I have a 1954 Chevy that I am working on and was needing advice on a good replacement seat? Also I will post pictures when I figure this out!
Stock or custom? Stock, all you need is the spring frames, then order the cover kits. Aftermarket/ junkyard...take measurements and hit the yards.
I have the stock seat but was thinking of something from the junkyard and maybe get the seat belts too.I prefer a bench seat but haven't decided yet I will keep you guys informed.
Seats , Belts & SAFETY ! Do as you wish with the seat , look at the many others have used from donor vehicles (I prefer stock seats built firm) but remember this : Your LIFE depends on proper seat belt installation so anchor them to the FLOOR , never the seat and have seperate mounting points for each belt end , well gusseted with over size washers or slabs of metal . Measure THRICE before drilling each hole .
Well said Nate . IF You do put in New seats & seat belts Rod , Make Sure They Are Properly installed for others People,s Safety Whether Its You , Your passenger . Or the Next Owner of the truck . Way to many times I,ve seen Someone have the False sense Of Security Because Someone has Put Seat Belts in. & More times then not , installed very Poorly at best. Recipe for disaster in My Mind. Some if not Most Old truck or car Builders are Amature,s . & Patch stuff Together & sell them to the next person, That Thinks its Done right. Next Thing Ya Know Somebody gets Hurt really bad Or Worse , You Have a Lawsuit on your hands . I cant tell You how Many Times That I,ve seen Someone take An Old Rusted out truck, Glue or Pop rivet repair Panels in it , Or Try to weld them in , Throw New seats & Seat belts in it . Just for looks . Then get tired of Their Project & sell It to another Person That Trusts Its done Safely . & You can guess the outcome . Sorry I Know I,m new here But safety needs to be The Key Factor that most Times Is Overlooked .
Please Remember : SAFETY KNOWS NO SEASON ! if you alls had seen the mangled bodies I've seen , you'd understand Cowboy and my concerns here .
Thanks for the advice I am looking at making the truck as safe as possible as will have my family with me a lot of the time.I also would never want someone to get hurt because I made a bad choice,so I will be asking more questions once I have the seat.
Family Good deal ! . I am very glad I added seat belts to my '49 shop truck as several years later as I was driving home the passenger side door just popped open as I was turning left and EVERYTHING in the cab except me , flew out and landed in the street ~ had SWMBO or my son been there sans seat belts , it would have been a disaster Brakes & tires too , are very important , even if you drive slowly . These trucks were designed to serve as primary transportation and so are *very* enjoyable to drive as you'll soon see , even with rust & dents and a wheezing old 216 engine
Use ALL grade 8 hardware. I drill into the floor, then use 1/4 inch flat bar stock , drilled through for both holes and spans between them. Use large thick fender washers and locktight all threads. If this pulls out, the whole floor is ripped out. If that happens, you probably wouldn't have made it out anyway.
Seats https://talk.classicparts.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=147 This seat came out of a parts truck I got. I cleaned and painted the frame, then had a local guy redo the cushions. Less the $200.00, and I am very pleased with it. So is my daughter! The lap belts were only so I could strap in my daughter's car seat so we could drive over to my mom and dads to watch the Chiefs play. (back when they did...) When it's to the point of concentrating on the belt issue, I'm following the instructions that deal with installing shoulder/lap belts. I agree with Nate~ belts, and tires, and brakes: Oh My!
Seat Belts I saw a good how to on installing seat belts on Deves site http://speedprint.com/deves50/ YOull have to search the site but it has soem good pictures to help out Bill
Here's the link to the seat belt install from Deve's site. A very detailed and thorough job. followed it to the letter for my install. Got my belts cheap from a Nissan pickup from the boneyard as per Coilover's recommendation. Bets the very pricey belts from the vendor mentioned in Deve's site. http://speedprint.com/deves50/seatbeltassembly.php Andy
