Early Barracuda "Heavy Duty" Rear Seat Backs?

[dibbons]

First a question: Are the rear seats all the same 64-66 Barracuda? Thank you.

Is the factory rear seat back fairly heavy (weight-wise) or am I just losing muscle tone in my old age? Carrying that thing around it's quite a chore for me these days. I read somewhere that old seats can become heavier with age as the foam "absorbs" who knows what. Thank you.

 

[eekvonzipper]

I move mine around with a Dolly So, Yeah...

 

[Plymouth 65]

Definitely heavy! 65'

 

[pishta]

F yeah, try to lift its bucket seat out over a fender! No wonder the A100 seat are popular with racers......
Beautiful seat! The lock bar makes a good handle.

 

[Bodyperson]

My 67 is heavy too. I should get it out of the rafters before I'm too old. LOL

 

[barracudadave67]

Everything gets heavier as we age. That set of tires, and wheels is a killer for me. I don't know if I could swap an engine, or tranny, by myself anymore at my age, LOL.
Dave

 

[DC 340]

I think they are all the same...heavy. I took mine out when drag racing. I went from not so fast to not so fast. : ) But it beats not eating cheeseburgers for 10 years. LOL.

 

[dibbons]

Found a plastic ID tag that was attached to the seat springs:
1 65 R8C-CA (or CH?)
2522949C

 

[65 Cuda 340]

First a question: Are the rear seats all the same 64-66 Barracuda? Thank you.

Is the factory rear seat back fairly heavy (weight-wise) or am I just losing muscle tone in my old age? Carrying that thing around it's quite a chore for me these days. I read somewhere that old seats can become heavier with age as the foam "absorbs" who knows what. Thank you.

View attachment 1715731806

View attachment 1715731807

Seat frame is the same 64-66, but 66 upholstery is different - seats and door panels. Edit: I should clarify that the REAR seat frame is the same. 66 front seats are different than 64-65 seats. Seat you have is 64-65. Here's a 66:

Back seat in my 65 weighs 70 pounds. Bottom is pretty light, so most of the weight is in the back. Don't know about foam absorbing moisture, but I don't think the back seat has foam. Or not much, at least. But my back seat upholstery has never been off, so I could be wrong. At any rate, I'd guess most of the weight is in the metal frame, the chrome bar and the brackets for being able to fold it down.

 

[Bob Jasinski]

I reupholstered the rear seat back and bottom for my '65 using a Legendary kit last Fall. The seat back uses no foam, only jute and cotton batting. It is very heavy, most of the weight comes from the solid steel back, springs, hinges, and latch bar. I thought I'd hang it on the wall to save space but quickly gave up on that idea. Here's some pictures from the process. Getting the dip just right in the center is difficult, as is figuring out exactly how many layers of cotton batting are needed to get it just right. Had to redo the cotton batting a coupled times, it took less than I first tried. Legendary has videos online that help.

 

[geminimotors]

I reupholstered the rear seat back and bottom for my '65 using a Legendary kit last Fall. The seat back uses no foam, only jute and cotton batting. It is very heavy, most of the weight comes from the solid steel back, springs, hinges, and latch bar. I thought I'd hang it on the wall to save space but quickly gave up on that idea. Here's some pictures from the process. Getting the dip just right in the center is difficult, as is figuring out exactly how many layers of cotton batting are needed to get it just right. Had to redo the cotton batting a coupled times, it took less than I first tried. Legendary has videos online that help.

View attachment 1715732369 View attachment 1715732370 View attachment 1715732371 View attachment 1715732372 View attachment 1715732373 View attachment 1715732374 View attachment 1715732376

Tonight I replaced the rear floor and back seat-back carpet in my 65. That back seat is heeaaavy with the metal backing panel, latches and bar. Im glad its done- EE1 dark blue, black seats, black carpet just in time for summer!

 

[Detroit Iron]

Traction!

