Split Bench to bucket seats

[kripton]

Has anybody taken a car with split bench set up and switched it to a bucket seat setup?

What would I need......
DS & PS Seats and seat rail brackets
Console and console mounting brackets
Steering column


My drivers side floor pan is rusted out and I will have to replace that not sure if the hole floor pan needs replaced.

 

[just plain john]

http://turbobuick.com/forums/threads/bench-seat-vs-bucket-seat-mounts.57362/ If there was no console originally you will have to add the bracket. I did a column swap too, but stayed column shifted. I can't speak to the shifting linkage.

 

[84 Sleeper]

I have an 84 regal with the bench seat 60/40 split and the buckets fit in with no issues but wasn't exact so I am trying to custom fit the bench seat tracks to the buckets now. I went with a b&m shifter so that was all custom to the floor. I also left the original column at this time and removed the handle.

 

[TRICKSIXPA]

Same here on my 84 that I had I took out the bench and installed buckets from a cutlass supreme with the plastic backs. Got them at the yard for $50 and they where in great shape. Uses BM shifter made it fit to the floor and cut a hole for the cable. You could just pop the column handle out and drive it that way. It was nice for a bit but I miss my bench seat car. Definitely get the floor pans fixed if that's the only thing you do.

 

[drturbo69]

87 regal 60-40 split bench-installed 84 lier seigler buckets direct bolt in.Installed hurst lighting rod shifter-cut floor mounting brackets from olds & welded in regal.Cut brackets from regal & welded in for console.

 

[~JM~]

'78 Malibu with a bench seat. Swapped in two Recaro seats with mounting brackets from Scat. Needed to drill 2 holes through the floor on each side.

The bench seat cars have different seat mounting pads on the floor than the bucket seat cars. They only have the outer pads. Your new mounting hardware needs to be longer on the inside rails to make up for the difference.

~JM~

 

[kripton]

Thanks everybody for the replies this gives me options of what I can do. Is there enough room to leave the mounting brackets for the split bench and add the new brackets for the bucket? In case I would want to change back? Or would this end up being a custom fabricated bracket.

 

[~JM~]

You either need to locate & remove the inner mounting pads from a bucket seat car & re-weld them in place on your floor pan or you buy/fab seat mounting brackets that have longer legs on the inside (near the tranny tunnel).

I found my mounting brackets through Summit made by Scat. Don't know if they are still available & unfortunately I no longer have a part number.

Good luck
~JM~

 

[84 Sleeper]

Found that gbody parts has all that brakets to do the job

 

[INEEDAGN]

The split bench cars "should" have the inner mounting points for the bucket seat tracks to bolt to. The solid bench cars don't. It won't have the console/shifter mounting brackets or the hole in the floor. You will need those brackets and the console, shifter and shift handle assembly, shifter cable with the little clips to hold the cable into the shifter and trans brackets, and the two brackets for the trans. One bracket bolts on the pan rail of the trans and the other bolts to the shift shaft and has provisions for the floor shift cable as well as the column. The neutral safety switch is in the column and the linkage still runs to the column even for the floor shift cars and still rotates the outer column section where the shifter would reside. I think you can take the column apart and swap the collar itself with a smooth one. I've seen that collar NOS on ebay for 100 bucks or see if you can source a used one and paint to match. Hell you might be able to smooth the shifter lever bracket off the existing one.....

Should add that most aftermarket shifters, if bought new, should come with a cable and the brackets to make it all work and some have the neutral safety switch rigged into the shifter, you would have to splice wires.

 

[turbofish38]

The neutral safety switch is in the column and the linkage still runs to the column even for the floor shift cars and still rotates the outer column section where the shifter would reside. I think you can take the column apart and swap the collar itself with a smooth one. I've seen that collar NOS on ebay for 100 bucks or see if you can source a used one and paint to match. Hell you might be able to smooth the shifter lever bracket off the existing one.....

You can source the correct collar out of the boneyard if you're into junkyarding. Just find an automatic column from a 3rd or 4th Gen F-Body(Camaro/Firebird) or 1st or 2nd Gen J-body(Cavalier,Skyhawk,Sunbird). The only part you need to swap is the collar. It doesn't make a difference if the car has an SIR airbag either. Columns usually go for less than $25 if you go through your local U-Pull-It or Self Service yard. Probably a $2-3 part if you disasemble the column in the yard.

 

[INEEDAGN]

You can source the correct collar out of the boneyard if you're into junkyarding. Just find an automatic column from a 3rd or 4th Gen F-Body(Camaro/Firebird) or 1st or 2nd Gen J-body(Cavalier,Skyhawk,Sunbird). The only part you need to swap is the collar. It doesn't make a difference if the car has an SIR airbag either. Columns usually go for less than $25 if you go through your local U-Pull-It or Self Service yard. Probably a $2-3 part if you disasemble the column in the yard.

Hell yeah! That is good info. I'm glad to see you chime in on this. Gonna repost/link this in the junkyard dogs section.....