Original Bucket seats installation????
 

I'm trying to drill the holes in my cab for original bucket seats. I'm looking for some pictures of the braces and alignment of the seats. Anyone document their installation? I have the material to make the braces but would kinda like to see some originals.
Are the outside front holes used on LH and RH seat mounts? Thanks

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Here are some pictures of what I'm looking at.
Notice that the seats are touching the center console on the sides with
the bolts in the outer stock bench seat holes.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...093/seat11.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...093/seat22.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...093/seat31.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/data/500/seat41.jpg

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

subscribed. Always thought they used the same holes as the bench seat - so, therefore, I have no clue.

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

I have always thought that too but, it just doesn't look right. The driver side inside mount hits the tranny tunnel raised area before the bolt will fit in the hole too. I can force it in there but it's tight.

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

if you look there are dimples in non bucket seat floors for bucket seat location. There are also dimples in the center floor pan for the console as well. The only direct bolt in is the the buddy bucket seats, all others must be drilled to fit.

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

I don't have my cab here to confirm this, but it appears that the dimples refered to are visible in a couple of your pictures outboard of the seat brackets. Looks like 1/2"-3/4" out from the existing holes. This is consistent with where my original buckets were mounted from the factory.

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

I found two dimples for the console caddy corner from each other. I saw one in the rear on the driver side that looked like it might be close to what I need. So basically, no matter what the bench seat cabs will need all the holes drilled?

Any chance any of you experts have some pictures of your original buckets or a measurement from the seat bracket to the center edge of the radius?

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

You may be right. There are some dimples that look like spot welds. Any chance you have any pictures of your seats in relation to the console from an overhead view like looking through the back window or windshield? I would like to see what the gaps are between the seats and the console. thanks

These look like dimples in the picture here:

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Those are the ones I was referring to. I don't have any pictures that would help, and the truck is currently disassembled and 2000 miles away. If you can wait about 3 weeks I can get pics. However, I estimate the seats are about 3/8"-1/2" away from the console. I have some shots with the seats installed but from a 45 degree angle... not much help.

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Thanks for the offer, I appreciate all the info I get from guys on this board. I have never installed these so I kinda want it to be right. I already drilled the pass. side. But I'm pretty sure they are wrong. I can't wait 3 weeks but thanks anyway. I have seen some 45 and side shots and you really can't see the gaps or lack of. thanks

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

I found this old thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=352079

Perhaps post 8 will help. I'm still searching for others.

Jim

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Here's another thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=367549

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Hi Mike, I have owned decent share of these trucks over the years and done a few 69-72 truck bench to bucket conversions in them years and have not came across any floor pans having the dimples already in place for drilling the bucket seat mounting bolt holes, maybe that was a regional/plant type of deal. I'll give this a shot to the best of my knowledge, when using the 69-72 truck bucket bracket setups and when going into an original bench seat truck cab, there is only one hole of the eight in the bench cab floor pan that's already in the correct place and that you are going to use when bolting the bucket mounts in. The one bolt hole (only one in correct location) that you should use is the RH fwd. most outer bolt hole, so it would be the pass. side fixed mounted bucket fwd. RH bolt, you will need to drill the other eleven mounting bolt holes. I have had these pictures of an OE option #A50 bucket seat floor pan that were taken for another member and then stuck away in a saved folder, not sure if they will help you dimensionally as they don't have any measurements but the pics do highlight all twelve of the bucket seat bracket mounting bolt holes and they also show how the factory used pan head filler screws to plug the other bench seat mounting bolt holes. The bottom view pictures highlight the factory added bucket seat cab only floor cross support & extra bracing. Hope this post and pics can get ya headed in the right direction, Mel. :chevy:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...loor_1_JPG.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...loor_2_JPG.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...loor_3_JPG.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...loor_4_JPG.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...loor_5_JPG.jpg

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Last five B/S floor pan pics...

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...loor_7_JPG.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...loor_8_JPG.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...loor_9_JPG.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...oor_10_JPG.jpg

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Mel,
Thank you so much. This is exactly the information I was looking for. What you are saying is my pass. side holes I already drilled are in the right position. I only used the outer front hole and then marked the other three with it bolted down in that one hole. I'm assuming the driver side mount setup is wider becaus the outer holes need to go outward about 3/4-1" in your picture. Do you happen to know what the gap was at the center console between the seats on both sides? Also, when you installed these buckets on bench trucks did you fabricate that front brace that runs across the bottom of the rib at the front mounting position? thanks for the help.

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

My 72 had these dimples, once drilled my buckets and console fit right in.
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Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Okay, I bit the bullet and went with Mel's suggestion from the original bucket seat floor pan. Although I didn't build the brace that ties the two sides together I did make some braces from some old ball bearing drawer slides. They are the exact thickness and near the same width and depth. Here are the pictures of what I did in case someone else can use it. If you look at the pictures, you'll notice I moved the driver side hole pattern outward 3/4". this made the two seats the same distance from the edge of the seat to the door opening symetrical. It also made it where the driver side seat isn't bound up against the console.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/data/1093/seat8.jpghttp://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/data/1093/seat9.jpghttp://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...093/seat10.jpghttp://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...93/seat111.jpghttp://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...093/seat12.jpg

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

More pictures

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...093/seat13.jpghttp://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...093/seat14.jpghttp://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...093/seat15.jpg

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

You really think it's necessary or just extra insurance? That rib that runs across the front is pretty stiff just by design. I would like to fab one up, I have already thrown a bunch of time at this though. I will look at it tonight.

