1963 Bucket seat removal question.

[Guest Kaber]

We am preparing to park my Sons 63 Riv for the winter. I want to pull the seats so I can restore them over the winter (Covers/Foam). Are there any tricks to getting the front buckets out? I assume there are 4 bolts holding them to the floor, opposite the floor supports. The floor in this car isn't great, a little crispy. I am not ready to do a complete floor replacement just yet. From what I can see there is no access to the bolts from underneath the car. Will soaking them with penetrating oil from the top help anything? The drivers seat seems loose on one side in front (broken bolt to floor?) Any experience in this area would be helpful.

Thanks

[petelempert]

Kaber- It's been a while since I removed the seats on mine but here's what I recall: There are four bolts per seat located at each corner and they are accessed from the inside. I'm a little fuzzy on details but I think there is a female fitting in the floorboard. I'll check tonight and confirm that configuration. Also I think it is common to have at least one anchoring point broken, typically the outside rear, due to years of the seat back being pushed forward and these seats are heavy so physics is against them. If the previous owners have been "plus sized" you might find the front ones to be weak. Wet carpet is the enemy of the seat anchoring points too. If the anchoring points are rusty, it's usually a sign of rusty floorboards. I have no carpet in mine right now so I'll look inside tonight and get more details unless someone else gets back to you first. PRL

[tenugent]

if you have a power drivers seat check your manual-it needs to be moved to a certain location for easy acsess to bolts.the seats are held down by a u shaped piece (two bolts per corner).if it is a power seat now is a good time to clean tracks and test motors.good luck.T.Nugent...

[lrlforfun]

OK Kaber: I really can't see how removing the seats will help anything. As long as the interior stays dry I see no problem leaving them in. Mitch

[RivNut]

It's easier to get the seats out if they're 1) moved all the way forward, and 2) raised as high as possible. (#2 is only relative if they are power seats.) The only bolts you need to remover are the ones in the back. There are three per seat. One is between the rocker panel and the seat, two are under the seat; there is not one between the seat and the tunnel. If your seat is power and you can't 1) move it forward, and 2) raise it as high as possible, you can use your distributor wrench to reach the bolt between the seat frame and the rocker panel. The other bolts, once loosened, can be easily removed with a ratcheting wrench. If you can get the seat raised, a socket on the end of a ratchet should fit. The front of the seat frame has a foot on it that slides under a bracket that is bolted to the floor; no need to remove this bracket unless you're installing new carpet. Soak the bolts with penetrating oil (I like PB Blaster.) Chances are you'll have better luck from the top, the the well nuts that are part of the floor are inside the floor bracing and are not visible from the bottom of the car. Remove the rear bolts and slide the seat rearward about two inches. This will give the front foot room to clear the bracket. While you have the seats out, clean and lube the tracks. If you take the motor off the frame, make sure you note where the small ground wire goes so you can get it back in correctly.

Ed

Edited October 16, 2013 by RivNut (see edit history)

[petelempert]

My flawed memory has been revealed. I had a much simpler configuration in my head. Ed is always right on this kind of stuff. Like Ed said...3 bolts...just the rear ones. Funny how your mind re-invents things over time. Seems to also happen whenever my wife and I argue. PRL

[Guest Kaber]

OK Kaber: I really can't see how removing the seats will help anything. As long as the interior stays dry I see no problem leaving them in. Mitch

I agree, taking the seats out won't help with storage but it will make it easier to get the seat covers on....LOL!

Thanks guys, this is the kind of information I was looking for. I must have a broken hold down bracket in front because the left hand front drivers side seat track appears loose from the floor. So, front seat all the way foward, 3 bolts in back, slide seat back to back out of front hold downs, and lift out of the car (maybe with a helper!) I might give the passenger side a try this weekend! Thanks for all the information! Oh and the seats are not power.

Kaber

[Guest Pearville]

I have been reading up on POR 15, and how it can be used on a crusty floor to avoid replacement. Sounds like a viable alternative. They even have a fiberglass type cloth that can be painted on for reinforcement. Anybody have experience using the product this way?

[Guest Kaber]

Did some poking around the seat mounts last night. The LH drivers side front bracket is loose from the floor, and I use floor loosely...LOL. Its really not that bad. I can only saw 2 bolts in the back of both seats, they looked relatively solid and clean so my hopes are they will come out easily. The seats are Non-power, am I missing a third bolt somewhere?

Kaber

[RivNut]

I'll try to describe where they are but I'm not sure the terms I use will be correct. I'll start by saying that there are four "legs" on each seat frame. In the rear, the outer leg has two flanges; the inner leg has one flange on it. The outer rear leg has two bolts in it; one in each flange. One flange is on the outside between the leg and the rocker panel. The second flange is on the inside of this same leg. The third flange is the inside of inner rear leg. As I said earlier, the legs on the front each have a "foot" that goes under a bracket which is bolted to the floor board. You can leave these brackets in place but you might need to loosen them a little so the foot will come out easier.

