We bought a 2000 E350 van from a family friend who was the 2nd owner. The original owner opted for 2 captain chairs in the second row instead of a bench and only installed the 3rd row bench also. We are looking to switch the 2nd row captains for a bench and have the possibility of the 4th row as well. Where can I find a 2nd row bench and the back bench? Also what years are our van compatible with to widen the range of available seats?


Thanks we are new to having this large of a van and need some input.

 

My 97 seats measured the same as the seats in a 07 model. Check your local craigslist of salvage yards. I have a lady coming up from Oklahoma to buy all of mine.

 

Check craigslist for benches. Don't forget brackets and seat belts. Generally, benches from '92 through '07 are interchangeable. I don't know if that carries beyond the '08 facelift until the Econoline series retired. I *think* the holes for second row buckets will take brackets for a second row bench. Mind that some second, third and 3-position fourth row benches have legs in different positions so measure the floor holes in your van and get what you need. IIRC, bench legs aren't easily repositioned. If the van didn't come with a fourth row, you'll have to drill holes in the floor and trim the foam insulation pad. The rear sides and pillars should be factory threaded for OE outboard shoulder belts. Seat belts are position specific so it's best to find fourth row belts from a similar length van. You'll have to find escutcheon panels with cutouts for seat belts, trim your blanking panels or go without.

FWIW, the PO of our van replaced the third row with a couple more buckets and I added a fourth row 4-place bench. There were no marks in the floor for holes in our '93 E150 so I used a '06 E350 regular length with fourth row as a template then shoved the bench aft as far as it would go without touching the interior side panels to maximize leg room. A step drill bit made easy work of drilling through the floor. I cut X's into the carpet. You can get fancy and install nutserts (Nutserts) but I went with high strength nuts and bolts, tightening the bolts below while holding the bolts above. Removing the bench is easy but removing the brackets is a half day job!

If you strike out with suitable benches, try Fam Vans (https://www.cargovanparts.com/category/seats-seat-belts), a van customizing shop in SoCal. They're pricey but the benches they sell are generally new and include all hardware except floor bolts.

Sixto
93 E150 Chateau 5.8 190K miles

 

Hello,
I'm relatively new here, but have tremendous respect for the guys on here. Lots of knowledge. I thought I'd share my experience with our van and seats. Long story short, we bought a 2000 e350 15pass that was used as a cargo van and was stripped of seats and belts. The dealer threw in some pristine 2010 seats and hardware for us and we began piecing them together. The newer brackets WILL work with the 92-07 vans, with the exception of the bolts for the last row. They changed the bolts to beefier ones for the last row bench in 08. The brackets worked but we had to use different bolts. The other issue was seatbelts. The 08 and newer benches have different buckles than the older ones and they don't interchange. However, the newer seatbelt assemblies DO bolt right in to the earlier vans with no mods. We got all eight outer belts from famvans.com and they were very quick to ship and decently priced. So now we have an older van with brand new seats that look stock. A big hassle but SO worth it in the end. If you would like some more info, I'd be glad to give you whatever you need.

Cheers,
Erik