[chevyhp88]

Hi everyone. This is my first time on the message board. I looked through the old posts and could not find anything about later model GM pickups. I was wondering if anyone has took a bench seat out of their 88-98 GM pickup and replaced them with buckets that might not have been out of the same model truck? If so what did they come out of and what modifications needed to be made to install them? I would like a nice sports bucket and nice looking console. If you guys or gals!! have any ideas for me I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,

Jim

[horvath]

Hey, Jim

It's just a matter of floor space and measurements, followed by bolting the buckets to the floor ... often with welded square or rectangular steel rods to level and raise the buckets to the height you want. If it'll fit, you can put it in. Period.

I'm planning on putting two seats out of a late model Lincoln or Caddy in my 54 Chevy pickup, as soon as I spot the right (recent) wreck at my local scrap yard. It has to be a fairly recent wreck -- anything sitting in the scrap yard for a few months will reveal totally trashed seats (usually from weather) -- a recent wreck, and a newer vehicle, and you've got brand new seats for $45 each!!! Those Lincoln seats I've been drooling over, cost more than $1,000 each from a dealer!!!

Same thing with consoles, I guess ... but I'm gonna fabricate my own console design after I get the seats I want.

PS -- There is a post here from last month with pictures of the welded supports that go under the new seats. You didn't look hard enough!

Alan
54 Chevy Pickup

[chevyhp88]

I seen the seat frame but I was looking for something that would more or less bolt right in with no fabrication. The junkyards around my area don't have many parts for my truck because they are so high in demand. Its hard to find a wrecked truck with buckets all ready to go. I was hoping someone has already done this swap before and used seats out of a camaro/trans am, something along those lines. Thanks for the info though. If at worst I will just find seats I like and make them fit. Time is hard to come by for me that is why I was looking for a quick and easy swap.

Thanks again,

Jim

[horvath]

I understand where you're comin' from, Jim ... but putting buckets from a Camaro or Trans Am into a truck, with no fabrication under them is gonna leave you staring at the bottom of your dash, won't it? Measure from the top of your bench seat (on the driver side) to the floor ... then do the same with a Camaro. The Camaro bucket must be some 4-6 inches closer to the floor, eh?

The guy I bought my truck from had placed a split bench seat from a Monte Carlo (I think) in my truck, with nothing under it except a couple of blocks in the back to level it out, and I'm sitting on a BIG book with a pillow on top of that! It sucks!


Alan
54 Chevy Pickup

[akm]

how about some later model K5 blazer seats?

[Kevin45]

My '89 had the seats replaced with captains chairs. They sit right and have armrest on both sides. Now all I gotta do is get them re-upholstered to match the rest. The factory seat was blue twed which I like. These are blue but not quite right.

Kevin

[antirice]

Kevin, are those out of a Chevy van?

[Kevin45]

Not sure what they are out of. They were in there when I purchased the truck.

[chevyhp88]

Thanks for the advice. I did some measuring and it looks like
S10/S15 bucket seats have the same ride height, so I guess thats an option. I still have to find a salvage yard open today. I'll let you guys know how it goes today.

Jim

[chevyhp88]

I only found one salvage yard open today. They had a set of buckets in an S10 blazer that would work but they were not in very good shape. I guess I will just get a nice set out of camaro or other sports car and make the seat brackets at work. I'll do some more checking around before I do that though.

Jim

[horvath]

Seats, at the yards, are beat up easily after a few weeks ... windows get taken out and next thing you know, rain and weather are destroying the seats in no time ... not to mention the crap that gets torn out and thrown on the seats.

I go to a yard that's 22 acres ... they bring in about 25 cars per week ... so, I'm checking the lot every couple of weeks, looking at recent wrecks. I'm waiting for a 2-door Lincoln to come in -- I saw a 4-door a couple of weeks ago and the seats were to die for! Brandy spankin' new and absolutely gorgeous! Only, because it was a 4-door, the seats don't fold forward. My yard charges $45 per seat (ANY seat) and these Lincoln seats would cost more than $1000 each from the dealer.

Alan
54 Chevy Pickup