Hi All

My large family has recently lost our family driver - 2002 E-350 15 passenger, so pre 2008 style.
This was our 3rd van of this style.
We are now shopping for similar via the inter webs.
My wife and I would really like to have the added versatility of the integrated seat belts as seen in current Transits and Sprinters and such.
I'm kind of old school and really like the E-Series (and trust the build).
I know with out modification the newer seats just don't fit the brackets of the E-Series bench config.
On the other hand I know that people mod vans all the time.
Can anyone offer some suggestions on fit, style, process that may enable me to get another E-Series and then put in some more modern seats?
I've been looking at something like this [1]. Would the install still be safe? Would these hold up in the event of catastrophe?
Looking for any all recommendations.

[1] https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-PASSENGER...item1a57e21edc


- Kevin

 

 

Thanks @Philly driver for the feedback.
Agreed the shipping is a huge drawback on those and would be pretty lame.
Ideally I would keep with the 3 rows of 3 seats and do something like a pair of double seats in the back - exit transit or something.

I think the biggest draw is both the integrated shoulder belt and the headrest for the newer style seats. With those being hopefully "safer in the long run".
That being said the 5 oldest and I just survived a wreck that took the 2002 and we were basically untouched - also why I trust the make of the E-Series.

Anyway just trying to build up some knowledge to see if this is even worth pursuing.
I know people change these vans all the time but I'm also not building a camper but rather a people hauler :-)

Thanks for any further info or ideas.

- Kevin

 

Well my 99 has a cable attached piston to the buckle, I had to replace it back in 2002 when the steel cable broke, off went the buckle, quick call to Ford mistakenly thinking safety equipment should be a concern, they offered to sell me one, expensive item, I believe it has some connection to the air bag arrangement, there seems to be more than the traditional idiot light wired into it, so how are aftermarket seats put in the driver and passenger side?

 

There is a high-end converter who builds some amazing E-Series (and now Transit's) who sells Sienna seats and has designed/builds mounting brackets for the E-Series. He is sells Sheel-Mann seats, brackets also available through him. These are NOT CHEAP so if price is the major concern don't even bother looking at his site. This link takes you to his seating options: ExpoVan's Seating Options

His creations comply with every FMVSS which is just about the only way he could sell such things without fear or concern for personal injury liability. I've known of his work through another site that deals with vans converted into 4x4 drive and varying levels of RV-like interior builds.

Have a look if safety comfort and higher quality is your goal.

HTH

 

In the past, I have just used some solid flat iron bars from my local steel supply store to fabricate custom brackets for bolting a non-factory seat to the existing floor mounts. Maybe they weren't DOT approved, but using 1/4 inch thick steel seemed much "heavier-duty" than anything the factory uses. Just a thought …..

 

I still do that, put a swivel base from a 80 Chevy G20 in my 73 Econoline, want to put a captains chair from a 96 Econoline in, but the base is seriously too narrow, need to weld some plates for it.

 

That is precisely how I put a pair of Spartan, but oh so comfortable for long haul seats out of a Freightliner into my old '81 E 150 van 'Easy Bake' got a deal on those seats as they were new 'tear outs' that a driver sold for zhugged up seats.

 

If I ever won the lotto I'd send em my 99 E350 for the diesel 4x4 upgrade.

 

those seats dont look that comfortable but his mounts are really innvative and nice.

 

Oh yeah----you can spend upwards of $100K plus on some of those conversions---Quigley makes a nice 4x4 conversion alone that carries a factory drivetrain warranty.

Your butt would be grateful for one of those Scheel-Mann seats---they remind me of Recaro seats from the 80's. Plenty of support for those long drives. They're not for everyone due cost alone but make a great improvement if you've got the money.

The guy behind that site is pretty much a mechanical genius---he shares some of his builds on another site, his depth of creativity astounds me.

 

Had a nice drivers seat out of an old Peterbilt, but it required air pressure, so ended up selling it to an owner-operator who had crappy seats in his older International … he was very happy!!

 

Thanks for the information here, I am interested in swapping out the front seats in my '12 E-350, partly because the driver's seat needs replacement or reupholstering, and partly because it doesn't go back quite far enough to suit my height. I reached out to ExpoVans and learned the seating part of the company has been spun off and is called www.base-fab.com. I reached out to them, and Jer, the guy who presumably runs the place, got back to me right away with descriptions, pictures, and price quotes. At $1400 ea. for the Scheel-Mann seats, I'll probably go another route, but Sienna seats might well be an option.

Oh, and @JWA , the person who responded to my inquiry at ExpoVans asked how I heard about them, so if you're wondering who ratted you out to them, guilty as charged.

 

Not a problem there at all---I'm more than happy to share info about those guys, glad it might be helpful to you as well. In fact the guy I believe is the principle at ExpoVans has been a long-time contributor to another van-related site I visit, have seen some of his design and fabrication work---its simply amazing in my estimation. Anything he does is just over-the-top quality and so well thought-out major companies have approached him to do concept vehicles for SEMA shows and such.

Yes the Scheel-Mann seats are expensive and I understand that being an issue. I'm okay with the typical E-Series drivers seat but I don't drive much more than 2 hours at a stretch---if I were dong longer hauls I'd have no less than the Sienna seat.

 

As luck would have it, he had a pair of brand new gray leather Sienna front seats that were take-outs from another job, and gray is my interior color, so they're in the process of getting trucked to my house. Stay tuned for the play-by-play of this installation. It's gonna take a while (the Sienna seats need some modifications to be installed), but, as if by coincidence, I'm retiring from my day job at the end of next week, so I should have time to git 'er done.