'70 F100 question

After many long years of faithful service the bench seat in my old truck is going to go.

I want to replace it with a wrecking yard seat that will not only look good but will also be kinder to my skinny rear end than what's in the truck now, and I'd be grateful for some advice from somebody who has been there and done that.

I'm sure that some choices would be better that others from an ease-of-installation standpoint and I don't want to find out the hard way that I have bought unsuitable seats.

The pickup is a plain old standard type, that is, it's not a club cab or a crew cab or anything fancy like that. There's nothing behind the seat but a gas tank.

I would appreciate some guidance and also hearing about seat installations you have done or seen.

Thanks,


Jim

A bud of mine used what I think was the front bench seat assy (with fold down armrest) from either a Explorer or Ranger in his 74 F100. I want to say Explorer because it was grey leather more than likely from a 90's something XLT. Far as I know it was a pretty simple bolt in. I can ask him more details if interested.

Any of the chevy or ford newer trucks should work pretty easy as long as you get a bench seat. i had a 2000 chevy bench in my merc for awhile< but the only issue was it was a split seat so it has for mounts that might interfere with the tranny tunnel. the middle two are shorter, but the tunnel high might not be close, i had to modify mine.

I believe that your '70 F100 has a 60" wide seat. As such, you should be able to find a nice comfortable replacement in the 59-61" range at a wrecking yard. The key, as stated above, is to get a pickup seat that hinges forward.

Thanks for the input, FFR428, HRD, and Glenn. You're telling me what I need to know.

You're right, Glenn. The F100 seat is sixty inches so I can go from there.

And FFR, If you think your buddy's Explorer/Ranger installation looks good I'd like to investigate that, too. If he has any suggestions on the subject I would appreciate hearing them.

Thanks again.


Jim

I had a stock one rebuilt with some new foam, think he called it High Density or something. He use a couple differnt types and thicknesses, huge improvement over how Ford built it in '71!!!!

I used a bench seat out of an '85 and put it in a '69 on a previous build, it worked well and was comfortable, but didn't really match the style of the rest of the interior.....

Jim I asked my bud about his truck seats and I was really wrong!!! He took a 94 Explorer front seat assy and put it in his 96 Ranger. Sorry for the bad info. I thought he used them in his F100.

You can use any seat from a Ford truck up to 96 as long as you use the 70 seat tracks and it will bolt in,they might be a little wider and will be closer to the doors. A real nice seat is the 87 to 91 XLT seat with the center armrest but like what was said above it wont match the rest of the interior.

HAH! Thanks, Jeff! I guess that's really what I needed to find out. I'll go scout out some Fords. The fact that they would be a pretty direct bolt-in outweighs whether or not they are perfectly matched to the interior. I'll face that disgraceful situation later.

I appreciate your follow up, FFR. I won't pursue that one.

Dave, I made a reasonably successful attempt at rebuilding the seats in a '70 Dodge crew cab I owned. It looked presentable enough but I learned that just new sponge and upholstery won't compensate for pooped-out springs. Outside of that the only experience I've had was installing a set of Volvo buckets in a Dodge panel. They were really great seats and a snap to put in.

You guys are a great help.


Jim

Big tracks; I too have a 70 F100 sport custum.
I did like Dave said and had the seat redone for about 100 bucks.
I had the thick foam put in it, and that seat is very comfortable.
and it matches the rest of the truck.
I am very glad I kept it that way. Kurt

Hi, Kurt

Thanks for the suggestion.

My first thought was to go the rebuild route. The seat isn't in really terrible shape as it stands and is definitely repairable. A major consideration (in my decision to replace it) is that my wife has back problems that have necessitated surgery and still cause her trouble. The lack of adjustability of the stock seat causes her discomfort on longer drives, and, as the saying goes, "If Mama ain't happy then ain't NOBODY happy".

I though a little more modern seat might help.


Jim

Well you Got me there Big Tracks.
I don't take mine on long trips.
I just put around town in mine. Kurt

Even the newer seats do not have any more adjustments then the originals so dont expect much from a newer seat but somewhere around 91 or 92 a lumbar adjustment was added,its the type with a bladder that is controlled by a pump to pump air in and out of it but its a easy two wire electrical hook up.

That lumbar support would be nice, come to think about it. We recently traded off a 2001 Crown Victoria that we bought new that came equipped with that goodie.

Actually, being able to vary the tilt of the seat back fairly regularly seems to relieve whatever it is that causes her discomfort, but if I found a seat with both features, why not!


Jim

Older Mustang bucket seats bolt in and bronco seats as well... Look on www.fordification.com and they have heaps of info there for 70's F100s. Great site for info on your truck. I used 2000 and something (forgot the year) Jeep Liberty tan leathered, powered and heated buckets in my 66 F100 but had to do some fab work on the mounts since one side was much taller than the other and they were much too high. I dropped them down as far as I could and they are very comfy and look great. The head rests come off so that is what I did as not to block the back window. The top of the seat is not flush with the bottom of the rear window which I didn't like but I looked in some magazines and saw a few trucks with the seat poking above the bottom of the window a few inches so I left it. I dont like the look of a seat being viewed from the outside but the seats are comfy on my back so they will stay. Maybe I am too picky on it I dont know... :D

Putting bucket seats in an F100 of that year is a challenge due to the fact that the floor slopes down toward the bottom of the doors. I had a set of bucket from a 70 Cutlass in a '73 F100 and had to get creative in mounting them. The inside rails can be bolted to the floor, but extensions will have to be fabricated to level the seat out for the slope of the floor. Mine were made from some flat stock angled at the bottom to match the slope of the floor. BTW, buckets from a '73 Comet recline and are pretty comfortable. I have a set in my '66 Mustang.

Thanks for checking in, Shawn.

Interestingly, I was looking around yesterday and I stumbled across the "fordification" web site. You're right. It gives me a good look at what you and Jeff are talking about.

And, NTFDAY, as long as I have had that old truck I never noticed that the floor slopes off toward the doors like it does. I guess that accounts for the fact that there's no rust at all on the floor (unlike that '70 Dodge I mentioned earlier. I got to where I was afraid to take the kids anywhere in it for fear that I would lose one through the big rust holes in the floor).

Since I'm not looking at buckets the slope may not be a problem. The bench may span the supports okay unless the tunnel hump gets in the way and it doesn't look like it will.

Reclining won't be an issue because when the seat is in its rear-most position the seat back is smack up against the back window anyway. As I indicated, a small amount of seatback tilt could be be instrumental in helping me keep my wife..

Again, guys, your advice is appreciated.


Jim

I would think that any bench seat that meets your size requirements would be a candidate if it didn't totally clash with the rest of the interior and didn't have you setting too high or too low. I would use the tracks from your existing seat and mount them to your new seat.