Narrow width bucket seats! What did you use?

like jub and Brush suggested the 914's seats are not only narrow they are thin, and they weigh almost nothing.

I'm using them in my coupe, only thing I don't really care for is the high back/headrest

I suppose a guy could cut those off though..

Paul

 

Once upon a time someone posted a great tech story on cutting down '48-'54 Chevy Pickup bench seat frames into nolstagic looking buckets. Looked great, potential for custom applications and sizes was wide open, and the skill needed wasn't over the top. I looked through the Tech-O-Matic, but it wasn't there. If anyone has the pics, or can repost the info...

 

The seats from an Austin Healy Sprite or MG Midget built proir to August of '65 are the same frame as the Healy 100 seat. It was inspired by a British air craft seat from WWII.(so the story goes) The widest part of the cushion, the forward portion, is 18" wide. The frame is about an inc narrower. Seat kits are available for them also, both foam and upolstery. Some material cuold be removed from the driveshaft facing side only if one desired.
Knowing that bit of info prolly means I have too much Spridget info stuffed in my head.

 

My '47 has buckets out of a 70's mustang II/fairmont/torino. I've seen the exact seat in all 3, and it is 19" at it's widest point near the front of the cushion. I took the head rest off and it gives them a more 60's look, and they're pretty comfortable. Early mustang seats are also pretty skinny, probably about the same as these. My dad had seats from a '68 mustang in his A and they were right next to each other, it might as well have had a bench seat.

 

Now is that $14.80 a pair or $1,480.00 a pair

 

Paul, Thanks !
I'm trying to find specs of the seats also.........

 

Here's a pair I made.

 

WOW You are talented and must have access to some nice equiptment to use to do it.

 

AeroCraftsman: Outstanding seats and that roadster looks killer!!(How 'bout a few more pics ) What alloy/gauge aluminum did you use for the seats. Stan

 

Thanks,
I used .050 5052 and rolled a 3/16" steel rod along the edges. The car belongs to a guy up in the Bay area and I built the seats for him, copying an original but tweaking the dimensions a little to fit the car better. Here's the seat before installation.

 

Bottom of seat before installation.

 

View from rear of car.

 

Last one.

 

AS I said before .......... "Wow" !

 

Hers some pretty neet seats on ebay right now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=34206&item=4517368682&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=34206&item=4516256134&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

A little wide for some applications, but pretty cool.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=34206&item=4517033557&rd=1

Chris

 

Thanks Loogy ..........

 

[ QUOTE ]
Hey Glen, check out late model import cars. '97 or '98 Honda's have narrow bucket seats. The headrests can be easily removed and the foam can be shaped with a grinder w/ 40 grit sand paper to take the "new car funk" away.

[/ QUOTE ]I have some grey '92 Honda Civic seats if you need them $40 for the pair. Sorry for the spam just trying to help a brotha out.

 

Ratster: Can you email a picture and some diamensions of the seats?

 

For what it my be worth to you guys, I ended it up with bucket seats out of a '91 Miata ...they are going to work great, I recommend them if you have the same issues that I have in your project.
Good Night, and see you on the "otherside" tomarrow

 

BTTT for anyone else's benefit

 

63-67 'Vette seat are pretty narrow, low, and the seat tracks are only about 1.5"high from floor to seat frame. The nice thing is, the backs are higher than the pan is long.

 

Go find an import yard and go spend the afternoon searching for seats.

 

that was me ,,sadly,i guess it wasnt tech-o-matic worthy and shortly afterward my computer took a dump and lost hundreds of pics including the step by step

..but heres a cheap *** pic...hehehe

 

As mentioned... Vette seats are real low... Heavy, but low.

I would use some fibergl*** racing buckets with the vinyl cover. Nice and cheap, light weight... and in a couple years they'll look vintage!

 

Damn, those look really cool. Great job. Very innovative.

 

Somebody mentioned boat seats, I got these off of Epay for $40 for my 23 roadster. 17Wx15Dx19H Leaves me tons of room in between and they fold. Just need to get some mounting brackets.-MIKE

 

some of my favorite buckets are early VW GTI buckets and 92/94 Honda Del Sol Seats. I just sold a set of em for $300.

Great seat. Very comfortable. no removeable head rests.

for removeable headrest very comfortable mid with seats. Look at 2002-2003 Subaru WRX seats. Things are awesome. You can raise and lower the driver seat.

 

Try the following link for McMaster Carr, a great place for tools, equipment, raw materials etc.
Once you're on the start page, type in "equipment seats" as a key word. You will find more than a dozen seats with dimensions. These seats are mostly for fork lifts and are between $70 ...$300. The bare bone ones actually look the cooles and they are only 18".

www.mcmaster.com

 

I like the early VW seats too. Another I thought of is corvair buckets, but I'm not sure on they're exact width. I see them once in a while in the junk yards.