Aftermarket bucket seats into a bench seat car- concerns and considerations?

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MRGTX

MRGTX

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First, it looks like us bench seat folks will need to install floor reinforcements similar to what the factory bucket cars had. Is it correct to say that these must be welded or is a bolt-in application acceptable?

Auto Metal Direct 407-1067-S: Bucket Seat Floor Mounting Bracket Set for 1967-1976 Mopar A-Body | JEGS

Original A-Body bucket seat tracks can be pretty tricky to track down. and many aftermarket companies offer more universal seat tracks. Has anyone had luck using these? Or are we better off finding original (or repop) style tracks?

In other words, is it easier to fit the aftermarket seats to the OEM style tracks or is it easier to fit aftermarket tracks to the floor of the car?

Lastly, there are a number of companies that offer retro-fit three point seat belts with retractors. Is there a preferred brand/type?



As great as the OEM buckets look for our old Mopars, I think I want to go slightly different direction, preferably with a bit more lateral support but still fitting the early 1970s sports car look. I believe I've finally settled on a particular seat. They're not going to be the first choice for a lot of folks here...but they work for me and I suspect they will save quite a few lbs compared to the bench. These are "Nurburgring" seats made by BF Torino. Even the vinyl version aren't cheap but also not expensive by nicer quality aftermarket seat standards.

Has anyone made seats like these work?


nurburging7.jpg
 
MRGTX said:
First, it looks like us bench seat folks will need to install floor reinforcements similar to what the factory bucket cars had. Is it correct to say that these must be welded or is a bolt-in application acceptable?

Auto Metal Direct 407-1067-S: Bucket Seat Floor Mounting Bracket Set for 1967-1976 Mopar A-Body | JEGS

Original A-Body bucket seat tracks can be pretty tricky to track down. and many aftermarket companies offer more universal seat tracks. Has anyone had luck using these? Or are we better off finding original (or repop) style tracks?

In other words, is it easier to fit the aftermarket seats to the OEM style tracks or is it easier to fit aftermarket tracks to the floor of the car?

Lastly, there are a number of companies that offer retro-fit three point seat belts with retractors. Is there a preferred brand/type?



As great as the OEM buckets look for our old Mopars, I think I want to go slightly different direction, preferably with a bit more lateral support but still fitting the early 1970s sports car look. I believe I've finally settled on a particular seat. They're not going to be the first choice for a lot of folks here...but they work for me and I suspect they will save quite a few lbs compared to the bench. These are "Nurburgring" seats made by BF Torino. Even the vinyl version aren't cheap but also not expensive by nicer quality aftermarket seat standards.

Has anyone made seats like these work?


View attachment 1715455746
Click to expand...

Kinda looks like a cheap plastic racing seat w/ great covers put on them , except for the head rest ------------
 
famous bob said:
Kinda looks like a cheap plastic racing seat w/ great covers put on them , except for the head rest ------------
Click to expand...

Do you mean the shape? It's a pretty standard vintage look sports car seat. They have looked like this for decades and a lot of companies make a version. I like this particular one because they managed to make the style a bit more slim. Most of them look too puffy for my taste.
 
Floors arent reinforced for the inboard rear seat bracket... and mostly upon stomping on the gas pedal the floor gives, caves...cracks.. and you're rockin around.
I welded a flat steel square to back up the floor and that fixed it for me.

Fwiw I have Recaro seats.
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Floors arent reinforced for the inboard rear seat bracket... and mostly upon stomping on the gas pedal the floor gives, caves...cracks.. and you're rockin around.
I welded a flat steel square to back up the floor and that fixed it for me.

Fwiw I have Recaro seats.
Click to expand...

so the OEM plates are there for a reason. Good to hear that you fixed yours!

which Recaros are you running? What seat tracks?
 
Recaro seats here as well.
These are 11 way adjustable newly recovered out of a 91 BMW 3 series car.
It is kind of a challenge to fit a non flat floor of an A body car with seats made for a flat surface.
I opted for building frames to adapt the two together using the seats OE equipment sliders and the frames varied heights to the floor (different heights on each corner)

I considered a one piece frame all the way across (which could have been easier)with a center I could build a console/cup holder between the seats, but ended up doing a separate frame for each seat.

