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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Interior & Equipment => Seats and Restraints => Topic started by: 82oldskid on February 06, 2011, 10:32:10 pm

Title: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: 82oldskid on February 06, 2011, 10:32:10 pm

I know everyone wants to put buckets in their trucks, and there are lots of posts on that, but I'm going a slightly different route.  I want to put a split bench with a fold-down center console from a 97 pickup in my 86 K20.  I didnt catch many posts on this, so I thought I'd see if anyone has done it before, and could offer me some advice.  reason i'm going with a split bench is because i want to have a center console/arm rest, but also have the center seat available if needed.  I'm attaching a picture of the seats i'm talking about.  its not the best picture, but its the best i could find.  hope someone can help.  thanks in advance!

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: Skunksmash on February 06, 2011, 11:25:24 pm

Those seats are very nice and they are the ones I want in my truck too. Although I am going to get the ones that come with a console that has two cup holders in it though, for a more modern convenience. My buddy has a 99 silverado that has those same seats in it and IMO they are very comfortable seats. More comfortable than many buckets I have sat in. And they look factory even in these old trucks. I think its a great idea. Only thing is you'll be fabbing up some custom brackets, but that's really not that big of a deal.

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: 82oldskid on February 06, 2011, 11:33:45 pm

thats actually one of the things i was hoping to get...  CUPHOLDERS!  good to know these seats come with them.  and, yes, these seats are much more comfy than my stock bench.  my cousin had a 97 with these seats, but they were tan leather, and on top of that, the truck had the Mark III conversion package...  moron traded it in for a 2006 Chevy Impala.  Some people are just born jagoff's, ya kno?  anyhoo, yea, i figured custom brackets were in order, but what brackets do i go off of?  the ones for the seats, or do i gotta fab up a set?

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: 1980c10 on February 06, 2011, 11:53:19 pm

They should work fine. your biggest limiting factor will be the higher floor of the cab in your truck-you won't have a lot of height to work with in the center of the cab floor.

I used a straight bench from a 90's work truck, it has a center fold down arm rest for the driver. It also works great to keep the kid from getting too close when she sits in the middle as it has a manual trans. It was a very simple install-I used the brackets from my originial seat and bolted them to the newer seat.

for a cup holder I have one that fits in the ash tray slot-it holds two cups and looks and works very nicely

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: bake74 on February 07, 2011, 09:18:28 am

     Those are called 60/40 split bench with center console.  That is what I am planning on doing to my 74 that I am working on, just haven't got to the interior yet.

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: jaredts on February 07, 2011, 10:01:19 am

I could be wrong, but I thought those were the seats mentioned on some other posts on here that required relocating the gas tanks, cutting out the floor and fabbing up a flat floor.  If that's the case I'm not sure if its worth it.  If its the same seats, the problem, like many seats out there, is that they sit way too high to work with the raised floor of our pickups.

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: Skunksmash on February 07, 2011, 11:13:32 am

If that's true couldn't you just hack off that big bottom part? It looks like all it is, is a plastic that is covering the existing mounting brackets. Which are going to have to be replaced anyway for new ones that fit the truck.

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: Captkaos on February 08, 2011, 02:09:22 pm

You are going to have to make something to make it fit a 73-87 pickup as there is a gas hump, the newers are flat.

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: Skunksmash on February 10, 2011, 02:33:58 pm

Yeah I'm optimistic that it won't be too hard to do that. Fingers crossed.

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: txfiremedic on December 24, 2011, 02:16:08 pm

Any update on this project?  I'm wanting to put these same seats in My 85 c10. What is involved in making these work?  Thanks

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: bowtieguy80 on September 20, 2012, 07:30:12 pm

     Has anyone made this swap work? I've got my eye one a seat like that now.

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: PromiseKeeper on October 15, 2012, 09:15:55 am

until you get it done, a big roll of duct tape on the seat works well for a cup holder  ;D

Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: Beans on February 22, 2014, 10:25:59 pm

Any updates on this..? I'm looking for an option like this too.


Beans
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Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: 75_chevy on March 02, 2014, 10:29:24 pm

I got a nice split bench like the one pictured out of a ~='95 4x4 Chevy, haven't mounted it completely yet because I have too shorten the factory brackets and weld my on rails on it but it's real comfy and leans back nd such(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/03/uhu7aby4.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/03/5a9uje2y.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/03/uvehygeh.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/03/merybe3u.jpg)


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Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: 75_chevy on April 03, 2014, 01:50:01 am

sits much lower now that it's actually on it's own brackets and it's all bolted in (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/03/ajydahem.jpg)


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Title: Re: Split Bench in an 86?
Post by: sbx22 on April 03, 2014, 03:04:42 pm

nice conversion, hopefully get to doing this one day.