Sebring Convert seats/68 Charger*UPDATE 5-28-11*

[dkn1997]

http://www.corvairkid.com/sebring.htm

That article has been on the web for a long time.  Ever since I read it I wanted to do this swap.  Seatbelt in the seat, power on the drivers side, and definitely more comfortable than the stockers.  Also, since they came from a convertible, they fold forward for rear seat access.  Unfortunately, the seats I got were white but I had a bitch of a time finding any that weren't 500 bucks.  plus it seems like black wasn't a hugely popular color on these cars so the odds were against me. I will go over how I will handle that in another thread.. I have a plan.

Last winter I was finally able to score a decent of seats and the electronics.  Just started working on the swap.  A friend of mine works at a performance shop and has all the goodies at his home shop... so here is what I have so far.  

first one is the donor, next two are the seats placed in the car.  NO, I am not using wood for my seat brackets lol.  I just wanted to see roughly how much steel i'd need to get them at the right height.  2 gen charger stock seats even sit pretty far off the mostly flat floor.  

[dkn1997]

The seats are very similar in overall size to stock ones with the exception of the addition of headrest and seatbelt area that's raised up.  Since neither me or my friend is a seat expert, I decided we should try to duplicate the stock factory mounting system.  Frankly, I have seen some other installs of these that have me questioning if the occupants will survive a crash.   the stock seat brackets are roughly .080  but it has a lot of indents and other stampings to it to give it more strength.  so to be safe, I got a piece of .120 wall steel cut 4' x 1'.  more than enough material for the job.  You could drill out the rivets that hold the stock riser brackets to the seat track and use them on whatever seat you wanted.  since repro seat tracks cost a small fortune and I may want to put the stockers back in some day, I chose to get my own steel and make them.

It's worth noting that while the floor of the 2nd gen seems flat, it's not.  For seat mounting, the side of the seat closest to the console has a much "shorter" height bracket.  Both brackets are also pitched. both higher in front that back...however the shorter inside bracket has a steeper pitch.  I can measure the pieces we used for anyone who wants them.  It was a bitch of trial and test fit because neither one of us is a math wiz lol.  

Ok... Here is the pass seat. we cut off enough of the sebring bracket to leave the sebring seat track intact and have a straight edge and the first side bracket is tacked on.  After mocking this one up, we ended up cutting this down a bunch.  everything below that black line got ax'd

[dkn1997]

Here is the somewhat finished passenger side: It looks crooked but it's sitting on a flat bench.  As I said, the floor is not flat and the seat is level in the car.  I can always correct any minor crookedness with spacers, going no thicker than the stock ones is my plan. 

still to do:
- final welding, these are just tacked
- drill holes in bottom, install bolts, and tack them so they function like the factory studs
- make bolts longer and use large washers under floor since now the floor is responsible for supporting me and seat in a crash..no help from roof mounted shoulder belts.
- weld gussets to strengthen these brackets. 
- wire up the G sensor, power motor wires, and seat belt locking control module wires. 
- sand and paint new brackets with black wrinkle paint.  I was going to drill holes in the side for that A body lightweight look but the brackets didn't end up having enough height for that

[matrout76]

great write-up!

I just looked on Ebay and found these black Sebring seats for $199:  http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/96-06-CHRYSLER-SEBRING-CONVERTIBLE-LEATHER-SEATS-BLACK-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem19c3a5e32fQQitemZ110656611119QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

If i was closer to driving my car, i'd buy them.  Hopefully someone else here will!

[dkn1997]

Ok, more progress.  Got the drivers seat risers tacked and marked for cutting.  just have to cut them and then make the pieces that go flat to the floor for that side.  We welded up the pass seat brackets that were already basically measured and done. 

[dkn1997]

ok, so the seats do not match my black interior.  What to do?  hit up fiat/chrysler for factory black covers?  lets forget for a minute how much work that would be.  I also am allergic to the price. I've seen them go from 600 and up.  I found an ebay vendor who makes customer covers for all sorts of cars.  They are called Iggees.  they have a video on youtube of an install and it looked easy and really good.  I googled it and found a lot of guys on the tuner forums who have used them.  The vast majority of the feedback was positive.  For 179.00 and free shipping I pulled the trigger.  I test fit them to the drivers seat and I am very pleased.  I haven't tightened them up all the way and while the base looks perfect, I think that the impressions on the seat back cover will come out as they are packaging wrinkles.

I'm toying with adding some extra foam to the seats for extra bolstering.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Look good to me! 

[DC_1]

Looks good

[dkn1997]

more fabbing.  Drivers seat bracket is done and in car.  have to take it back out to install cover permanently and maybe add some bolstering.  Have to paint brackets too. 

We decided that a squarish looking bracking looked a bit too "backyard" so we put some round shape into it to make it look a bit more factory.  Sure, nobody will ever see it, but it looks good.

[dkn1997]

We decided to put gussets on the front of both sides.  front is taller and will probably get a spacer under it.  we used metal a lot thicker than even the factory brackets, but I still wanted the extra insurance.

here's one before finish grinding

[dkn1997]

top view... 

[1974dodgecharger]

Did u ever finish and put in?

[dkn1997]

they are in but i havent wired the seatbelt electronics yet...  havent driven it much but way better than the stock seats

[myk]

Glad you still have the car; I was beginning to think you had sold it, or something...

[Dino]

Forgive me for planting a seed in your head, but a good upholstery guy could cover those seats in 68 style pleats...

These seats are way more supportive, but at rest they are fairly flat like the stock buckets.  I think it would look awesome myself.