Each of the four corners of each seat is reinforced with 1/8 steel plate 3x3 inches.
Not welded, but may be in the future.

seats1.jpg


DSCF0005small.JPG
 
TrailBeast said:
Recaro seats here as well.
These are 11 way adjustable newly recovered out of a 91 BMW 3 series car...
Click to expand...

Those seats look great! I have looked at OEM BMW seats as possible donors. Like yours, they usually seem to demand a recovering job...which I don't have the time or skills to do right. I've also looked at old Porsche seats and even Miata seats.

Fabricating the mounts seems a bit complicated.
Is there a thread or another resource on how people have done this? Is there a commonly accepted method?
 
MRGTX said:
Those seats look great! I have looked at OEM BMW seats as possible donors. Like yours, they usually seem to demand a recovering job...which I don't have the time or skills to do right. I've also looked at old Porsche seats and even Miata seats.

Fabricating the mounts seems a bit complicated.
Is there a thread or another resource on how people have done this? Is there a commonly accepted method?
Click to expand...
If you find seats from a late model car with a convertible top they will have built in shoulder belts.
 
MRGTX said:
so the OEM plates are there for a reason. Good to hear that you fixed yours!

which Recaros are you running? What seat tracks?
Click to expand...
Mine is a bench car.
Only reinforced at outside ends.
They came in BMW's, but these were bought aftermarket for a 84 Mitsubishi 4x4 with bob Baker fenders, suspension, wheels, torsen lockers.
I used the the brackets from the truck and they worked fine. They have a footprint of about 2 1/4" x 2".
The drivers seat has a leg extension cushion you lift and pull out a couple inches to support the knees/legs on long trips.
Lumbar adjustment knobs, adjustable head rests....and when you take a turn.... you dont move, you're planted/hugged by the seat.
I had challenger high back buckets in it for a time...
All those did was let me slide or roll off the seat , having to reposition myself constantly.
.
 
MRGTX said:
Those seats look great! I have looked at OEM BMW seats as possible donors. Like yours, they usually seem to demand a recovering job...which I don't have the time or skills to do right. I've also looked at old Porsche seats and even Miata seats.

Fabricating the mounts seems a bit complicated.
Is there a thread or another resource on how people have done this? Is there a commonly accepted method?
Click to expand...

What I did was just pull the carpet back and use blocks to position a flat square tube frame on the floor, and then measure from the corners of the frame to the floor for risers in different lengths at each corner.
Eye it, adjust, check for the same level on each side and adjust as needed as I went.
It took different length bolts at each corner as well, so it wasn't quite a whole day to get them in there with all the measuring, cutting and welding involved.

It wasn't quick or easy, but it was worth it.:D

Integrated belts would be nice, but I just used my existing lap belts.
I did put 4 point harnesses in as well just in case, but not having a cage there wasn't any good place to attach the shoulder belts.
This means a hard hit could cause the belts to crush the seatback and break ya.
 
So my seats are on the way. I ended up going with a similar model to the one in the first picture but from Cobra Racing Seats. They were a bit cheaper. Unfortunately, the ones I wanted weren’t a commonly stocked combination so I had to put in a custom order. They will arrive early March, I gather.

In the mean time, I obtained the SCAT seat brackets. I can see that some of you guys fabricated your own brackets but I’m working two jobs and I barely have time to shave these days so this solution was appealing.

A couple more questions:

The SCAT brackets came with no instructions, of course. Evidentially, the seat sliders need to be tack welded to these brackets and the brackets bolt to the floor. Does that sound right? Has anyone used these?

There seem to be dimples in the floor Pan for bucket seat mounting points which would make life a lot easier...Is that correct?

If so, it looks like the existing reinforcement for the bench seat bolts (on the outside only, obviously) may interfere with the AMD/Repro floor reinforcements. Should I expect to have to trim that material off?

Thanks for any insights.
These are the seats (in someone else’s car)
3AB6F201-5D0A-4880-ACFF-8B801BE64305.jpeg
 
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