when everyone says that a late 80's bench seats will fit in a 51 f1 do they mean s10 or s15 or full size trucks? ive gotten mixed answers.

 

just put the seat out of a 2002 f-150 in my 57 f100 and did it with only a little modifacation took all of about 20 minutes. the seat fit perfectly and best of all, my WIFE found the seat for me!!!

WINGMAN

 

I haven't measured any seats in full sized trucks, but the seats in the S10 and Ranger run in the 50-52 inch width which is about right for a 48-52 cab. There are lots of seats out there in that width even in mid-sized sedans and not trucks especially. My seat came out of an 86 Buick Century.

 

im trying to find a seat that is good in the height and width that is easy to bolt in with few modifications. glad to hear all suggestions.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 11-Nov-02 AT 11:35 AM (EST)]Greetings from Germany !!!

I just mounted a '80 F350 bench into my '54 F100. A very tight fit. While the seat back is in normal position there's about 0.5" gap between seat and cab. But when flipping the back forward it touches the door. Mine does not have any door panels, just the plain painted metal (and that's the way I leave it), but with thicker door panels it would even be worse.

Now, I understand that the F1s up to 52 are not as wide as the F100s from 53 onwards. Therefore I would say a full size bench will not fit. By the way, benches from full size Dodges are even wider and won't fit at all. I guess you need to take a bench from a mini or mid size truck.

As for the mounting. The later model benches are lower. I used a square tube under each side to which I welded some brackets so that I could use the original mounting holes in my floor (rather than drilling new holes). It worked OK and looks OK. I could take a digital photo and e-mail it to you. Just let me have your e-mail address.

There also used to be an article in the "Tech Article" Section of ford-trucks.com. Can't find it myself anymore. Maybe someone else knows where it is/was !?!?

Good Luck !

 

the cabs are a little narrower then the 53 ons. mid and compact truck seat will work well for width but what about height and ease of install? i dont want a lot of work to install and have to make a cover to cover the work to heighten the seat to the correct height. welcome all input!

 

I've never put a non-original seat in anything that I didn't have to "fine tune" to get it comfortable. I'm 6'3" and the height is almost always okay as I hate trying to look through the top one inch of the windshield. However, someone 5'8" or so may have to raise the same seat some. Also, I like the seat tilted back some so I don't sit straight up. No matter what seat you put in, you will probably have to use spacers, wood blocks, or something to either raise the front or the whole seat to get it exactly where you want it. I put a pair of Mustang buckets in a 29 Ford some time back and put two 2x2 inch blocks of wood under the front to get the seat tilted to a comfortable angle and mounted the rear of the seat track directly to the floor. The tilt also made it easier for my wife who is 5'6" to drive the car as when you mount the seat in a tilted position, adjusting the seat forward also raises it.

 

sounds familiar im 6'4" and know what you mean about looking through the top of the shield. whart do you do to hide the seat track and sides of seat? im trying to figure out the interior layout, buckets or bench- floor shift or column. all help appriciated.

 

Just installed a junkyard bench seat out of a '94 Ranger in my '50 F1 using only a hand ginder & drill, some 1" channel stock and assorted bolts/nuts.

 

Depending on what seat you use, you may not have much to cover. What I've found the easiest is to use carpeting. In the 29 Ford, I cut some 1/4 inch paneling and made kind of a three sided box, glued carpeting to the paneling and then glued the paneling to the framework of the seat. Most any auto trim shop can handle this for you if you're not sure about how it will look.

 

sounds easy enough...
thanks for all the help...
time to start looking at the used seats around...

 

Hmm...Buckets and floor shift, what else could you ask for? Mine is sitting on a wooden box frame thing, I feel it's safe no matter what others say, what holds the seat down is really me and the seat belt, the belts are sunk into the metal. I've had a guy ask me if I was going to raise the seats, don't know why, I'm like 6'2" and they are adjusted so my arm fits perfectly on the window/arm rest, and I see out the middle of the window. Now if only the column wasn't so hard on my knees.

 

my god- have you been peaking in my windows?
my truck seats are currently sitting on a 2x6 and plywood frame. they are buckets with a cheap floor shifter(no cover)bolted to the plywood. there are no seatbelts at this time. (the truck drives maybe 2-3 miles a month. the seats are bolted to the box, but the box is not bolted to the floor. i'm trying to "right" the situation with a correct combo.

 

i was kicking the idea around between buckets or a bench seat.
what do you suggest for buckets the are good for install, not too big not too small and fairly easy to install? the bench may be easier, but the console i've drempt up to house the radio and the floor shifter will go with the buckets better.

 

danbo:
Was the height correct? I am looking for a seat for my 48 as we speak. What did you use the channel for. Did you use the same bolt holes in the floor. Inquireing minds want to know. I am looking for an easy install and it sounds like you found it.

Tim