I know I mentioned this at least six months ago, if not more, so my apologies for not posting pictures sooner. Essentially, I didn't get around to fabricating anything until yesterday, and across today.

Overview - nothing wrong with the vinyl bench seat in my crewcab, other than I want bucket seats because I intend to make a large center console for storage. For whatever reason, I can never have enough storage. More on that another time.

So, I snagged myself a pair of red cloth minivan seats out of a 93 Chrysler Voyager (Grand Voyager?), and I have to say these seats are quite nice. Comfy, no rips, tears or stains, and the minivan I took them from has about 40K on it. Obviously, not driven often. Anyway, after about a year sitting in my garage, I decided to shop vac the dust off them and try to install them.

First things first, one has to weld together a frame to mount the seats to, that will attach to the truck floor. I decided to use the bench seat tracks as the mounting point, because the top of those tracks are nice and flat, whereas the contour of the floor is not. I was trying to get this done in a day.

Anyway, first and second pictures, the frame I made:


In the second picture above you can see the bottom edge of "Superdash" that I started about a year ago. I'm a slow worker apparently. I've been driving without a dash since last November. Not good.

Seat mounted, on welded tabs I made using a chop saw and a drill press. Very crude metal working, but it works


And of course, the most important shot of all, the "money" shot:


They look like they belong there, huh? All I have to do now is find the lost baggie of trim screws to put the plastic seat surrounds back on, so the metalwork isn't exposed. Oh, yes, I forgot! I also have to tear it all out again, so I can prime and paint the frame so it doesn't rust!

Anyway, enjoy. Was a quick and fun project to do. Actual work was about 3 hours, I futzed around for 5 of them measuring and remeasuring and thinking about the easiest way of doing this with the minimal amount of material, without compromising safety and structure.

Oh, to anyone wanting to do this - make sure you use grade 8 hardware, just to be safe.

 

Fredric, you are amazing.

 

Interesting, thanks for posting the info.

Those seat colors match very well.

 

frederic, they look factory! do you sit up any higher?

 

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Don't they match well? Unless one looks closely, it's hard to see they are a hair darker. The camera flash actually makes it more obvious than it is normally. Maybe because it was cloudy/rainy yesterday and today. I'll see how off it is when the sun comes out. See, I only work on outdoor projects when it's raining, snowing or hailing.

har har.

As far as height goes, I sit 1-1/8" higher than the stock bench seat, and these are by far more comfortable. Because the back is adjustable like most bucket seats, I can make it as upright as it can go, which is good for my really bad back. I've had a ton of surgery on my back over the years so the most important aspect of any vehicle I own, is seating. What it is and how much it costs is secondary.

Plus having an arm rest on the right side of the driver seat (and the left of the passenger seat) is a nice touch, though not necessary.

Now that there is a nice big gap between the two seats, I can resume "superdash" and "superconsole".

 

Awesome work, as always, Frederick! You are a constant source of amazement to me. I have been blathering for months about doing my rusted out wheel wells and FINALLY got one side torn off and the patch panel glued in. It took me two friggin' days and I haven't even started the "body work" part yet. Here, in the same time that I've been blathering about getting something done, you have practically rebuilt your truck from the frame up! SHEESH! Slow down a bit willya!

Cheers!

Mike

 

Slow down? Are you kidding? Those minivan seats were in my way (in the garage) for about 11 months. In fact, at one point, I slapped a board across the two headrests and was soldering several servo controllers together using that board as a table. I'd have used my workbench, but I can't find it anymore. The wiring harnesses have taken over! Auuuuuuurgh!!!!

 

My 95 has 40/20/40 bucket seats, and the 89 has a bench seat. I've noticed you sit higher in the bucket seats, even just on the factory versions.

I must say the 89's seat is the ONLY bench seat I've been happy with. I'm perfectly comfortable in either truck. It does have the arm rest on the right side, which is a must for me.

My buddy has a 96 f-150 with bench seat, I hate it. The butt area sags way too low, so your knees bend in an akward way compared to what I'm used to. And it's just not comfortable. I can't stand driving his truck, or sitting in it. My uncle has a 96 F-250 that's a similar way. Couldn't deal with that.

 

My 95 has a worn out vinyl bench seat and I hate it. I'm 6 foot 1 but I feel like im only 5 feet drivin that thing. I'll stretch my left leg clear out and kinda "push" myself up against the back of the seat to sit taller...

 

No for sale discussions on the boards. I have edited this thread twice.

 

Ahhhh, you did edit my original post.

BTW, that "bench seat" comment was sarcasm. I was trying to portray excitment to move "up" so to speak. It wasn't intended to be a "for sale" ad, though I understand how it might have appeared that way.

Sorry about that.

 

Nothing that longer bolts, and aluminum or steel spacers can't fix. I cannot tell you how many times in other vehicles I've done that...

Because of my back, I need to sit as upright as possible. So on cars I own where the seat back cannot fully be vertical to 5 degrees off vertical, I make spacers for the rear seat bolts to tilt the seat forward. Different reason, but it does work!

 

Hopefully over the next few weeks, I'll have time to rip what scraps of dash are still hanging in the truck, and start making the wooden buck for a new custom fiberglass dash, and center console.

There will be no buttons, *****, or switches. Nada. All controlled by the 13" touchscreen. In fact, the electronics of this work already as does the computer. I just have to make a pretty gui that's easy to use and intuitive, and of course make the dash.

Of course this might get delayed if my 500cid stroker gets done before I finish making the buck.

If I have to choose between a dashboard and a 500cid twin turbo stroker, I know which project I'll work on first ;-)

 

I didnt even notice that you edited it Mustang I'm sorry lol. I wondered where it went the first time. Sorry bout that. That might be a good idea fredric as far as spacin the seat up...

 

I was trying to keep it subtle about it to not make a big deal...no prob frederic