Buckets + Std Frames

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

I have read on here mentions of using standard sliding seat frames with bucket seats.

 

Have searched through a few threads, but can't find any valid working pics of how it has done. I checked my rails and they are in good condition as I read some points about them being prone to failure. Does anyone have any pics of it done? I can see the lift up bit comes away from the slider, but this doesnt leave enough length to mount the base frames to the seat.

 

I picked up some Cobra Monaco bucket seats on a whim so i'm just looking into options at this stage. I don't want to weld in bars and cut the exhaust tunnell as I want to be able to revert the car back to standard easily in the future.

 

The seats I have are base mounted, which may be a problem as I am a tall chap. As I say they were bought on a whim so I have no need to use them if they can't be fitted well.

 

The came with universal Cobra brackets attached to the bottom. They were removed from an astra which has these fitted to the standard seat frames.

 

I have had a quick look under my seats to check the condition of the standard rails which are very good, and had a measure to see how practical it is to use the standard rails.

 

Here are the universal brackets on the seats:

 

 

There is 260mm between the brackets.

 

Where the lift up section at the front removes, I could fit the front universal bracket to that, and at the back, 260mm away there is a bolt that I could lengthen to fix the rear bracket. But, that would mean the slider wouldn't function as the rear would be fixed.

 

That leads me to think how others have attached to the existing sliders.

 

 

Have people extended the sliding bar backwards to attach to the base of the rear? My concern with this, is that a force is applied when leaning into the back of the seat which could bend and put force in to other areas. Using 3mm thick steel like the universal brackets may be stronger than I am thinking, but it doesn't sound ideal to me so again I am curious how people do it.

 

This is more of a curiosity thread, than a 'I must find a way to make these fit' one.

 

Looking at the following pic, if I was to use some 150mm brackets going to where that rear rail is on top of the top sliding mechanism to clear the 'stopper' at the end, when the seat is slid back to the stop position, the seat is going to be 'overhanging' some way over the fixings of the original frames. Almost as if the seat will be pivoting, and would need to be slid a fair way forward to be at it's strongest position - making the sliding function pointless. The main reason I would like to retain sliding ability is so I can move the seats forward if I need to get anything large in the back for any reason.

 

 

Again, if people come back with pictures of how they have done it and it isn't ideal, I just won't persue it at all and move the seats on, it's no problem. I don't NEED to get these to fit but would be nice while I have them if it is doable.

Edited March 16, 2012 by chipstick

[Anthony 1,003]

Before you go any further, it would be worth checking how high the seats sit when perched on top of the mounts - most base mount buckets I find sit too high even without the additional height of the sliders, and I'm only 5'10 odd.

[allye 530 3 Cars]

They will be way too high! My corbeau's were much too high on the corbeau frames so I got some 6mmx30mm steel for £9.60 and made my own, they sit lower than standard.They were bloody solid.

 

[james_pug 26 1 Cars]

I spent an hour or so making a standard subframe fit a fixed bucket seat only to find it sat too high and I ended up binning it all. My seat had side mounts and I took all the tilting mechanism off the subframe and welded the tabs on to bolt the side mounts to.

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

Before you go any further, it would be worth checking how high the seats sit when perched on top of the mounts - most base mount buckets I find sit too high even without the additional height of the sliders, and I'm only 5'10 odd.

 

Hmm. With a helmet I may have trouble indeed. Will whip one out at some point and see to satisfy my curiosity. The seat base looks thin and I sink back in to it surprisingly so I did think I may be lucky

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

They will be way too high! My corbeau's were much too high on the corbeau frames so I got some 6mmx30mm steel for £9.60 and made my own, they sit lower than standard.They were bloody solid.

 

 

How did you space the gap out at the rear? If its doable with flat standard DIY brackets like that I could get the cardboard and sticky tape out and get the same as that made up by someone and go from there. How thick is that steel? Looks thin from here.

 

They for sale now Ali?

[allye 530 3 Cars]

6mm steel, real solid. I'll prob be selling the seats yer.

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

Do you have any more pics of when you made them? If they are just flat strips il do some. Surely they must be packed out where the level changes at the rear?

[allye 530 3 Cars]

Yer I put some in, also helps with getting to the nut, I didn't weld mine so I could drill some new holes to adjust if I wanted. No more pictures I'm afraid, although I surprised myself how well they went in and came up nice after a lick of hammerite

 

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

How do you find the headroom? Reckon a helmet is achievable?

 

When your reshelling, get some pics will 'e

[allye 530 3 Cars]

Reshelling may well start tomorrow Yer plenty of room for a helmet

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Before mounting any seats I really would check the floor, the amount of cracks I;ve seen nearest the handbrake area and the front rail is alarming, the only solid mount is the bracket bolted to the side of the car, hence why I would never use the std mount on anything other than std seats

[allye 530 3 Cars]

My mounts are (where!) really good nick and solid and I had checked. Whats the difference in using them for std or buckets on a road car!?

[MiniGibbo 142]

I find even the standard seats too high and I'm only 5'9.. Lol