Hi Everyone, I'm looking for ideas on how to mount/install the 1983 Suburban 3rd row seat I acquired for my 1946 1/2T. The depth and width are perfect but I am running into an issue with the gas tank neck. I have a couple of ideas on how to install the seat to accommodate that, but I am wide open to ideas. The main challenge is how to secure the seal to the front and raise it enough in the back to clear the gas tank neck. I tend to over complicate things. Any suggestions and hopefully pictures would be Most welcome. This is the last hurdle before I can drive it regularly.
On my '46 I took off the ribs above the gas tank and then used a '2" thick board in place and attached from the lip of the seat support. Used a 60/40 split bench seat from a 80s Ford ranger, split the board into two sections to match the 60/40 seat. Drilled holes that matched up with the Ford seat, attached with bolts from bottom side. Had to cut out a slot in the new wooden seat bottom and also flattened out the filler neck a bit to clear. let me know if you need more photos.
Look at my pics, you'll get an idea of how this worked out, best of luck
Last edited by JiMerit Boltr#43; 08/19/202111:02 PM.
I actually have the original springs which are in good shape. Having them reupholstered is outside of mu ability at the moment. I am looking for a short term solution. I agree that that would be best for originality. Patrick
That sounds like a definite possibility. I wasn't able to view the pictures easily. Any chance you have a couple you could upload or point me to the ones you mentioned?
I bolted a piece of slotted angle to the inside front of the tub surrounding the tank. Bolted a Z shaped piece to the floor behind the tank. The z shaped piece was made by welding 2 pieces of brick lintel together. Bolted a piece of 16 ga steel on top of those which made a platform to bolt the seats to. The Z shaped piece is just the right height to clear the tank filler neck and also give seats a flat platform to sit on. It could all be removed later with only a few holes to fill all in a relatively invisible area.
Harold, that sounds intriguing. I'll see what we have in the shop. Did you bolt the seat to the top and then the top to the Z bracket and slotted angle?
The seat frames were welded to 2 pieces of angle iron which was then bolted thru the top to the slotted angle and the rear support. I welded nuts on the underside of the slotted angle and the Z bracket for the bolts. Seats also still slide in their tracks although the most rear position is where they stay.
When I refurbish, preserve, restore an old truck, one of the more important things to me is to have original seats. I have restored suburbans and panels. Those are as tough to find as a 46 pickup seat. I go to the ends of the earth to find seats.
NOTHING ruins the look and feel of an old truck than to look inside and see some funky bucket, van, Cadillac or hipping seat inside.
The older the truck, the worse it looks. Very disturbing and sad. If I put a V8 in it, upgrade brakes and steering..............I still have an original seat. The east has way more seats than the midwest or west.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
Don't know what seat I have, some sort of 2nd or 3rd row. Not complete yet but I'm including a few pictures to show you the direction I'm going. Using 7/8" steel framing hat channel/Furring, 4 strips. Then 3/4" birch plywood and more steel furring to bolt seat to. You can see where I had to cut/relieve plywood around gas tank filler neck.
