early '90s seats

[67MercM100]

I'm trying to find something decent seat-wise for the '67. With the Cash for Clunker program, there are a LOT of '96-on-down trucks in salvage yards. From what I understand, they only have 90 days to part them before they have to crush 'em. I know of an early/mid '90s Supercab with a half-way decent seat. They're buckets, though. They adjust separately and there's a console in the middle.

Do I understand correctly that anything '96-on-down (like this) will be a bolt-in to a '67??

I've also found a set of Gen II Lightning seats ('99 - '01). Do I understand that these aren't a bolt in? Anyone ever try something like that? 'Cuz they're sweet seats. I thought I had a line on some Gen I Lightning seats, but he had already sold them (and they'd be bolt in, right?)

Thanks in Advance. And remind me to make a donation to the site - it has been a Godsend.

~Eric

[fordman]

when the site speaks of bolt in. it is pertaining to the original seat brackets. the seats up to 96 are a bolt on to the original seat brackets is what the page means. any seat can be put in our trucks with the correct brackets and or spacers.

[67MercM100]

Yeah, I knew it would take a little switching of the brackets.

PS: i like the Itchy and Scratchy thing.

[fordman]

its probably temporary with those two charcters.

[67MercM100]

So...anyone know...
If I snag this seat set-up, will it work?

Since the two seats slide independently, I'm concerned that this seat set-up might require more bolts in the floor. I haven't studied the set-up closely, though. Just wondered if anyone had any knowledge/experience.

[fordman]

our trucks did coem set up for bucket seats. so the are a second bolt hole on each side rear for the bucket seat to be installed with. it is in the rear by the seat belts cover with a square rubber plug. the forward hole is not present and would probably have to be drill if putting in factory bucket seats.
since the split bench would have two sets of tracks each for each half of the split bench you would have to drill new holes in the floor for them to fit into our truck. only on the passenger side woudl you maybe be lucky enough to have the third bolt hole line up in the rear. the drivers side you would most definetly have to drill new holes for the inboard set of tracks.
i do not know if they 90 seats would line up with our bolt holes in our floors on the outboard side holes. i will look at my 88 93 or 94 tomorrow and see how they bolt down and get some measurements and see if they might bolt in fo ryou. i dotn have split benchaes in any of those trucks though. all i can check on is the outer bolt holes and bracketry.

[Darren]

I'm using the seat out of a '94 F350 in my '71. The bracket holes needed to be drilled out a little larger, but the original bolts were re used. I had the upholstery guy lower the back (headrest humps) so it's straight across like an original and he's installing two stainless steel cupholders in the back of the armrest. It was way more comfortable than the original and including upholstery was less than $400.00. That's a small price to pay so that your dog can have a place to rest her head!

Also, you can find a marine vinyl that is really close in pattern to the original basketweave vinyl but is much tougher.

[Darren]

I'm using the seat out of a '94 F350 in my '71. The bracket holes needed to be drilled out a little larger, but the original bolts were re used. I had the upholstery guy lower the back (headrest humps) so it's straight across like an original and he's installing two stainless steel cupholders in the back of the armrest. It was way more comfortable than the original and including upholstery was less than $400.00. That's a small price to pay so that your dog can have a place to rest her head!

Also, you can find a marine vinyl that is really close in pattern to the original basketweave vinyl but is much tougher.

[67MercM100]

Lookee what I just bought on ebay!
1st gen Lightning seats!!

Hope they go in half-way easy. After what I paid, they will be going in...one way or another.

[67MercM100]

I'm Baaaaack...

Still confused as to how these seats are supposed to go in. The Lightning seats are buckets that adjust front and back separately. The seats and the console attach to a "platform" (for lack of a better term). You can kind of see it here:


...and here's a picture I just took of the delivered item. The back of the "platform" is to the left/front to the right:


The "Ford Seats" page in the Tech/Tutorials (http://www.fordification.com/seats.htm) definitely shows Gen 1 Lightning seats; and it suggests they're a "bolt-in" swap. I can't figure it out - yet, anyway.

Anyone know: How's this supposed to bolt in???

[fordman]

i would need to see the tracks to give you better info on how to do it. the platform thing would just need hoels drill in the cab floor to moutn that. and maybe some spacer to get it up higher if it needed to be any higher. the seat tracks are suppose to be able to coem off of those seats i think . and you use your old seat brackets to mount to those seats. and then you botl that into your truck. and or. the botl holes will line right up with the old holes in your floor and you just botl them in. our truck floors have 2 holes in frotn and 2 holes inthe back per side of seat track. near the middle of the truck in the back only is another hole that is plugged with a square headed rubber plug. if you pull it out of the floor you will find the bucket seat moutning bolt hole. it is threaded also.

if you cant get either way to work. here is what stacey david said. to mount any seat in any car or truck. you want to figure in your distances from the doors to the center and the front to back movements and also the height of the seat as well as the angle the seat will let you sit at. this was not an exact quote but it is how i understood it. then just drill the holes in the floor where you want the seats to sit at. if the height is not right fo ryou or the angel. you can make some shimming brackets to adjust how the seat sits in your truck.

[67MercM100]

Well - yeah - if i can get that "platform" in then the two seats and the console bolt right to it. But at that point, I think the original brackets are a moot point.

I can't really use the 2 original seat brackets to get 2 buckets and a console mounted.

Perhaps with some "hacking" on the platform I could use the original brackets to get the platform in the truck stable and level... It's that front bolt hole at an angle on the platform that's got me confused. I can't see how it is going to match up to anything on the floorboards of the ol' bump. It'd be great if it did, though.

[fordman]

oh i see now. i didnt know the seat brackets bolted to the platform. does the platform angle botl hole go towards the frotn of the truck? have you tried laying the platform in the floor to see if the angle bolt hole will bolt into the front of the seat floor. where it drops down to the floor pan?

[bigredball90]

awsome! make sure you post alot of pics ive been wanting to do this myself. Good Luck!