 

[Dulynrod 66cuda]

I reupholstered the rear seat back and bottom for my '65 using a Legendary kit last Fall. The seat back uses no foam, only jute and cotton batting. It is very heavy, most of the weight comes from the solid steel back, springs, hinges, and latch bar. I thought I'd hang it on the wall to save space but quickly gave up on that idea. Here's some pictures from the process. Getting the dip just right in the center is difficult, as is figuring out exactly how many layers of cotton batting are needed to get it just right. Had to redo the cotton batting a coupled times, it took less than I first tried. Legendary has videos online that help.

View attachment 1715732369 View attachment 1715732370 View attachment 1715732371 View attachment 1715732372 View attachment 1715732373 View attachment 1715732374 View attachment 1715732376

so, you didn't say how many layers you used ?

 

[Dulynrod 66cuda]

I reupholstered the rear seat back and bottom for my '65 using a Legendary kit last Fall. The seat back uses no foam, only jute and cotton batting. It is very heavy, most of the weight comes from the solid steel back, springs, hinges, and latch bar. I thought I'd hang it on the wall to save space but quickly gave up on that idea. Here's some pictures from the process. Getting the dip just right in the center is difficult, as is figuring out exactly how many layers of cotton batting are needed to get it just right. Had to redo the cotton batting a coupled times, it took less than I first tried. Legendary has videos online that help.

View attachment 1715732369 View attachment 1715732370 View attachment 1715732371 View attachment 1715732372 View attachment 1715732373 View attachment 1715732374 View attachment 1715732376

how many layers did you use?

 

[jeff alder]

I reupholstered the rear seat back and bottom for my '65 using a Legendary kit last Fall. The seat back uses no foam, only jute and cotton batting. It is very heavy, most of the weight comes from the solid steel back, springs, hinges, and latch bar. I thought I'd hang it on the wall to save space but quickly gave up on that idea. Here's some pictures from the process. Getting the dip just right in the center is difficult, as is figuring out exactly how many layers of cotton batting are needed to get it just right. Had to redo the cotton batting a coupled times, it took less than I first tried. Legendary has videos online that help.

View attachment 1715732369 View attachment 1715732370 View attachment 1715732371 View attachment 1715732372 View attachment 1715732373 View attachment 1715732374 View attachment 1715732376

As always nice work Bob. That looks very professionally restored.

 

[Bob Jasinski]

how many layers did you use?

Dulynrod, Sorry, but I can't say exactly how many layers I used, it was done by trial and error and it was four years ago. I started with what I thought it would take, but had too much. It probably took three tries, hog rings on, hog rings off, to get it just right, I really wanted it full and no dimples so overstuffed it going in. I will say that the Legendary kit had more more cotton batting than what was required, definitely had leftovers.

Edit: I also glued in a styrene panel to the underside of the dip at the top to give it some rigidity and a more defined shape. I didn't like the roundness of the shape of the dip without it. I realize that factory didn't do that but it adds a refined detail I like.

 

[Dulynrod 66cuda]

Bob, Thanks for the information. every little bit helps with this one.

 

[RustyRatRod]

They made um purdy stout because they knew people were gonna trade DNA in the back seat.

 

[Bob Jasinski]

They made um purdy stout because they knew people were gonna trade DNA in the back seat.

Rusty, I've heard several stories about early Barracudas backed up to the screen at a drive-in enjoying the action. Before you know it, along comes junior. The feature film was probably Plan 9 from Outer Space, NOT Bullet.

 

[65 Cuda 340]

Fold the seat down, drop the rear panel, and there is room enough to put a single bed mattress. Did that once to make a quick round trip from Gainesville, Florida to Chicago and back in a three day weekend with one of my college roommates. Picked up his wife in Chicago and brought her back to Florida pulling a U-Haul trailer full of her junk. We took turns sleeping and driving. Couldn't have made it otherwise.

 

[FISHYPETE]

My first car, dated my late wife………

They made um purdy stout because they knew people were gonna trade DNA in the back seat.