be seated

This is my first contribution to our website primarily due to the fact that I have been mostly sat on my derriere over recent months, so it's seems only fitting that my initial comments should focus on the comfort levels of the aforementioned posterior. One thing I have discovered about teaming up with two ex-forces chaps is their incredible appetite to cut, carve and bastardise their way through virtually every bit of perfectly serviceable kit we have, in order to create something tailor made to our needs that in no way resembles my GCSE Design Technology project. The latest effort involved taking out the rear bench seat in Barry (the Toyota) and replacing it with a single seat to free up some apparently much needed storage space. I was tasked (when did I start using phrases like that?) to locate and procure a single right hand side rear passenger seat from a geographically appropriate salvaging unit. However, as I was not overly keen on spending 6 months sat on something about as secure as the ejector seat from James Bond's DB5 my lack of enthusiasm no doubt led to my failure to find and buy one from a nearby scrap yard. Luckily for all of us Phil managed to acquire a suitable seat from a Citroen Synergy and happily informed us that the seat is in fact designed to be removable. Quite right, although the intention is you put it back in the Synergy, not a Toyota. Of any description. Regardless we pressed on and after quickly removing the bit of the seat that made it detachable, which was in the way, Tom fashioned a supporting bracket out of his former wooden kitchen work surface and bolted everything together in a euphoric explosion of rugged manliness, back to basics handiwork and most importantly overriding safety. Unfortunately it didn't fit. Not even close. But again unperturbed by this minor set back Tom returned to the drawing board, as opposed to the ironing board that was no doubt next on his kill list, and re-fashioned another bracket out of yet more wooden kitchen work surface.... And you know what? It's bloody ruddy brilliant. It fits, it's secure, it's kept it's original reclining function and it's startlingly comfortable. Which means I can go back to sitting on my a*se. Three cheers for the army, hurrah!









Tom in action

The seat

Tim breaking out a mental sweat

Phil enjoying a post-installation espresso

3 comments:

Pa Fossey said...

Tim,

How secure? Does it have a seat belt? Is there really no room for the occupant's legs as the photo of Phil would suggest?

Just seen an interesting take on converting Toyota Land Cruisers starring Richard Hammond - think you'll recall it as you were sitting in the next armchair. Better luck to the team!

Pa

Anonymous said...

I see 11 Oclock ROC lives on ha ha

This Road said...

Can't stop the ROC!

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