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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Interior & Equipment => Seats and Restraints => Topic started by: Stumpos C20 on March 20, 2017, 05:42:11 PM

Title: Bench seat
Post by: Stumpos C20 on March 20, 2017, 05:42:11 PM
Long time restorer of Corvettes and Indian motorcycles, but am now tackling a 75 Chevy C20 Silverado long bed. I assumed that the seat back is suppose to fold forward but my mine does not and also has no indication of any hinge of any kind on the outboard aft corners of the seat bottom/back. The seat has been recovered in a non-standard material and pattern. Could I have a seat out of another year that didn't fold? I am tackling one thing at a time, so more questions are going to be coming.   
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: zieg85 on March 20, 2017, 05:55:29 PM
Some of the early 73-? did not fold forward.  Someone also may have used a Suburban or Crew cab front seat.  I don't know what year tilting forward became standard
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: VileZambonie on March 20, 2017, 06:53:43 PM
My 1980 C10 Custom Deluxe did not fold forward. I'm pretty sure all 73-80 base models were non folding seats.
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: Rapid Roy on March 20, 2017, 07:57:48 PM
My 74 has a folding seat. My guess would be it was an option, or maybe on specific packages.
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: Stumpos C20 on March 20, 2017, 09:44:50 PM
More info on my problem seat. The glove box trim/option numbers indicate A52 Front bench seat, and YER Silverado Equipment. Does this help or just muddy things up?
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: philo_beddoe on March 20, 2017, 09:59:40 PM
How in the world can they not have a seat that tilts forward? How are you supposed to get back there? Where are you supposed to put your stuff like fishing rods, guns, rags, tools, ect. ??
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: VileZambonie on March 21, 2017, 08:34:55 AM
I think it's was a salesman's easy upsell. It was very annoying so many people swapped out their seats just like I did the first chance I got. I wish I had kept it though because mine was mint. It was a nice orangy brown plaid vinyl non folding seat. I used to pull my arm out of its socket, dangle it back there and use my magnetic finger tips to grab anything I needed. If you wanted to put speakers or anything back there you had to unbolt the seat.
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: VileZambonie on March 21, 2017, 08:40:39 AM
More info on my problem seat. The glove box trim/option numbers indicate A52 Front bench seat, and YER Silverado Equipment. Does this help or just muddy things up?

I think because so many of these seats were survivors someone may have swapped the seat. 75 was the first year of the Silverado I think which was the higher optioned package. Maybe someone with more historical knowledge of the seat options will chime in.
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: kcwis on March 21, 2017, 09:34:17 AM
There is a post on here somewhere that shows how to convert to folding,I'll re-post when I find it.
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: kcwis on March 21, 2017, 09:54:30 AM
Well I can't find the post but it used a shoulder bolt for the hinge and a fabricated angle iron bracket to keep it from going too far back,hope that helps.
Title: Bench seat
Post by: philo_beddoe on March 21, 2017, 10:06:32 AM
I think it's was a salesman's easy upsell. It was very annoying so many people swapped out their seats just like I did the first chance I got. I wish I had kept it though because mine was mint. It was a nice orangy brown plaid vinyl non folding seat. I used to pull my arm out of its socket, dangle it back there and use my magnetic finger tips to grab anything I needed. If you wanted to put speakers or anything back there you had to unbolt the seat.
I wonder just how many changes any of us would make if we could go back in time and get a job at GM as a designer/engineer.

I would start with that stupid seat that wont tilt forward, after wringing the guys neck that made the decision not to have a folding seat. And my seat DOES tilt forward. I feel for you all that have that bench seat problem.
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: gunrac on March 21, 2017, 08:03:20 PM
Remember when rear bumpers were an option?......lol
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: philo_beddoe on March 21, 2017, 10:11:56 PM
They were??!! Thats like a steering wheel being an option. Jeeez!! Lol
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: Captkaos on March 29, 2017, 07:57:18 PM
I think 1975 was the first year for the folding, I would have to do some research.
Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: 1967KaiserM715 on March 30, 2017, 05:53:02 AM
The fuel tanks used to sit behind the seat in pre-73 trucks- so it probably took a few years for engineers to realize they could use that space.


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Title: Re: Bench seat
Post by: philo_beddoe on March 30, 2017, 09:06:35 AM
Someone should post a post that if we were a GM engineer in 73-87 what we would have changed. (Without going crazy)