These are NOT mine. And I cannot vouch that the seller’s listed application is even correct. Ad is from the FaceBook group “ Slick 60’s Trading Post”. and seller is in Michigan.

I don’t know from nothing whether or not they’re a steal, but my guess is, they are? Actual ad shows many photos.

https://www.facebook.com/commerce/li...are_attachment

I’ve a few questions:

1. How would you know if those are indeed from a Slick, vs Falcon or Mustang?
2. Upholstery: How would these have been covered? Same as a non-Ranger packaged truck? Was there even a standard, or did it vary by factory?

 

I just checked the link, and the ad has been taken down. Sold I suppose - so not much else to see beyond the one picture you posted.

The 1965 Rangers used 1965 Mustang Standard (i.e. not Pony) bucket seats while the 1966 Rangers used 1966 Mustang Standard bucket seats. No difference in the stamped steel frame or seat tracks between the two years. Since these in the ad are not covered like Mustang seats they have either been recovered or are not from a Mustang or Ranger. If they have been recovered, they didn't use Mustang covers. The 1965 and 1966 Mustang Standard covers had horizontal pleats like these seats on Facebook but they ran from the bolsters to the back/bottom like the picture below.





You can see the seat bottoms in this second picture with the horseshoe collar bolsters around the bottom sides and front top and top sides and top front.

The 1965 Mustang Standard seats were all vinyl. Meaning no rosette pattern - as they called it - in the middle of the seats - that the 1966 seats had as seen in my first picture above.

For the Rangers, they only offered them in 3 colors for each year without a special order.

1965
F - Red crinkle all vinyl
G - Black crinkle all vinyl
H - Palomino crinkle all vinyl

1966
T - Black crinkle vinyl and black rosette pattern vinyl
U - Parchment (lighter color than Palomino) crinkle vinyl and parchment rosette pattern vinyl
V - Red crinkle vinyl and red rosette pattern vinyl
and
1T - Black crinkle all vinyl - no rosette pattern like the 1965 seats

The foam was slightly firmer for 1966 but otherwise the same contours.

Here's the seats in a 1966 with the 1T81 code. Virtually indistinguishable from the 1965 black choice. These are original covers and carpets - a fairly well-preserved example. Special order paint, too, thus the blank color code. A Seattle (74 district sales office) native originally but it sold and was for sale again shortly after in a Kansas craigslist ad for way more money.

 

Thanks for the info, Chad. While I’ve always liked the theory of having bucket seats. But the fact is, I’d miss what my bench seat gives me - a place for an extra passenger if needed, and a place for the console I have beside me most of the time. That contains a flip-lid storage compartment, plus cup holders for my everpresent coffee cup and cell phone holder.

Buckets definitely look cooler, though.

 

I bought a set of '66 Mustang buckets over a year ago and a set of adapter brackets for them. I've never bothered to open the boxes for inspection. I got rid of the original black bench seat because it had broken springs on the driver's side. As time goes by, I'm getting less enamored about using them. Fortunately, I have two spare bench seats at my disposal. Bucket seats just lack the essence of what an old truck should be. I've never been a fan of all the added options of trim and such available for these trucks and bucket seats are surely part of that. I'll have to see when the time comes... I do like hubcaps, though.

 

I’m interested in the experiences of members who’ve driven a Slick with both bench and bucket-type seats. Impressions? Preferences?

I know many taller, or big-bellied members think that adding bucket seats will move themselves further back from the steering wheel. But does it? I know it isn’t quite true with aftermarket or newer/alternative year seats.

Do the original bucket seats ride higher/lower?

Including the cost of obtaining the proper seats, the mounts, having the seats reupholstered ( to look decent ), new carpeting (possibly), and a piece of carpet to cover the exposed gas tank, anyone wanting to convert is going to have a bunch of money invested.

Think I’ll hold what I’ve got. I’m old and a bit of a wedge-azz these days. Not much to splash out for some perception of Cool.

