Has anyone installed Fiero seats in their car?
- Thread starter Pakrat
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Oh yeah, the speakers were the main incentive. In a convertible with a loud exhaust they are key to enjoying tunes and the open road, they jack right into the front right and left mains. I have four 3.5 Alpines in them right now, it's just like wearing headphones only you're not blocked out from the rest of the world. I even hooked up a diverter so if I have a cell phone hooked up to hands free the driver speakers cut out the raido and go to the cell directly. You have to put the stock seat tracks on them but they bolt right up to the existing holes and they are such a low profile seat that you actually pick up some clearance between your knees and the steering wheel. Makes it much easier to clutch and the lumbar support is like a reccaro seat. They are so comfortable.
65 fastback
Founding Member
66 Restomod
Member
Height?
Would somebody be able to measure the height of the fiero seat for me please? Specifically, the height of the front under the knees (from the bottom front edge to the top). I'll compare this number to what I have now.
I bought Corbeaus but they are a little too tall for me to use... Thanks!
Would somebody be able to measure the height of the fiero seat for me please? Specifically, the height of the front under the knees (from the bottom front edge to the top). I'll compare this number to what I have now.
I bought Corbeaus but they are a little too tall for me to use... Thanks!
From the highest point of the knee bolster (right at the bend in your knee and not the front most edge which starts to turn down again) to sitting flat on the floor without seat tracks, it is just about 5". About a full 1" lower than a standard stock seat. The arse section of it though sits significantly lower in comparison and is not as level front to back as a stock seat.
I know in the past that almost every seat conversion out there calls for using the stock tracks to make it work and 65fastback even said that is what he did but I just don't see how that will work in this case. There are so many obstacles to doing that. There are no good places to bolt the tracks to the seats and in order to be able to use the adjusment lever you would have to mount them even 2" closer to the front than normal. Combine this with the fact that the stang tracks are a good 4" shorter than the Fiero's and this puts the back end of the track almost in the center of the seat, not very stable. Also, the Fiero seat track is twice as high as the Stang measuring 2" thick compared to about 1". This will actually maintian the same exact stock height under the steering wheel. Alittle more room would have been nice but if it was an inch lower than your view would stink. There are some kinks to work out though still. The width of the stang tracks from the floor mounts are about 5/8" wider across. The front brackets have enough material to ream them and accomodate this but the rear bolts of the Fiero tracks not only are set much further back but they are not parallel to the front. Each seat is offset to the outside of the car by over 1 1/2"s. Because each side is a mirror reverse though it looks like I may be able to drill each one out and flip two of them and then swap the other two left and right sides and flip them and get everything to line up almost perfectly. I'll take lots of pictures and be sure to document it all step by step if it works.
I know in the past that almost every seat conversion out there calls for using the stock tracks to make it work and 65fastback even said that is what he did but I just don't see how that will work in this case. There are so many obstacles to doing that. There are no good places to bolt the tracks to the seats and in order to be able to use the adjusment lever you would have to mount them even 2" closer to the front than normal. Combine this with the fact that the stang tracks are a good 4" shorter than the Fiero's and this puts the back end of the track almost in the center of the seat, not very stable. Also, the Fiero seat track is twice as high as the Stang measuring 2" thick compared to about 1". This will actually maintian the same exact stock height under the steering wheel. Alittle more room would have been nice but if it was an inch lower than your view would stink. There are some kinks to work out though still. The width of the stang tracks from the floor mounts are about 5/8" wider across. The front brackets have enough material to ream them and accomodate this but the rear bolts of the Fiero tracks not only are set much further back but they are not parallel to the front. Each seat is offset to the outside of the car by over 1 1/2"s. Because each side is a mirror reverse though it looks like I may be able to drill each one out and flip two of them and then swap the other two left and right sides and flip them and get everything to line up almost perfectly. I'll take lots of pictures and be sure to document it all step by step if it works.
66 Restomod
Member
Thanks
Thanks for checking! I actually have a 66 and I just measured the stock front seat and am getting about 5 1/2" -- but it's the same straight across the front. It sounds like in the middle of the fiero seat it may be possible to pick up an inch maybe more under the knees which would help (I'm 6'2). The corbeau seats I bought lost at least an inch there so that's a problem for me. Thanks again.
