FJ25 Driver Seat?

[Old Red]

I bought these seats as a pair thinking they were correct for a 1961 FJ40. Wrong!

I thought I'd done my homework here on Mud, scouring every thread for the correct information. Wrong!

I even had them upholstered not even considering that they could be wrong because all FJ25 and early FJ40 seats are the same, right? Wrong again!

Is this driver side seat out of a FJ25, and if so, what year?

The problem is obvious---different seat back heights, coupled with the fact that I am now stuck with a really expensive mistake!

Anyone need whatever driver seat I have here and want to trade for whatever driver seat I need? That is, anyone have the correct driver seat for a '61 FJ40 and want to trade? Either that, or I keep my driver seat and trade for the correct passenger seat? Good grief, what a mess!

 

[fjfjfj]

ouch. It does look like the front seat driver bottom is the same size as my 1962. Send me the measurements. That front seat driver back is out of whack though. Send me measurements of your pads. I am thinking you might only have to eat the one front seat driver back. I will compare to mine when I hear from you. fjfjfj

 

[Old Red]

My minuscule brain may have just kicked into gear. Maybe. I saw what "treeroot" recently did in making a taller rear mounting bracket for the driver side seat of his high-toolbox style FJ25. But I thought, "no, that won't work for mine because if I only raise the seat back with the higher bracket then the seat bottom angle will tilt toward the firewall, in the wrong direction."

But thinking about it again after taking measurements, instead, maybe what I need to do is follow treeroot's lead while at the same time welding extensions to the front feet on the seat bottom frame where it latches to the front of the toolbox to compensate for raising the rear bracket and to maintain the correct rearward slope of the seat bottom? Could it be that simple?

Nevertheless, FJFJFJ, both of my seat back frames measure the same height, at around 14 3/4" tall. And both of the seat bottom cushions also measure the same depth at roughly 17-inches front to back. Meaning, rather than trying to swap seats with someone, I should just figure out how to modify what I've got! Oh, the newbie learning curve, eh. Doh!

 

[fjfjfj]

Yes, one of my first thoughts was that you raise your seat through fabrication but then thought you might not want to go that route since you were trying to get the period correct parts as we discussed a few times. If it were me I would definitely fabricate and raise your seat. That is the simplest solution isn't it. Also, finding a 1961, 62 front seat driver side frame is going to be,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,well, very hard. Later down line if you decide to do a complete restoration you can try and find all the period correct parts. Your new seat covers do look very nice man. Very nice. Good luck.

 

[Living in the Past]

Did you get these seats as a set? The passenger' seat of a FJ25 will not be a direct bolt in to a FJ40. The area above the vacuum shifter on a FJ40 is flat on a FJ25. Which would make a FJ25 seat to tall on the front left leg. If it were me I would decide if I needed the driver's seat taller or could I just shorten the legs on the passenger's seat. Looks like you have clearance above the gas tank to lower the seat. It would be a cleaner look than raising the driver's seat.

Curious Old Red does your 40 have the later three speed? I've only seen one floor shifter for the early three speed and that was at SOR. Wanted it but not at $400.

 

[Old Red]

Thanks for your reply, Living in the Past. The vendor didn't know what year or even which model these seats came out of. They were not sold to me as a matching "set," making the fitment oversight entirely my error. As you know, early original seats are not exactly easy to find. So either I had to grab these or wait for who knows how long for something else to come along.

Despite how it looks, there is definitely not enough clearance between the gas tank and the passenger seat to lower the passenger side. I think the passenger seat is actually correct for a 40. That left front leg, the one above the rear of the transmission hump, clears with no problem. The problem, I think, is that the driver seat back needs to be taller than the passenger seat back to be correct, as seen in this thread: https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj25-classifieds-corner/644694-1960-fj25-fore-sale.html

Can you identify what year and model my driver seat is out of? Did FJ25s have two different seat back heights?

On the three speed, I don't know enough to say for sure whether it is "late" or "early." This is my first Land Cruiser and to be frank, I really don't know jack. Is there a number on the transmission somewhere I could look at that would indicate when it was made?

 

[nuclearlemon]

Can you identify what year and model my driver seat is out of? Did FJ25s have two different seat back heights?
?

don't know if the seats changed, but they did have two different height toolboxes, so it makes sense that the high toolbox could have a lower seat

 

[Old Red]

Looks like I have a '59 and earlier FJ25 driver seat, aka, the high tool box style.

A '59: https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj25-owners-group/525615-foxfabs-project-odie-59-fj25.html

A '58: https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj25-classifieds-corner/545675-fj25-1958-model-1959-sale-camino-calif.html

Anyone want to trade?