A seat track question...bench / bucket tracks...

[TommyShameless1978]

Okay, here's one for you guys!

My 68 RR clone came with a bench seat originally. That is long gone, along with the tracks. When I got the car, the seller threw in a set of 68 B Body buckets. They are in decent shape, but they do need to be recovered, and don't have the tracks.

I've been poking around for the tracks, and the prices I've seen are absolutely stupid. I mean, seriously. For seat tracks??? Is it just because they are for a Mopar? I know, I know, it isn't like they are falling from the sky, either...

What I am wondering is if you can use bench seat tracks for the buckets. You'd need two pairs, but could it be done? The bench tracks go for WAYYY cheaper, and even after buying two pairs, I'd still be way ahead of the game.

Quite frankly, all I really want is a set of black vinyl bucket seats for this car that look era correct. I really don't even care if they are Mopar. I'd run a set of 70's Camaro seats in the car, as long as they were black vinyl and had no rips. I think those seats look killer and are stylistically correct for the look I'm going for. What about early 70's high-back b-body buckets? The seller gave me a choice between a white set of those, or the actual correct 68 ones. I chose the 68 ones because I know they are worth much more, but honestly, I would gladly trade these for a set of clean, high back black vinyl buckets with tracks.

Okay, let the flaming begin! hahah!

Tommy

 

[YY1]

I am doing the same thing right now.

Even though they look similar the tracks are radically different.

To begin with the bench track is lower. There are actually trhee different heights

I think one of the bucket tracks is 3.75 inches, the other 3, and the bench track is like 2".

The height adjustment for the bench is on the part that is riveted to the slider, while the bucket is on the seperate riser piece. This makes swapping risers impractical.

I think I have a pic of all three tigether. I'll post if I can find it.

I did have bench tracks on the outboard sides of my Dodge 600 buckets, and a 2x4 on the inboards, so they can work.

The offset is quite different as well. With the bench track, the center of the seat was quite some distance inboard, and the steering column was pointing at my shoulder.

Now I have the bucket tracks on the driver's side and the seat is centered much better and the column points at my heart (maybe bad in a wreck).

Also note that the outboard floorpan holes are different. On my bench car the bucket holes were not drilled, but had detents stamped, so the could be easily drilled in the correct places. The ourboard locations were about an inch farter out from the bench holes. This also affects the centering.

My seats were from a 600 vert, and after mounting the correct tracks froma 66 Charger, were about 2 inches wider then the places where the detents were. I chose to use the correct outboard holes and drill new ones inboard.

I have a reply posted to another thread with pics of the bucket tracks.