Bench, bucket or split seat?

[slomotion]

Originally Posted by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402

All real nice, but I think I like slomotion's best. The dog doesn't hurt.

Thank you! Would you believe he thinks the truck is his? It really is a coincidence that he matches the interior.....wait, I was just informed that the interior matches him. I stand corrected.

This is how he spends his time when he's not navigating........

[michael bustamante]

gotta have a bench seat so your honey can sit right up next to you when cruising the drive-in.
does this show my age or what??

[slowcpe]

Originally Posted by chopnchaneled

I use a 98 silverado split seat with a fold down arm rest.

This was the route I was going to go until I stumbled across a deal on some buddy buckets. They are thinner (which is good if you are tall like me), more comfortable (to me), and the fold down armrest is a nice feature.

The buddy buckets just look cool in these truck and give you the best of all worlds in my opinion. However they are usually pretty pricey.

[In The Ten Ring]

I cannot understand the affinity for bucket seats. Are such seats for married men that don't want their women right next to them?

A bench seat IS RIGHT for a truck! You can pile in one more friend, slide your woman next to you, or um, utilize the bench on dates in ways a bucket seat cannot. :-)

[slomotion]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

I cannot understand the affinity for bucket seats. Are such seats for married men that don't want their women right next to them?

A bench seat IS RIGHT for a truck! You can pile in one more friend, slide your woman next to you, or um, utilize the bench on dates in ways a bucket seat cannot. :-)

That's exactly right! A little while later there's room the baby seat, the bottle bag next to the mom, and the diaper bag next to you! Next thing you know, that baby is grown to a teen and wanting to borrow your truck for a date, and you have a flash-back.
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[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by slomotion

That's exactly right! A little while later there's room the baby seat, the bottle bag next to the mom, and the diaper bag next to you! Next thing you know, that baby is grown to a teen and wanting to borrow your truck for a date, and you have a flash-back.
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Raincoats aren't just for storms bro.

I guess a baby seat would work with a bench.....

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by slomotion

Thank you! Would you believe he thinks the truck is his? It really is a coincidence that he matches the interior.....wait, I was just informed that the interior matches him. I stand corrected.

This is how he spends his time when he's not navigating........

Yes I can believe it. Nothing better than a lab.

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Originally Posted by rushingg149

I am considering possibly changing my 1970 C30 bench seat out for bucket or split seats.

Ideas, suggestions, examples, sources, pictures - anyone?

I went the other direction on this build.

Fact is, I think I like the later model seats for fit and comfort and convenience better (electric up and down, lumbar, etc.).
The used Suburban (I think they were Suburban...maybe Blazer) leather seats were only about $450 shipped from the
East Coast to the west. That included two front seats and a 60/40 middle seat.

My woman likes the bench...And I do think it's more pretty (than the buckets...not *her*....). So, in it went.

If I had the buddys with new upholstery, I'd put the buckets in. As it stands, I'm sticking with the bench.

[OregonNed]

When I bought mine it had really odd, high back bucket seats in it - but have been totally happy since I had a good bench seat redone for it...

[In The Ten Ring]

I tell you: there are trucks on this site that are just works of art. I mean that with all frankness.

This blue interior truck is really something to look at!

[berch 69GMC]

Maybe a comprise is in order. On a recent episode of fast and loud, they auctioned a truck they built and sold for charity. It looked like a modified bench seat contoured like buckets, very cool. Maybe bolstering the sides of each seating area would do it. I am considering such a plan.

[berch 69GMC]

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[jim-bob]

Originally Posted by berch 69GMC

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I like that bench..My plan was to take out the bench on my 67 GMC and go with buckets mainly because there's nothing on the original seat to keep me from sliding when I turn sharply..but these would work..where did you get'em?

Thanks

[In The Ten Ring]

Bench seat, folding if you can get it. Buddy buckets would be fine. NO BUCKET SEATS.

Why? Well, I like having my woman right next to me .......or on top of me (when parked). Hard to do with buckets.....

[1972RedNeck]

I didn't see anyone mention it so I will.

Word has it that 90's bench seats have a thinner back and will give you more room. That is definitely what I am going to do in the near future.

[berch 69GMC]

Not my seat, TV truck. I would like one though. Anyone know if that type of seat is custom made or is the foam available like that?

