Early 60's Bucket Seats

[MrEarl]

I am trying to learn what early bucket seats, say '61 through '64 are close to the same or interchangeable between the different makes. We'll probably be talking GM here. I am planning on installing some in a 54 Buick mild custom/hot rod. I want to maintain the character of the original 2 door bench seats. There is a piece of chrome trim that goes up from the bottom and over the top on the Roadmaster and Skylark seats and that is the look I want to retain.

I need to know first off which models carried this piece of trim . And then are small series Buicks, say Special/Skylarks the same size as say Wildcats/Rivieras etc.

Attached are a couple pictures of some that I am currently considering out of a 62 Buick Skylark to show the chrome band I am speaking of.

any help will be appreciated!

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

I believe the bucket seat "shells" are the same for all GM "B" body cars of '60-'64 production. Variations of bright metal trim placed on upper portions of the seats would vary between brands and years. Don't expect the floor mounting to be the same though. Meaning you might get lucky and a set of seats from one year of a given brand might be perfect right off, but another might not be remotely close for the floor in the car you would place them in.

The seats in the photos appear to be absolutely identical to those from a '62 Oldsmobile Starfire other than the pattern of the upholstery, but that doesn't mean they would be a slam dunk drop in for another GM brand car without the correct floor rails for the car. I think the same metal seat trim was used on the '64 Pontiac Grand Prix, but it may have been '63 without checking.

[TexRiv_63]

The chrome seat trim changed on the 63 Olds Starfire, see pic. The 63-65 Buick Riviera had chrome only on the side, all upholstery on top. Early to mid 60s Chevys would be the easiest to find, I think they had the trim like your photo.

[Guest WEB 38]

63 ss impala and 63 corvair spyder has the chrome strips

[poci1957]

Full size GM from 1962-65 and 1961-63 GM compacts are all the same frames, as far as I know, but as the photo shows Olds used different chrome on theirs as did some of the compacts. The chrome over the top was the common treatment to Chevy/Pontiac/Buick. As Jim Edwards noted the tracks vary from model to model though.

[Willys77]

I believe that the A - Body car seats flipped forward in a straight line while the full size seats flipped forward on an angle. ?????? I'm relying on an faulty, old memory here, so I could be wrong!

[poci1957]

Willys77 may be correct on that. I do not recall on the compacts but the full size cars do indeed flip at an angle as described, Todd C.

[MrEarl]

Some great info thus far, learning a lot here!! THANKS guys. I'm sure I will need to do some custom work on the rails and floor mounting. Now I'm beginning to wonder about the consoles/consolettes. I will have a 3 speed Ansen shifter in the floor and don't expect to be able to mate it up to a full console but may be interested in a simple mini console with a small amount of chrome.

dream, dream, dream.....

[rocketraider]

I would have to go out to the farm and look, but I think 64 and possibly 65 Starfire had a chrome strip that crossed over the top back side of the backrest, a little bit down from the seat crown. These also have neat storage pockets on the back side.

Lamar, whatever they come out of, you will need to get the mounting brackets from the floor of the donor car if possible. Even then you will have to fabricate and finagle because most 60s GM floorpans were angled downward toward rear of the car whereas the 50s cars were pretty much flat floors.

Don't 58-61 GM buckets have a hard back shell?

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

I would have to go out to the farm and look, but I think 64 and possibly 65 Starfire had a chrome strip that crossed over the top back side of the backrest, a little bit down from the seat crown. These also have neat storage pockets on the back side.

Lamar, whatever they come out of, you will need to get the mounting brackets from the floor of the donor car if possible. Even then you will have to fabricate and finagle because most 60s GM floorpans were angled downward toward rear of the car whereas the 50s cars were pretty much flat floors.

Don't 58-61 GM buckets have a hard back shell?

More importantly, weren't the early '50s cars floors higher the nearer one gets to the drive shaft tunnel, angling downward to the doors? That angle made it a lot easier to hose the car out after your buddies puked all over the place.

