Aftermarket Seats?

[Mass_Mopar]

Does anyone have aftermarket seats?  I have the original '70 buckets in my car but I really want to upgrade.  What I'm really looking for is something with seatbelts (shoulder belt) built into the seatback, but the seat has to be able to fold down (possibly a late model convertible?)  Any ideas???  I want to keep the console too

[dkn1997]

this guy used sebring seats with integral belt.  lots of good info too.

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

[Ricardo]

Take a look to Pro car seat.

www.procarbyscat.com/index.html

[dkn1997]

Take a look to Pro car seat.

www.procarbyscat.com/index.html

Nice seats.  I don't think they have the integrated belt like he wants, though.  for me, if you are going to the trouble to swap seats on a street car, then integrated belt is the only way to go.  the three pointer hanging in the window of a 2nd gen is butt ugly. 

Look at me talking, I am still running my as delivered, never been recovered, 68 seats.  they are not very supportive at all.  If I were to swap, I think I would go tiwh the sebring seats recovered in something resembling stock 68;.  or try to find a set of black ones and call it good.

[Mike DC]

I don't think they have the integrated belt like he wants, though.  for me, if you are going to the trouble to swap seats on a street car, then integrated belt is the only way to go.  the three pointer hanging in the window of a 2nd gen is butt ugly.

That's why you need a "General Lee."  The rollbars make a perfect substitute B-pillar for issues like that!

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There's a lot of options for seats, but I've never really liked any of them.  All car seats seem to fall under one of two categories:  Either huge/heavy/comfy/expensive, or else light/small/stiff/cheap.  Never enough of a balance between the two. 

And it's the same with performance issues: 
Seems like everything is either a total living-room couch chair, or else it hugs you so tight that you can't even get out your wallet in the drive-thru line. 



I've been thinking for a long time that I just wanna give up and hand-build a set of front bucket seats for my '69. 

I wanna weld together new scratchbuilt frames and everything.  (Ever seen a 2nd-gen that's been wrecked hard?  The factory front seat frames will bend.  Badly.) 
I'd do them as light as possible, add in a little extra side-bolstering but not over overboard with it, maybe add in an adjustable lumbar setup out of a newer car seat, etc. 

It's probably not feasible to make them literally fit under a stock set of Charger seat covers without some modifications, but I think I could get some homemade seats looking a lot closer than any of the aftermarket seat choices we have.

 

[dkn1997]

I have an 02 tahoe and those seats are pretty middle of the road.  not like a caddy, but they have side bolters and integrated belts...

whatever you do on a 2nd gen charger, watch out for the height of the headrest.  too tall and they look like shit. while considered "boats" by many, our cars are not very big in one area: height.    I am 5' 7" and my head comes pretty close to the roof in my 68 with stock seats. 

[Mike DC]

Yeah, I hear you on that one.  These cars are LOW.

Whatever I custom-do is gonna stick pretty close to the stock low-back bucket seat dimensions. 
I mainly just want a little more adjustability & side bolstering.  I don't want to add a ton of weight & drastically change the appearance to accomplish it. 



The stock '68-69 buckets just suck in every way you can measure them. 

They're too heavy for what little comfort they are, they don't adjust worth a crap (not even a small recline movement?!?), the basic fixed angle isn't a very well-chosen one, they give less "bucket" effect than a lot of BENCH seats that I've tried, and they're not even very safe in a wreck.

 

[dkn1997]

yeah, I second that.  it's like having 2 small bench seats and a console. 

[Mike DC]

I'm thinking a few things right now about some better ones.

I'm basically picturing making up some new frames in similar dimensions to the stockers.  Maybe aluminum, or maybe just better-done steel.
I'd like to see if the stock Charger seat foam & covers could work, but maybe just add a little extra stiffness/support into the padding at the sides.
I wanna add in the adjustable hardware from junkyard seats of some sort (cutting/welding).