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1938 Plymouth seats

3K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  DanTwoLakes 
#1 ·
Can the original bench seats in a 1938 Plymouth be made comfortable and supportive enough for long distance driving? I've had lower back issues in the past and need seats that I can stand to sit on for extended periods.
I'm building this 4 dr sedan with more luxury in mind, more than a hot rod build. Thanks-Myron
 
#2 ·
A '38 model car would have coil springs, and would be pretty tired by now, especially for someone with back problems. You could re-pad them, but the underlying springs would still not give you much support. I'd try to find some more modern seats to use in your car.
 
#4 ·
Find a bench seat that fits somewhat the original seats size. then take both seats to a good automotive upholsterer.. the upholsterer should be able to re create the original look, altho it would not be exact, the coil spring seats are taller than regular automotive seats.
 
#6 ·
Yes, you could do that, but for a person with a bad back, it would still sit too soft. I am not a fan of coil springs. They are way too labor intensive, a lot more expensive, far less versatile, and far more complicated than they are worth as far as I'm concerned. They also have to be really tall to provide a good base for a seat.

Some people think the are great, but I'm not one of them.
 
#8 ·
Sinuous wire springs require a higher frame in the rear, and kicker springs in the front which have to have places to mount them as solidly as possible, or the whole assembly could fail. It would require a lot of engineering, almost starting over from scratch, going from coil springs to sinuous wire springs or vice versa. Is it possible? Yes. Is it advisable? Probably not, too much can go wrong.
 
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