Hey fellas, I’ve searched a bunch here...lots of info for using the 62-64 impala bucket seat, but I want to know what is involved in using the rear bench. They look so damn cool with the speaker. I’ve seen photos so I know it can be done. Just wondering what all is involved. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I have seen it plenty of times as well, and agree it looks great. Try posting your query on chevy talk.com They have a tri-5 exclusive section that was very helpful to me when I owned a 56 Chevy.
In this area, there were half a dozen '55 - '56 Chev 2 doors with '62 - '64 SS seats front & rear. Most 150 & 210 cars had Bel Air dash trim added.
my brother in law has the bucket seats front and rear from a 66 impala in his 55 htp. looks Ok to me.
I too remember seeing the 64 Impala SS interiors used in the '55 Chevys,the bucket seats,the rear sets and even the door panels with added material or carpet at the bottom,even the steering wheel,It looked great. HRP
Tri five 2 door hardtop rear seat is more narrow than a sedan rear seat where the armrests come into play
This isn't installing one in a Tri - Five, but is similar to it. I always wanted to put a 59 Impala rear seat in my 59 BelAir 2 door sedan. However, it was easier to modify the original 59 sedan rear seat, rather than use the Impala Sport Coupe seat. I basically notched the sides of the sedan seat, (both the seat back, and bottom), to clear the sport coupe rear arm rests, and made the mount for the rear speaker. It wasn't too difficult. Just stripped off those areas of upholstery, (which was already worn out), cut, trimmed, modified and welded the sedan seat framework. Didn't weld on the springs, just cut them to fit. The seat back was left at it's full width in the area above the rear arm rests. Basically, this is the same way that 55 - 57 Sport Coupe seats were shaped. I didn't use the metal filler panels, (for the seat back), that were used in the 59 Sport Coupe. Afterwards the seat was reupholstered. In the 25 years since this was done, about 2 people have noticed the Impala rear speaker, and arm rests in my 59 sedan. This is the only photo I have that shows any part of the rear seat. The speaker is barely visible, inside the car.
Not to hard to figure out this if you have basic skills working with tools. First, the factory seat has two protrusions on the seat bottom that fit in the floor and the backrest hooks at the package tray. The Impala seat most likely will not line up with any of this. So you will need to figure out another method. You might also need to cut and weld some of the seat structure. Perhaps you could cut up the Impala seat and weld the speaker mount into the 150 backrest.
Yeah I’m sure it’s not hard to figure out, but I don’t own an impala back seat at the moment to measure or fit, so I was hoping some one on here has done it and can say what they had to do... may not be worth buying one to cut up just fir the speaker. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Old chevy junkyard here had a '55 chevy with a 58 impala rear seat in it with speaker. Looked pretty snazzy tried to buy it till the old man wanted $5,000 for the car when it had no front or rear suspension, no front clip, no drive train just the body shell with interior. Claimed he could sell the front section of the frame for $5,000. I laughed and told him good luck cause for $5,000 I would buy the Tri-five frame with the front and rear independent suspension and rack and pinion steering.
I know a guy who put a white interior from a wrecked '65 Impala in either a '55 Sedan or '57 convertible (I can't remember which, cuz he had both in the sixties). Since there is a difference between sedan and hardtop rear seat dimensions (back & bottom) in the tri-five years (probably the sixties, too) you might start out with gathering up measurements, then it's probably a matter of making/adjusting the mounts for the items you choose. Fwiw's worth, when I bought my '56 210 HT, the back seat was a slightly cut down sedan seat, that didn't fit right and had the wrong mounts, I located a HT back seat for the car and it's at the ready when it comes time to recover the seat. I agree about the cool of the rear seat speaker. I had a '64 Impala convertible in highschool and college. Lotsa fun with that one - chick magnet, too (the car, me... not so much) Gotta56forme/Scott
One of my many (TEN) 56 Chevrolet's I've owned over the years, had a white, "58 Impala" interior. I took it all out, including the rear seats and side panels; the rear seats only "fit" if you also use the quarter panels. Even then, it did't fit right. There are enough Tri-Five vendors out there to do this RIGHT. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
I had the set in my 56 2dht with ,are you ready....... a reverb hooked up to center speaker.Hit a bump and.............boiiing
How about some pix? Impala seats are wider than the later Strato Buckets. While heavy, a good fit in the Tri 5s.
I've got a 56 2dr sedan, I picked up a back seat and arm rests from a 63 impala 2drht. By the time I was done measuring and cyphering I decided to cut the speaker out and transfer it to the 56 seat. Then I just pitched the whole impala pile of shit and ran the stock seat in the 56. I believe transfering the speaker would be the best way to get the look. I wish I followed through, it's a cool look.
As I mentioned, that is what I did with my 59 2 door sedan. A 59 sedan rear seat is the same basic design as a 55 - 57 sedan. Although a hardtop rear seat's overall width is narrower than a sedan seat, it's too wide to fit between the inner wheel wells, without major surgery. It will hit the inner rear wheel wells, before it's in the correct mounting place. A sedan seat is designed fit around the wheel wells. As a result, it's much easier to put a rear speaker into a sedan rear seat, rather than put a hardtop seat into a sedan. The same goes for using the hardtop's built-in rear arm rests. Since a hardtop rear seat is located further forward in the car, than the sedan seat is, the seat bottom is not shaped correctly to fit down on the floorpan, in the sedan seat location.
I have a 63 bench seat in mine ,looking for a rear seat to match. Looks to me the width is off but not impossible if you reuphostering it ,Does anyone reproduce the seat speaker?
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