How to install bucket seats?

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myasylum

myasylum

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I have bucket seats from what I believe to be a newer Aspen R/T or something simulair to that. I have a 73 Duster so the holes don't align well, but I figure I'll just drill new ones. The problum is the passenger side there is about a 3" gap between the bottom of the seat and the floor on one side of the seat! I'm thinking maybe finding a "C" shaped 3" bracket so I can bolt the seat on the top of the "C" and a new bolt to bolt on the the lower part of the "C" and the floor, so It would act as a 3" spacer (if any of that makes sense?) does anyone know when I could get a bracket like this? or other suggestions perhaps?

Thanks!
 
You can try just replacing the tracks for A body tracks (pre cat converter, thats the reason for the 3" gap).
 
check the yellow pages or internet for a local steel supplier and go tell them what you need. or ask to look through their scrap pile, you just might find something that would work.

just an idea
 
shooting yourself in the foot with 2x4s. that would be more work than simply making the track studs longer and using spacers. if you have a welder, even better
 
I am putting Sebring seats in my 65 Dart and already made brackets. I used L-brackets and slotted L channel from Ace. The later on the outside for the gap you mention. I used the 4 factory bucket holes, plus drilled 2 new holes further aft (w/ spacers) since the Sebring tracks are longer. I had to drill only one hole in the Sebring track, for each seat. The driver's and passenger holes differ in my 65 Dart, as I recall.

A store-bought kit would be nice since I spent most of a day on each seat. I set the old Dart seat upside down on an outdoor table, with the Sebring seat next to it to measure back and forth many times, moving the tracks back and forth, etc. I'll post w/ photos after I get them installed and prove it works fine (when does that happen?). A few months from now since currently painting and such.
 
sadly none of the holes match the studs. I think I'm basically going to put the stud in one hole at the highest point and drill the other three new holes from there.
 
If you used 2x4 you would still need longer studs and you would want to make sure to use pressure treated wood. And make sure the wood is being compressed by the hardware, do NOT attach the seat to the wood and then attach the wood to the floor. There isn't any reason good sound wood can't be used as the spacer.

I used a 2x2 for 10 years in my valiant with daytona leather seats and the wood was still solid and secure when I pulled the seats last winter.
 
More than likely you have to fab your own. 90% of the seats that we get to reupholster have fabbed brackets.
 
Use a piece of square tubing, you could use the original stud on one end, place a bolt in the other.
 
Yes, I just went to Ace Hardware and got some ideas. Now to do some measuring...

I know this sounds weird, but since these seats don't bolt in like I hoped, I feel like I'm doing something wrong, but as mentioned before 90% of the seats that come in to be reupholstered have fabbed brackets. So I guess I shouldn't feel to bad about it?!
 
As promised, photos of the floor holes - driver's side, then passenger's. The front inner hole is ~1" forward of the outer hole, on both sides. I recall measuring 1.25" difference on the seat tracks. Note that the distance between the bench and bucket holes differ considerably between the 2 sides. The extra aft hole on the passenger side is one I drilled for my Sebring seats.
 

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