Has anyone put a 72 5-Piece bench seat in a 78?

[SliderJack]

I am a little worried about the driver's seat being lower than the bench, but looking at pictures of other 5-piece bench seats, the driver seat does look lower stock.

I might put a little extra foam in the driver's seat and looking at the base, I could install spacers where the seat mounts to the sliders to raise it up a little.

 

[SliderJack]

I spent some time yesterday cleaning up the toolbox and brackets for the seats. I treated the rust on the lid. I also disassembled the driver's seat bottom and cleaned it up.


The seat backs turned out awesome. Cleaning up parts and making them look like new is half the fun!

 

[SliderJack]

Finally got back to work on the truck. I moved to TN and finished a big project at work, so it's time to make some progress!!

I got a welder and tacked in the toolbox.

I reattached the springs to the base.

Covered with burlap, not sure if that was necessary, and then added new cushions from SOR. Cushions all had a nice dense material where the springs meet the cushion.

I added a driver and passenger seat heaters to the bottom and back seats

 

[SliderJack]

The upholstery was a little dissapointment. It's nice material, but stock each of the seat covers had a sewn loop in the back with a string so that you could put the cover on, tighten and knot the string so it stayed in splace and uniformaly tight, and then screw in place. Something was absolutely necessary when doing the backs, because you cover the fabric with the metal plate and there is no way it was going to stay in place while the plate was installed.

I thought some type of metal clip would have worked well, something that was thin and pinched the material over the metal frame that plate screwed too, but I didn't have any clips. I could have drilled holes and used hog rings but the thickness of the hog ring would have interfered with the plate where it mounts. So, in the end I used safety wire to hold the fabric in place. I drilled small holes near each screw hole and safety-wired the fabric in place. It worked well and it's what I had on hand.

 

[SliderJack]

Also the upholstery how it was cut left too large of holes around the legs, just seemed a poor design/execution. But all-in-all it turned out good enough and a lot nicer than I had.

The other dissapointment was using Rustoleum paint. I used Rustoleum years ago and I don't know, they must have changed the formula. It always had that tomotoe type smell. Well, this paint had cured about a year and it's still soft and scuffing easily. Kind of a bummer. But it's a truck and not a show car.

SOR cushions were good but the middle was a little larger than it should have been and didn't include the extra pieces the stock one did. I peeled off the extra pieces of the stock cuhsion, trimmed the SOR and glued it all to the middle back.

I used stainless screws and finishing washers from Home Depot of all places.
Crown Bolt - #6 x 1/2"
EverBilt Finishing Washers - #6 box of 100

 

[SliderJack]

Seats turned out good. I still need to find hardware to mount the back of the driver's seat. Worst case I'll make some brackets.

Looks like I'm going to use the small stand-off brackets from the bucket seats to raise the back of the passenger seat so it clears the gas tank.

 

[DSRTRDR]

the OEM driver's seat in my truck wasn't as low, but it might look exaggerated from the particular angle the picture was taken

 

[SliderJack]

the OEM driver's seat in my truck wasn't as low, but it might look exaggerated from the particular angle the picture was taken

Yeah, I think I have the passenger seat a bit high to make room for the different gas tank and lines. Still working on it. Pictures I've seen the passenger seat is a bit higher, but you're right, it would be better if I could get it lower.

 

[SliderJack]

And another thing, I'll have to trim the bottom of the middle seat back in order to allow it to fold forward. As it is, the bottom of the back hits the seat frame.

 

[SliderJack]

Thanks for the help @DSRTRDR !

Here's what I have so far.

As you can see on the back I have brackets from the original bucket seats. This raises the rear almost 2 inches off the floor. Without them the seat would contact the gas tank cover. The earlier gas tank had straps, not a cover. There's a breather hose on the gas tank that would also contact the frame if not raised or rerouted.

On the front one leg is standing on a stock mount for the bucket. I would have to fabricate a similar mount on the side near the door. Right now the seat is about 1 3/4" above the tank cover. I could lower an inch and reroute the tank breather.

Stock did the seat mount to the floor in back and front? The PO replaced the rear floor and I don't know how close to stock height it was replaced.

 

[DSRTRDR]

yes, the seat mounted to the floor front and back, I do not have the stands/brackets shown in your pics on the back side of the bench.

the seat back portion of the middle did not flip forward on the OEM bench; there is no handle or hinge for flipping it - I believe it was held stationary so as to not wear out or dislodge the lines to/from the fuel separator.

I just recently got a later model tank installed under my OEM bench in my '72, and it fits correctly with straps, since it is the same size as the '72 tank (the outlet tubes are located differently, though) - would have gotten too high with the cover. Maybe you can fabricate something similar to the straps and in that way lower your passenger bench ?

 

[JohnnyC]

Nice job... I am still considering putting this in my 74... I also have a 5 piece bench... Well 3 piece... Don't have the drs seat

I also was thinking to make the center fold down as you are ( not oem as stated above) I was also thinking it would make a good flip up compartment ... Did you see all the room in there with no fuel separator inside?

More pressing things are on my list... Got plenty of seating for now lol