 

Chad, the seats shown in the ad do have Mustang Standard upholstery, but 1967 model. Clearly the seller didn’t know what they had so they could accurately describe them.

For posterity of anyone running across this thread, 1965-1967 Mustang bucket seat frames are all the same. For 1968-1970, the standard seats got a thicker back, which would not be a good seat to use in Rangers or Ranger clones (or for a bucket seat swap in general) because the extra back thickness moves you closer to the steering wheel.

 

So I can't offer a direct comparison yet, but maybe I will get a chance in the next month or so to sit and ride, or drive a slick with a bench seat.

The only comparison I can make, is what I remember from our '70 F250 Crew Cab, back when I was a skinny lad learning to drive. It was a custom cab with all white vinyl that had a fair amount of bounce in the seats the few times I drove it before my brother swapped in some bucket seats from a Toyota or some other import. He also put in a Hurst shifter (maybe the collar shift for the automatic broke) and some tiny steering wheel as the truck had factory power steering and brakes, and my father didn't like the big wheel. Then again, my father has always had a bit of a beer belly and maybe that had more to do with the tiny wheel, more room for more beer...belly. I myself don't drink that much beer despite living in the beer capital of the world, so my extra girth, is...well, I blame it on the bread, and sausages, oh and don't forget the cheese, and...and...and...please don't point a finger at my addictions.

So, now being fat, old, and distinctly out of shape (I do tell my wife I am in shape, just not the shape she wants, and currently I like to think of myself as a pear...pears are good), what I will say, is that the Ranger seats offer less bounce, at least with my current weight. And for the once 5'10" athletic build, that is now a shrinking or at least widening 5'8" or so, I find the Ranger seats comfortable, even when driving up to 8 hours (with pauses). Not sure, if I was pushing in a clutch, how I would fair, as I feel it is likely that the seats might position the occupants slightly lower than the bench seat might, and that would also then change the angle of travel for pushing in the clutch.

Well, that is my $89.99 worth of opinion, which with inflation, is still worth less than $ .02 of yesteryear.

Oh, almost forgot, I do feel cool when driving my Ranger, especially when it's mid 60's out side, I'm driving somewhere north of 45 mph and I have the windows and vents open for fresh air. I might even be chilly. So definitely worth it, in my humble opinion.

 

Thanks for sharing that. I knew they looked overall correct shape. Unfortunately, I never paid much attention to 1967 Mustangs for some reason. Though my second car was a 1967 Shelby Mustang - they used different seat covers specific to the Shelbys, and I never looked close at or sat in another 1967. I sold this one when I joined the Army but always wish I'd put in storage instead. The one I let get away that I wish I still had. The 306HP 289 HiPo was a blast to drive.

 

I still have my 1977 copyright Shelby's Wildlife - The Cobras and Mustangs as well as consecutive issues from 1978 to 1980 of 'The Marque', renamed to 'The Shelby American' in Volume 4 Number 3 and then the color changed to predominately a black cover the year after.

 

@TA455HO, That is a nice looking GT350, seems you have had quite the list of fine American muscle cars. What year did you go into the Army?

 

Thanks for asking. I signed the dotted line in later 1981 on the Delayed Entry Program and started preparing by cleaning up life's many details and getting in the best physical shape I could prior to shipping out but didn't actually start until July 15th, 1982. I mentioned to you I don't fly in planes any longer. Landing in planes started to freak me out which can happen when you take off in a plane more often than you land in one.

 

i have experience with both and removed the bench for reupholstered mustang seats. I gained about 3/8” headroom and about the same from the steering wheel using the bucket seats. I am 6-4 300 pounds.

i take what i can get - but for average size and petite men (LOL) i dont see a significant advantage to adding buckets unless you want to add them for uniqueness and cosmetic appearance personal preference.

at my size, i like the bucket seat over the bench.