[Knuckle Dragger]

I need a little help here if possible. Right now my car has bucket seats in it, but I think they are Camaro seats and new holes drilled in the floor. My buddy found a set of tracks in the salvage yard. Now, I've been lead to believe the seats themselves are the same (Camaro and Nova), is that true? Does anyone have pictures of the tracks mounted in the car? I'm assuming a car originally equipped with a bench has the proper mount points for buckets. Anything you can tell me from first hand experience would be appreciated.

 

[supr78nova]

yes camaro buckets fit, i have nova pui seat covers over camaro seats bolted to the floor with bucket nova seat tracks.

 

[Philip]

The mounts for the bucket seats are different than the bench seat. i just cut a set out of a car to use in my 77. Here is a photo of the floor mounts before removing from the donor car.

as said before the tracks are specific to the Nova floor but bolt onto the Camaro seats. With very minor modification they fit the 95 Firebird seats I am using.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

So I also need part of the floor from a bucket seat car? That's odd GM did it that way. So much for the universal nature of GM.

How hard are those to find?

Maybe I have the right tracks now and they were just bolted in.

 

[Philip]

I can post photos of the tracks later. The floor mounting system is welded on top of the stock floor pan. The outside mounts bolt to the bench seat holes and are also welded to the floor.

As far as finding them, it is as easy as finding a bucket seat car The first set I found were in a shell I bought for parts. They went to a car in NY. This set is from a 4 door that had bucket seats. The seats did not fold forward for rear seat access, but the passenger seat reclined. I gave them to a guy with a pick up.

They are a bear to remove, lots of mig welds and even more spot welds. I haven't welded them in yet so I'll snap some photos of them so you can see the actual shape.

Now the task can be accomplished another way. In my 79 Turbo Regal the mounts were just 4 raised areas welded to the floor with a stud to mount the seat. They are similar in appearance to the out board mounts in the Nova. I will also take a photo of those as that set up would allow you to use what you have but be a safer mount than bolting through the floor.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

I can post photos of the tracks later. The floor mounting system is welded on top of the stock floor pan. The outside mounts bolt to the bench seat holes and are also welded to the floor.

As far as finding them, it is as easy as finding a bucket seat car The first set I found were in a shell I bought for parts. They went to a car in NY. This set is from a 4 door that had bucket seats. The seats did not fold forward for rear seat access, but the passenger seat reclined. I gave them to a guy with a pick up.

They are a bear to remove, lots of mig welds and even more spot welds. I haven't welded them in yet so I'll snap some photos of them so you can see the actual shape.

Now the task can be accomplished another way. In my 79 Turbo Regal the mounts were just 4 raised areas welded to the floor with a stud to mount the seat. They are similar in appearance to the out board mounts in the Nova. I will also take a photo of those as that set up would allow you to use what you have but be a safer mount than bolting through the floor.

My buddy in Cali was nice enough to pull the tracks, I think getting him to cut the floor out is a bit much to ask LOL. Any pictures would be appreciated. I got all excited when he called, I thought the search was over.

If you should run across another floor donor let me know. I found a console on eBay. By the picture it looks like it would make mounting it a bit easier too. I'm trying to get the 5.3 running before I go after the interior so I'm in no real rush.

 

[Philip]

My buddy in Cali was nice enough to pull the tracks, I think getting him to cut the floor out is a bit much to ask LOL. Any pictures would be appreciated. I got all excited when he called, I thought the search was over.

If you should run across another floor donor let me know. I found a console on eBay. By the picture it looks like it would make mounting it a bit easier too. I'm trying to get the 5.3 running before I go after the interior so I'm in no real rush.

The out board mounts remove easily. If your friend has the car with the floor mounts have him cut the whole center section out with a sawzall or die grinder and you can do the tedious work of removing the mounts from the floor pan. Actually it would be way easier cutting the welds and drilling the spot welds with the piece on the bench rather than kneeling inside the car. If you decide to go that route buy a spot weld cutter. I finally broke down and bought one and after using it would have gladly paid double what it cost. Mine is a Blair brand with replaceable cutters.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

The car is in a pick a part in SoCal. Cutting the floor out is beyond his scope in the given situation.

 

[Philip]

The console mounts with 2 brackets separate from the seat mounts. They can be seen in this photo.

the outboard mounts

This is the front mount off the floor

The rear

The front on the floor

The rear

passenger side tracks

Drivers side tracks

Both sides

And the Buick mounts I removed to install buckets in the 79 Turbo Regal. The holes are where they were spot welded on and I still need to bend the edges back down from prying them off.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

Well my buddy called me today. He got the brackets out for me. Spent a lot of time in the salvage yard and broke both his saw blades. Ended up paying a yard worker to pull them. He said it was the best $30 ever spent. So after the labor fee's they cost me $60. Not bad at all. I wonder sometimes how I end up with friends willing to spend the entire day on stuff like this for me.

Thanks for the pictures. I sent him a link to this thread to give him an idea of what he was up against. At least he was mentally prepared for the hassle. LOL

 

[SuperNova66]

...I wonder sometimes how I end up with friends willing to spend the entire day on stuff like this for me.

You obviously have a group of great friends, which leads me to believe you must be a OK guy..

 

[Philip]

You owe your buddy a few beers

This week end I modified the drivers side to fit the F body power seat tracks, the passenger side is using the Nova seat tracks and did not need to be changed.

I moved 3 of the studs (2 out board and the rear inboard) and then welded the seat mounts and console brackets in to the car. I am ready to start installing the sound deadener and insulation.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

You owe your buddy a few beers

This week end I modified the drivers side to fit the F body power seat tracks, the passenger side is using the Nova seat tracks and did not need to be changed.

I moved 3 of the studs (2 out board and the rear inboard) and then welded the seat mounts and console brackets in to the car. I am ready to start installing the sound deadener and insulation.

No issue with height? I ask because on my 79 Camaro with the 4th gen power seats my head was inches from the roof (which hurt on bumps). I ended up going back to the manual tracks from the 2nd gen with the 4th gen seats. Obviously a Nova may be much different.

 

[Philip]

LOL I am 5'6" tall and usually do not have any height issues, unless it is because I can not reach stuff. Mary is 5' 9" and gets the stuff off the top shelves for me

The seat will go lower than the standard Nova bucket. I put it half way up to test the fit and it is just a tad to high, but all the way down is to low.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

LOL I am 5'6" tall and usually do not have any height issues, unless it is because I can not reach stuff. Mary is 5' 9" and gets the stuff off the top shelves for me

The seat will go lower than the standard Nova bucket. I put it half way up to test the fit and it is just a tad to high, but all the way down is to low.

Cool, I just thought I'd throw it out there. The Camaro was a PITA to drive like that.

 

[Gotta_75]

Wow...That's some great info. Anyway you could sticky this thread to best of? Maybe I could find it easier when needed...

 

[Philip]

I put a copy in the "best of" so it should make it easier to find in the future.