Hot Rods 1960-66 Suburban seat replacements

I am going to look at a 1965 Suburban on my way to the CCR. I am looking to replace one of my daily drivers with it.

One thing I like to do is research the things I want to change, before I go and look. That way, I have an idea of any parts availability issues or added costs.

The Sub I am going to look at has a hodge-podge of junkyard seats that don't match each other or the style of the truck. I need something that would look right and would fold forward like a 50's 60's pass car seat, since the back seat needs access (it is a 2 door)

The rear one can be a straight bench. The inside dimensions are 68" wide, so just about anything will fit.

My preference would be a set of originals, but they seem to be made of unobtanium.

Thoughts?

 

Front seat out of a 2 door mid to late 60’s car . If Your looking for a split back seat that will fold forward.
If You don’t need a split back seat look for a farm truck the year of the burb

 

I thought about using a 55-60 Ford seat in front. The problems with the rears is that most were just springs that sat on the framework built into the car.

 

Here's a pic of the originals for reference.

 

The bottom of the passenger side front seat moves forward quite a bit as it folds. Car seats don't do that. There are some that slide forward when you tilt them, but I don't know any specific models.

If you can find a 2dr SUV of some type (think older Blazer, etc) that would probably have something you could use.

The original seats fit the suburban well, but they're not real comfortable, especially on long trips. That's part of the reason I finally sold my 57, which uses the same seats as they did through 1966.

Good luck.

 

I suggest looking for a '73 to '88 squarebody suburban. I drive by this one all the time and the owner has another suburban parts car out back. They can't be that scarce.

 

The 67-up suburbans don't have the pass front seat that flops forward, since they were all 3 or 4 doors after 1966.

 

My recollection of a 63 I had years ago is that a regular 2 dr. car seat wouldn't begin to leave enough room to get into the back. The stock drivers side doesn't leave room to move behind it hence the passenger seat folding forward and tilting. Unless you have an aversion to buckets that would certainly be the easiest way other than stock. But fab a way for the passenger seat to tilt forward and also lock when down for driving

 

I have looked at later buckets. I’m not against them, it’s just hard to find em that look right.
This will be a daily, so comfort may trump aesthetics. I’ll post pics of what is currently installed, and you guys can feel my pain.

 

That's cool, get one and get it all dialed in for me. I've got #5 arriving 9/1.

 

You need a bus and a vasectomy.....

 

Question for @squirrel .
What is missing in this pic, on the top of the rear doors? Is there a close out panel?

 

I think that's how they were. It's a utility vehicle. It's not a frickin Cadillac

but the headliner seems to be missing in some places. It was made with some type of horsehair type fiber, and glued on with tar. A real bitch to get glued back in place.

 

I'll probably have the wife scrape the roof. She loves that kinda stuff.
I thought they just glued cardboard to the ceiling? I'll worry about that later. I'm just making sure that there aren't expensive pieces missing.

 

I've owned 5 Suburbans from earliest 1957 to 4 that were '60-'64 vintage. The fixed rear bench was almost always in the way unless you were just hauling more people. And the height of the rear bench annoyed some people who rode in the backseat as they commented that it felt "odd or weird" sitting back there.
A good folding rear bench from a late model Suburban or other similar vehicles is a much better choice. I used a rear bench from a Dodge Dakota, and I think it was around a 2000 year? It not only folds, but it also releases from the floor at the rear so the seats can be tipped forward to rest against the back of the front seats. Gives a lot more usable space in the back, without having to unbolt the seat like the stock bench requires. I have this setup in my OT '69 Suburban now, and when it's unlatched and folded forward I can roll out a sleeping bag and have tons of room to lay down in the back; even with other camping gear back there with me.

 

I don't recall any of my mid 60's or earlier Burbs having any headliner except over the front seat area. And that was some sort of hardboard about 3/16" thick and the same color as the dash, and interior door panels.

 

I am going to do 2 rows max. I think the 3rd row looks weird anyway. Sits up too high. I need the cargo area for hot rod stuff....

 

there might be a piece missing, but it would not cover the door checks above the doors. It would be above the upper framing. I can't really see from the picture, though, and it's been a long time since I had a 66. I'll do some more looking.

 

I may be seeing the door linkage. It looks like it folds up inside the door top. It just looked weird. I'll know more when I can see it in person.

 

The originals folded forward on the pass side. That's kinda the issue. I'm ok with no one else riding with me, but the wife likes to drag people out for dinner.

 

I think it just looks funky because of the upholstery added to the sides? The hole for the liftgate hinge, above the door, seems to be visible on other 60-66 Suburbans in pics on the internet, there wasn't a big cover over it, like they had had on the earlier ones.

And yeah, the door check is exposed, not covered up.

 

No it slides inside itself. It's got a catch that latches to hold the doors open fully. Then when you want to close the doors you open it wider to release the catch, and then as it closes the inner half slides inside the outer half and lays above the doors.

 

The original fold forward passenger seat is not real comfy, either.

For a while on our 66 we left it out, and just had the 2/3 wide driver seat. So she'd have to sit right next to me, after climbing in over the missing seat gap. But we were younger then! and three little boys rode in the full with original back seat. That was before we had digital cameras, so pictures are scarce.

 

Suburbans most commonly had clamshell rear doors, so they opened top and bottom. But bodies shared the same metal with panel trucks, and you could order a Suburban with barn doors like what is shown above, or clam shell doors. And the neat part is before 1967 all you had to do to switch the doors was buy the doors and the various hardware and all the threaded holes were there for both styles.

 

yeah, I switched my 66 from tailgate to doors. Much more convenient. But you also need to deal with the tailgage hinge holes on the lower valence, or just leave them there, like I did, and it looks weird.

 

Same body as the panels.
You could try some seats out of a Willys station wagon (same seat configuration, not sure on the width though).


Looks like there's a panel boxing that area in, here's my old '64 panel:

 

Does it have the custom trim and aluminum grille?, both of those are also really pricey.

 

No, he painted everything black. It does have the Suburban only rear bumper though. I'm a chrome type of guy, so I have to figure that stuff into the equation.

 

Here is one idea . Get two bucket seats with swivel bases (you could make your own swivel base with a lock down pin) . That way the passenger seat can swivel too the right or left . Passenger gets in , swivels to the left (room between bucket seats gets up and moves to rear seat.

 

Sounds like you've never flipped the seat forward, and climbed into the back seat of an old Suburban....swiveling won't do the job.