Seat Mounting

[bobs66440]

I'm getting ready to start on the body/interior and I would like some ideas. My thought is to mount a flat sheet of maybe plywood or something on the floor to finish it off and cover up the wells on the sides then mount the seats to that? I'm going to weld at least four more body mount tabs to the frame (8 total). The big problem is, the frame rail will be right under where the seats would have to mount, so how would I get to the seat mounting bolts? I'm almost thinking that I will have to build some kind of common framework for the seats to mount to then mount the whole thing as a unit to the floor, or through the body mount tabs? This one is testing my inventive side for sure...

 

[baddawgcustoms]

Bob I haven't got that far yet but what I use to do in dirt track cars is take two pieces of angle bolted to the floor, and two pieces bolted to the seat, and run them parallel to each other so you can drill holes through the top and bottom pieces and bolt the two pieces together. It may not be a quick change to adjust the seats but if you ever needed to you can simply slide the seat front or back and drill new holes. You can even taper the angle toward the back so your seats can sit at an incline. You can just use a strip of plate under the car to sandwich your bottom seat rale to the floor and you won't even have to add tabs to your frame. I've done it many times on race car and plan to do that on my T with aluminum bomber seats. If you go real low it's hard to get to the bolts so for the bottom piece I usually just weld the bolt onto the angle and slide the the whole thing through the floor as a unit.

 

[EX JUNK]

Is there a rake angle on the seat cushion/bottom? It looks as though the cushion is parallel with the floor in the pictures. For comfortable seating the front of the cushion should angle toward the rear. A good example is to look at you factory ride and you'll see what I'm referring to.
Now, if what I've observed is correct, then you can build a framework that allows the proper rake angle that would be bolted securely, preferably to the frame, and the the seat bolted to the framework should take care of things.

Jim

 

[bobs66440]

Ahhh, I love you guys!! Once again you have given me inspiration! I think I can use a combination like this...



Welding the studs to the framework will eliminate the problem of getting to the seat bolts. I can bolt it through the floor and into tabs on the frame or to metal strips as suggested and remove it as one unit. And I can use the angle for the seat bottoms and tilt them as needed. Excellent! Thank you!

 

[baddawgcustoms]

Jim is spot on about the angle of the seats. That's why I mentioned tapering the angle. First seat I had when I started racing laid back about 15 degrees and I mounted it flat. 200 laps later and my back hurt so bad I could barely move, and even in a five point you hit the brakes and feel like you're going out the window. Next seat bought a straight back and angled the whole seat. WORLDS BETTER! ( didn't figure it out on my own. Got some ol timer advice!).

 

[bobs66440]

Yes, I mocked it up and sat in it and it seems that having the front of the seat about 2" higher than the rear is comfortable.

 

[EX JUNK]

Yes, I mocked it up and sat in it and it seems that having the front of the seat about 2" higher than the rear is comfortable.

Now you're getting it. Those engineers in the car business really do know a thing or two.

Jim