Factory Behind Seat Toolbox

[Chaseman]

yeah I took out those two bolts and it tilted forward but then it went too far back so i put them back in.

[Joe Kriston]

Well, I've run across a few '72 seats that were bolted shut, including a nice Ranger XLT like Rubiranch'es with the chrome hinge cover...I've never seen any with the unlock lever behind the seat---maybe it depended on where they were manufactured?...Anyway, my '54 f-100 seat tilts forward, and I can't imagine Ford would add things to a seat to take a nice convenience away that's been around for decades, unless they had to...

[FORDification]

The only seat back I've ever run across among the dozens I've parted out was also a '72, an F250 Custom. Here's a shot I took of the driver's side of the seat. It was bolted solid, no release lever. From all appearances this looked factory and looked to have never been disturbed.


Click to enlarge

[Joe Kriston]

Thanks for posting that, Keith...I forgot they were Allen type bolts---about the same size as you need to take the seat belts off...Mine were exactly like that, 'tho I don't remember the wood spacer...

[papabug71]

Wow. I have never seen that. Another reason

My 71' dont have that. You could tell right off the bat if it did. Maybe they started it in 72??

[fordman]

i think the 72 seat i had was like that but the bolts were long gone. and so is the seat so i cant check to be sure now.

[Whoaaanelly]

I've got the tool box, but have yet to relocate the gas tank to put it in. Have to find a good tank and do that someday.

As for the bolted seats, that's a safety requirement. Seat backs at about the time where seat belts were required could not move forward in a front-end collision. The force of the seat moving forward would add momentum forcing you into the steering wheel. My 56 panel seats, when I first got it, had seats you could fold forward. Our '78 truck at work has the catches, and these allow you to unlock the seat back. Adding the wood block as seen would have moved the seat back more reclined (I think I tried that once).

[72stepside]

The bench seat in my 72 was bolted with the allen bolts, no wood shims though.

My father bought a 1980 F-100 brand new that was built such that you had to cut some locks to get the seat to fold forward. There was no way to release it.

Now I gotta go check the 71 F-250 to see what it has.

[ford4x4fun]

Wow a behind the seat tool box! I didn't know this was an option that is awsome!

[mk]

Found one of those storage boxes in a bump at the wreckers a couple of years ago but some moron had destroyed it trying to get it the door off. This particular truck also had a rubber plug in the fuel filler hole. Never have seen one yet without the hole.
As far as the seat back issue,I had a base model '71 with an original folding one but I've seen 3 '72 Ranger XLTs that had the non-moving seat.

mike

[72stepside]

Back to the toolbox...

Anybody ever measured them and posted the measurments so some of us unfortunate souls that are toolbox-less could build one?

[fordman]

if you wanted to build one . i think it might be just as easy to measure the old gas tank. if you had one and use those to measure. i think the bottom of the tank is about 8 inchesthick. but i am going from memory.

[FORDification]

...or you could actually use the old gas tank, by converting it into a toolbox. You'd cut the access panel in the front and attach it along the bottom with a piano hinge and then add a latch on top. That's kinda like what I was thinking about doing, except that I was considering converting the fuel tank into a subwoofer box.

[72stepside]

...or you could actually use the old gas tank, by converting it into a toolbox. You'd cut the access panel in the front and attach it along the bottom with a piano hinge and then add a latch on top. That's kinda like what I was thinking about doing, except that I was considering converting the fuel tank into a subwoofer box.

Well crap, now you got me thinking about something else to do to the F250!!!