Blazer utility bucket question

[shuttermutt]

I've got a pair of these...



...installed in my truck now. They're not terribly pretty (anyone know a good stitcher in Minnesota?), but they work. I've been told they're actually "utility buckets" from a Blazer, but nobody has been able to tell me what makes them any different than a regular bucket seat.

Anyway, when I installed them, I noticed something a little odd. The lever that you would use to adjust the seat position is on the left-hand side of both seats. In fact, the picture you're looking at is the seat I used on the passenger side.

What happened? Did I get two driver's side seats?

[jku72]

The biggest difference in my opinion is that the utility seats are actually comfortable, unlike the Fancy bucket seats.
The utility seats were cheaper than the Bucket seats, and therefore, nobody seems to want them. I like them, and have been sort of looking for a set to replace the bench in my burb.
I dont know about the lever for adjusting the seat though.

[cdowns]

a passenger side bucket doesn't have adjustable tracks they're fixed , so you've got a set of driver side brackets on each seat

[shuttermutt]

Originally posted by jku72
The biggest difference in my opinion is that the utility seats are actually comfortable, unlike the Fancy bucket seats.
The utility seats were cheaper than the Bucket seats, and therefore, nobody seems to want them. I like them, and have been sort of looking for a set to replace the bench in my burb.
I dont know about the lever for adjusting the seat though.

Pardon my ignorance, but why are they considered "utility" seats? Are they akin to the "standard" bench seat in that they're lowest on the proverbial totem pole for a Blazer? Not that it really matters, I suppose. They are quite comfortable and they are in keeping with the style of the truck. It's just a question that has nagged at me since I first heard the term.

I suspect I'll have them recovered. I'm strongly considering a sturdy tweed or similar cloth. If for no other reason, cloth tends to endure extreme cold a bit better than vinyl even if it's not a durable or easy to keep clean. If I want a console, however, I guess I'll be needing to find a way to get the proper brackets for the passenger side.

[jku72]

They are the bottom seat available in a blazer. In fact, the passenger seat was optional, in other words, a true BASE model would only have the drivers seat, no roof at all, and no windows in the doors, according to my books. I've never seen one that 'base'. Or even heard of one. The Blazer that I used to have had only a drivers seat as well, (utility) but I suspect it(the passenger seat) was removed as opposed to having never been there.
I think that they are also the seat issued in panel trucks, which were sold as 'utility' type trucks. Chevrolet made up the term 'utility' for the seat.
I would like to add a disclaimer and say I am not an expert, and most anything I think is just that, what I understand. Are you in Maine, or Minnisota?

[shuttermutt]

These came out of a 4X4 cab (factory running lights, PTO, and other signs it was a work truck of some sort) that was sitting on top of an old Chevy van in a junkyard just North of Houlton. I think on of them may have had the bottom center panel re-stitched at one point since the grain doesn't quite match. I'd love to know how that truck ended up with two driver's side "utility" seats, but it's incredibly unlikely I'll ever find out.

So, does anybody want to trade a driver's side bracket for a passenger one?

[gonebad2]

I wonder if this is what the seat looked like originally? They didn't make a different seat for generation 3 Corvette's. In other words, the adjustment knob was on the same side for both seats. I like those seats though. I would have picked them up if I came across them in a junkyard.

[shuttermutt]

Hmmm... they might have been like that, but somehow I doubt it. Given the metal back, location of the bracket holes (the front and back outsides bolted right up) and all, I'm sure they're truck seats. At $50 for the pair, I'm definately not complaining!

[shuttermutt]

Oh, and for what it's worth, I got a fairly good look at the floorpan while swapping out the seats. It's in excellent shape. Very solid all the way under the sill plate. Sure, my outer (and probably inner) rockers are shot, the bottom of my doors are gone, the cab corners are, well... not there, and my cab struts are swiss cheese, but at least I've got some good metal in there!

[swede413]

heres a pic of org seats

[shuttermutt]

Yep, that looks like the same that I've got. That little bit of material that connects the back to the bottom looks the same anyway.

On a side note, that is one wicked big wrist breaker you've got on that wheel, bubba! Makes me cringe just to think about it!

[swede413]

And again after I had them recovered $250 at a shop here in Vegas.
One thing that makes them utility seats is the fact that the backs are metal not plastic

[shuttermutt]

Hey, that's not too bad! I can't believe the high cost of stitching these days, though. I guess $125 per seat isn't that bad, but it still seems high to me. I wonder what I'd pay to have mine done in tweed. Hmmm...

[swede413]

On a side note, that is one wicked big wrist breaker you've got on that wheel, bubba! Makes me cringe just to think about it!

The truck had manual stearing when I got it so the wrist breaker came in handy when offroading Ive sence made it power but cant seem to get red of it

[swede413]

I think they charged $75 or so for new ex thick foam, if your foam is still good that will save you some $

[gonebad2]

Did the CST Blazers come with a different style seat? It seems the seatback got narrower as it went up and had a plastic or fiberglass back. I'm not real well versed on Blazers though.

[shuttermutt]

Originally posted by swede413
I think they charged $75 or so for new ex thick foam, if your foam is still good that will save you some $

The foam's not too bad. There's only a small piece missing from the driver's side back.

[CPNE]

1. As Cdowns stated you have 2 driver side brackets. The passenger side should be fixed. You can get correct brackets thru our board members who are dealers (Wes, GMCPaul, Tim Christian, et al). Passenger brackets are desireable so don't give them away.

2. Don't get hung up on "utility". It's an adjective and makes for good marketing speak to differentiate and distinguish. These definitions from Mr. Webster should help clarify for you:

--- a :kept to provide a useful product or service rather than for show or as a pet <utility livestock> <a utility dog> b : being of a usable but inferior grade <utility beef>
--- : serving primarily for utility rather than beauty : UTILITARIAN

3. The original covering would be EXACTLY like the vinyl used on the "Custom" level trimmed truck bench seats. Grab a sales brochure and you'll see exactly what this looked like. After all, these are basically mini bench seats, nothing more. A true "bucket" seat as more commonly found is contoured for your butt.

4. If you want them to look correct for your 68, have them stitched with the pleats like the seats already depicted in this post. 67/68 buckets (and vinyl padded inner door panels) used a similar vertical pleating.

If you need to know anything about "original" or "correct" just ask me, it's my justification for being.

[1970blazin]

Here is pic of the CST buckets. Mine I recovered, and not like the orig cover I might add. I was just posting this to show the shape of the CST blazer buckets. They had a plastic back like the second pic here.

[1970blazin]

seatback- left hand one is orig!

[PanelDeland]

The pic you posted is of the same type bucket seats that are in the panels.I know they are the same in 67-68-69.They have no contour just a mini bench style.They also have the metal backs.In the panel trucks the passenger seat is an option.I have yet to see one that did not have the passenger seat.I am not sure about the blazer seat but the passenger side seat in the panels are mounted on a hinged front and latch rear so they can be tilted forward.I believe the blazer does also for acess to the rear seat but I don't know if they are the same.The panel seats also have a wing nut on either side at the rear so the seat back can be leaned forward.I think you can lean the seat back forward and tilt the seat forward into the passenger floorboard.