pics of bucket seat swaps in C-bodies?

[393foureyedfoxrn]

I'm interested to see what some of you guys have used as donors to put later model bucket seats into 65-68 C-body 2 door cars. I've been toying with the idea for years on my 66 VIP, but just can't get too excited about the lack of comfort of the original style seats combined with nearly 60 years of use and wear to the springs and foam. Hoping to find pics of later-model low-back seats swapped in, with or without console or buddy/center seat. I already have the seat tracks from a donor C-body bucket car. Thanks!

 

[CBODY67]

ONE thing to consider is that most late model bucket seats are a bit narrower than the factory buckets which came in those cars. Or other cars for that matter. You don't realize that until you measure the new seats. Whereas the older factory buckets had space between them and the console/buddy seats, the later model buckets actually rub against the factory console in their newer cars. Which ALSO means that the inner part that rubs the console is fabric rather than vinyl!

For decades, modern bucket seats have had side-impact air bags in them, too. Which would need to be deactivated/removed for use in a car that did not use such.

For bucket seats which have he seat belts included into them, when those seats came into use, the floor pan strength was increased a bit to handle the added forces of all of the restraint forces being focused on ONE area of the car's structure, rather than being spread out between the B-pillar mounts and the floorpan (as the magazines mentioned back then).

Just some observations as I looked for factory buckets to fit a 1970s non-Ford, non-Chry pony car I have, to replace the existing factory buckets, several years ago. I gave up.

Just some thoughts and observations,
CBODY67

 

[WissaMan]

I don't have any input on this, but I can tell you....after a 6.5 hour drive in my Toyota Highlander, I've been contemplating how to swap late 70's Chrysler buckets into it

 

[Just Carbs]

The seats from around 2001 Buick and Cadillac work well. They have all the belts and controls on the seat.

 

[WissaMan]

The seats from around 2001 Buick and Cadillac work well. They have all the belts and controls on the seat.

Are the shoulder and lap belts integrated into the seats themselves?

 

[Just Carbs]

Are the shoulder and lap belts integrated into the seats themselves?

Yes.

 

[WissaMan]

That's pretty handy. Just the other day I was wondering if something like that existed. Only thing, if you wanted to be safe from a technical standpoint, you'd want to reinforce the mounting to the car. The factory just uses 4 bolts that aren't real thick. In an accident they might snap or pull out. While the factory seat belts are mounted with real thick bolts.

 

[SportFury70]

Not sure if this is what you are looking at ideas about or if this will help you, but my stepdad converted his 1967 Fury II station wagon to bucket seats and console. Here is a post I made about it in 2019 here called New '67 Fury II Station Wagon Interior. Factory style 1967 buckets were put in it.