I just bought a nice pair of the clam shell style 1979-83 Red Leather seats and seat tracks for them on e-bay and wondered if these seats will bolt in my 1976 using the existing mounting holes in the floor or do I have to modify or drill new holes, or add something like backing plates or re-inforcement?   Red Vette-762008-05-16 08:14:00

Bolt right in no mods required.

I bolted in a set and they fit perfectly, but they were about an inch or more thicker in the seat cushion. Now my head hits the top bow..... bumps hurt..... Look sharp though...

Dave

Thanks for the vote of confidence! so far everything on a 76 seems to be slighly different; like the steering wheels out on the market fit all years but the 76 so I thought the seat tracks on the 76 would have a special bolt pattern. I will see once I the parts arrive but I hope they match and all I have to do is bolt the seats right in....around a 1 hour job.

767Rep (Todd) put '79 seats in his '77 and they look real good (they are a bit higher than stock). As far as the steering wheel on our '76's that wheel is a one year only thing, Most of us hate it cause it was the same wheel used in the Vega that year. Grant may make an adapter to change the wheel but you need to consider the Tele/Tilt, I need to research that myself.

It probably won't take up a full hour...

Voice of experience hint.... replace the hex head bolts with 5/16-18 x 1" set screws, or carb studs if you can't find the set screws, especially on the driver's seat. It makes it real easy to put the seat tracks back on. I always remove the driver's seat when I have to work under the dash and the studs make it a piece of cake to lay the tracks back down.

Dave

[QUOTE=Autom8r]It probably won't take up a full hour...

Voice of experience hint.... replace the hex head bolts with 5/16-18 x 1" set screws, or carb studs if you can't find the set screws, especially on the driver's seat. It makes it real easy to put the seat tracks back on. I always remove the driver's seat when I have to work under the dash and the studs make it a piece of cake to lay the tracks back down.

Dave[/QUOTE]

Good Idea Dave! I will see if that will work for mine. So if I'm visualizing this correctly; you install the studs in the floor and then drop the seat with the tracks attached over the studs and use lock washers nuts to attach the seats to the studs? Just checking......

You got it Red..... that's the trick. The 5/16-18 x 1 set screws are kinda hard to find, but short carb studs are in all parts houses like Advance and AutoZone in the "help" dept. Carb studs are 5/16-18 on one end and 5/16-24 on the other so you'll need 4 fine thread nuts and flat washers on each seat.

Dave

I put the 79-83 style seats in my 77 even added a little extra foam for lumbar suport I love them. you will sit a little higher i am 6'3" and it is close but I removed my T top liners gives more head room