Date:         Mon, 24 Jul 2006 20:57:48 -0700
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      An interesting approach to mounting 'other than stock' seats (LVC)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

From the Chevy Van mailing list I am on- yes, I am bi-vanual, deal with it.

"I, too wouldn't recommend relocating the pedestals, as there are 
crossmembers where the mounting bolts pass through the floor. One thing I 
did years ago to some old VW buses (where the seat tracks were actually 
welded permanently to the body) was to cut down some junk stock seat frames, 
leaving only the lowermost portion of the tubular frame (which, again, had 
the corresponding track welded to it. I then mounted the tracks and frame for 
newer, comfier seats to the "dummy" frame (I have been partial to Honda 
seats- they are comfy and very well made) The end result was modern seats 
that could be installed into any bus of the same vintage in about a minute, 
and had roughly double the fore/aft travel. The G-Van version of that trick 
would be to drill flat adapter plates out of amply thick steel and either 
relocate the seat to your liking, or add a second set of tracks so that any 
one of your family and friends or future owners can comfortably sit and 
drive. The extra travel would be nice for getting them well clear of the 

doghouse to ease removal and installation. My Vandura panel has the 
bare-bones box-style pedestals and ugly non-reclining vinyl buckets. I have 
toyed with the idea of mounting the low-profile swivel pans from a VW 
Vanagon Westfalia on top of the GM pedestals and using some of the late 
Vanagon armrest buckets. In my years as an automotive upholsterer, I was 

consistently underwhelmed with the quality and durability of domestic 
factory seating. The conversion van seats were a crap shoot-- some were okay 
and some were absolute garbage, but most of them did not age well."

FWIW

Cya,
Robert