jvespey Posted September 24, 2012 Report Posted September 24, 2012 I never knew that the two knobs on the outside of each seat were supposed to have little plastic discs covering the nut holding the knob in place - until I found one in my ashtray. The disc is marked on the inside with PEKALIT which now translates into "unobtainium" based on my research. I did run across some nice guys over at Benzworld.com who have a need for these discs also on the Recaro seats that were used in the 500-series cars from the mid-80s. My day job involves sourcing short runs of unique parts of all kinds for the DeLorean car. I have a supplier in AZ who does small run moldings like this using a urethane mold. Tooling is very affordable as is the piece price and so far have been very happy with the results from him over the past couple years. Long story short, I've sent him my sample to see if he can make up some of these little discs. If anyone has a need for them also, or any other of the seat plastic parts, post up here, please! James
Avanti83 Posted September 24, 2012 Report Posted September 24, 2012 You might want to contact Dan Booth at Nostalgic Motors to see if he might have an interest and/or suggestions on parts that could be sourced. If he wanted to stock some you might be able to get better pricing and possibly some free-bees for the effort. Bob
kboyd Posted September 25, 2012 Report Posted September 25, 2012 The seat back release handle for the Avanti Recaro seat is the same as that used in the Porsche 944. The part number is: 911 521 817 00. I purchased a couple off of the web for $1.95 each. They were a direct match for the one that I lost. I do not recall the vendor's name but there were several on the web selling the part. Be worth a Google search to see if one of them also carries the adjuster knobs.
okc63avanti Posted September 26, 2012 Report Posted September 26, 2012 One of the adjuster knobs on my recaro seats is stripped ... it would be nice to find a replacement source.
okc63avanti Posted September 29, 2012 Report Posted September 29, 2012 What color is the knob? It is black and has BMW lettering on it .... here's a picture
jvespey Posted October 1, 2012 Author Report Posted October 1, 2012 Ah, the big knob - not the smaller ones like these on mine: You'd want a Recaro big knob, right? Not a BMW one? James
okc63avanti Posted October 2, 2012 Report Posted October 2, 2012 James the center disc of the knob actually has BMW lettering. Here's a close up picture with Recaro label, it has a number of KBA 90024, I guess it could be a model number. The seats came out of an 83 Avanti II. If you know of a source for knobs I could buy a matching pair if they will fit this Recaro seat. The Disc saying Recaro would actually be nicer than the BMW inserts Thanks, John.
jvespey Posted October 14, 2012 Author Report Posted October 14, 2012 I should receive the samples of the little discs early next week. If they look good and fit well, I'll probably get a couple dozen made to start. Once I see how they work out, then I'll move on to the big "Recaro" knob as, thusfar, my searches have come up empty.
jvespey Posted October 15, 2012 Author Report Posted October 15, 2012 ONE sample arrived today. Virtually indistinguishable from the original save for a slight sheen on the original lacking on the repro. It fits as the original, which is to say, slightly loose but still tighter than my original. I'll probably put a dab of black 3M weatherstripping adhesive on the back just to keep it in place - it's not like I have to get in there much, if at all. I don't really have a way to heat test these, so who knows how they'll behave in a parked car next summer here in Houston, but for $2 a piece, I'm not that bothered about it. I'm going to order 50 today, and if anyone wants one or more, they're $2 each shipped first class mail in the USA. PM me if interested... James
jvespey Posted April 8, 2014 Author Report Posted April 8, 2014 (edited) My short run urethane mold guy was unable to get any consistency on the run of these, so I tabled the project until late last year when I found a guy who does short run injection molding. First I had a CAD drawing made, then a tool cut, we experimented with a couple different types of plastic until we got a nice one that had good temperature properties. Should hopefully have finished products in hand in the next week or two. James Edited January 20, 2018 by jvespey remove cad image
jvespey Posted April 15, 2014 Author Report Posted April 15, 2014 These are now available to whomever needs them - $3.00 each with free shipping to any US address. Easiest way to buy is via Ebay, which can also arrange for shipping to many countries outside the US. If you live in a country outside the US, PM me and we'll figure out the best way to get them to you. http://r.ebay.com/GIZszE These are made in the USA and should be available for the foreseeable future as the tooling is made and sitting here in the USA. I've got a couple hundred pieces in hand now, once those start to get low, I'll get more made/shipped in. James
sat65 Posted April 16, 2014 Report Posted April 16, 2014 I just ordered a set for my '84. Thanks for your efforts in reproducing them... Paul
jvespey Posted April 17, 2014 Author Report Posted April 17, 2014 Thanks, Paul - yours were shipped yesterday! James
jirvin Posted May 22, 2014 Report Posted May 22, 2014 I just checked eBay and the sale ended May 14. Do you have any more of these buttons available? thanks Jack
jvespey Posted May 24, 2014 Author Report Posted May 24, 2014 Hi Jack - Yes I re-listed them a few days ago here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/111359027639 I have six left right now and another 40-60 coming next week. James
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