Bench to Buckets
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 62
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From: St. Amant, Louisiana
Bench to Buckets
I am looking to swap my old bench seat out with two bucket seats and a console (to fill the empty space). Has anybody on the forum ever done this? And if so, please share the way you did it with me. Thanks.
1979 F100
Single Cab
1979 F100
Single Cab
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
From: Greenwood, SC
Ive read that the best seats to use were out of an escort but unsure about the year. Well come to think about it im unsure about the whole thing. I just saw that in a post on here a while back. Ill see if I can find it.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,398
Likes: 17
From: Hesperia, CA
There are several threads on this forum that address this issue. You should do a search and I think you will find a lot of great ideas.
I took my bench seat out and left all of the sliding rails in the truck. I took a couple of aluminum 2-inch C channels and bolted them to the existing sliding rails. I got a couple of generic buckets out of the wrecking yard. I then took the existing brackets off of the buckets, threw them away and bolted the bucket seats directly to the C channels. Doing it this way makes it simple and you don't need to design any fancy brackets to adapt the bucket seat brackets to fit your floor. Plus, if you want to change to a different type of bucket later on you just bolt them to the C channel.
I made a console out of plywood to hold maps, etc. I also mounted my amateur and CB radios inside of the console so they are hidden from view.
I took my bench seat out and left all of the sliding rails in the truck. I took a couple of aluminum 2-inch C channels and bolted them to the existing sliding rails. I got a couple of generic buckets out of the wrecking yard. I then took the existing brackets off of the buckets, threw them away and bolted the bucket seats directly to the C channels. Doing it this way makes it simple and you don't need to design any fancy brackets to adapt the bucket seat brackets to fit your floor. Plus, if you want to change to a different type of bucket later on you just bolt them to the C channel.
I made a console out of plywood to hold maps, etc. I also mounted my amateur and CB radios inside of the console so they are hidden from view.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 881
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From: dallastown pa
Well I bought a bracket set up from Jegs or Summit so each bucket seat would have its own sliders then I got black buckets on ebay. I went back to SUmmit or Jegs and found a nice center seat slash storage space under the lower seat cushion the back folds down and offers cup holders and C/D storage area. sorry no pics. I think I spent three hundred or more total. But from what I read seats from any 70 t0 90 Ford should bolt up.
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 97
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From: Oakville, Wa
I took a set out of a '95 F150 and put in my '77. I had to remove the newer mounting brackets by drilling out the spotwelds. Then I took my bench seat brackets and bolted them to the new seats. Now I can slide the whole setup back and forth together or just slide the individual buckets.
New User
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 4
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I havent done it but I thought of using the seats and console from a fullsize Bronco if you can find one for parts. Shouldnt be a problem especially if they come from a 78-79 bronco,basically the same, right? BTW, VERY nice truck you got there
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 493
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Check my gallery , did the same thing as wb66vvv , used 2*1 inch square tubing and bolted those to the stock sliders , the seats are from Kragen and were about $100 + a piece . I also have a 12 sub woofer between the seats , makes a nice arm rest .
