creative bucket seat ideas for C/K body

[tempestan]

Anyone on the forum have creative ideas, hopefully with photo images for installing bucket seats in a C/K body? I intend to utilize non-Stude bucket seats, so the factory set-up probably won't work and don't want to modify any parts that may be expensive or difficult to find. I understand/remember correctly C/K body bucket seats required factory brackets. What is the "fix" or suggestions you may have to install buckets in place of the bench seat. Something neat and creative that will keep the mounting bracket(s) out of the rear passenger footwell.

Thx, tempestan

[sweetolbob]

This is the front and rear seats from a 2007 Acura TL. The front seats needed brackets fabricated but it was easy as there are four bolts, one on each corner that could be used. You can see the brackets on the drivers side with the included seat belt mount. The back seat was about the same width as the Stude. As with the original seats, not a lot of room for the rear passengers legs. The rear lower seat fit right at the raised portion of the floor for easy mounting. I chose to cover the rear foot wells but the mounts and brackets were mounted before I made that decision. Just much easier to carpet that way.



Bob

,

[Pat Dilling]

I put bucket seats from a Chrysler Sebring Convertible in mine. These have shoulder harnesses built in to the seat back. One downside on these is they are tall and really block vision for anyone sitting in the back seat. In our case that seldom occurs, so the advantage of the shoulder harness took precedence. You can see my installation process in my journal here: http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/jour...11&action=view.

The pages are oprganized from most recent backward so click back to see all the installation process. I also chose to cover my footwells and actually modified a previous seat adaptation to make mine work. My floors had also been replaced with some seriously thick metal which gives me confidence that there is sufficient thickness there to hold the seat in place in an accident or other high g-force incident. I used seatbelt installation hardware as backing plate under the floor for additional strength.

Pat

Pat Dilling
Olivehurst, CA
Custom '53 Starlight aka Stu Cool

LS1 Engine Swap Journal: http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/jour...ournalid=33611

[sweetolbob]

I like Pat provided for seat anchorage when I built the floors. They are 18 ga but I welded channel to the bottom with nuts welded to it for attachment.

Bob

,

[Jerry Forrester]

quote:Originally posted by tempestan

Anyone on the forum have creative ideas, hopefully with photo images for installing bucket seats in a C/K body?
Thx, tempestan

1992 Pontiac Grand Am. No problems with the foot wells. Welded elevator bolts to the driveshaft hump and bolted the GT console directly to the floor. Gonna do away with the headrests, they make an old car look too modern.



...............................................

I am in the process of getting parts and pieces gathered up for the May 2010 South Bend Swap meet. How about you?

Jerry Forrester
Forrester's Chrome
Douglasville, Georgia
Be sure to check out my eBay store

http://stores.ebay.com/CHROME-CHROME-CHROME

for your shiny Stude stuff.

More pix of Leo the '55 Pres HT here...http://tinyurl.com/2gj6cu

[TedsHawk]

I have seen some nice looking seats in some late model Monte Carlos. With very nice looking sort of older style upholstery. Seems to be 2004-05 SS anyone try them? Then may be similar to the Grand Am seats

1957 Golden Hawk
"Studebaker? they dont make them anymore"

[Michidan]

This is a K body...but its a 52. I choose Grand Am seats like Jerry did, these are 98's. I just went to the biggest wrecking yard that would let me in, and checked as many 2 doors as I could. And they are fine. Comfy. They do have a built in seat belt receiver on the inner side, but nothing built in for the buckle side. I'm not going to use the receiver I think.
In my case the mounts are pillars made from aluminum bar stock. Each was custom cut, so the seat is right where I want it.
If you have a K body, you have hog troughs underneath to deal with like I did. You cannot really just bolt to the floor with these in the way. So on the outermost 2 bolts, I welded big washers and nuts on the inside.

https://www.studebakerhardtop.com

[mweiss]

The most important point is to check that the top of the front portion of the seat(that your thighs will rest on) is no higher than 9 to 10 inches. If you use the original steering column or similar. If you use a late model tilt GM style column, this may not be so important, as seen in some of the photos above. If higher than 9-10 inches, your clearance to steering wheel will be tight, or your head will hit the ceiling, and vison thru the windshield compromised.You need to get as low as possible. Cadillac CTS seats with integral seat belt are an example of seats that sit too high for the CK. The chrysler sebring will fit , but as noted are rather tall and obstruct. The Jaguar 1996-2002 XJ and some XK models fit nicely, and the headrests can be kept, and do not obstruct vision.They are a perfect fit in many ways, but need three point restraint attachments to the roof.This wasn't particularly hard, but needs to be planned carefully. I have pictures for proper fitment so that the shoulder strap is comfortable at final setup. I will try to post some pix later. The floor mounts at the rear of the seats will require some type of coverage of the footwells, in most cases, but I think the footwells are useless anyway.The front mounts require a horizontal bolt-thru, for the jag,but can easily be modified. The jag seats can be situated such that full front movement with the electric motor will allow ingress into the back seat area by a passanger.They run a couple hundred bucks on ebay, and advance auto parts outlets can often order you one thru slavage operations. You will need to weld a bolt into the roof rail, just above the vertical line of the rear window, to utilize a three point restraint. The floor definitely requires reinforcement for any of these options, if you don't want the whole seat to go thru the windshield in a forward MVA. The original bench seat was most definitely not mounted very well at the factory,originally, in my opinion, the channel and captured weld nuts were weak, particularly now, 50 years later with evolved rust. Volvo seats also fit very nicely,late model 90's are wide, comfortable, and with the headrest removed, look quite authentic. They are a little easier to mount. I am planning a volvo setup in a current 53 CK project. It looks good, and is low, wide, and comfortable. I don't use late model tilt columns, but do use smaller steering wheels,(less than 14 inches diameter) and power steering applications from later model lark style studebakers. thanks, m,weiss



ok

[junior]

Couple of things to remember about safety...if you care enough about it to go to the trouble of installing 3 point restraints, do not consider removing headrests...they serve a safety function, not a comfort function. Always remember to install a thick (at least 3/16")backing plates under the floor that are either slightly curved and/or have nice radiused edges underneath the mouting points. This will help stop the plates from ripping through the floor structure of the car during impact. Fabricate your own or buy pre-fab ones from street rod suppliers, it's very cheap insurance. Junior.



54 Champ C5 Hamilton car. In my family since 1958.