Front seat removal

[Alice]

Hi all,

I've been trying to remove the seats in my 1977 Mk 1 today to get the carpet up and check for rust underneath. The rear seats came out easily but I'm having a lot of trouble with the front seats.
I've seen a couple of other threads about this but I can't fully understand the explanations.

It looks like the seats should just slide out the back of the rails fine except that there's something at the front holding them in there. Tried taking the spring out but that didn't change anything. Thoughts are it might be the white cap (can be seen right at the front in the centre when the seat is pushed all the way back) or something to do with the pin.

Any help appreciated! Trying to figure this out is driving me a little crazy, it seems like it should be really easy but I can't figure it out!

[sports racer]

There's a small bolt right in the middle of the front bracket which stops the seat sliding too far back. Take out the bolt and you should be able to slide the seat out.

Let me know if you need a picture and I'll take one for you.

Cheers

Paul

[Peter Jones]

At the very front of the middle rail under the front edge of the seat cushion there's a little M6 socket head screw and dome nut that needs to be undone.

[Alice]

That screw is already missing from the drivers seat, but I still can't manage to get it out.
It doesn't look like anything is stopping it from coming out yet it still doesn't want to.

Any pictures you have that may help will be appreciated!

[Peter Jones]

Some times the rear legs catch the capet and get stuck.

Are the plastic rail covers still in place? There's not many left in MK1s but they'll snag the carpet if you don't remove them first.

Aftermarket seat belts might have to be removed too, I seem to recall them fouling sometimes depending on the year.

Look for junk in the rails, a pencil or a coin can jam the tracks too.

If all of that's clear, sit in the seat, hold the lever up and use your feet on the firewall to push the seat backwards.

[Alice]

All of that is clear but it still doesn't want to come out. Is this something that just needs brute force?

There is a white plastic tab sitting between the middle rail and the seat which seems to be stopping it. Could this be the problem?

[Alice]

Disregard my last post, it has finally come out!!
We had to push the small metal bracket that sits below the screw backwards then the seat came out.
Fingers crossed the other one wants to come out the same way.