80 series minivan style 2nd row seats (1 Viewer)

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I know it could be considered sacrilege mentioning minivan and 80 series together, especially when trying to make the 80 more minivan like, but curious if anyone has changed out the second row seats for a captain chair set up to provide an open passage in the center row to get to the 3rd row seats. I haven't explored the world of minivan seating, so I don't know how much customization it would be to make something work or if there could potentially be a direct bolt on option out there or if there would even be enough room to have this idea be functional. I couldn't find anyone having tried this before so either I am the first one to come up with the idea, the only one brave enough to post the question on mud, or people have looked into it and found it isn't possible without way too much work and money (more likely).

Any thoughts or experience would be appreciated.
 
The seat hight and mounting brackets will be an issue.
The 80's second row sits up on a raised deck with a sunken footwell.
Minivans have flat floors and the seats have high bases.

You'd need to look at the seat's rail position in relation to the locking, tilting base structure to see if they can be separated to get a low enough seat cushion height from the ceiling.
 
It has been done, several times. Do some Google searches for “IH8MUD captains seats” (or similar)…several 80s and 100s that have done it.

 
It has been done, several times. Do some Google searches for “IH8MUD captains seats” (or similar)…several 80s and 100s that have done it.

Ah yes, the google search option - forgot to do that one. Thanks for the link.
 
I would look for a low back bucket seat. Something like this might work. You might lose some of the folding functionality but since you’re wanting third row access it probably isn’t an issue. Procar Pro 90 Lowback Vinyl Bucket Seats - https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Procar-Pro-90-Lowback-Vinyl-Bucket-Seats,8932.html

I took a look at the procar bucket seats. Not the prettiest things but looking for function over form and would be switching back to the OEM middle row in a few years if I went this route. It doesn't look like they have fitment options for toyota vehicles so the brackets to fit them would definitely be custom to make it work. Thanks for pointing them out as an option.
 
I think this is a cool idea.

If I ever want my 2nd row seats back I will go this route.
 
My other thought was If I could find a used middle row seat on the cheap it might be possible to cut out the center section of the seat and pull and attatch the leather over the cut seat foam to clean it up. It does look like the seat base that bolts to the floor would protrude into the center path area. Might not be a problem if it is just the foot that bolts to the floor, but there might be some structural components up in the seat that would require a bit of work.

The Scheel Mann seats look nice and if there was a direct bolt in option for the middle row it would be more tempting but the cost of the seats and the custom brackets needed would be pretty high I would think.
 
My other thought was If I could find a used middle row seat on the cheap it might be possible to cut out the center section of the seat and pull and attatch the leather over the cut seat foam to clean it up. It does look like the seat base that bolts to the floor would protrude into the center path area. Might not be a problem if it is just the foot that bolts to the floor, but there might be some structural components up in the seat that would require a bit of work.

The Scheel Mann seats look nice and if there was a direct bolt in option for the middle row it would be more tempting but the cost of the seats and the custom brackets needed would be pretty high I would think.

Just a thought......

If I remember correctly the 2nd row seats come out in 2 sections and 1 of the sections is actually skinnier than the other half.

Maybe you could find an extra skinny section 2nd row seat and than install 2 skinny 2nd row sections in the back possibly leaving a small gap in the middle?

Maybe I am completely wrong and the 2nd row comes apart in equal widths. I can't recall 100%.

🤷‍♂️
 
I am pretty sure they split 50/50 - I didn't measure them to verify but it sure looks to be a 50/50 split.
 
I was installing some Corbeau Sport seats so I pulled one of the rear seats to see how it would fit.

It actually fits pretty well. Plenty of headroom for me at 5’11” and the brackets would be simple to build.
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Nice, thanks for the photos and taking the time to do that. Looks like a nice option. Do the corbeau seats have an integrated seat belt or the reciever to use the OEM belt? After doing quite a bit of looking in the 100 and 200 section, it seems like only 1 person actually followed through and switched these out to captains chairs. There are so many things to consider and account for when switching out the seats that are hard to predict the impact on functionality that I think most people end up staying with the OEM seats. I like the pass through idea but you loose the ability to fold the 2nd row seat forward with aftermarket options. I'll have to look into the corbeau options and prices. Thanks again.
 
I was installing some Corbeau Sport seats so I pulled one of the rear seats to see how it would fit.

It actually fits pretty well. Plenty of headroom for me at 5’11” and the brackets would be simple to build.
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The look of what you have there almost sells me on this idea.

Right now, my family complains about how uncomfortable it is for all of us to ride together in my LC.

The seats suck and there's not enough leg room.

Maybe I'll look at the Corbeau seats and choke on that price.

However, when I look at how much it is to recover my factory shytty seats, it helps me to swallow the cost a tiny bit easier.
 
@bhmmapping, I looked at the corbeau website but don't see any seats quite like what you posted. Mind sharing which seat from corbeau you have? I agree with @BILT4ME that it is a good look and doesn't look out of place like many other seat replacements. When factoring in the cost of rehopolstery it definitely opens up the options.
 
I was installing some Corbeau Sport seats so I pulled one of the rear seats to see how it would fit.

It actually fits pretty well. Plenty of headroom for me at 5’11” and the brackets would be simple to build.
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Looks great. I love the idea.

Biggest downside I can see is losing the flexibility to fold the seats forward for more cargo space.

Could be set up for ready removal if the extra space is needed, but that takes preplanning, so not so flexible
 
Looks great. I love the idea.

Biggest downside I can see is losing the flexibility to fold the seats forward for more cargo space.

Could be set up for ready removal if the extra space is needed,, but that takes preplanning, so not so flexible
The loss of flexibility is definitely a drawback that has to be considered. Overall though, most of the time a little pre-planning can take care of that. It is just hard to know how easy it would be to get in and out of the 3rd row without the option to fold the seat forward. Young kids would probably not have a problem but if they needed help with seatbelts or car seats/boosters it could be a challenge. If you have a car seat in the middle row with the OEM seats you loose the folding option anyway until the kids are out of car seats/boosters which can be a long long time here in the USA. I am still toying with the idea of finding a used middle row seat and cutting out the middle section to keep the folding function but not sure how doable that would be or how clean it would look in the end or if it is doable with the latch mechanisms etc. I have been looking at the FSM to get an idea of how much work it would be and if it is feasible.

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Mine are Corbeau sport seats in Spice vinyl. The seatbelt was retained from the factory seat and bolted to the seat adapter. That is one complaint I have with them is that the seatbelt is fixed instead of moving with the seat.

 
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If you were creative with the mounting bracket they would be easy to remove instead of folding. They are noticeably lighter than the factory seats so it be much easier.

Yeah, I think the same. I remove my 2nd row seats at times.
Brackets could definitely be altered to speed up removal/replacement.

Got me trolling eBay looking for another pair of bucket seats to match the Audi seats I have in the front.
I would categorise this as a low priority, completely unnecessary project for me.

Sooo, let's do it! :rofl:
 

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