Getting ready for the Power Tour with a new seat.

[00droptopSS]

After driving my truck for a while I've concluded that several things in the truck are not going to cut it for the Power Tour. I'm starting with the factory bench. The factory bench is hard on the back and I also was shopping for seat belts so I just bought a new seat with the belts out of an 01 GMC SL Truck.

Has anyone installed these seats and if so how hard of an install is it? Any tricks or mods needed?

I'm really working on the details of my truck. I figure with all of those nice rods around I really need to bring my A game to get noticed.

Here is a pic of the seats.

[00droptopSS]

Factory Bench

[mcmlxix]

Is that cup holder in your custom console out of a late model Jetta?

[CPNE]

I have those seats in a 2000 Silverado, they are pretty nice. Not sure how to make them fit but where there is a will there's a way. If that power tour comes thru New England you can drop that old ugly stock bench off here.

[00droptopSS]

mcmlxix: Yes it is out of a Jetta. It works pretty good if the cup isn't to big. I may have to build a new console if it gets in the way of the seats.

CPNE I actually have more money in the factory seat than the new one. I will be selling the factory seat soon to offset my costs of the new ones.

[00droptopSS]

I had a chance to set the seat in the truck and it fits pretty well. It is a little higher than I'd like, but not enough to make a difference. I'll update when I have a chance to bolt it in.

[JayDubBlazer]

I am using those same exact seats in my blazer. Same color and all. I think I am going to build my own centerconsole though. I am going to use the existing bold holes to bult a steel strap down to bol up to the seat. I will probaly not do this for a couple of weeks but have done it once when I had cherokee seats in my truck.

[PloreOSU]

I have similar seats for my truck (2003 base model seats), although I won't be installing them until this summer when I can finish up the gas tank swap.

Remember that you need to reinforce your seat latchdowns since the belts are now integrated into the seat and not bolted to the floorboard. In an accident there is a lot more stress on the seat brackets and you don't want them ripping out of the floorboards. I was planning on welding a 1/8" x 2" strap across the mounting bolts and back to something substantial.

[glock35ipsc]

I just installed the same seats in my 68 this past weekend. Easy to do.

I had to drill 6 of the 8 holes. It was difficult to get to the front outer holes for the position I had to put those slide tracks in to clear the gas tank. So I welded a 1/8" x 4" piece to the bottom of the slide track where the bolt hole is, and then marked them through the original holes from underneath. Then used the original botls to fasten it. Yeah, I know, 1/8" sounds like it is too thin for seat brackets, but that is exactly what is used for conversion van seat pedistals and underbody reinforcement hardware. I have several kits for each of the Big 3 manufacturers, and in all their testing, 11 gauge is the recommended material for this application.

I spent a decade building custom vans at Vanworks in Fort Coillins, so I had access to the underbody washers (reinforcement plates) that are DOT approved. I used 1/2" grade 8 bolts on the four inner holes (where the seat and center console bolt down), and 7/16" bolts on the outer rear holes. A 3/4" socket won't fit in there, that's why I used the next size down.

Also, before welding the flat bar onto the slider, I ground of about an 1/8" so the seat would stay level and not raised up on that corner.

Drilling is no problem, as there is nothing in the way below the floor.

[lock]

I like that the seat belt is built in. That would suit me perfectly. Now I need to find some .

[glock35ipsc]

I got mine of of eBay for $199. Shipping via FedEx Freight was $143, so even at ~ $345 or so, that's still cheaper than I could have bought them locally for.

[00droptopSS]

I got a good deal on mine at $300 to my door. That is cheaper than having the factory one redone.

[stllookn]

I put those into Orence1's truck. He is a big guy and he wanted them lowered so I took the die grinder to the brackets and removed them. It will lower the seats about 1-inch as I recall. I had to space them back up about 1/8 inch to make sure the slides would clear the carpet. The truck floor is not level but so I shim one corner another 1/8 inch. He had removed his gas tank so we had plenty of room behind the seats. They are nice. It was an easy install.