You might find that a previous owner has broken off a bolt or two in trying to remove the seats as some other time. Once you start to actually pull the seats, you'll figure it all out.

[Guest Kaber]

You might find that a previous owner has broken off a bolt or two in trying to remove the seats as some other time. Once you start to actually pull the seats, you'll figure it all out.

Thanks, I thought of the outside bolt later and may not have looked there (on the outside). These Riv's are like no other car I have worked on (Mostly early 70's muscle cars). Thanks again for all the information, I like to go into these jobs with the most info I can get. These cars have a little learning curve! But I really like it. I might look for one for myself...LOL!

Kaber

[petelempert]

Kaber-These cars are unlike anything I've worked on either. In some ways vastly superior, in some overbuilt and and in some just different. I spend a lot of time working on a 72 442 and I think that's why I was incorrectly thinking the Riv seats have only one bolt per leg... that's the later GM configuration. Anyway, if your Riv is like mine (first gen without power seats) you are probably missing a few bolts in the rear legs of the seat because somebody forgot to put them in or the female anchoring point in the floor is broken. It can be hard to see if you have carpet in there. On mine, the driver's seat rear outboard leg is missing a bolt because the female anchor point in the floor is gone. I still have one good bolt. The other inboard rear leg only has one bolt and it's still good. Without carpet, this is all really easy to see. It's a winter project for me this year. I'm hoping my basic MIG skills can solve it. Good luck with your project and please let us know what treasures you find when pulling a seat out of a 50 year old car. My previous owner had some "eccentric habits" that were revealed when I pulled the seats out. PRL

[TexRiv_63]

Another suggestion - it sounds like your floors are a bit rusty, if so there is a real good chance the seat bolts will break off when you try to remove them since there is no way to clean or spray penetrant on the threads. Since you have manual seats you may want to try removing the four bolts that hold the seats onto the seat tracks, leaving the tracks in place. You will have to move the seats back and forth to expose the bolts and a mirror will help "see" the bolts to get a socket on. I did this with the passenger seat in my 63 and have done it in other GM cars with similar setup. Good luck.

[RivNut]

, I like to go into these jobs with the most info I can get.

Kaber

Where is your pioneering spirit? Come on, jump in blind like the rest of us did when we first got started.

Ed

[Guest Kaber]

LOL Ed, I jumped in blind when I bought the Car!!!!

Kaber

[RivNut]

You can imagine the support groups that existed in '82 when I bought my first '63. The only way to find certain parts was through Hemmings. Then in '85 along came the ROA. What a god send. At that time, you would mail a question to the editor, have it published in the Q&A of the next issue, then wait two months to see if anyone responded in the subsequent issue.

Ed

PS - but in '82, the car was only 19 years old and most parts were available across the counter and mechanics were around who were familiar with the cars when they were new.

[Deanoko]

Ancient topic.  We'll see who is paying attention.  Ha!  I have a very nice 64 with 4 way power seat that is inoperative.  The motor runs but no movement, so I cannot get the seat up or back or anywhere to get at the attachment bolts so I can clean and regrease the transmission or diagnose the run- no move issue.  Anyone found themselves in this quandry?  And hey!  How about that 65 GS going for $121,007 on BaT today?!?  Awesome!!

[Nick57]

I have twice, I disconnected the cables from transmission and hooked a cordless drill to them to get the seat up where I could get to the bolts. 

 

-Nick

[Deanoko]

Hmm.  I'll have to explore that.  My brain tells me the seat is set too low to do any of that.

[Nick57]

Its a tight fit but once you get under the seat up to your wrist from the back you can move your hand enough around in there.  I did it twice in my car, once when I bought it and it wouldn't move and then 10 years later when I had to take the seat out to replace the carpet.   I got it to the position I wanted and never moved it after the first time.  

[telriv]

I would use a 1/2" 12 point box wrench to remove the rear bolts in the past.  Remove the plastic cover surround 1st.  It's a tight fit & a PIA BUT it can be done.

 

Tom T.

[RivNut]

Perhaps a ratcheting box end wrench would work as well.  If you cannot get a box end over the head of the bolt, maybe the open end will work. 

[patrickaturner]

I'm taking my seats out today to have some upholstery work done. Any tricks to removing the plastic trim around the bottom? Or, is that not necessary to unbolt the seats from the car?

 

[Deanoko]

I would definitely remove them because they are thin and probably more brittle than when new.  Easy to remove the outer one prior to yanking the seat.  The inner one has a downward facing screw on the back side.  Removing them will also give better access to the 2 seat mounting bolts which from memory are ½" hex.

[BulldogDriver]

Factory would have installed the seat as a unit with trim installed. I just finished installing my driver’s seat with the frame separated from the power track assembly. I had already installed the track.
 

