Seats position

Hello. I just wonder if anyone has done some modification to the seats position. On a 71 or knows a way to get a litte more room on the leg room without messing with the height.

it's deceiving isn't it. Such a big car, so little room. I was determined years ago to give myself that extra inch or two but it would've been a bit messy. Now I just stick one leg in past the steering wheel first. I'm not overweight but am over 6 foot. My obsession with my car helps me tolerate the flaws. I'll also be keeping an eye on this thread in case someone's got a solution.

I have found that the seat positions in our cars seem to vary a lot. I have plenty of leg room in mine, whereas a friend of mine has a coupe where the tiny little sports steering wheel touches your legs, so that it is really hard to steer. If he installed a, original two rim, you could not squeeze your legs under it anymore. No way to lower the seat. Mine has spacers under the seats to rise them up and they are still way lower than his.

Could there be a difference between verts and coupes?

A few weeks ago, I sat in a 72 351HO Mach1 and although the height of the steering wheel was ok, it seemed to be closer to the dash than mine, so that I could either have my legs comfortable or the arms, but not both....

I have a bad back and my knees are shot, so I wanted to pay a little attention to the pilot and co pilot seating!

I moved mine back almost 3" and love having the extra room. I do not regularly drive with it all the way back, but it is nice to not be maxed out and be able to move it back a few notches when I am going on a long drive and want to stretch my knees out.

First, I cut the studs off of my slides and drilled new holes for a 3/8 bolt. For the front's, I made 3"x 3" squares out of 1/4" plate and then welded some 3/8 nuts to the bottom of them. Marked up the floor, then drilled the holes so that the nut would recess into the floor.

I also wanted my seats to sit a little lower and lean back just a tad more, so I had to heat up the rear part of the floor board(where the back of the seat bottom bolts down) and flatten that out a bit until the seat sat at the angle I wanted and cleared that rise in the floor.

After I had the right angle and position I fabricated some mounting brackets, for the rear mounts. Because I had moved it back from the original mounts, I either needed to go through the floor board and do some reinforcement down below, or make an L bracket and mount it to the back side of the rise in the floor, that I just flattened down a bit.

I like the latter option, as the rear passenger could still put their feet underneath the back of the set without kicking and mounts and it just looked a lot cleaner.

This took some time to get the brackets in the right spot, but after a few tries it lined up nicely. I drilled the mounting hole in the bottom of the "L" bracket and then tacked it to the rail with the "L" facing down, like if you rotated it clockwise 90 degrees. Then I welded the bracket to the bottom of the rail, carefully and slowly back and forth in small welds, so I didn't heat up the rail and the possibly warp or melt anything. Mine have the roller bearing inside.

After I welded those on, then I bolted the seat in with the front mounts and then marked through the holes in the rear mounts, the appropriate spot on the back of the hump on the floor board. This was directly behind the stock mounts, just on the downside of the hump instead of the top.

I didn't want to just weld a bolt to the floor for safety reasons, so I fabbed up some more "L" brackets. But this time I welded a bolt the bottom of the "L" so the bolt would be coming straight down, with the bolt coming from the bottom. I flipped the bracket so it would be like a backwards L, then rotated it counter clockwise 90 degress, so the long part was face down and the mounting bolt was pointing towards the back seat.

Tacked those in place, then dropped the seat back on to make sure that everything lined up. The seat slide onto the back mounting bolts first, then the front mounts rested on the 3" x 3" plates. Bolted everything down and was off to the races.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics as I was doing it, just was caught up in the moment and rolled with it.

I ended up with low sitting front seats, just reclined back a bit with extra leg room. Whenever someone sits in the front, they always comment on how comfortably they sit in the car. I never really thought about why until now!

With the seats all the way back, there is a little leg room for passengers, but just little ones! But I can always slide them forward to make room for full sizers..

I am very glad I did it and it makes a huge difference for me whether around town, commting, or on a long haul.

While I have my seat boxes out I comtemplated moving them back. Then remebered they are probably welded to the rear of the front frame rails (for safety durability I'm sure) I'll be doing a rail move as well after I get my boxes back in and I'm ready for seats.

