Thread: What bench seat could be used

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I just bought a very nice all steel '31 Ford 5 window highboy. The car has no interior so I'm starting with a blank sheet of paper. I have pretty much decided on a bench style seat but don't want to spend the money on a glide or Wise Guys set up.
Can anyone suggest a fold foreword bench seat as I want access behind the seat. I thought perhaps a seat from a Ford Ranger or something similar.

The middle two passenger seat from a mid 90's ChryCo soccer mom van works well.
They are very comfortable . . . the same seat in later ChryCo vans works ok too, not quite as comfortable, but a touch easier to install due to the mounting bolt pads are at all four corners.
The earlier ones have the right front mounting bolt pad about 4" - 6" toward the center of the seat.
No big deal, just need a long tab made out of 3/16" plate.

You'll need a home-made mounting base.
I made mine from 1" square tubing and it's drilled with 7 adjuster holes 1" apart.
Requires removal of 4 bolts to move the seat back on the frame, but it's easily done.
The mounting base mounts to the floor via original holes in the floor reinforcing 'hat' channels.

Some guys adapt a low bucket seat track to the ChryCo seats.
All that's required there is to widen it a touch.

The pics show how the seat fits in my 31 on 32 rails roadster project.
Excellent leg room and the ergonomics are great.
You can gain leg room in your coupe by removing the rear package tray so the seat can go back all the way.

Be sure to incorporate some rearward tilt into the seat.
The seat back should be at approximately 110 degrees.

As you can see there's room in my roadster for the seat to go back into the trunk.
I still have 2" of adjustment available, but it looks like the seat will stay where it is.

If you find it difficult to find the two passenger seat - which originally came in the middle with a three passenger seat in the rear.
Don't be fooled by a three passenger seat sitting in the middle.
The vans are set up with two sets of mounting receptacles in the right side floor and it's common to find the three passenger seat in the middle.
Done to set the van up for 5-6 passengers with luggage.

If a three passenger seat is all you can find, they are easily cut down.
Note the gray seat in the coupe.

You can find information on cutting this seat down as well as a very complete 31 coupe on 32 rails build at the HAMB.
It's in their tech archives.
It may have the builders first name -Rolf - in the title.

Ford Windstars have a viable seat, but the back cushion was fairly thick on the one I saw in a 34 pickup.
GM vans may have a usable seat as well.

Very helpfull and has the look I wanted without the added cost.
Thanks.

Check out yard sales and the like.

Many times the two passenger seat gets left behind when the van is traded or folks move.

I paid $10. for my last one at a yard sale.

Junkyard price for the one in the pics was $40.

Nice part is, the seats come out by simply popping a lever.

Fwiw, the seat belts in the middle are attached to the seat by a single large bolt that bolts to the rear of the seat frame proper.
It would be easy to run a reinforcing strap from that bolt to a good anchor on the floor.
Or . . . you could do the usual seat belt install with the belts going to properly reinforced and anchored floor mounts.
I installed an extra crossmember in the Deuce frames on both my roadsters specifically for seat belt mounting and a roll bar lateral.
The crossmember has threaded and stepped weld bungs for the seat belt mounting bolts.
The bungs are installed from inside the frame and welded.
The weld is sturdy and if it failed the step would prevent frame pull-through.

The side - retractable - ChryCo seat belts mount to the factory seat frame so you get those when you get the seat, provided they're still on the seat, most times they are.

A lot of times junkyard vans have the side door left open.
Check the seat for water damage.
An undamaged seat will last a long time as is and since upholstery is one of the last things we do, that makes life easy for a while....

I have an old toyota pickup seat which is very narrow.It came with headrests which I took out and also has a indent in the centre which turned out well for the shifter.