Hey guys I'm after some advice about putting a bench seat in the front of my sedan and just wanted some advice. I guess my main concern is will it hit the shifter when I slide the seat forward to let people in the back ? Im using a T5 with S10 tail housing if that helps. My plan for the interior is to keep it looking like original but with a distressed leather/vinyl instead of mohair.
I've used both Glide and Wiseguys in coupes both with forward movement in 4 speed cars. Call Jim Wise at Wiseguys he can tell you.
Iv'e used a GM mini van middle seat. I narrowed the seat frame by cutting out 10" The seat backs had arm rests on both sides, I filled in the outside ones. For a $ 20 seat it turned out pretty nice. The backs fold forward, which would work great in a sedan.
Can anyone who is running a t5/s10 in their '32 tell me if I will have room to slide a bench seat forward to let anyone into the back of a 32 sedan ??
i dont believe there is much room to go forward . the s-10 tower is quit a ways back . maybe a special built seat with a cut out for the shifter to slide into . like a "U" in the middle for clearance .........
I think the S10 shifter is far enough forward to do the deal in this case. As steve norcal above said though, maybe looking at an '80s mini truck seat with the small half round cut out would take care of any hit problems.
Jeremey,you could slice off the shifter handle about an inch above the tower and add 2" forwards/slanting up at about 45 degrees and weld the top of shfter handle on there that should allow using about all seat mentioned..... it will be hid by the shift boot and will clear where the seat would interfere..... might even consider adding a better looking handle that is not like the S10.....
I don't know the exact setup you have but maybe a a fold down seat that folds flateasy to step over. Like out of the back of a wrangler
Just a thought, but isn't a Camaro 5 speed shifter about 4" further forward than the S10? Also the van seat I use folds fairly flat and may have enough movement to allow entry...................
Nope, just the opposite! The S10 without walking out to measure mine, is about 10" or so ahead of the Camaro, which is also canted at a strange angle (18degrees) and shares basically the same shifter posistion as the Mustang T5. This is why I'm pretty damn sure that the shifter won't be a major problem in the seat clearance, and even if it is at all, it will be minimal. I have both a S10 and a Mustang T5 here in the shop, and if you'd like I can go out when it cools a bit and measure for sure.
I built a bench seat for my sedan by using a bench from a Ford courier PU and two backs from honda civic buckets. I narrowed the bench and this eliminated the cut out for the original ford floor shift. The honda backs from a two door have a tilt forward feature and this bolted right to the courier seat frame on the door side. I just had to weld two small brackets to the courier frame in the middle of the back and the honda backs bolted right up. The courier seat adjuster allows the seat to slide back and forth and the honda backs fold forward to access the back seat. It works great.
I think the van seat's a good option. I've got an 80's caravan 3rd row seat as the back seat in my delivery. appaears to be the right width for the 32 (using my truck for reference) and that fold flat feature would allow passengers to climb over.
Sorry about the mis infromation, I knew one of them had a further forward shifter position. Still think the narrowed M van seat should do the job nicely.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=633182&page=4 check page four, should answer your question. Al.
It would be easy to notch the seat and make it hinge up if needing to slide the seat forward. You could upholster it so when it wasn't flipped it would just looks like the seat. Kind of like an arm rest that tucks into the seat and isn't really noticed until its pulled down?
I thought I would give this another kick....especially since I started to see more and more sedans with bench's in the front. Most recently this one from Steadfast mfg 0 and this local (Australian) car, Chad Lackey's sedan and I thought I would throw a pic in of CTaulbert's bench in his roadster. When I dream of hotrod interiors, this one does it for me. Lastly, can anyone _ Bob you can jump in here, tell me what the width of the rear seat is in a '32 sedan ??
For what it's worth,the S-10 shifter is positioned forward basically in the original location of the 3 speed. HRP
Man, i'm with you 100% on the bench vs. buckets deal. I hate buckets in anything. A thought that came to mind, I wonder if you counld do a seat that would not only fold flat but also tip forward for rear seat access. I know the removable seats in my mom's Yukon have that feature as well as slider rails to go back and forth. They would be a bit bulky, but could be cut down for the task.
Cool, thanks HRP - that's good to know. From what I've seen in pics that should give me no probs when sliding the seat forward.
Hey Chip, that's exactly what Bob from Bengel's made for me. I haven't seen it yet but from what he described it would give me even more room for the rugrats to get into the back seat. Those buckets in a '32 are jammed in next to each other it may as well be a bench, I know it's not 100% original but I think it's an aesthetic improvement.
I have a bench in my sedan,,you can get in the back because the back of the set leans forward but it would be a big plus if it pivoted from the from also. HRP
A little zoomy looking but I used a Teas leather covered seat in a chopped deuce sedan I built many years ago. Very comfortable.
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