I have a bad back and my knees are shot, so I wanted to pay a little attention to the pilot and co pilot seating!

I moved mine back almost 3" and love having the extra room. I do not regularly drive with it all the way back, but it is nice to not be maxed out and be able to move it back a few notches when I am going on a long drive and want to stretch my knees out.

First, I cut the studs off of my slides and drilled new holes for a 3/8 bolt. For the front's, I made 3"x 3" squares out of 1/4" plate and then welded some 3/8 nuts to the bottom of them. Marked up the floor, then drilled the holes so that the nut would recess into the floor.

I also wanted my seats to sit a little lower and lean back just a tad more, so I had to heat up the rear part of the floor board(where the back of the seat bottom bolts down) and flatten that out a bit until the seat sat at the angle I wanted and cleared that rise in the floor.

After I had the right angle and position I fabricated some mounting brackets, for the rear mounts. Because I had moved it back from the original mounts, I either needed to go through the floor board and do some reinforcement down below, or make an L bracket and mount it to the back side of the rise in the floor, that I just flattened down a bit.

I like the latter option, as the rear passenger could still put their feet underneath the back of the set without kicking and mounts and it just looked a lot cleaner.

This took some time to get the brackets in the right spot, but after a few tries it lined up nicely. I drilled the mounting hole in the bottom of the "L" bracket and then tacked it to the rail with the "L" facing down, like if you rotated it clockwise 90 degrees. Then I welded the bracket to the bottom of the rail, carefully and slowly back and forth in small welds, so I didn't heat up the rail and the possibly warp or melt anything. Mine have the roller bearing inside.

After I welded those on, then I bolted the seat in with the front mounts and then marked through the holes in the rear mounts, the appropriate spot on the back of the hump on the floor board. This was directly behind the stock mounts, just on the downside of the hump instead of the top.

I didn't want to just weld a bolt to the floor for safety reasons, so I fabbed up some more "L" brackets. But this time I welded a bolt the bottom of the "L" so the bolt would be coming straight down, with the bolt coming from the bottom. I flipped the bracket so it would be like a backwards L, then rotated it counter clockwise 90 degress, so the long part was face down and the mounting bolt was pointing towards the back seat.

Tacked those in place, then dropped the seat back on to make sure that everything lined up. The seat slide onto the back mounting bolts first, then the front mounts rested on the 3" x 3" plates. Bolted everything down and was off to the races.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics as I was doing it, just was caught up in the moment and rolled with it.

I ended up with low sitting front seats, just reclined back a bit with extra leg room. Whenever someone sits in the front, they always comment on how comfortably they sit in the car. I never really thought about why until now!

With the seats all the way back, there is a little leg room for passengers, but just little ones! But I can always slide them forward to make room for full sizers..

I am very glad I did it and it makes a huge difference for me whether around town, commting, or on a long haul.

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Looks great, think I will be doing that as well

thats sounds great. but as I can see in your pictures its that you also change your steering wheel so that gave you even more space. I hope I can find those kind of steering wheels arround here. or I will try to find them on ebay.

as soon as I finish the engine i will start with the seats poisition because it is impossible for me to drive like that.

thanks for the info

thats sounds great. but as I can see in your pictures its that you also change your steering wheel so that gave you even more space. I hope I can find those kind of steering wheels arround here. or I will try to find them on ebay.

as soon as I finish the engine i will start with the seats poisition because it is impossible for me to drive like that.

thanks for the info

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You can get them through Summit or Jegs, just a Standard Grant wheel that I polished up and threw a Mustang horn button on.

I'm 6'5" (and a tad overweight) and have always had problems with my knees raking the bottom of the steering wheel when getting in and out -which is why I wanted a tilt column, and love the dash layout of the '71-'73s because the slope down and away from the driver's legs, offering more in the way of legroom.

When I first sat in mine, I noticed that legroom is not even an issue - but then again, I'm used to being jammed into tiny vehicles.

