The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Buckets in a '46?

The '46 cab isn't all that wide.. I think I read it's 5 inces narrower than the AD trucks.. but i've seen a few '41 thru '46 style trucks with buckets in them (obviously not factory).

I've got one old '86 Toyota pickup bench seat to share between two trucks untill I get the original '39 springs I have redone and I was thinking maybe buckets in the 1/2 ton would be neat?

Has anybody out there ever done it or know somebody who has? Anybody know of a "donor" vehicle that would have factory seats that would suit that purpose?

I've got my '46 Panel and I'm like you I've see several trucks with buckets in them. For my Panel I got a set out of a '93 Grand Am, they are about 19" wide and it leaves enough room for about a 9" wide consoule down the middle.

At one of the little local junk yards here, the owner has a 47.1 with mid 60's GTO buckets in it. They seem to fit real nice. He uses this truck for his yard truck. It's got solid metal welded in the floor of the bed and the rear fenders are loose and flapping. It never sees much more than 2nd gear. Still runs pretty good for what it is.

Rob

Since the 1/2 ton is going to be my daily driver, and is currently my work around the farm truck, the motivation for buckets was to get some sort of console.. a place to put a soda bottle, notpad, loose nails.. change.. you know, the typica stuff a person sets in a console.

I'll have to keep an eye out for Grand Am seats, it sounds like!

Fumblin' I put a set of buckets in my 53 that came out of an aerostar van, complete with arm rests--real comfy--I also have nuff room left between em for a console-------keep on trukin'

Here's a few examples of buckets in 41-46 trucks. I like the first picture the best. I believe they are seats out of a early 90's burb or tahoe.

Buckets 1

I believe this is actually a 1940 but same concept anyhow:
http://www.sheridanzone.com/images/46Chevy/Stoveboltposts/buckets%202.jpeg

http://www.sheridanzone.com/images/46Chevy/Stoveboltposts/buckets%203.jpeg

Thanks for the pics, man!

The seats I end up going with will have to work with the exsisting seat riser, since I won't be relocating the fuel tank.

The power buckets in the 'Buckets 1' picture look pretty cool.. probably not suitable for my application, but cool none the less.

The grey seats in the last link are probably more my speed. (sans the simulated wood trim and fuzzy dice, of course)

Frank:

When you put them in, could you come back and let us know how you like them?

I've got Jeep seats in mine right now, and there is a leg room issue. I have to redo the seats anyway, so maybe a replacement would be easier than screwing around with modfying the existing seat backs.

I'm not planning on moving my gas tank, either.

I was hoping this subject would come up as I'm doing the same thing on my 46. I thought I would have to get buckets from a small foreign car or look for an old Chevette but 19 inches wide and buckets from a Grande Am makes for a lot of choices at the bone yard. Should leave room for a nice floor consul as well. Let me know how you make out.
Bob T

Yea, i'll come back and report when I get a buckets in there.

A good seat option is going to be one that is narrow, yet comfortable, provides some space between the seats for a console, and isn't much deeper than the original seat.

Now I just gotta find a bone yard that has the seats, and isn't convinced they're worth $50 a piece!

Get over to the Gallery and check out the pic of my 46 (Jim Merritt's) with 89 Ford Ranger extended cab, split bench. This seat was meant to be in the 46 narrow cab and the extended cab version does not have the high back head rest.

When I put the stock gas tank back in I made a 2" wooden platform on top of the tank surround to mount this new seat. I carved out a slot on the passenger side for the gas filler pipe to exit, easy deal. I could email more pics if needed.

Jim.. you're right.. that seat looks like it was made to go in there!

My idea for whatever seats I end up using in the truck would be simular to your plan of attack.. cutting a sheet of thick plywood to lay over the original fuel tank "riser" and bolting the seat to that, with some metal strips added to the bottom of that board to increase stability.

I'd like to coat that board, along with the rest of the truck floor, with some of that black roll on liner stuff.. that'll help protect the metal, and make it easy to wash out the mud/ice/cow pucky that I track into the cab.

I've really got a jones for a console.. either a fixed console, or a bench seat that has a fold down deal.

Fumblin46, If you look at the pic of my seat again you'll see it has a fold down center arm rest deal, notch out for the shifter plus flips foreward for the badly needed extra storage space. My wooden platform is 1.5 to 2" tall and still had to massage the gas tube to allow the seat to sit flat. I have no adjusting runners on this seat, it's bolted to the wood. This cab is so small there's no room for adjusting the seat, just bolted it as far back as possible. I've had this seat installed for over 10 years and it's made life so much nicer.

Being 6'2 I need all the leg room I can get!

I've been using the seat out of the '86 Toyota pickup and it works pretty good.. just kinda tossed in there on top of the fuel tank.. it works good enough for hauling loads of hay and straw around the yard, and working on fence but not a long term solution.

Originally I was going to just put original seats in both trucks, but the more I use the truck in working situations, the more it's clear I really need a place to put stuff like bottled water, pens, nails, cell phone.. especially when I start using it for weekly trips to the auction this spring.