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I hate my front sofa (seat)


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Sunbound85
07-12-2008, 11:27 PM
OK, I have been driving my '83 caprice classic on a daily basis recently and it never occured to me until now just how uncomfortable the front seat is.

My car had an electric controled driver's seat (split 50/50), but all of the metal parts of the mechanism are cracked up, they appear to be made out of some brittle lead type material. The right slide rail now slides freely as the little gear completely broke off where the motor cable once attached.
Anyway, the only way to adjust the driver's seat is to sort of crawl under the steering wheel and painstakingly try to twist the cables with a set of pliers and then swap it around the different positions (up and down, back and forth). I cannot get the seat into a comfortable position and my back is fed up with it! - the passenger seat on the other hand is all manual and is much more comfortable.
Are there any other GM cars that the front seats will just bolt right in as replacements? Maybe Cadillac, Buick or OLds ? The big sofa was novel for a while, but I kind of don't like migrating to the passenger seat when rounding a left corner aggressively.
Any recommendations for some comfy replacements that would go in easily?
Many Thanks!

silicon212
07-12-2008, 11:30 PM
I am using bucket seats out of a 1997 Grand Am (have been since early 2003). They bolted right onto the existing brackets; no modifications necessary. Now, if you're using electric seats and these are broken, just replace them with a junkyard set from a similar car (any 1977-1990 GM B-body).

Sunbound85
07-13-2008, 12:01 AM
I am using bucket seats out of a 1997 Grand Am (have been since early 2003). They bolted right onto the existing brackets; no modifications necessary. Now, if you're using electric seats and these are broken, just replace them with a junkyard set from a similar car (any 1977-1990 GM B-body).

Wow, that easy!:iceslolan

Awesome, I already have a bit a franken interior, 1990 doors (maroon), 1983 everything else, plus all the 1983 stuff has faded into varying shades of blue to light grey) ahahah, nothing a few cans of blue paint won't fix of course! There is a glut of good condition GM cars in the scrap yards here as the invasion of used Japanese imports has flooded the island. It hurts to see all these B bodies being cast off because of a fouled spark plug or a bad distributor. Well, at 5.80 a gallon, unfortunately American cars always get the first drop of the axe - I think it's more perception though, I spend $60 every two weeks or so and that is manageable, plus it is way cooler than any NissHondota - and I get noticed! People just seem to be less willing to cut off a 3 ton slab of iron with a 6 foot wide chrome bumper attached to a full frame.

Im going to avoid electric seats like the plague. Plus I doubt the harness will match - I don't even know if the door control knob is functional, I will check it out tomorrow. I only see one orange and black wire under the seat with no clip or anything on it. I will have to sheck to see if the other wires were stuffed under that plastic wire encasement that runs the length of the cab on the floor.

evildragon
07-13-2008, 12:07 AM
i love my bench seat.. seems more roomy to me, especially allowing 6 people to be in the car (legally)..

Sunbound85
07-13-2008, 12:25 AM
I know what you mean evil dragon, I was able to haul my mum, dad, brother and sister, plus ALL of their luggage (5 pieces) when they came for a week's visit to Nassau. So comfortable and smooth - not one complaint! Imagine doing that in a camry! BAH not likely!!!

The newer bench seats in Caprices are a vast improvement over what was on offer in 1983 in my opinion, I deeply regret not taking the seats out of the 1990 I pulled the doors off of, they had like supports sculpted into the bench and felt considerably more firm than my flat/mushy ones do.

Would the '91 onwards seats be a bolt in as well?

Sunbound85
07-13-2008, 01:23 AM
... and then it occured to me, my seat had all of the switching done in the seat itself... Well, in that case all I have is a hot wire and a ground coming from the car.

evildragon
07-13-2008, 01:32 AM
my car has seat controls on the door itself.

EngineandJuice
07-14-2008, 04:35 PM
Some of the most comfortable seats I've ever seen in a caprice were from a buick roadmaster. A friend of mine had them and it was crazy I couldn't ride without falling asleep they were so comfortable :biggrin:

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