I think Thunderbird parts make awesome custom car interiors. I remember a '54 Chevy custom (built in the '60's) from my home town. Those seats really set it off. My question is: what years make the best donor cars? My guess is around '63 or '64.
Depends on what your putting it in....... Dif years were shaped Dif! Not all look the same........ Nothing is a true "bolt in" however..... They all will need some massaging, and that just might be the seat's themselves......Package tray, wrap around's, door panels,console......They all have to jive together. Is this just the front's,or the whole deal? Maybe do a search and see what's out there- Something might match what you have in mind........ Been there before.......... Still got the t-shirt.
64 rear seats fit nicely in 49-54 chevys. Ill be running a set in my 50 fleetline. I have to do some modifying to get them to bolt in, but not to much. Really fit nicely.
64-66 had wraparound rear seat and front buckets like a galaxie XL. I think 67 still had a wraparound rear but slightly different. 58-60 has small buckets with a hump top, 61-63 are bigger and square.
61-63 have a rectangular rear with a top & bottom that I felt was easier to work with to get a better fit'n'finish in a '51 Ford. but, depends on what look that you are going for. whatever year you use be sure to get ones in really good shape - can always change color. the special foam replacements for these seats are not cheap plus, the cost of replacement covers.
dont forget the 63-65 riviera seats. they are also very nice and easy to get, i have them in my 61 olds:
Yeah, this is great. I'm gonna build a custom before too long. An interior swap is a must-have, in my opinion. Early '50's chevy is my first choice, but other makes are cool too. Choices, choices, choices.
The 64-66 Ford buckets were used in some other cars, too, I have a set still that came out of a full size Mercury. They're fairly small and fit easily in the narrower earlier cars - the big GM buckets don't fit as well, at least not the set out of a '64 Gran Prix I had in my '50 Chevy. They fit but only with no room for a console. The wrap rear seat needs to be narrowed some at the top to work in the 49-52 cars, I don't know about the 53-54. The bottom cushion fits fine though.
Anybody know how wide the front buckets are? I love the look of 64-66 Full Size/ Tbird buckets and I've got a line on some out of a Merc, but I don't know if I can stuff them in my '35 Ford Coupe.
lewk, sorry it took so long, but I took a look at the 64/66 Thunderbird seats in the garage. At its widest point the LH seat was 21 & 1/2 inches. The RH seat is the reclining type it was just a little wider at 22 inches. Hope that helps. -Dave
Buckets are out of 65 t bird. I also used back seat trim over the seats to help form the center console in my 58 impala roadster.
I had the back seat from a 64-66 Bird in my 39 Deluxe Ford Coupe, just had to take out the arm rest and a like amount in the bottom. I picked up another one to use in the 42 Chevy Coupe I am building for my daughter. I just had to remove the arm rest and like amount in the bottom, and it works in the Chevy
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