Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) 3rd gen front seat in 2nd gen?

[JPittinger]

Has anyone fit one of these into one of our cabs? How? Sure would be nicer than what I have now...

Thanks, JJ

 

[crasher]

Sorry for the late reply, I don't read here as much as I used to, and I've never had anything to say that others didn't say first or better.



I got a good deal two years ago on a brandy-new, unused set of factory test seats out of a 2003 with the floor brackets and split rear seats. From Ebay. Aprox. $250. In Detroit. I'm in Northern Virginia. Nice, new, pretty, no buttprints. For that price, I drove to Detroit.



The 200K+ mile seats in my extended cab '97 were worn out to the point of feeling the carpet through my foam rubber.



Old seats - Power adjust in drivers side and 3 position lumbar support.

New seats - Pretty. No options.



OK. The floor mount brackets are so different that they may have fit better if I was putting them into a Chevy LUV. I'm not kidding. I used the complete floor mount brackets through frame assembly from the '97. The '03 seats are so different from the '97 that they may have fit better if I'd been bolting them to a Chevy LUV seat frame. Seriously. I had to make spacers to lift the seats high enough to be comfortible. I had to use steel plate so the plates could horizontally span from the seat mounting holes to the seat frame mounting holes. And the console needed to be adjusted several times just to feel 'normal'.



And as good as they look, I've never thought they were half as comfortable as the old ones. The bucket bottom feels more like a bench seat. It's not as 'dished', it doesn't feel as wide and it feels a good bit stiffer and unyielding. Not near as snuggly. I'm not partial to the feel of the material either. It feels 'slippery-er'.



I got a great deal on them. The old seats were going to cost an unreal amount to re-cushion and re-cover. I couldn't justify repair, and I couldn't use the existing stock seats much longer, ::shrugs::. All in all, I miss my old seats more than I like my new ones.



Now, except for my no-working A. C. , my wornout auto trans and my ticking fuel transfer pump, I'm a pretty happy consumer.

 

[JPittinger]

Thanks Crasher! That's exactly the sort of PITA I was trying to avoid. I ended up passing on some newer front seats for $100 and now I'm glad I did. I'll keep praying I run across some 2nd gen seats before I'm actually sitting on the springs I have now.

Thanks again.

 

[Lightman]

I have to agree about the comfort of the seats, to me the 94-97 seats are the most comfortable the 98-02 a really close second and the 03 up are lousy in comfort and quality.

 

[Regcabguy]

Keep the 2nds.

Thanks Crasher! That's exactly the sort of PITA I was trying to avoid. I ended up passing on some newer front seats for $100 and now I'm glad I did. I'll keep praying I run across some 2nd gen seats before I'm actually sitting on the springs I have now.



Thanks again.

I suggest getting your 2nd gen seats rebuilt and reupholstered. They kick butt on my 3rds. I love the engineering improvements on my '07,but the seats aren't to great.