MrEarl Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Earliest GM bucket seats? Would love to know what the first year was and also see pictures of them and of any bucket seats through say 1960. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 36chev Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Do the fold up "bucket" seats of the earlier tudor sedans count? The 36 Chevrolet Standard 2-door has bucket seats that fold (passenger) or lift (driver) for access to the back seat. If these meet the criteria, then I believe some of the sedans back in the 20's had these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 36chev Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Dim memory just recalled: the 1917-18 Chevrolet Model D (V-8) "Chummy" roadster has what could be considered bucket seats. Here is a link to a Spanish discussion that shows a decent picture . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Bucket seats have been around forever. Were you looking for an answer back to the Teens? Or were you looking for something different? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 The first "modern" buckets were probably the 1960 Corvair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I would think the bucket seats in the '53 Corvettes were more modern looking than what was in the Corvair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldren Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I would think the bucket seats in the '53 Corvettes were more modern looking than what was in the Corvair. 1959 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible had bucket seats. I don't have a picture but my Aunt had a new one. Great seats. Lee Waldren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 I guess I didn't think this question out very well. I'm interested in knowing what bucket seats might someone back in say 1958 could have installed in a mid 50's street rod. I saw a post in the Buy/Sell where someone was looking for some 1958 Pontiac seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poci1957 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 A limited number of 1959-61 GM B bodies used these. They were then succeeded by the (cheaper) 1962-65 version with the chrome over the top. These early 1959-61 models are very expensive to buy if you find them. Todd C 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 (edited) these bucket seat that todd has shown were first available in 1958 pontiac bonnevilles, the first pair were shown in a couple of 1957 bonneville show cars. pontiac's 1953 concept car, the parisienne, had bucket seat done in pink leather. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor. Edited October 22, 2011 by pontiac1953 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Maine Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I was going to say the '58 Pontiac Bonneville was the first (excluding the '53 Corvette) to have bucket seats in "modern" times. I'm pretty sure I remember a '60 Bonneville wagon with bucket seats and what looked like every option you could get in 1960 at the Tulley Buick Show at Anheiser-Busch in Merrimac, NH a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BJM Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I would think the bucket seats in the '53 Corvettes were more modern looking than what was in the Corvair.Bleach is right, but the modern bucket seat which is on a track and the back pushes forward to allow rear seat access is probably the 59 Buick/Cadillac/Oldsmobile and the 58 Pontiac Bonneville. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOPcollector Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 A limited number of 1959-61 GM B bodies used these. They were then succeeded by the (cheaper) 1962-65 version with the chrome over the top. These early 1959-61 models are very expensive to buy if you find them. Todd C My '60 Electra 225 convertible has these factory bucket seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 there's a 60 buick lesabre in new mexico, with these bucket seats, car is missing some parts, but has the seats and the console box between the seats. $3500 for the car i'm told. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
real61ss Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 these bucket seat that todd has shown were first available in 1958 pontiac bonnevilles, and 1958 chevy impalas. the first pair were shown in a couple of 1957 bonneville show cars. pontiac's 1953 concept car, the parisienne, had bucket seat done in pink leather. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor.Agree on the '58 Pontiac but not the '58 Impala. first use of buckets by Chevrolet was the 1962 Impala Super Sport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 hi real61ss, thank you, i stand corrected,lol, what i thought i remember as being bucket seats in the 58 impala, is the seat covers were made to look like bucket seats. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersix Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 What was the first year for bucket seats in a Chrysler? I'm guessing possibly 1960 for the Chrysler 300F? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 To my knowledge Oldsmobile did not use them until 1961, in the Starfire. Interesting sidebar to this is in 1966, when GM introduced their "Strato-Bucket" seats, they also offered "Strato-Bench" seating in their high-line full-sizers- Oldsmobile Starfire/Delta/Toronado, Pontiac Bonneville/Brougham/GP, Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Riviera. A comfortable "thin-shell" cushion with Strato-Bucket backrests. Interesting also to note that GP/Starfire/Riv had been exclusively bucket seat cars til then, but with the Strato-Bench, they still had the bucket seat look with a full-width cushion, and a nice center fold-down armrest to boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I know in 58 hot rodders were using bucket seats out of Chev panel trucks,which they cut down or modified, and foreign sports car seats like Austin Healey and Triumph if they could get them, or even VW beetle.Buckets in US cars were not available at that time except for Tbirds. Corvette seats were molded into the body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I know in 58 hot rodders were using bucket seats out of Chev panel trucks,which they cut down or modified, and foreign sports car seats like Austin Healey and Triumph if they could get them, or even VW beetle.Buckets in US cars were not available at that time except for Tbirds. Corvette seats were molded into the body.hi rusty, i guess you've never seen or read about the bucket seat option in 1958 pontiac bonnevilles. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rsd9699 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I think there is a picture of a 58 Impala that James Garner dunked in pool that has some good shots of the interior in color. I do not recall the movies name.Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I think there is a picture of a 58 Impala that James Garner dunked in pool that has some good shots of the interior in color. I do not recall the movies name.RonDoris Day was in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rsd9699 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I thought she was in it as well but now I am wondering if it was a chevy or pontiac? Have not seen the movie in 20 or 30 years.Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TG57Roadmaster Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 (edited) The flic is, "TheThrill of it All," (1963), and the car is a '58 Impala; great for the cars, BTW. The image comes from the IMCDb, the scene is when Garner drives into the newly-installed pool (that he didn't know about).It's a reallly fun movie, especially the traffic jam on the FDR Drive in Manhattan on the East River.TG Edited October 26, 2011 by TG57Roadmaster (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 The bucket seats were offered in the '58 Pontiac Bonneville, and were also utilized for the '58 Buick Limited Wells Fargo built for Dale Robertson.Here are a couple of shots of the GM bucket seats in 1959 GM cars:1959 Pontiac Bonneville:1959 Buick Electra 225:And here are the buckets again in an all-original 1960 Buick Invicta Custom Estate Wagon: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Maine Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I know in 58 hot rodders were using bucket seats out of Chev panel trucks,which they cut down or modified, and foreign sports car seats like Austin Healey and Triumph if they could get them, or even VW beetle.Buckets in US cars were not available at that time except for Tbirds. Corvette seats were molded into the body.I forgot about the '58 T-bird. Guess that would tie with the '58 Bonneville, but I wonder which one hit showrooms first? My guess would be the T-bird. Also, I don't think Corvairs had buckets until the Monza came out. The '60 500 and 700 coupes and sedans had bench seats. I don't remember, though, if there were any Monzas produced in '60. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john2dameron Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Bought a new "63 Ford Galaxie 500 XL with buckets and a console and a 4-speed. Those were the most comfortable seats I had owned to that time. Swapped it for a new Chev Impala SS equiped the same way and the seats were the most unfortable I had ever rode in. There was little lateral support and the backrest angle changed about halfway up. Repeatedly gave me a back ache and I was only 25 years old. Drove my pickup until I got disgusted and traded the car off. I have no good memories of that car except of it's gas mileage and straightline acceleration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cuppy Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Agree on the '58 Pontiac but not the '58 Impala. first use of buckets by Chevrolet was the 1962 Impala Super Sport Around 1965-66...I saw a yellow 1959 Impala convertible with black rag top and black interior....I fell in love with this car......It had bucket seats and a console......with a 4 speed....I looked at this car several times before it was gone.......I am not saying that someone could not of rebuilt it this way.....but I sure thought it was original....maybe a special order..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyshack Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 The best bucket seat I ever had was the 90-degree swivel bucket seats in my '74 Chev Monte Carlo. Don't know how long they were used, but they were comfortable. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldenguy Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 (edited) A young fellow here in town had a baby blue Plymouth Fury with swivel bucket seats. I think this was in 1959 but could have been 1960. ---Bob Whoops! just realized you guys are GM. Sorry Edited February 21, 2013 by Seldenguy (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Leicester is a town now? That Seldon name just jumped off the page. 1960 Buick's had bucket seats.Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Continental Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 My dad had a '60 Corvair with buckets. They were low back, but didn't look like other EM buckets. When did swivel buckets come out and what all were they on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 (edited) My dad had a '60 Corvair with buckets. They were low back, but didn't look like other EM buckets. When did swivel buckets come out and what all were they on?Those are the same buckets used by Oldsmobile in the 61 Cutlass, Pontiac Tempest, and Buick Skylark/Specialhttp://www.oldcarbrochures.com/new/171110/1961%20Oldsmobile%20F-85%20Cutlass%20Foldout/1961%20Oldsmobile%20F-85%20Cutlass%20Foldout-01.jpghttp://www.smcars.net/forums/attachments/pontiac/21d1141258281-pontiac-tempest-1961-1961.pontiac.tempest.jpghttp://www.autopaedia.com/auta/Buick/Buick%20Skylark,%20Buick%20Gran%20Sphttp://forums.aaca.org/attachments/f117/41312d1258388717-1961-buick-skylark-sale-front-car.jpg Edited February 21, 2013 by helfen (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 (edited) hi rusty, i guess you've never seen or read about the bucket seat option in 1958 pontiac bonnevilles. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor.I seriously doubt any hot rodder in 1958 bought a BRAND NEW Pontiac Bonneville, just to take the seats out. Or went to the Pontiac dealer and ordered new seats at full list price.I do know they scrounged the junk yards for suitable seats and found them in defunct panel trucks, sports cars and imports.By the mid sixties it may have been possible to find a cheap set of Pontiac Bonneville seats in a junk yard but in 1958? Unlikely. Edited February 22, 2013 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john2dameron Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 The Monza Corvair with bucket seats came out in February of 1960. 1959 Chrysler products had optional swivel seats but never thought of them as being bucket seats. The driver's and far right passenger seats swiveled but the middle portion was stationary so the cars were actually 6-passenger cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Continental Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 So what happened if someone was sitting in the middle when someone else swiveled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Maine Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Man, what beautiful interiors and dashes in those cars compared to the bland, dark interiors we have today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersix Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Man, what beautiful interiors and dashes in those cars compared to the bland, dark interiors we have today.Agreed. Generic gray plastic dashboards and door panels with matching uninspiring exterior color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Gelinas (XP-300) Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 I agree the best interiors have come from the cars of the 50's and 60's. IMHO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey O Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 Here are four 50's GM cars that came with buckets, '58 Bonneville, '59 Bonneville, '59 Buick and the '58 Buick Wells Fargo show car (might be the first non-corvette GM to have buckets that wasn't a prototype, also has power vent window and fiberglass boot, also probably the first GM car to come with real guns). You could also get bucket seats in the '59 Cadillac. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now