Not easy to get to the 4 bolts that hold both units together. I also had to remove the top trim piece closest to the driver’s door to get to those bolts.
 

Move the seat all the way ‘forward’ and if a power seat, raised all the way ‘up’. 3 bolts in the rear and should slide rearward. If not loosen the 4 bolts at the front. If power make sure you disconnect the power plug to the motor.

 

Ray

[Riviera63]

3 hours ago, patrickaturner said:

I'm taking my seats out today to have some upholstery work done. Any tricks to removing the plastic trim around the bottom? Or, is that not necessary to unbolt the seats from the car?

 

Different ways you can do this as you can see. In my humble opinion, I would/have removed everything as one unit.  Do you have a power seat? If so, disconnect the power last. Easy to remove and access the bolts holding the seat down by moving the seat as far forward or back as far as you can and then tilting the seat up where you are removing the bolts. I think it is easier to attach or remove the trim pieces with seat out and elevated. I put mine on a folding card table. It is an easy matter to even hook the seat up to battery at this time. I used the battery from my lawn mower. Scroll down to the bottom of this thread and you can see where I did this. No power seat may be a different story.

 

 

Bill

Edited March 20, 2022 by Riviera63
revise text (see edit history)

[Deanoko]

i BASED MY REPLY ON BREAKING MY INNER TRIM PIECE INTO A DOZEN PIECES ON MY 64 4 WAY ELECTRIC SEAT WHILE REMOVING IT.  i WISH i HAD PULLED IT BACK JUST ENOUGH TO UNSCREW THE INNER BEFORE i RUINED IT.

PS - I'm not shouting.  I just my caps lock on and discovered it after too much typing to go back and fix it!

[XframeFX]

21 hours ago, BulldogDriver said:

Factory would have installed the seat as a unit with trim installed.

Ray, your image with the seat out. I see your have original seatbelts and in remarkably good shape! Also, they are colour keyed.

I can't make out the tag but, mine say "Brown-Line" and they are black in a red interior. Up until now, I thought the optional seatbelts were all black for 1963?

 

Nice carpet install BTW. still in-progress?

Edited March 21, 2022 by XframeFX
. (see edit history)

[BulldogDriver]

Yes they are original to the car and are Brown Line. Doing a full interior replacement. Waiting on parts from Just Dashes. 
 

Ray

[1965rivgs]

1 hour ago, XframeFX said:

Ray, your image with the seat out. I see your have original seatbelts and in remarkably good shape! Also, they are colour keyed.

I can't make out the tag but, mine say "Brown-Line" and they are black in a red interior. Up until now, I thought the optional seatbelts were all black for 1963?

 

Nice carpet install BTW. still in-progress?

  Good eye John, I was going to comment but you beat me to it!

  Actually, in `63, the seat belt color choices were plentiful. The choices were aqua, black, blue, gray, red, rose, saddle, and sandalwood. I have a couple of the color choices in my parts stash.

  Sometimes, depending on availability, the factory installed seat belt colors which upon first glance seem odd. A case in point is a `66 Wildcat 4 dr hdtp I own...the interior trim is custom aqua with standard black seat belts. If the car was ordered with the custom seat belt option the belts would have been aqua but aqua was not available in the standard belts.... so Buick installed the black belts with black plastic buckles in an all aqua green interior!

  I`ve put quite a bit of research into the chronological progression of seat belts in the `60`s......`64 is an especially interesting year....but I think my favorite buckle design is the `63 design. It has a very "Lost In Space", airplane cockpit look about it...and I like the way Buick speced out a little something extra in the design with the textured recesses of the buckle.

 

Tom Mooney

[XframeFX]

8 hours ago, 1965rivgs said:

a `66 Wildcat 4 dr hdtp I own...

OMG - memories of us jumping in a friend's rusty $200 '66 Wildcat 4 door hardtop, skipping HS classes for joy rides. That Wildcat ended up wrapped around a tree.

 

Good Looking Ride - Key & Peele Show:

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_768894-Buick-Wildcat-46639-1966.html

 

Same gold Movie Car below? It survived +40 years only to be purposely wrecked for a scene with stunt man at the wheel. Just another "Old Car".

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_738548-Buick-Wildcat-46639-1966.html

 

8 hours ago, 1965rivgs said:

I`ve put quite a bit of research into the chronological progression of seat belts in the `60`s

Tom, glad you're the Go-To on this. I have reduced my expectations for 1965 Retractor lapbelts. Maybe re-web my black originals in red. Anchors will need to be re-chromed to keep up with Ray's car.

8 hours ago, 1965rivgs said:

It has a very "Lost In Space", airplane cockpit look about it...

Airplane cockpit - The reason I never forgot my 1st sit behind the wheel of a 1st Gen Riviera!

 

Sorry for veering away from seat install.

Edited March 22, 2022 by XframeFX
. (see edit history)