How does one bolt the seat backs to the base so they don't fold? I have a 68 bench with armrest that has latches. It is going into a 4 door wagon so I don't want them to fold. are there captured nuts to weld in or brackets that need to be made? Anyone have frame pictures? thanks

 

Do you mean a 60/40 manual front seat? In the Fisher Body manual for my '72 it shows that there is a lockup bar on the outboard side of the seat which locks onto a striker bolt with a cammed lock mechanism similar to the locks on a door. One style is manual the other is electric but both use a similar design except that the electric version has a solenoid actuator. I can't figure out how you would be able to lock them permanently though short or removing all the upholstery and padding and welding the cam to the striker plate. It is difficult sometimes to visualize how something works from a static picture and then to figure out how to make it "not work".

 

not a 60/40 seat. On page 15-21 of the 1968 Fisher book diagram 15-20 that show 2 bolts that secure the base to the back of the seat. I have found access holes but nothing to thread them into. I'm guessing I could weld a bracket but it would be great to see a factory example. Anyone have experience with a 4 door 68-72 armrest bench seat?

 

Looks like this. This is a 1972 4 door hardtop. No latches like a coupe seat

 

Al, they are different seats. You won't be able to convert them to a 4 door's seat without basically getting a 4 door car's seat, and, by then, you should just use the 4 door car's seat. I see 2 options.

1: Don't worry about it. Those seats won't tilt unless you hit the latch. If no one needs to hit the latch to get out, then it won't unlatch. You will run into two guys that will know the front bench on a four door
does not have latches, and neither will care. If it looks right, it looks right.

2. If you really want those seats to not unfold, I would undo the handles on the levers on the latches and set aside. Make something to jam the latch rod from lifting that will fit around the latch rod, put it on, then put the handle back on to hold it on.
Much easier to freeze the latch than bolt up a whole new system.

 

I could leave the latch out and let gravity hold it. I'm guessing there was an extra tap on the seat back with nuts. The holes are in the base. I think I could make something. It would be nice to see what GM did though.

 

Don't do that, it will come at you in a panic stop. That's why they're latched.

 

These are bolt holes in the base. There must be some captured nuts on the back. Anyone have pictures?

 

I put a folding 2 door seat in a Vista wagon and loved it, sure the seat would tilt forward if unlatched, but it never bothered anything.

 

That's what I was thinking too. Early 60's GM cars didn't have latches. The empty passenger seat didn't "chatter or bounce" going down the road?

 

If you want them to just not fold and appear as a legit 4 door seat, leave the latch in them, but unscrew the release lever from the back side of the upper cushion (single phillips head screw) and then install the covers as usual, install the upper cushion as you normally would and when you lean the seatback back, it will latch in place for good.

Incredibly simple. Although if you ever want to remove the seatbacks again you will have to poke a hole in the cover to activate the release mechanism.

 

Yeah, I don't like the idea of not being able to take it apart without damage. I was hoping someone has seen the guts of one of these seats.