I'm looking for ideas for the seat in my 55 effie. I want a bench style, 60/40 split, with integrated seat belts. Any ideas out there? I also really like the new f-150 seats with the integrated seat belts! What have you guys used?

 

I wanted a split back bucket bench seat like these from Glide Engineering. But the price keeps me back..

in the meantime I had a set of the F150 seats with integrated belts to try out (I also had already put in the upper seat belt mount brackets) I have to make a riser about a 2x4 thickness to get the seat bottom in the right place for my long legs.

my hotrod shop worker son thinks the square back look doesn't work with the rounded edged of the fat fendered fords.. (and he may be right, again! durn it)..

they do stick up into the window space on the small window 55.

I ride in them everyday in my 06 F150, and they are comfortable.

Sam

 

From a quick search:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...54+55+56+seats
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...54+55+56+seats

 

I might go with the split bench from a mid 90's mid sized Cadillac.

 

There's a section on seats in here -

https://www.ford-trucks.com/article/...rd_Trucks.html

 

I used seats that I think came from a 97 Ranger my 94 Ranger had the taller seats, I made the seat brackets separately instead of one frame for both seats.

 

I purchased a glide seat for my 53....even though it was a little bit pricey....no modifications needed, they bolt into the original seat holes....it going to look a treat when it's all upholsted.

 

I tried a bench seat from a mid 90s chevy truck, split back, but the seating position was too far outboard and didn't line up with the steering wheel.

Sam

 

I,m using an early 90 Ch-vy bench ,cut the headrests off,reinforced ,made some brackets at the floor,fits the cab well. Be prepared for some cushion changes,ie; as stated in above post, steering column position is closer to centerline of cab in these old trucks.Ch-vy truck is several inchs wider,..besure and check above mentioned tech articles also,good stuff in there.

 

Sorry, the link I posted to the FAQ article isn't working. Here's most of the portion of the article that deals with seats -

Here are some measurements that you might want to consider when looking for a new seat.
· Inside cab width from door panel to door panel (where the seat bottom is the widest)
o 1948-1952 F-1 = 53.5 inches
o 1953-1956 F-100 = 58 inches
· Distance between the door handle tips
o 1949 F-1 = 51.5 inches
· Distance between the fat part of the door handles
o 1949 F-1 = 45-5/8 inches
· Distance across the cab at the rear door post
o 1949 F-1 = 57 inches
· Distance from door panel to door panel
o 1957-1960 F-100 = 62 inches
· Distance from door handle to door handle
o 1957-1960 F-100 = 56 inches
· Stock bench seat width
o 1960 F-100 = 59 inches
There seems to be an issue (particularly found by older members of the forum) with the space between the steering wheel and the seat shrinking over time, resulting in limited intestinal accommodation. Fortunately the newer seats use a different type of spring so they tend to be thinner in the back. This provides more room in that area. This is something to think about before you buy a big, fat seat out of a Cadillac or Lincoln or some other land yacht. With a newer seat, you will usually pick up storage space under the seat bottom as well.
The following suggestions are based upon input from this forum. There is also an article in the August 2004 issue of Classic Truck that deals with this subject and contains many pictures of the suggested alternative seats. Note that we are not spending time discussing bucket seats. Once you ditch the console, you can pretty much fit any bucket into any truck, although generally you’ll end up with a built in headrest sticking up in your back window.
1948-1952 Trucks – Seat Width No More Than 52 Inches
· 2000 Ford Escort buckets
· Mid/late 1980s to 1996 Ford Ranger or Broncos
o 60/40 bench or buckets
o Perfect fit
o Used by many
o Bench is 51” wide at it’s widest point
o Back folds forward
o No headrests to poke up in the back window
o 2-door donors fold, 4-door donors don’t
o Very popular with members of the forum
· 1989 through mid 1990s Ford Explorer
o Buckets or 60/40 bench
· Middle or rear seats out of a 1996 Dodge Caravan
· 1996 and newer Chevy Astro Van
· 1996 and newer full sized GM van middle or rear seats
· 1995 and newer Toyota Tacoma
· 1994 and newer Chevy S-10/Sonoma
1953-1960 Trucks – Seat Width No More Than 58 Inches
· 2001 F-150
NOTE: There are several different styles of bench seats used in the late 1980s through late 1990s GM trucks – quasi-buckets, 60/40s and full benches. They all tend to have thin backs which helps to increase leg space where needed. Some have built in arms rests and a level of seat bottom sculpturing to them, some don’t. These seats are also well liked by a number of the members of this forum.
· 1988-1998 GM truck seats
o Excellent looking brackets
o Easy to adapt
o Headrests tend to be removable
· 1988-1994 Chevy Silverado bench
o No headrest
o Fold down arm rest
o Very stylish
· 1997 and newer F-150 bench
o Has a built in headrest
o Brackets are a bit of a challenge
· Late 1990s Chevy Suburban
· 1987 Chevy pickup bench
· The 2000 and newer Suburban
o 60/40 bench
o Removable headrests
o Not the most stylish thing
o Brackets are clunky looking
The 1999 and newer GM Silverado 40/20/40 “bench” is an interesting possibility. It’s 60 inches wide, but it’s really more like two buckets with a “jump seat” between. You could easily omit the middle section and put in a narrower console or nothing. They do have built shoulder belts, saving you the issue of mounting the shoulder restraint to the wall between the rear window and the doors. You might fit this whole set up into a 1953-1960 F-100. The 1994 through 2001 Dodge truck also has a similar set up, though less stylish than the GM version. It will have the same pluses and minuses.
Another issue to consider is that you need to build some sort of bracket to mount your new seat(s) to your truck. If you’re using the 1988-1998 GM seats, it’s pretty straightforward. Just look at the stock GM mounting brackets and it’s a no brainer. However, if you’re using Ford seats or buckets, this can get a little tricky. For a few good pictures of the brackets one member made to install a later model seat check out this thread. http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=114729 The work was done by KAI - our German buddy. He was putting a 1980 F-350 seat in a 1954 F-100. His brackets deal quite nicely with the weird bend/angle in the front of the stock Ford brackets. They are wonderful in their simplicity and could easily be modified to compensate for a shorter driver.




For an excellent example of brackets fabricated to hold the 1996-2000 Ranger 60/40 bench/bucket, check out those made by Scott123 (Scott Jones). He has provided pictures and plans, so you could make a copy of the “Scott123 Super-Duper seat frame 2000” if you wish.


Check out their galleries for the pictures/plans referred.

Regards,

 

My son put racing seats in his 2000 F-150 Lightning and has the factory buckets for sale cheap if you consider buckets. They are black and gray leather/suede.

 

i'm using a 60/40 out of a 2004 buick lesabre. Drivers side electric, recline. leather, lumbar support,armrest with console and 2 cup holders,and integrated seatbelts. Have to fab up brackets but it really looks good to me.

 

Thanks for the input!

Do you have pictures of the buick seat? I like the idea of electric controls to postion seat where you need it and the intergrated seat belts.

 

Go to my gallery pictures i added some shots of them tonight . Excuse the cab the interior work hasn't begun yet. i just have them setting in there for now. the painters coming for the cab soon.

 

those look fabulous!!

Sam