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Originally Posted by berch 69GMC

Not my seat, TV truck. I would like one though. Anyone know if that type of seat is custom made or is the foam available like that?

The thread:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=447657&page=2

This is what I'll be shooting for next time:

[berch 69GMC]

Cool. Thanks. How do you shape the foam?

[1BAD66]

Originally Posted by fastwillie 696969

i like bench seat

a1a !!!

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by magwakeenercew2jh

The thread:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=447657&page=2

This is what I'll be shooting for next time:

Oh! That is an impressive seat.

Could that be had with headrests? All the idiots on dumb (smart) phones behind me are scary.

[68isgreat]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

Oh! That is an impressive seat.

Could that be had with headrests? All the idiots on dumb (smart) phones behind me are scary.

I'm finishing up my 68 this next spring, and I have the original folding bench seat that has the usual badly broken springs on the drivers side, but is otherwise totally usable. The sliders even still work. But it doesn't have headrests, so the idea of a newer model bench seat with headrests makes a lot of sense from a safety standpoint. But there's nothing like the look of the original seat when professionally redone. I'm torn on what to do. I wonder if a set of head rests could be retrofitted onto a 68 bench seat? Once the seat is torn down, it doesn't seem that it would be too difficult to fab the head rest inserts from another seat.

Thoughts? Has anyone ever done this? Heck, for that matter, maybe even fab in a flip down center console? That would be cool. Now after saying all this, maybe just adapting a new model back to the original bottom might be the way to go. Hmmm...

[A1971Blazer]

I went for a combination of both. I wanted the three passenger option.
Custom made using the top part of a late model Tahoe console I bought from a member here.
My buddy does upholstery, he made the foam and sewed the covers.
Hard to see here but the top stitching is orange.

[68isgreat]

Originally Posted by A1971Blazer

I went for a combination of both. I wanted the three passenger option.
Custom made using the top part of a late model Tahoe console I bought from a member here.
My buddy does upholstery, he made the foam and sewed the covers.
Hard to see here but the top stitching is orange.
Attachment 2398123

Attachment 2398124

Oh wow. Beautiful. That's exactly what I'm wanting to do, except I might add headrests.

More specifics please. What year/model is the original seat and what year is the tahoe?

One other question: does that black leather get super hot in the summer? I like leather, but I plan on having my dog with me, and am thinking fabric might be more durable, and it wouldn't get as hot in the sun.

[LS short box]

On my 68 project I used 2013 VW GTI seats. I bought the pair for $350 at a local salvage yard.
I wasn't liking the gray color so I used fabric spray bomb paint to change them to black. Recline and vertical adjustment. Head rests.
Great seats.

[A1971Blazer]

Originally Posted by 68isgreat

Oh wow. Beautiful. That's exactly what I'm wanting to do, except I might add headrests.

More specifics please. What year/model is the original seat and what year is the tahoe?

One other question: does that black leather get super hot in the summer? I like leather, but I plan on having my dog with me, and am thinking fabric might be more durable, and it wouldn't get as hot in the sun.

The seat is the standard factory seat that was in the truck when I bought it.
I removed the upholstery and foam, then removed the springs from the seating part.
Next was cutting the back rest and welding in tubing that was bent to the same radius as the sides of the frame.
I cut out approximately 14 inches out of the center then welded in a support , and welded on brackets for the console.
This allows the entire back to fold forward when the console is up.
I separated the top section of the Tahoe console and modified those brackets.

My friend and next door neighbor does custom upholstery, so he made a bottom and back rests out of 3/4" plywood.
He cut out a section under both sides and put in the heavy elastic webbing for cushioning.
This lowered the seating height about 2-3 inches.
Next was making the custom foam for both the seat and back rest. He cut it all out of 4" thick foam and then shaped the bolsters in.
I sat down in the seat and he fit the foam for the back rest so it would provide lumbar support and also be thin enough at the top to allow more shoulder room.
Last was making the cover for the seat and console. He laid out the pattern and sewed it up.
The material is actually Allante vinyl rather than leather. Like any black interior, it does get hot. That's where the Vintage air comes in.
It was a pretty detailed project but the end result was worth it.

I always forget to document the entire project, but here are a few pictures along the way.