Seat Sliders

[Thomba48]

Hi,

we - saying me and my financee - are when it comes to our Plymouth a rather strange match: To her the bench seats are never near enough; given my 6foot3 I really could do with a few more inches towards the back.

Now with that in mind I was thinking about installing some seat sliders allowing for more movement towards the front and the back.

Has anybody made any experience with of the shelve offers?

By the way, we still have the original bench seats installed and I am not planning to change that.

Thanks

[randroid]

Thomba48,

I'm a bit confused as to what you mean by 'seat sliders'. If you want to get the seat closer when she's driving it and you're not in the car that's one thing, but if you're both in the car it won't matter how potentially close or far away the seat could move because your areas of comfort remain the same. Please enlighten me because this is a common problem to which I've not considered there to be a solution and I'd like to hear how other people approach it.

-Randy

[Thomba48]

Hi,

sorry - it is not always easy to communicate technical matters in a different language than my mother tongue!!

No, it is not about allowing individual parallel adjustments. It is, however, about increasing the range of movement which is currently rather limited (the standard adjustment in the Plymouth really doesnt make a huge difference).

Fact is, I am almost to tall for leaving the bench seat where it is. Henceforth simply thought about putting the entire seat slightly backwards. Now that would be a real problem for Jenny who requires the seat to be reasonably close to the stearing wheel.

Now the solution therefore would be to go for a seat slider system that would simply allow a longer range of movement (closer towards the steering wheel; further back than the standard system).

Not being Mr. Technical I was hoping to find an off-the shelf solution (maybe even from a modern car).

Thanks/ Thom

[BobT-47P15]

In other words, longer seat tracks that would allow the seat to move back farther

for him, and still move forward to be close enough for the lady to drive, as she is

shorter. Does that sound right???

[randroid]

Thom,

Okay, sorry to sound too dense but I too am required daily to communicate in several languages and occasionally I'm asked to explain pronunciations in German, which is a language it has not been my pleasure to study. You explained quite well in well-chosen verbiage and my original question was answered.

I've heard of the device but know nothing of the commercial brands. The concept is fairly basic in that you're replacing the original channel with one that has a greater range of motion, and I might feel better if I made one of those myself rather than relying on the importance of structural integrity as interpreted by the stereo-typical Chinese manufacturer.

You'll need to replace the rail that bolts to the floor but so long as you use the strongest shape you can find and never skimp on the integrity there shouldn't be any problem. Should the seat tear loose during an accident the passengers are screwed, but don't let that scare you because excellent advice on how to install a seat is widely available and a rail uses the same standards. Heck, I bet there's enough wisdom on this forum to be able to steer you in the right direction if not finish the whole project.

Please keep us posted; soon Thom & Jenny will have a solution.

-Randy

[Young Ed]

Thom have a look at your current tracks. They should have quite a range of movement. They perhaps are stuck or worn out. Also some have 2 sets of mounting holes so you could move it back a little with those if you have them.

[1947PLEVY]

My mother was 4'8" and we had a 73 ford station wagon. She use 2 pillows. 1 to sit on and the other behind her back..

John

[Thomba48]

Guys - would love to be of service myself to some of your questions. Guess, however, that shall be taken a while!!!

So if you do require any ":-) German translations skills" or produces of any kind from Good old Europe please do let me know.

Thom

[claybill]

i think seat movement is only about 4in.

i had to drill new holes and move the slider back 4 more inches..then re-bolt them down to flor....add lots of wide washers for strength..

bill

[greg g]

Remember, a tall male when these cars were built was 6 foot, (157 cm) So seat travel was designed for that height. Easiest way to accomodate your height would be to redrill some mounting holes a bit rear ward of the originals. But that will probably make it wrse for your partner. Guess you have to ask who will be driving it more,ane make it more comfortable for that person.

You might visit some wrecking yards and see of you could adapt somethig from a more modern car that would extend the length of the adjustmet. But since most of the cars there have bucket seats, you mighthave troublefinding that would work.

[Frank Blackstone]

I remember when Coatney took his neighbor for a ride and made her sit in the back seat AND made her take pictures. What's wrong with that?

[randroid]

Thomba48,

Thanks for the offer as my employer was born and raised in the Franconia region of Bavaria in a town named Falkenstein. Since you are somewhat close to there you may know of a castle in that area, and that was the old family digs until after WWII when Germany was split East-and-West and the dividing line went straight through their properties and they lost it all. Her mother still resides in Munich and the boss-lady gets back there at least once a year then pays me to sit through a very boring series of pictures of that of which I know nothing. Beautiful area, though.

Should I find she would like something available only in that area and none of her friends will ship to her and she doesn't bother to get when she visits, I'll mention it to you and we can both have a chuckle.

All is not lost because my wife drinks Beck's and I've developed a working relationship with Erdinger Hefe Weisen and almost everything from Paulaner (with an emphasis on Oktoberfest).

I'm curious as to what you will do with the seat sliders because that's something I'll need to address eventually, so please keep us posted.

-Randy

[Frank Elder]

Remember, a tall male when these cars were built was 6 foot, (157 cm) So seat travel was designed for that height. Easiest way to accomodate your height would be to redrill some mounting holes a bit rear ward of the originals. But that will probably make it wrse for your partner. Guess you have to ask who will be driving it more,ane make it more comfortable for that person.

You might visit some wrecking yards and see of you could adapt somethig from a more modern car that would extend the length of the adjustmet. But since most of the cars there have bucket seats, you mighthave troublefinding that would work.

Todays large tummies and the big steering wheel rubbing them might make some move the seat too:D

[Andydodge]

Thomba.........have you had a good look at the seat mounts?.......I am using my experience with my 1941 Plymouth Coupe seat as whilst the seat itself is different the actual seat mounting bracketry should be basically the same as yours......it should have either 2 or 3 bolts from the seat that hold it onto the seat tracks, undo these and remove the actual seat and check whether the seat tracks are able to move completely, you may have to repair/rebuild the mechanisms, I had to reweld & make some of the brackets as they had broken or disappeared, also the seat tracks should have two mounting holes in each of their front and back floor brackets where they bolt onto the floor, this may offer some more adjustment......if everything is working properly and having the seat mounts or tracks in the furthest forward floor position still doesn't help then maybe you could drill another hole on the floor a few cm's further forward.........dunno if this helps......regards, andyd

[Thomba48]

Hi,

I won't be able to take a closer look for a while but I shall bear your great info-update in mind.

Thank you very much.

[knighthawk]

what about taking another set of seat track hardware and welding parts of 2 of them together ? I going to throw out the seats from my " chopped 48 Dodge " pretty soon, not using any of the original seats .

[Thomba48]

Hi Knighthawk,

sounds like an interesting thought. Please do not through away those tracks of yours. If your though is suitable I would love to come back to your "offer". We will definitely find an appriate compensation solution.

Thom