Getting a level for the bucket seats in a '53 could turn out to be a bit of a challenge.

[MrEarl]

Still learning. Seems the different series did have different size seats. I think my best bet is to start checking seats out at car shows etc until I find the style and size I want. here is a recent posting on Craigs list. thanks again everybody for your help so far.

bucket seats 1963 64 65 gm pontiac

i have a set of gm bucket seat cores for a classic bigger general motors car i was told they are out of a 1963 gran prix i bought them for my 1965 buick skylark covert but they are too big for my car so i am guessing they will work in the bigger cars like the wildcat gran prix impala olds and so on they are good cores the drivers side will need new foam the tracks are all there and good and they even come with the brackets that are welded to the floor in the car that the tracks bolt to the previous owner cut the floor sections off the car they came out of maybe they will fit other a body cars but not a 65 skylark the floor mounting is way different have to know what your looking for i guess i also have a backseat core that came with my car also too big for my car at least the convertable model maybe a coupe? i don't have a clue another 100 for the back seats these have chrome all the way around the top that will polish up but is pitted all the other hardware appears to be there any questions just ask i will trade for bucket cores for a 1965 buick skylark or any gm a-body from 65 or 64 i would also trade for a 4 speed harley transmission in useable condition 727-784-8743 will call back after 5 during the week or e-mail me thanks. pontiac oldsmobile chevy buick 1962 63 64 65 66 this item has been reposted due to someone trying a scam on me so i will not deal with anyone that wants me to ship this or pay a mover or won't call me and see the item in person and pay cash i will answer questions through e-mail but will only deal in person thanks.

[421-6speed]

Still learning. Seems the different series did have different size seats. I think my best bet is to start checking seats out at car shows etc until I find the style and size I want. here is a recent posting on Craigs list. thanks again everybody for your help so far.

bucket seats 1963 64 65 gm pontiac

i have a set of gm bucket seat cores for a classic bigger general motors car i was told they are out of a 1963 gran prix i bought them for my 1965 buick skylark covert but they are too big for my car so i am guessing they will work in the bigger cars like the wildcat gran prix impala olds and so on they are good cores the drivers side will need new foam the tracks are all there and good and they even come with the brackets that are welded to the floor in the car that the tracks bolt to the previous owner cut the floor sections off the car they came out of maybe they will fit other a body cars but not a 65 skylark the floor mounting is way different have to know what your looking for i guess i also have a backseat core that came with my car also too big for my car at least the convertable model maybe a coupe? i don't have a clue another 100 for the back seats these have chrome all the way around the top that will polish up but is pitted all the other hardware appears to be there any questions just ask i will trade for bucket cores for a 1965 buick skylark or any gm a-body from 65 or 64 i would also trade for a 4 speed harley transmission in useable condition 727-784-8743 will call back after 5 during the week or e-mail me thanks. pontiac oldsmobile chevy buick 1962 63 64 65 66 this item has been reposted due to someone trying a scam on me so i will not deal with anyone that wants me to ship this or pay a mover or won't call me and see the item in person and pay cash i will answer questions through e-mail but will only deal in person thanks.

I used the 62-64 full size GM buckets in my 57'. I explain in detail the process in which to install from post 81 on. I used a string line at the top of the door jamb and a level on the back of the seat cushion frame with the back rest folded forward. Hope this helps a bit. http://forums.aaca.org/f118/1957-buick-super-build-339266-4.html

[jackofalltrades70]

Lamar,

I have a set of these out of a Pontiac of the same vintage. I listed them in the General For/Sale section a couple days ago.

http://forums.aaca.org/f119/pontiac-front-short-bucket-seats-365198.html

Is that what you are looking for? Matt

[MrEarl]

Thanks guys, I ended up buying the set pictured in my first post. Then, after buying the 3 speed Century ended up giving up on the hot rod and selling it, so now have a set of seats I need to sell. However those would have worked Matt, thanks for the offer. That is not a bad price, I think I paid like $400 plus shipping from the left coast.