8 Seater Aerostar
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 208
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From: Brooklyn, NY
8 Seater Aerostar
A few months ago I was cleaning out my 1994 Aerostar Extended, and i removed both rear seats to vacuum. I just love the flat floor. My father often tells me he wants to borrow it to go camping, to sleep on floor in the back.
Anyway, when it came time to put the seats backs, on a whim I tried the back seat in the middle brackets, and viola!! It fit perfectly! So I went and bought a set of seats on eBay, threw away the stained middle seat, and now I have 2 3-seat bench seats, for a total of 8 legal seats!!
One note, older vehicles have lap belts, and newer have shoulder belts. You may have to modify things a drop to get certain combinations of seat belts to work. Also, this is not going to work if you carry full-grown adults in the back for 2 reasons: a) they can't get into the back without climbing over the middle seat (albeit folded down) since the longer seat blocks the passage, and b) I think the middle seat is slightly set back more than the middle, so the middle leg room increases, but the rear decreases.
This works great for my family!!
Good luck!
Anyway, when it came time to put the seats backs, on a whim I tried the back seat in the middle brackets, and viola!! It fit perfectly! So I went and bought a set of seats on eBay, threw away the stained middle seat, and now I have 2 3-seat bench seats, for a total of 8 legal seats!!
One note, older vehicles have lap belts, and newer have shoulder belts. You may have to modify things a drop to get certain combinations of seat belts to work. Also, this is not going to work if you carry full-grown adults in the back for 2 reasons: a) they can't get into the back without climbing over the middle seat (albeit folded down) since the longer seat blocks the passage, and b) I think the middle seat is slightly set back more than the middle, so the middle leg room increases, but the rear decreases.
This works great for my family!!
Good luck!
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 208
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From: Brooklyn, NY
The older lap-belt only seats have belts that are attached to the seat. On the newer shoulder belt systems, the belts are attached to the wall. So if you have a newer car, and get old seats, you are still okay. You just have to move the shoulder belt mounting clip onto the seat. I attached it way under the seat after removing the old seat belt.
If you have an old car and get new seats, you will have to mount the old seatbelts onto the new seat - not a simple task, because the tapped holes do not exist.
The only time you have it simple is probably when you match the new seat type to the original seat type!!
If you have an old car and get new seats, you will have to mount the old seatbelts onto the new seat - not a simple task, because the tapped holes do not exist.
The only time you have it simple is probably when you match the new seat type to the original seat type!!
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 5
From: Washington state
6 bucket seats also work well especially with roudy grand kids
separates the fighters and one can even hand cuff the worst offenders to the bucket seat arm rests
ConAir, this is Flight 96 Aero heavy coming in on runway 27R driveway with 4 in chains and leg irons. Spilled milkshakes all over the floor, have the clean up crew standing by at the gate
separates the fighters and one can even hand cuff the worst offenders to the bucket seat arm rests
ConAir, this is Flight 96 Aero heavy coming in on runway 27R driveway with 4 in chains and leg irons. Spilled milkshakes all over the floor, have the clean up crew standing by at the gate
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 208
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From: Brooklyn, NY
That would be great in theory, but I needed the economy-class bulk seating - I have 7 children!!
In fact, I am still short a seat. Someone mentioned to me that he had seen an Aerostar once with additional aftermarket jump seats in the trunk. Anyone know about those?
In fact, I am still short a seat. Someone mentioned to me that he had seen an Aerostar once with additional aftermarket jump seats in the trunk. Anyone know about those?
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 5
From: Washington state
ever thought about a small school bus on F550 chassis or 15 passenger Ford E350?
Ford used to make 10 passenger station wagons in the 60's and 70's....7 siblings here.....great fights in the back of those Fords
nothing like a Ford station wagon with a 429 Thunderbird engine
can remember 6 of us, 2 adults and 4 kids riding in front of new '51 Ford F100....no seat belt garbage them...hell, people often rode outside standing on running board
Ford used to make 10 passenger station wagons in the 60's and 70's....7 siblings here.....great fights in the back of those Fords
nothing like a Ford station wagon with a 429 Thunderbird engine
can remember 6 of us, 2 adults and 4 kids riding in front of new '51 Ford F100....no seat belt garbage them...hell, people often rode outside standing on running board
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Elder User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 624
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From: Houston, TX
Originally Posted by 96_4wdr
6 bucket seats also work well especially with roudy grand kids
separates the fighters and one can even hand cuff the worst offenders to the bucket seat arm rests
separates the fighters and one can even hand cuff the worst offenders to the bucket seat arm rests
Klaus Cook
Houston, Texas
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Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 208
Likes: 1
From: Brooklyn, NY
Originally Posted by 96_4wdr
ever thought about a small school bus on F550 chassis or 15 passenger Ford E350?
Ford used to make 10 passenger station wagons in the 60's and 70's....7 siblings here.....great fights in the back of those Fords
nothing like a Ford station wagon with a 429 Thunderbird engine
can remember 6 of us, 2 adults and 4 kids riding in front of new '51 Ford F100....no seat belt garbage them...hell, people often rode outside standing on running board
Ford used to make 10 passenger station wagons in the 60's and 70's....7 siblings here.....great fights in the back of those Fords
nothing like a Ford station wagon with a 429 Thunderbird engine
can remember 6 of us, 2 adults and 4 kids riding in front of new '51 Ford F100....no seat belt garbage them...hell, people often rode outside standing on running board
- There is a huge price jump from a mini-van to a van. I got extremely lucky and got my 1994 mini-van for only $1000 at an auction. Typically they go for around $2000. Vans however start at $3500 - $4000.
- Extras are much harder to get with a van. I have rear A/C and could not live without it. Vans with rear A/C are hard to find and are therefore even more expensive.
- Parts are much more expensive. I usually save up a list of parts and then drive down to a U-Pull yard in Pennsylvania. They have dozens of Aerostars and I usually can get almost everything I need. They have very few vans, and they are all very old and rusted away, and besides are stripped clean. I would be competing with the commercial world for parts too.
- I love the Aerostar - big on the inside, not too big on the outside. Drives close enough like a car to be comfortable. I don't want to give it up yet!! (Maybe I will get a 1997 next.)
- The most important reason: I have a very narrow driveway and very difficult on-street parking (in New York City). The Aerostar just fits, a bigger van would not. (I noticed at a car show the new Dodge Sprinter looked pretty narrow. Maybe in ten years I can get one used!)
