If you have the original seats, they work fine for 8 people. Of course, the longest trip that I took with 8 people in the original seats was to a Grateful Dead concert 500 miles each way to Atlanta in 1970.

No one complained about the trip.

Tim
1954Advance-Design.com
1954 3106 Carryall Suburban
1954 3104 5-window pickup w/Hydra-Matic
The 216 and early 235 engines are not "splash oilers" -- this is a splash oiler.