Seat bracket madness!

[knucklehead0202]

So my seat bracket decided to take a shit last week. It's been acting weird and kinda clunked now and then, but I got in the car one morning and it made a big bang and the back end of the seat dropped. Trying to raise it with the control just made some sad mechanical whirring and clunking, with no appreciable movement of the seat. This left me lowriding and feeling very awkward trying to drive. Yesterday, I hit the local boneyard in attempt to find a seat rail, etc. to replace my broken one. Found an '87 country squire with 52,000 miles on the clock. Judging by everything but the body, I'd say those were original miles but anyhow, I tore out the seat and yanked the track in hope it would fit my '90. Long answer short, it didn't quite fit but i managed to modify it to fit. This required drilling the left-rear floor-mounting hole in a different spot, and drilling a different seat-to-bracket hole i believe on the right-rear. I also had to cut off part of the frame on the bottom of the seat but it all worked out. It's in and working fine but the seat leans a bit. I stacked some washers under it and it's better, but still has a starboard list. Need to pull the whole mess out again and probably space it a bit from the seat to the bracket. Should have taken pics but was too busy cursing my luck. Once i get this thing level i'll be happy with it but what a ballache. Looking at the '87 track/bracket though, it's WAAAAYYYY better made than the '90 was, it having stupid plastic tracks which were the cause of the failure that led to this debacle. Good ol' Ford, always keeping me guessing....

Also replaced my IAT sensor, removed and cleaned my IAC again, and ran some seafoam through the bitch. All in all a fairly productive day and my car doesn't rev around wildly when i cold start it now.

Anyhow, will report when i get that seat out again because i want to see if my old seat motor will fit the new bracket, as the motor on that one seems tired. Will try to get some pics then. Thanks for listening to my gibberish.

[87gtVIC]

The floor pans changed for the 1990 model year.

[Mainemantom]

Find a 90-91. Floor pan is different. Wait pulling the seat out again until you find the right one. Just my opinion. I have done that job a few times. Always did the seat pans and tracks with the same year parts. Covers I have used from other years ok. I wish you the best.

[knucklehead0202]

Well here's the thing; part of the seat frame I cut off will preclude me from using a '90-'91 now unless I forego one of the bolts. It's damn-near impossible to find a box in a junkyard here, that wagon was the first I've ever found so I plan to pilfer everything I possibly can off it. The seat works as it is but it's just not quite level. Thanks for the info boys, but at this point I'm kinda married to what I've got now, not to mention the shitty plastic stuff on the '90-'91s will likely break as quick as the one that was on my car to begin with. At least the earlier stuff is all metal. Good times...

[GM_Guy]

Unbolt it, wedge it up with a block of wood, measure gap, buy enough fender washers. use some flat stock if you have it if the gap is significant and a long bolt(s).

[gadget73]

yeah, big hunk o' steel for a custom spacer will get the job done.

[knucklehead0202]

Yep, gonna pull the seat back out in the next few days and add some spacers(washers probably). If it comes down to something more severe, i'll take it over to my buddy's shop. He does some custom fab work so he could probably sort it out in like 10 minutes. Just don't like to bother him with my retard projects. I was super-proud that I even got the goddamned thing to fit and work right, nevermind the gangsta lean. This could be useful info though for folks who have the same problem, these things CAN interchange with a little massaging. Seems like there's more pre-'90 boxes around than my oddball fuckin' year anyhow. I seem to have a knack for finding the weird year of cars. '98 was also a mild hassle, being a transitional. Only worse bastard would probably be like a '92 panther huh?

[BuffaloRider]

I wonder if the seats from the earlier model aero's would work for a 90-91, like a 92 or something. Or are we pretty much stuck with either 90-91 or jerry rigging?

[sly]

I think 90+ use the same bolt-in setup. I know the 93 and the 2000 look the same in that regard. Wiring however, that may be different (especially with door mounted power control models).

[pantera77]

Don't quote me, but I think 92-94 seats are also a direct swap. IIRC they changed again slightly on the 95 interior refresh.

[knucklehead0202]

Shit that figures, now that I've buggered up my seat frame. Oh well, this will work until I put in the recaros because, racecar. Just kidding, I like my big puffy seats. I'll make this mess work but will be on the lookout for -94 seats. think there was one at the boneyard.

[dmccaig]

Dear Panthers,
A friend found a pair of Peugot 404 front seats in a New York State boneyard and is harvesting them and the tracks. Reason? They're as comfortable as Panther seats and fold flat into a bed. Should be an interesting mod.

Donald McCaig

[VicCrownVic]

I think 90+ use the same bolt-in setup. I know the 93 and the 2000 look the same in that regard. Wiring however, that may be different (especially with door mounted power control models).

For clarity (just in case), by bolt-in I believe you mean that the 90+ seats will bolt to the 89- frame/rails which are bolted to the floor.

[DerekTheGreat]

So in other words, Ash's 89 TC will not accept seats from a 1990-1995 TC without modification?

[sly]

For clarity (just in case), by bolt-in I believe you mean that the 90+ seats will bolt to the 89- frame/rails which are bolted to the floor.

right. 79-89 will bolt in each other and 90+ will bolt in each other, but the wiring may be different.