'85 Cab Seat Positioning

[donagain1]

Okay, Brainiac here removed the front buckets for a DIY reupholstery job without taking reference photos or marking the mounting bolt positioning for the sliders to the rails. Stupid! Now that I've got the seats reinstalled they don't seem like they're in the same position as they were when I started.

How are they "supposed" to be, or how are yours? Do the sliders/rails match up in front, using the forward bolt holes, and have one rail hole exposed in the rear? Does the front slider hole use the second rail hole back, and the rear of the slider overlap the rail at the rear? Just curious as to what's proper,

Also, have any of you discovered a decent way to put that stinking metal bar with the tapped holes up inside the rail channels without having to wrap your finger with sticky side out masking tape and shove your longest fat finger up to the third knuckle to line up the holes. Holding it still that way while trying to twist the bolt to start it is a... well, you know!

[DRACO A5OG]

As far as the bolts, do the backs first, use your finger to align and finger thread them in with an allen socket

Now let's see those seats

[Cornerlot]

Originally Posted by donagain1

Okay, Brainiac here removed the front buckets for a DIY reupholstery job without taking reference photos or marking the mounting bolt positioning for the sliders to the rails. Stupid! Now that I've got the seats reinstalled they don't seem like they're in the same position as they were when I started.

How are they "supposed" to be, or how are yours? Do the sliders/rails match up in front, using the forward bolt holes, and have one rail hole exposed in the rear? Does the front slider hole use the second rail hole back, and the rear of the slider overlap the rail at the rear? Just curious as to what's proper,

Also, have any of you discovered a decent way to put that stinking metal bar with the tapped holes up inside the rail channels without having to wrap your finger with sticky side out masking take and shove your longest fat finger up to the third knuckle to line up the holes. Holding it still that way while trying to twist the bolt to start it is a... well, you know!

On my '84 there is only one front hole per mount, line that one up and you're set on the rear. Its not hard to hold the threaded plate up inside the mount with your finger while you thread the bolt in from above. Took maybe 2 minutes per seat.

Steve

[donagain1]

Draco, it's interesting that the fronts of your slides are bolted in all the way forward and at the front edge of the fixed rails, yet there's uneven distances at the rear... to the point that the inboard one is actually lapping over the rail by some amount. As you'll see in the photos below, the fronts of my slides are also flush with the front edge of the fixed rail, but on the outboard side there's one full hole visible on the rail, yet the inboard side falls short of the end of the rail. Why the rails were engineered to be welded in this way baffles me (I know they accommodate a variety of seat styles from the factory), but I guess it just is what it is.

I need to try to tweak mine, find mating up holes a bit further to the rear of the car. Like I said, before removing the seats for my DIY reupholstery job I forgot to mark the holes. It used to be that with the seats all the way back it was easier to get in and out, yet for comfortable driving I had to pull the seat forward a notch or two. Now, it's tougher to get in and out, and the seat needs to be all the way back in order to have the same comfortable driving position. Clearly, I need to move the seat further back, and diddle with them accursed nut-bars that Steve has no troubles with... Steve, when're you coming to Sacramento???

I went with vinyl covers made by Seatz in Anaheim, total price inc. tax and shipping through Automotion was $308. Local upholstery shops wanted from $225 to $300 per seat to fit them. My labor was $0 dollars, and while I'm guessing that a "pro job" would no doubt have resulted in a better fit, this turned out good enough for this part of town.

[DRACO A5OG]

Hmm? That is odd I too have Sport Seats.

BTW, seat look great



Full leather here

[donagain1]

Ya, the leather would have been the way to go, though they do take a beating in a cabriolet from the hot Sacramento summer heat. Yours look good, was that DIY, or did you have a shop do them?

[DRACO A5OG]

Oh Thanks, I did it myself. I posted tutorial

[cabmandone]

Just checked and my rails are almost identical to Draco's setup. On a side note, would you be able to take a picture of your boot installed. I know the one I have is the wrong year for my car but I'd like to try and see the difference.

[donagain1]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

Oh Thanks, I did it myself. I posted tutorial

Ah man-n-n, I wish I would have read it before starting mine. The reupholstery job was time consuming for removing the old covers and noting where all the hog rings were, and determining the logical sequence for R&Ring them. The first skins went slowly, but by the time I got to the second one it all made sense and just flowed.

Almost forgot... I undid the mounting bolts and moved the seat one set of holes to the rear, and now it feels like it did before, a bit more leg room... amazing what an additional inch does to the geometry of getting your legs and knees under the steering wheel, while not dragging your toes across the door pocket carpeting.

[donagain1]

Originally Posted by cabmando

Just checked and my rails are almost identical to Draco's setup. On a side note, would you be able to take a picture of your boot installed. I know the one I have is the wrong year for my car but I'd like to try and see the difference.

Thanks for chiming in on this. As I said above, I moved the seats back one rail-hole, and that makes a huge difference in entering and exiting the car. The downside is that it minimizes any legroom (I know, HAHAHAHA!) for the back seats.

The boot I have is in my opinion also wrong for my car, though the supplier swears it was the proper design for my '85. The sides don't completely encompass the front edges of the side rails, leaving them and a couple inches of rubber exposed. The wind whips through there and billows up the boot at speed, and the fit just isn't right. I found it a PITA to keep diddling with, so other than for the picture below, I seldom use it. To me, it'd be easier to replace a sun damaged headliner.