I was figuring a Crown Vic column placement in my 1966 F100 today and discovered that the back glass must have been busted by the drivers head. I don't want the same for me so head rests it is. I like the look and feel of the factory bench, but now I think my donner 88 Crown Vic my just have to give up the front 50/50 bench. What have you guys done to make your head rests look like they belong? I don't want it to look like I put a couple gay ass bucket seats at first glance.
I can understand why you would want to run them for the safety of your noggin.. But there is no disguise for them. I pulled them out of my seats for my A, and sold them to a guy that wanted them for his street rod
I saw a homemade(?) small round one once that didn't look as bad as some others. It might have just been a factory one cut down to a circle. But the problem with headrests is that unless you have a good metal frame tied to the seat it won't work (will break in an accident). And it needs to be reasonably large so your head is fairly sure to be on the "meat" of it (not the edge of it) in an accident. So yeah, they look bad. But they work. Look at older Mercedes perhaps for a reasonably small one?
I agree, but I have been rear ended twice now, once severely and use them as I dont think this neck of mine could do it all over again. I just figure they look better than the back of my head would look if it went thru the wrap around rear window in my 60 pickup or bashed into the metal work back panel of my model A pickup. I also use seat belts now, I figure maybe I've used up most of my luck!
Majority said loose them. I guess I am getting old and health and safety are getting to be a concern of mine. So off with their head (rests) and I have AFLAC. There is just no way to make them look right.
i cut them off the grand cherokee seats, halved the thickness and snapped them to the rear bulkhead as backrests. just enough pad to make 100 miles enjoyable. ya want luxury?... buy a caddie!
Take a trip to the junkyard and look at minivan rear benches and chevy suburban 3rd row seats. many of them have quick detach headrests. You could run them when you feel the need, and remove them when you want.
My dad had a '66 F100(Black/Black and White Interior/V8 4 spd ) with the "Gun Rack" option . Remember those? 2 piece Metal Racks that were screwed into the Cab above and below the back Window. Anyway....Find one of those,hang a Jacket on it and you'll be fine! Best of all..They're CHEAP! http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_tr...rack&_sacat=See-All-Categories#item3a5bfc41e0
In the later '60s say around '65 or 6 custom headrests were considered cool on the west coast. At least you saw cars with them. They were not an integral part of the seat. The had two chrome brackets that went down and bolted to the back of the seat and the headrest itself looked like a cylinder that went crosswise on the brackets behind your head. Most of the time they were covered in metal flake vinyl. If you must have headrests the stock seat with that type of headrest would be the way to go. They would be period for your '66 Ford. You are going to find that there isn't much you can do to the Vic seat to make it look right in your pickup truck they are too bulky even if you loose the head rests. I personally have never cared for headrests or even highback seats. I've been driving truck for a very long time and have never knocked the back glass out with my head.
The other thing to think about in an early truck is the headrest of a late model seat means you will have to move the seat forward and then you crowd the steering wheel and lose leg room.
best way to do headrests in a hot rod? put a simple hoop roll bar behind your seat and install a couple of upholstered pads....still looks racy, is acceptable to most traditionalists, and will serve to protect that grey matter in the event of an untimely incursion of someone else's inertial introduction from the tail end. dj
I want tilt and would like to have the wheel closer to the dash. After a night of brain storming I rethought it. The only window tint I would ever consider would be colored lexan for a drag racer. I like window tint but not on a classic. There are too many lines that need your attention. I took the gas tank out and the Crown Vic 50/50 seat shares the exact same dimensions as the factory bench. I like arm rests to. Funny you should say that. I'm putting bigger boobs on her in the form of B-500 fenders.
The headrests on the Crown Vic split bench are easily removable as well. They're height-adjustable, and not an integral part of the seat. They're not all that tall, either. I have a set of the same seats. I test-fitted them in my '62 pickup and they're a good fit in terms of width and depth, but obviously you'll need custom brackets to get them to the proper height. They're very comfy, but unfortunately don't really fit a traditional-type build. Perhaps with some reupholstering and reshaping of the foam...
But the head rests will be in front of the back wall lip and rear window, vs slightly under like the stock seat. I think you will lose legroom.
How about an old time showcar style upholstery fabricate a chromed roll over style low bar to fit behind the seat and attatch upholstered pads to your prefered design to it at headrest height, make safety a design feature, if you look at 60's showcar interiors you will understand what I envisage. attatch to the rear panel to loose as little leg room as possible.
It's a good idea as you've mentioned (and I know what it sounds like to have a passengers head whack into the window when I plant the pedal to the metal in my F100). I suggest the metal-flake vinyl idea previously mentioned, match it to the seat and it won't look too bad. Otherwise make 'em removable and use them when actually driving.
If you are determined for the head protection find you a couple of high back buckets,most seats with headrests on them you have to lean back for your head to touch them anyway,highback buckets and a nice custom console to chill the beer in.
How to make them look cool?.....cover them in the same material,then mount them on the wall behind your toilet,hahahaha!
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