'65 Riviera Seat Tracks ! ! !

What's the deal with the '65 Riv seat tracks?????

Are they made for people only 5' 8" and shorter!!!!!!

I am 5 ' 10" and I am way too close to the dash!

My seats are re- tracked all the way back!

I NEED MORE ROOM!!

HELP!

Thanks much Buick People!

Foz

 

Hmmmm - as another data point - I have a 63 Riv, am 6' 1", and am fairly comfortable. I guess I'd look for something amiss - everything bolted together right - has seat been re-upholstered with more padding - right seat tracks -etc,etc. Might also find someone else with a Riv and try another car......

 

Are you sure it's going all the way back? Also I hate to sound like a*****, and I'm not trying to push*****ons here, but are you a bigger fellow? I have an uncle who is over 6 feet and near 350 who doesnt really fit into anything without mods to the seats.

 

What do you mean by re-tracked?
Did you flip the rails around backwards?
That's supposed to gain you a few inches.
I'm 5' 9" and have room to put the seat back.
Is your height in your legs?
I have a 32" inseam as a point of reference.

 

Back when I was in and out of 20 cars a day the Rivs I drove had seat tracks that I could run back further than I could reach the pedals from and I'm 5 10 with a 30 inch inseam but weigh 275. In fact more often than not I had to slide the seat forward because I couldn't reach the pedals comfortably due to tall owners/drivers.

I'd say that you have something wrong or mounted wrong. You don't have a bolt or bolt head sticking up in the track where it is catching the sliding part?

 

Right, if your belly enters the room 10 seconds before your face shows up, that could be the problem

 

Worst case scenario, unbolt the seat, figure out where it is comfortable with it adjusted about 2/3 of the way back, drill some holes, drop the bolts through, add some bolstering steel underneath, and put the hardware back on. Not really a big deal.

Just curious, are they the manual adjust or the 6-way power? Buckets or bench?

Hell, if it turns out that you just can't get comfortable in it, I'll come take it off your hands. I've always wanted a '65 Riv...

 

Thanks to all! I am 5'10"- 185 lbs, so I'm not a real big dude.

Retracked?? Sorry, I meant retracted(seats all the way back)

I'll check it out closer!

Thanks again!

 

Are they manual or power seats?

 

Power drivers seat. Passenger is manual and also it TOO close to dash but seems to be back all the way!

 

My 63 is the same exact way you describe, think its just the way it is.

BTW I'm the same height and weight you are

 

On at least one of the old cars I've had (Mostly Rivs and Skylarks...and one Tiger) you could take the sliders apart and swap the notched parts inside (tunnel) with outside (rocker) which effectively moves the seat back. It's worth looking into. You might get lucky.

Heck, if you can't make that work, how about just re-drilling the holes where the tracks attach to the seat. I have a set down in the Studio. I'll check it out tomorrow.

 

I have a set of tracks I'm rebuilding out in the workshop if you're interested. I'm not in any rush with 'em, but if you need them I'll get hot on it.

Personally, I'd just redrill the holes. Cycle them until they're about centered (since you're about a good average height), unbolt, move them to where they're comfortable for you, mark the holes, and drop a drill through the floor. Use some good solid steel underneath and thread you some new bolts.

 

I agree, there is definitely something wrong with your tracks, either wrong ones, installed weird or something. My Dad was 6'2" with long legs and could put the seat to far back in his 64 Riv. Maybe try this, pop out the seat and see if there are more than one set of holes where the tracks bolt to the seat bottom. I did this trick to a Fox chassis Mustang a while back, there were three sets of holes pre-drilled. If you need pics of an original seat bottom, I might be able to dig mine out for you.

 

I'm 6'1 and I was almost laying down in my 65 Rivi with power seats. Damn I miss that car.....

 

Thanks again to all! I'll be checking all this out soon!

There MUST be something amiss here! I definitely do NOT want to drill holes in the floor of this original Calif. car!

 

I have a 65 w/ manual seats and I'm 6' and mine is too close as well. I've heard of ppl lengthing the track. I haven't taken mine out yet to see what's up.