2nd row seat for a panel.

[robb67]

Hey all,
Has anyone on here installed a second row bench seat in their panel? I'm looking for tips and pics.
The previous owner of my panel (my friend) once screwed in some lawn chairs for the second row but I was thinking of something more permanent and safe. I also figured I'd get more family trips in the panel with a couple more seats. It'd be great if they were easily removed like modern van seats but I'm looking at a blazer bench seat on the parts board.
Thanks.
Rob

[chris mc bride]

Have not done so yet. But I plan on installing either scond seat or dual bucket seats in rear. Im going to check on some front seat out of caddy this weekend and might check or rear seat out of same car . Figure might take some bracket fabrication but would be great if they matched,especaily since these are leather covered seat.
Another thought was seat out of minivan I know some even have seat warmers built in and think they would make great addition to customized ride.

[CG]

Ive been kicking around the idea some myself. I think I would use a third row seat out of a burb for starters. I believe its the right height already. I think it would be easy to come up with a permanent type mount, but Im thinking about an easy release type mount so Ill be able to haul stuff in the back. Or live in it if my honey ever kicks me to the curb lol.

[capev86]

how about using third row burb/ rear blazer seats? they are already set up for that raised floor which goes to the back of the front row in the panel truck. use 73-91 era seats with the hooks in the floor. quick release seats would allow you to still use your panel as a moving van without having to get a wrench out to go back and forth. the seat cushions are close to the same size, so you could use 67-72 upholstery for that factory look.

[robb67]

Great ideas, thanks. Couple of questions, is the 3rd row burb seat identical to a rear blazer seat? Also, capev86 you mentioned to use the 73-91 seats because they have hooks....do these hooks make for quick release then? I think that's what you implied but just checking because you're right that would be great to have the right look with a quick in/out option.
thanks again.

[capev86]

i like the 67-72 body style, but the 73-91 burbs had the most practical seats with the 60/40 split second row and removable third row seat. the hooks are on the seat rails they grab 4 horizontal bars recessed in the floor inside pockets. there is a quick release handle at floor level on the back of the seat that releases the rear two hooks and then you lift up/tilt the seat forward to dislodge the front two. sucker weighs a ton but it makes short work of converting from a people mover to a cargo hauler and back again.

if you want more passenger capacity, install 2 of the third row style seats. you will just have to find a way to mount the pockets into your wood floor as they are part of the floor. a little fab work and some careful measuring and it should be pretty straight forward. there must be a ton of 73-91 burbs in the boneyards you can go draw inspiration from. my dad had an 84 and then an 87 burb after his 72, so i am well acquainted with the setup. the 99 burb he has now is the same basic idea, but the seats are shaped differently and have headrests in all 3 rows.

i am still trying to decide if i want to just pick up a stock 3rd row for my 72 burb or adapt the 73-91 second and third row, but with the factory upholstery for that vintage look. the cushions shape is so close. heck, the third row seat looks almost the same except for the brackets and the arm rests don't have a full hoop support on the 73-91.

[trapperjack]

I have a third row sub. seat bolted in my 68 panel. I welded some angle iron to the bottom of the seat, drilled 4 holes, used huge steel backing plates underneath. I have since swapped out the old front seats for some really nice gray conversion van buckets, and have a never used gray sub 3rd row seat that matches. I decided this time, I would find a junk burb and cut out the pockets, so it would still be removeable. Haven't figured out how to install the pockets yet.

[PanelDeland]

Sounds like a good idea.I would suggest you mount the seat back against the fenderwells and find a way to install a console(overhead or floor mounted),that could house the entertainment center.

[robb67]

more good ideas...I'm definitely going with removable seats. Don't know about the entertainment centre but if I ever needed to use the panel as a temporary home that sure would be handy.

trapperjack, thanks for the run down on your install. if you get the chance to take couple of pics that'd be great as well.

cheers all!

[eyebuzz]

This doesn't help you ... but interesting non-the-less - seems the original set up was just a drivers seat with the "optional passenger seat"...
http://www.tocmp.com/brochures/GMTru...0burb4_jpg.htm

[pritch]

I'm toying around with the idea of a rear seat that would somehow pivot so it could be facing forward for driving and then pivot back against the passenger side for hanging out on. I'm not to sure just how to do it yet, though.

[trapperjack]

Originally Posted by robb67

more good ideas...I'm definitely going with removable seats. Don't know about the entertainment centre but if I ever needed to use the panel as a temporary home that sure would be handy.

trapperjack, thanks for the run down on your install. if you get the chance to take couple of pics that'd be great as well.

cheers all!

I'll try to get some pics soon. May have some somewhere. If not I'll take some.

[robb67]

Thanks again for the thoughts.

eyebuzz, nice link it was fun to read.

pritch, great idea about the pivot chairs, if I get the time I'm going to consider that as well but for now I'm going for an install that I can accomplish before summer so I can make this a family hauling beach/cabin panel....

thanks trapperjack appreciate it.

rob.

[trapperjack]

This is all I could find for pictures....can't get to the truck at the moment. This is a 3rd row seat from a ....89 I think Suburban. Didn't want the color, but I had it, and needed it, so in it went. I have a matching, never used 3rd row to get in it when I get time. Underneath I used 4x4 plate steel as a backing. I know, seat belts don't match either. If you want more pics, I can get them later. When I do the new seat, I will make it removeable.

[robb67]

thanks for the pics trapperjack. they definitely help out as I wrap my mind around this.

[jorgensensc]

I'm currently working on a similar idea for my suburban full size second row and third row seat. The plan is to have the second row seat back fold down to lay on the bottom seat, then the whole thing will flip up and rest against the back of the front seat. The third row will do something similar, fold down, then flip up. However it will flip all the way over into the space between the now flipped up second row and the edgo of the raised cargo area. i've done all of the measurements and it looks like it will fit rather nicely. I'm currently working on fabbing brackets for the back of the seats to pivot forward onto the bottom seat. They won"t just fold over since theseat cushions are so high. The pivot point will have to be higher. I'm trying to do all this in the least damaging way possible to the newly covered seats, utilizing existing frame holes and reinforcements. I'll let you know as soon as I get it completely done.
Shawn