Seat modification

[1stgen4evr]

I have been considering several seat modifications for a while now but due to a failure on the back adjustment, I was forced to do something which lead me to the following.



I should add that my seats are the buckets. I only did this to the drivers side seat. I striped all the cushion from the lower seat and unbolted the adjustable back mechanism. The upright bracket on the left side of the seat (sitting in it) is not bolted but welded. I cut that bracket loose with a thin wheel on my die grinder and repositioned (welded) it back about four inches and up about two inches. I used the holes that are there as a guide for this. I added a piece of similar length to the bracket on the other side and bolted it back in place.



I found numerous crack in the lower metal frame and welded those up. I reassembled all the cushion and cover pretty much as original except that I had to elongate the holes in the lower cover where the seat back brackets go through. I will have a nicer cover made if I can find some new foam for the lower cushion. The left side of the cushion is about elcrapo from getting in and out over the years. So the net result for this is that I now sit exactly where I did originally but the back of the seat is just the tad higher that I need for comfort fit on my tall upper body. The bottom is four inches longer under my legs for better support. This is much like the standard bench seat in the 92.



The next mod I want is to find an adjustable steering wheel mount that will allow me to move the wheel fore and aft. (closer or away from me) I had that in an Imperial and it was really nice.



And I know I should have taken pictures. The wife has been hogging the digital due to a new grandbaby girl and it was not at my disposal.



Should you consider this, you will have to have a grinder and a welder along with a couple of pieces of metal to lengthen the brackets. If you are tall, as I am, I highly reccomend it. The seat had always had a lump (the swell of the head rest) that pressed on my shoulders. Worrisome as heck after a few hundred miles. I have only driven it about three hundred miles but I already know that I like it.



James

 

["Mad Max"]

telescopic wheel

Hiya James,



Good work on the seats! Custom fabfication is cool, especially when it works ya?! :-laf Folks, when you have a death wheel and a welder you too can be dangerously creative... or maybe just dangerous (as the recurring grooves on my hands, thru the glove... will attest to!)



On the telescopic wheel - I've been thinking about this too, and over the years I've grafted several Imperial, Fury, Magnum, Newport, columns into other cars I was restoring, and the results have been great. I picked up a spare '93 column a while ago for a different reason, but I tried to look inside the thing to see if a conversion could be done... and buddy, that's looks like, well, really tricky. Not sure it could be converted, but I haven't taken one completely apart to compare 'em. What I did think about though was, I don't think I've really ever needed to extend the wheel back in, maybe ever - I've always left the wheel telescoped out nearly all the way, and locked the little thumb tensioner in place. Based on that (and also the fact that I haven't taken one apart to see if it's easily doable or not) I want to make a neat spacer to extend the steering wheel out about 3 inches. If I did that I'd have it right where I want it, and I can just tilt it up and away for geting in/out. I also want to get a nice Grant black aluminum/black leather aftermarket steering wheel, machining the areas out for the cruise control switches, and mounting it verses the stock wheel. Whada you think?

- S

 

[1stgen4evr]

Sam, driving as much as I do, I am sure there would be times when I would move it in and out if I could. I share the concern as to whether something can be done with all the stuff that is under there. A compromise would be to just use a spacer as you mention. I am ok with the factory wheel. Mine is getting shiny all around. 440k miles gripping the wheel. I have tried some covers but I am not too crazy about them. I am not familiar with the wheel you mention. Do you have a source on the net I could look at?



Death wheel. So far, I have not severed a major artery but I have a few scars from the years past. Had a wheel blow apart and hit me in the crotch. It hurt so bad I was afraid to look. I am more careful about the guard now.



James



I should'a mentioned that the seat mod is not for the faint of heart. It looked like a pile of rubble when I got everything cut apart. But all is well in the end.

 

["Mad Max"]

James,

Here is a link to the Grant website, and it shows a good portion of their aftermarket wheels. The second link is the actual wheel I'm looking at. With the gauges and other interior mods I have the wheel will be the final touch - should look good.

- S

Assortment: http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/grantgt-signature.html

Individual: http://us.st7.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/streetbeatcustoms_1811_103674940

 

[1stgen4evr]

A follow up on the seat mod. After a couple of long trips, I still wasn't satisfied with the condition and ride of the lower cushion. The foam seemed to have turned to stone and just didn't give a good ride. So I went to the local parts emporium (Gene's Junk and Stuff) and found a dodge caravan that had buckets in the front. I changed out the entire seat assembly with a minor modification on the bracket. The caravan seat must have been a better seat from new as it rides somewhat better than the truck seat. I have only driven the truck a few hundred miles as yet and don't have a three or four day trip on it, but for the price ($0) of the seat, I have no complaint. When I hit the lottery, I will buy an air ride unit for the drivers side and passengers side as well.



James