Seats Driving Me Nuts!

[crash-harris]

So when I purchased the Enterprise, I knew that the passenger seat would lock in any upright position other than "gangster" and further back. No straight up or close to it, but I'll just need to remove/un-upholster the seat and see what's wrong.

The thing that has been driving me bonkers is looking for the recline lever for the drivers seat. Luckily is in a good position for me, but I can't find a handle no matter what I do. It has a splined head that the lever slips onto with the same even spacing on the splines like manual window regulators and a threaded home in the middle to retain the lever. Passengers lever looks like a black teardrop. However, it's a slightly larger diameter then the manual window crank handle. I even tried to fit a window crank handle on it just to see and it wouldn't slip on, but as stated, it has the same even spacing all the way around on the splines.

I went as far as to purchase 70's t-bird/f-series recline levers, but they are keyed with one spline larger than the rest. No joy. I can upload a pic of the seats and the splines on the end of the shaft tomorrow. They are captain's chairs, adjustable head rests and armrests on BOTH sides, not just the inside. Haven't been able to locate any other examples online to compare our reference.

I swear it's like I get stuck in an autistic research loop when I continually come up empty handed

 

[crash-harris]

Here are the seats that I can't identify.

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And the splines on the end of the recline lock shaft.

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[crash-harris]

And the recline lever on the passenger seat that I can't seem to find another of.

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[79jasper]

Might be e series seats.

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[crash-harris]

I've considered that to be a possibility...

 

[DaytonaBill]

Might be e series seats.

Wouldn't they sit up higher?

 

[DaytonaBill]

Two years ago, I almost bought a truck with the exact same center and overhead console with the wood grain in the doors and dashboard...

Was that factory stock? The owner wanted three grand for it and when I went to test drive it, the power steering was bone dry...

Backtracked real fast once I found out that his mechanic had been putting power steering fluid in it...

 

[79jasper]

Yeah, normally. But not if someone swapped the mounts.

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[The Warden]

I'm pretty sure those seats are aftermarket seats that were installed by Western Hauler as part of the interior conversion process (same process as when they added the overhead console, wood trim, etc). Unfortunately, that probably means they aren't OEM to anything...you might try some places that sell seats for conversion vans or the like. Either way, I think some creativity is in order...I'm sorry that I can't help more than that, but here are a couple of places to try:

http://www.discountvantruck.com/

I've also had good luck with these people in the past, although they don't seem to have much of an online presence: http://www.yelp.com/biz/calif-classic-vans-south-san-francisco

Two years ago, I almost bought a truck with the exact same center and overhead console with the wood grain in the doors and dashboard...

Was that factory stock?

The truck may have left the dealer's lot like that, but it didn't leave the factory like that. This is a conversion job...IIRC @crash-harris 's truck's conversion was done by Western Hauler; Centurion is another popular conversion job, and I think there are a few others out there as well. Some trucks were shipped directly from the factory to the conversion specialists, who outfitted them as they saw fit...some simply did an interior refresh and some paint/pinstripe work on the outside; others got more radical...there were a number of 4x4 DRW conversions (even on F-250's!), special hauling beds (one example is a DRW truck with an E-Series front end, sometimes an E-Series mid-cab or sometimes a sleeper cab, and a low-slung pickup bed; this is popular with hot-shotters), and of course the Centurion Bronco.

Personally, I'd love to get my hands on an overhead console out of a conversion truck, but they're not easy to come by...these don't get parted out very often, and the consoles are too big to economically ship...

 

[crash-harris]

I figured that they were most likely installed by Western Hauler. Truck may have had a flat bed on it at one point. They did a really good job at welding the gooseneck hitch to the frame. My first thought before I bought the truck was that I'd have to cut it out, but the Wells are very clean and it is gusseted beyond any hack job I've witnessed. No extra rust on it versus the frame. Fender flares were originally black with swooping pinstripes, but the rest of the bed and body panels are originally maroon before an unknown PO did the bad paint job.

As for the consoles, I had planned to build some of I never found a conversion truck. Father was a carpenter that owned his own business here in town years and years ago. He had a fully stocked shop that I can do whatever I'd need to. I may pull it out one day and use the measurements to build a full length version that reaches to the back of the cab. If I ever get to I'll keep you in mind.

If my dad ever pulls the trigger on his next metal working item, I'll be able to use it to cut splines and make new levers. Checking out your links now, and thanks by the way

 

[riotwarrior]

See about wax impression n cast one