I removed the factory bench and installed buckets from a 95 bronco because that is what i thought i wanted at the time. after getting it on the road now, i have decided that i would like a bench back in it. ex wife...divorce.... parts left behind when i left.... new boy friend (wife of course).... scrap.... idiot.... you get the picture. needless to say i was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what bench fits best or may even be close to a direct bolt in with minor mods. up till a few years ago you could still browse the junk yards at your leasure on a nice saturday afternoon but now insurance providers have shut down the "mall" for guys like myself. any suggestions would be appreciated

 

This seat came out of a 90 Ford Ranger. With a little fabrication I was able to use the stock 48 seat frame. I also tilted it back a little for more room at the steering wheel. Works well with a stock gas tank too. Any of the small truck seats from mid 80s to mid 90s like Dodge D-50, Nissan, Toyota, etc. are in the ball park but it's harder to find a bench than buckets....

 

A few years ago I pulled out a split-back bench seat from a truck that I parted out. I threw away the seat, but kept the base, which has the original seat brackets and a frame welded onto them that any bench seat could be attached to.

If you find a bench seat and are in need of the frame with the original brackets, let me know.






I also know someone that has a stock bench seat that he may sell. However, you're on the other coast. Shipping by Greyhound, although the cheapest, would likely kill the deal. The seat will need to be reupholstered.

 

i would be interested in the base frame if you would part with it. let me know $. thanks, i appreciate your input

 

would have expected a modern full seat to be to long. i will check out local junk yards for ranger seats. thank you

 

When I got my F1 Panel years ago it had some '70s-'80s vintage split front seat in it that looked like an overstuffed living room couch. That got pulled out real fast. I picked up mid to late '90s Dodge Dakota non-split, folding bench seat that seems to be a good width and when reupholstered in a rolled & pleated manner will look OK and sit lower than the stock seat. Just take a tape measure and walk the local junk yards to see what's out there. I think I paid $40 for my Dakota seat. Went to another yard a year or so ago and got one for a friend's F1 pickup for $20.

Lee

 

Seats out of a Dodge/Plymouth Caravan or Chrysler Town & Country work really well in a Panel.

Front driver's seat from a Caravan in the Panel driver's seat position and right middle-row pass seat from Caravan in the front pass seat in the Panel. Rear most bench seat out of the Caravan behind the front seats in the Panel.

 

The Ford Explorer seats are the same width as original - The have the 40/60 split bench and the two door models have the tilt thingie

 

guess I better get looking then. Thanks for all the ideas

 

Sent you an email this morning.

 

sounds ok to me. let me see what i can find to fit, then see how it is made so i know if i can modify it to fit your frame. let you know by the weekend, thanks

 

by the way, I really like the panels. been looking to build something different next. thinking about a panel set up 4X4 with lots of lift. also thinking about an OLD milk truck from a local dairy set up the same way.

 

I have a bench out of a 1980 ranger fits great i am building a new base so i can use the ajustment from the ranger

 

I got a split bench with a nice fold up/down armrest in the center and a cup holder intergrated into it from a 2007 chevy colorado, with some excelent colors, fabed some brackets to raise it up and was good to go. cost me bout $220 for everything I did for that.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...s/DSCF1051.jpg

Deadanimal

 

I see you're in WestVirginia? I bought the OEM bench seat for my 48F1 at the annual big Portland Ore swap meet that they have each spring? or so.

Can you get to one of those big swaps in your area? I know there are some huge ones back your way, but don't know how close and how practical. Its a long ways to go for just a seat, but if its a fun trip to just do it and look etc the OEM bench seat might be there. I only paid $85 or so for a very useable bench seat with some sort of replacement upholstery from the 70's or so/looks good/works good.

Also you could place an ad on Craigs list in the "parts for sale" section and just title it "Bench Seat Wanted" etc. They're around, and myself I like the OEM' seat, later stuff is cool too.