Calling all who have swapped seats!!!

Discussion in 'Parts Interchange' started by luckyirishpride, Feb 24, 2006.

  1. luckyirishpride

    luckyirishpride "Youngest Comet Owner"16!

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    Hello,
    My seats are old and cracked and falling apart. I am worried about what to do for replacement/repair/whatever it TAKES?!?!

    How many of you have successfully refoamed and recovered seats, and if so with what, and how much did it cost?

    Who has put seats from a different car? How is it working? What kind of car did they come from?

    Hopefully your input will not only benefit me, but also others on this forum who suffer from dieing seats!

    Thanks,
    Sean
     
  2. courier11sec

    courier11sec Member

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  3. fmc56

    fmc56 Member

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    I've swapped many seats in the past in more than just Mavericks. I run a custom upholstery shop that specializes in custom interiors. Usually keep your original seat tracks. Most of the time they are designed to make up for the odd contours of the floor and give a flat platform at the correct angle for the seats to bolt to. Most manufactures use the same basic seat frame for all of their seats. This stays fairly constant until a major styling change occurs. As far as Mavericks/Comets before catalytic converters just about any Ford bucket seat from the era will work. The track spacings are usually the same and so is the distance between the front and back mounting bolts. I've used Mustang, Thunderbird, Cougar, Torino and Pinto seats in early Mavericks using the original Maverick bucket seat tracks and a combination of the original bench seat outer track with Mustang inner bucket seat tracks with spacers similar to the Mavericks. I've installed Monarch and Grenada seats on the 77's using the tracks that came on the seats, bolted right in. I have also installed 99 Taurus SHO/ T-bird SC seats in a 69 1/2 Maverick without to much difficulty and Lincoln MK VII seats in a 70 Maverick. These last two used the power tracks that came with the seats. The MK VII seats bolted in on the outside and required spacers on the inner tracks to level the seats. Later model Mustang and Mustang GT seats use the same frame as the MK VII seats and mount in a similar fashion so they should also work. The Taurus seats were a little wider and still bolted to the floor on the outer track but I had to modify the inner track at the mounting point to get them to sit level as they mounted to the side of the transmission tunnel where it meets the floor. If you do swap seats just be sure that the track spacing is the same and that the tracks will bolt to the bottom of the seat without interference.
    Fred
     
    Jaybee likes this.
  4. Dan Starnes

    Dan Starnes Original owner

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    Wow Fred,, that is a boat load of great info,, thanks!!

    Dan
     
  5. luckyirishpride

    luckyirishpride "Youngest Comet Owner"16!

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    Ya, I would definately have to agree with that! You are one of those people i wish i could just hire for the weekend to come put my seats in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
  6. Jamie Miles

    Jamie Miles the road warrior

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    If I ever put buckets in my car and they are not high back buckets, they will be '94-'98 Mustang buckets. I tried the ones out of my dad's '95 GT a while back and they fit real good, will only require drilling a couple of holes and makeing a couple of spacers. '92 Grand AM seats will fit pretty good also with spacers in the back. The front 2 bolts on the Grand AM seats actually sit right down into the factory holes.
     
  7. fmc56

    fmc56 Member

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    I could use a trip to California, it's supposed to snow here tomorrow and go to 9 degrees Monday night. I have a set of 83-92 Mustang seats in the shop now going into a 32 Ford. I will measure them and let you know if they will bolt to the Maverick tracks. It's too bad most of the seats that will fit are from older model cars. When you find them they are not much better than the originals. Most of the cars made today are 4 doors so the back seat access is an issue. The attached photo has nothing to do with seats or Mavericks, it's from the trunk lid of a 51 Merc I am working on and I thought some may enjoy it. It was done by Mike Lavallee. The front has flames also.
    Fred
     

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  8. Mavaholic

    Mavaholic Growing older but not up!

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    That guy is amazing!!
     
  9. scooper77515

    scooper77515 No current projects.

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    I used seats out of an 88 Honda accord. They did NOT bolt right in, but I believe they are superior in comfort to any older Ford seats. If I could have, I would have bought something from a newer ford, but the junk yard seats in all the fords were ripped, faded, or just lost their shape. The honda seats were all in much better shape, they apparently hold up better (or ricer owners tend to take better care of their interiors?). The Honda seats were small enough in width that they fit, where alot of seats are going to be too wide to fit in the space available.

    Earl Branham gave me some fabricated brackets that sit the seats level, but I have not installed them yet, as I am waiting for new carpet and painting the interior first. He used Honda seats in his Mav and enjoys the fit and feel.
     
  10. Mavaholic

    Mavaholic Growing older but not up!

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    I have used Escort GT seats in Mavericks Same frame. I also used Aerostar seats (the delux ones) in my 79 bronco. They also bolted to the Bronco frames. The aerostar seats were by far the most comfortable factory seats I've ever owned or sat in.
     
  11. mean_maverick

    mean_maverick Senior Member

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    i first used the front seats out of an 88 t-bird with only minor modifications. they worked out fine until i came across a wrecked 73 comet gt that had a FLAWLESS interior with black vinyl buckets. but from what i know, the fox body stang seats are the same as the t-birds so that should widen anyone's search for seats.
     
  12. boss9

    boss9 Member

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    The wife has a PT Cruiser, I don't care for the car but I have thought about snaggin' the black bucket seats for my Maverick !!!! I like the shape of the buckets and the arm rest on the shifter side.
     
  13. inline6

    inline6 Member

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    i used 86 mustang seats.redrilled a couple new holes,some front spacers,and they look like they came with the car.
     
  14. Jamie Miles

    Jamie Miles the road warrior

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    Those of you with cameras, how about pictures of your seats? I would be particularly intrested in seeing what the Fox Body seats look like in a Mav. Theres a diffrence between seats fitting and looking like they belong in the car.
     
  15. mean_maverick

    mean_maverick Senior Member

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    good idea Jamie. in fact, why not pictures of any seat swaps. i'm always looking for a new idea myself and im sure that im not the only one.:clap:
     

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