68 barracuda bucket seats-only one style??

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Neal Zimmerman

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Hi folks. I am starting to do the interior on my 68 fastback barracuda. What I cant figure out is this: Was there only one bucket frame available or not? I know you could order standard or deluxe upholstery packages but it is the actual frames I am wondering about. I want to order new bun pads but i need to clarify this before ordering. My buckets have factory headrests.
ALSO- who makes the best bun pad?
Thanks in advance,
Neal
 
Bucket seats are only one frame. 68-69 are also same one as B-bodies. The seat adapters are A-body specific however. Bun pads have no idea as I haven't gotten there again yet. 20 years ago we only had Legendary. Those many years ago my upholstery guy said it was sort of OK and made due with what we had.
 
As a matter of fact, 68-69 were also the same seat bottom frame and seat back frame for both left and right. Only thing that makes em left or right specific is the seat back locking hook in its outboard location on the seat back, and seat tracks. The lock hook can be easily swapped from one side of the seat back to the other side of the seat back.
 
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Dart1 why do you disagree? Have you taken these 68-69 bucket seats down to the frames for a restore as I have? If you actually did, and looked at the frames you will see that without the seat back latches or tracks installed that the seat bottom frames on the drivers and passenger side are identical, and the drivers and passenger side seat backs are identical as well once you remove the seat back latch.

I had a non repairable 68 drivers seat back. Bought a 68-69 "passenger side" seat back, was able to remove and swap the latch to the outboard drivers side. The fitting for the latch is permanently welded in on both sides of the seat back, even has the groove for the snap ring on both fittings. Took a snap ring plyers to remove the C clip before moving it, the spring, and C clip to the other side. Took 5 minutes to swap it and reconfigure the seat back from a RH to a LH by moving the latch.

The simpled in holes for the seatbelt storage holder clip are also stamped on both sides of the lower seat frame.

The seat back latch mechanism can be swapped from left side to right side on the seat back. There is a retainer for it on both sides of the seat back.

Tracks can be swapped from seat bottom to seat bottom. Ex. Move the seat back latch lever to the right, put Right side seat tracks under it, viola, it's a passenger side configured seat. Move the seat back latch lever to the left side, and put left side seat tracks under it and voila, it's a drivers side configured seat

Chrysler did not make 68-69 left and right bucket seat frames. Only a lower, and a upper. Which side the seat back latch was installed on along with the corresponding tracks made it either a left or a right.

This was done for ease of manufacturing and cost. Only had to make 1 bucket seat frame that with , which ever side the seat back latch was attached to along with the corresponding tracks made it the seat frame either a left or a right. Chrysler also made only 1 seat back latch and chrome lever it fit both sides. They did not stitch left or right specific seat covers either. 1 cover fit left or right.

The bucket seat track assemblies however were left and right specific, but only the steel uprights that bolted to the car floor were left and right specific. The actual steel riveted roller tracks that are riveted to the uprights are the same tracks weather on a left pair of seat tracks or a right pair of seat tracks. This is why on a left bucket mounted track assembly you move the lever one direction lets say forward to adjust the seat, and on the passenger seat you move the lever opposite or rearward to adjust the seat. It's because the same roller track that was used on the drivers side is now turned 180° to have the lever face outboard on the passenger side it's just riveted to a passenger side outboard specific upright.

Ditto on these as I have taken them apart to rebuild and grease them. I believe bench seat track roller assemblies are the same parts as used on bucket seats, they however are attached to bench seat specific floor mounting brackets. They do however make great pieces for bucket seat track spare parts, as I have used pieces out of these.

The reason for all this was again cost. Design and make only one set of roller tracks which are complicated enough with all the pieces in them to be costly but still necessary, and likely used on a bench seat as well. Stamp out 4 different specific bucket seat steel uprights to be LH inboard and outboard, and RH inboard, and outboard. These 4 pieces are way cheaper to produce as they are a simple stamping with welded on studs rather than making 2 sets of roller tracks that are mirror opposite.
 
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