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Hey Mike, judging by your pics, you are already well above and beyond the under side bracing found on most of the bucket converted truck cabs that I have seen. What about the question I had asked you in post #23? Mel :chevy:

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Hey Mike, member "Duncan & Son" already reproduce the brackets for underneath the cab. The only piece not reproduced is the big middle brace. Trevor

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

nice work Mike
I am going to keep this one for future refrence

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

I will add that the big middle brace can be found and removed from any early blazer, got mine from teeitup. Randy usually cuts them out when he parts out a blazer. If you get this piece you can use it as a template to drill the front holes in the correct location and then either use panel adhesive or weld it in. This piece really takes all the guess work out of where the holes should be.

Jeff
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Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Funny story Jeff, down at the Wichita swap meet I tried telling roger that he didn't have all the brackets for a bucket seat swap and tried to tell him and ron about the big cross member Brace. They acted like I had no idea what I was talking about. Can't fool truck board members.
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Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Hey Mike,

On mine, I used the outside front holes and then marked the locations with a Sharpie so I would have the locations exactly right with these seats. In the process of drilling I noticed the dimples that others have seen.

Anyway, I went ahead and used the outside fronts as they would be more secure than what I rigged up, and the console just barely touches the seats at the front corners. Not snug at all. *shrug*

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

This is a great thread and I wanted to add these two illustrations as further points of reference.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...um/buckets.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...tseparator.jpg

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Great thread! To add to Tim's illustrations above, here are two more showing the attachment of the factory shoulder belt retainers that mount to the front of the console, if your truck came optioned with both bucket seats and shoulder belts.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/.../Photo0175.jpg
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/.../Photo0176.jpg

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Koops rear outer driver's side bracket won't fit if you drill the driver side 3/4" over from the front outer most hole. It was off by about 1/2" from where my bucket seat tracks holes needed to be drilled. It needs to be in the 1-1/8" to 1-1/4" over if measuring center to center.

Can someone with buckets in a truck please measure center to center the distance shown in this picture. Or maybe Koop can answer how far he moved his over.

Thank you.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/data/500/seat8a.jpg

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

I hope this picture didn't steer you wrong. I used 3/4" because it made my driver seat position match the passenger side. I didn't want a bigger gap between the console on one side or the other.
Please post the information you come up with here. thanks

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Adding to this thread
These pics were in that older thread linked on page 1

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1247147580

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1247147580

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1247147580

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

If anyone that has an original bucket truck can measure the diameter of the screw head with the blue arrows, we can then scale the center to center hole spacing as GM did them.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1332751833

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

I took some pics of my 1972 C30 which has 44,000 miles on it which has factory bucket seats in it. Like this truck and all the trucks that we have seen bucket seats in, none of them used the bolt in the support that runs underneath the floor.

The front bucket mounting just used a square nut welded to the floor. No additional floor support brackets was used except for what was used for the bench seat. I will take some photos of the front mounting and add them later

As for the offset on the drives side front holes I found it to be 1 1/4" to the left. See photo.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...0/100_3849.jpghttp://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/.../100_38471.jpg

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Thanks for the response Roger. So it looks like 1-1/4" over is where it really should be. I agree that your bracket would fit with no mods if you drill the drivers side outer front bolt hole at 1-1/4" over from the existing bench seat bolt (that's measured center to center).

I used a short drill bit and put a bolt through the z-shaped cab support. Maybe it's not exactly factory, but since the nut's there I thought I'd use it.

It would be nice to have a second reference point if anyone else with an original bucket seat truck could measure like Roger did above.

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Well I think this should finally put the question to rest as to where the drivers side outer front hole should be located. :metal: I found an original bucket seat truck with original paint under the seat to measure from. As you can see in the pic, this confirms Roger's measurement of 1-1/4" center to center distance from the original bench seat hole. As a side note, I think it's actually 1-3/16", but if you're within 1/16" of an inch, I would guess you would be inside of the factory specs.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...0/DSC05087.jpg

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Just to add a bit more, the truck I looked at had the bolt through the fore/aft floor z-shaped section as you can see in pic 3.

The other pics are of the front mounting nuts from under the truck. Pic 1 is of the inner front drivers side. Pic 2 is of the inner front passenger side. If you don't have the formed z-section reinforcement that runs from side to side (which only comes installed on factory bucket trucks and Blazers), you'll need to fab something up like mcbassin did in his install.

The last pic is of the original mounting bolts and a vintage koozie that was under the seat.

I hope this helps everyone out and the major parts of this thread would be great to put in the FAQ section. Thanks to mcbassin for starting it and everyone who contributed!
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...0/DSC05080.jpghttp://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/...0/DSC05079.jpghttp://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/.../DSC050741.jpg

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Thanks guys for taking these measurments. I wish I had them last year when I drilled my cab. However, me being impatient I made my Driver side gap between the console match my passenger side. I don't know GM made it the way they did? But mine is 1/2" closer so if you're wanting to make it like the Original bucket cab then 1-3/16" to 1-1/4" it is. Thanks again

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

My truck is a 1970 originally equipped w/factory buckets so it already has the holes in the right places. The bad news: factory buckets are long gone. The good news: I have a set of Blazer Sport buckets. Will the Blazer buckets bolt-in directly or will modifications need to be done? Thanks.

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

IT"S been almost a year...Did the blazer seats fit? or did you use some other
seat..if so what?

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

bump

Re: Original Bucket seats installation????
 

Great info fellas will need this soon. (Subscribed)