While I was replacing the floors, I had to also replace the seat platforms. Since I couldn't locate a pair of fastback seat platforms, I would up cutting down (height-wise) a pair of coupe/'vert platforms, and moved them back about 2 inches before welding them in.

So now, I have WAY more legroom than I could ever hope for.

I'm 6'5" (and a tad overweight) and have always had problems with my knees raking the bottom of the steering wheel when getting in and out -which is why I wanted a tilt column, and love the dash layout of the '71-'73s because the slope down and away from the driver's legs, offering more in the way of legroom.

When I first sat in mine, I noticed that legroom is not even an issue - but then again, I'm used to being jammed into tiny vehicles.

While I was replacing the floors, I had to also replace the seat platforms. Since I couldn't locate a pair of fastback seat platforms, I would up cutting down (height-wise) a pair of coupe/'vert platforms, and moved them back about 2 inches before welding them in.

So now, I have WAY more legroom than I could ever hope for.

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I was considering doing the same thing but was concerned about the seat tearing out of the floor on impact. I think thja's why they have 4 spot welds to the frame on the seat box. JMHO

do you really think it will be that dangerous??

Only on impact! (bolted to thin floor vs. welded to thicker metal)I was thinking of adding the 2 inches of metal to the frame to meet the seat box and welding an additional 2 inches down the frame rail sides to make it a non issue myself. SAFETY FIRST!

I'm no expert, and what you're saying about being welded to the frame rails makes perfect sense... but the seat platforms are also welded to the rockers and transmission tunnel as well. I also pretty much laid a bead in those areas.

Impacts are nasty things - I've seen pictures of people having bent steering wheels and whatnot during a crash. Having done a lot of deconstruction on mine, I'm not as worried based on the fact of seeing how these cars are constructed. Everything is basically spot-welded sheet metal... there is almost literlly 'zero' "frame" to speak of (the stubs the suspension hang off of barely qualify).

Having said that, you've given me something more to think about, which I appreciate. But I'm not entirely sure that the seat platform welded to the thin floor pan 2" away from where it's welded to the frame rail stub is going to be all that much weaker than if all three pieces of metal were spot-welded on top of each other in a dozen or so places.

Hopefully, I'll never have to find out. Good stuff!

Only on impact! (bolted to thin floor vs. welded to thicker metal)I was thinking of adding the 2 inches of metal to the frame to meet the seat box and welding an additional 2 inches down the frame rail sides to make it a non issue myself. SAFETY FIRST!

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If you hit hard enough to tear the seat out of the metal you have more than the seat coming loose to worry about. IMO

Only on impact! (bolted to thin floor vs. welded to thicker metal)I was thinking of adding the 2 inches of metal to the frame to meet the seat box and welding an additional 2 inches down the frame rail sides to make it a non issue myself. SAFETY FIRST!

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If you hit hard enough to tear the seat out of the metal you have more than the seat coming loose to worry about. IMO

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My thoughts exactly!! Safety first is very important and you can never be too safe, which is why I made plate mounts in lieu of just welding a nut to the floor. But if my 3" sq 1/4 plate rips out of the floor and my seat belt goes along with it, there are more pressing things that will need to be addressed!

i think its more dangerous for me to have the steering wheel so close to my legs that makes me difficult to steer. hahahaha

I believe Mark's thinking about the welds of the seat platforms to the floor pans breaking because they wouldn't be as strong as if they were welded to something that had another stronger piece welded on as support. The sandwich of seat platform, floor pan, and frame rail theoretically should be stronger - providing the welder penetrated through all three pieces of metal, that is.

I took 2 set of seat sliders and cut 3 inches out of one set and welded it to the good set making them have 3 more inches of travel. then i cut off the mounted tabs and welded them back on so they still bolt into the stock location but my sliders are now 3 inches longer. just gives you a little more leg room

I took 2 set of seat sliders and cut 3 inches out of one set and welded it to the good set making them have 3 more inches of travel. then i cut off the mounted tabs and welded them back on so they still bolt into the stock location but my sliders are now 3 inches longer. just gives you a little more leg room

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thats what I was thinking. i will try this and post some pictures later.

thanks