My first T build.
- Thread starter smokeyco75
- Start date
smokeyco75
Member
Here is the seat I got.
and the 86 Camaro steering column.
and the 86 Camaro steering column.
That is the same seat I bought as well! It looks exactly like mine, you did good for the price you paid for it. If you remove the mounts, arm rest, and brackets that hold the back to the base, it may just fit perfectly in you body. Looking forward to more pics of what you decide to do with it. 
smokeyco75
Member
I ordered my steering box and some other stuff so when that comes in and I finish the chassis I will be able to glass in the floor, set the seat in and get the column in to where it lines up to where I sit and hopefully it won't be mounted crooked.
fletcherson
Well-Known Member
Are you struggling with the seat height? I am. I don't want it too high, but there really isn't enought leg room to make it comfortable for me without a platform under the seat. I am also working with clutch petal and standard shifter, so a little more complicated.
smokeyco75
Member
I have a stretched body so I don't forsee it being an issue. I will be test fitting the seat in the next few weeks.
fletcherson
Well-Known Member
I hope it works out, but I casion you to test fit everything prior to mounting anything. Mine is not stretched, but I measured and it should have worked out, but when I tried it on, not so much. The petals and shifter makes it much more important to get it comfortable to drive and use them.
fletcherson
Well-Known Member
Good progress, by the way!
benT
Active Member
When we put the minivan seat in ours, we had to make a riser of about 3-1/2" in the front and and flat in the back to work ours right. Its the right height from an auto tranny, but not sure how it would be with a stick. Hell, I've never been convinced that you could squeeze a third petal in a std '23 and be able to work the clutch and shift!
fletcherson
Well-Known Member
It is tight, that's for sure.When we put the minivan seat in ours, we had to make a riser of about 3-1/2" in the front and and flat in the back to work ours right. Its the right height from an auto tranny, but not sure how it would be with a stick. Hell, I've never been convinced that you could squeeze a third petal in a std '23 and be able to work the clutch and shift!
smokeyco75
Member
I took the armrest, mounts and hinges off of the seat and set it in the body. Looks like I will have to narrow it a little in order for it to fit by the time I wood the body. It fits right up against the fiberglass right now. No biggie since I planned on reupholstering it anyway.
smokeyco75
Member
Okay time for an update. I had a little time to work on the car yesterday. I made some spring pivot mounts out of old leaf spring shackles. I mounted the batwings out further than normal because I liked how the radius rods look angled out a little more than normal. This also will give me more room to mount my mustang II shocks a little lower than normal as well. I still need to make a couple of gusset plates for support but I am pleased with how it turned out. Unfortunately the factory econoline steering arms are too short so I will be ordering those soon. I enjoy fabricating things for this build but some things are just more cost effective to buy. Once I have that finished I will clean up the spindles and install the rotors and brake parts, weld in the rear Panhard bar, and this pig will be a roller!
smokeyco75
Member
I also added enough weight to the front to simulate my final ride height and it looks like the lowest part of the car (steering box) will be 4*3/4 inches from the ground.
2old2fast
Active Member
If in your pic , there isn't any weight on the front spring , then your spring pivot mounts are too close together , shackles should be near horizontal unloaded , at 45* or so loaded... hope your planning on some sort of gusset for those spring mounts.... spring steel is generally pretty brittle... 4 1/2" is a
bit close ...just drive carefully...
dave
bit close ...just drive carefully...
dave
smokeyco75
Member
When I took the picture it was sitting with Jack stands under the axle and the 454 short block in the frame. I'll add about 500 lbs and see where I'm at. Thanks
smokeyco75
Member
Okay stupid question time. In regard to my problem above having welded my pivot brackets too close, why can't I eliminate the mounts altogether, make longer shackles and mount them to the batwings like normal. It sounds like too easy of a fix to be right lol.
smokeyco75
Member
Lol I didn't see it either when I snafu'd this in the first place.
You "MIGHT" but you will have to rework the radius rod bat wings so that the center part of them is square to the axle. You have them on at such a great angle that as it is it will bind the spring shackle.
smokeyco75
Member
Agreed Ron. I was thinking I'd just heat up that part of the batwings with a smoke wrench and straighten the mounting point. It's the simplest solution I can think of.
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