Thanks for checking! I actually have a 66 and I just measured the stock front seat and am getting about 5 1/2" -- but it's the same straight across the front. It sounds like in the middle of the fiero seat it may be possible to pick up an inch maybe more under the knees which would help (I'm 6'2). The corbeau seats I bought lost at least an inch there so that's a problem for me. Thanks again.
66 Restomod
Member
66 Restomod
Member
Picked up my Fiero seats today...
I just landed a pair of '84 Fiero seats today on Craigslist for -- I still can't believe it -- FIFTY dollars... I drove 1.5 hours each way though. Anyway, they have both recline handles, both mechanism covers and even the tracks (which I won't use). The driver's bolster foam is ripped a good 8" or so but all there so it can be fixed easily enough. I have some swatches coming from Mr. Mike (as a modified car I may go with leather in 2 tone front and rear).
I agree there's NO WAY a stock Mustang seat track will bolt properly to the bottom of the Fiero seats as they are -- unless you create an intermediate bracket to go between the seat and the stock Mustang tracks. I will use some metal stock 2" wide and weld together a square, then bolt it to the seat. The bolts holding the square to the seat may interfere with the stock tracks so that's why I made it 2" wide. So I can offset the track 1/2"or so if needed. Then I bolt or maybe weld the tracks to the new bracket. (Before I start that I need to check the Corbeau brackets I had bought to see if I can more easily modify them to fit, but they are at the paintshop with my car. They go for $150 so if they work that would be a big time saver.) Anyway, not the simple slam dunk I was expecting, but very promising nonetheless.
I just landed a pair of '84 Fiero seats today on Craigslist for -- I still can't believe it -- FIFTY dollars... I drove 1.5 hours each way though. Anyway, they have both recline handles, both mechanism covers and even the tracks (which I won't use). The driver's bolster foam is ripped a good 8" or so but all there so it can be fixed easily enough. I have some swatches coming from Mr. Mike (as a modified car I may go with leather in 2 tone front and rear).
I agree there's NO WAY a stock Mustang seat track will bolt properly to the bottom of the Fiero seats as they are -- unless you create an intermediate bracket to go between the seat and the stock Mustang tracks. I will use some metal stock 2" wide and weld together a square, then bolt it to the seat. The bolts holding the square to the seat may interfere with the stock tracks so that's why I made it 2" wide. So I can offset the track 1/2"or so if needed. Then I bolt or maybe weld the tracks to the new bracket. (Before I start that I need to check the Corbeau brackets I had bought to see if I can more easily modify them to fit, but they are at the paintshop with my car. They go for $150 so if they work that would be a big time saver.) Anyway, not the simple slam dunk I was expecting, but very promising nonetheless.
That's awesome man, $50 bucks is even better than my price, mine were only 45 min away though and in like perfect condition except for some dirt, they were only in the car for 2 years and then stored so had no foam wear. So if they are 84's they must have speakers to then? They will need repalcing for sure.
Mr. Mike is a great guy and easy to work with, be sure and tell him Richard sent you. He will include everything you need to repair them in the kit, you can also find all that info on his site. I came up with a very simple way to mount them with the stock Mustang track that required no new holes or mods at all. I made the brackets out of 1/8" thick flat stock 1" x 36". I can post some pics if you want.
Mr. Mike is a great guy and easy to work with, be sure and tell him Richard sent you. He will include everything you need to repair them in the kit, you can also find all that info on his site. I came up with a very simple way to mount them with the stock Mustang track that required no new holes or mods at all. I made the brackets out of 1/8" thick flat stock 1" x 36". I can post some pics if you want.
66 Restomod
Member
Pix would be great
Thanks I'd like to see some pix of how you did it. I'm going to do the brackets this week one way or the other, so it would help. For me, legroom and kneeroom is key.
Yep, I removed the original speakers which are worn out. I found some really low profile new ones on ebay, and will put a couple 6 x 9s on the rear shelf with an entry level CD player in the glovebox (4 x 50w). I read that the front speakers will probably require some bass blockers to cut out the low frequency signals so that they don't distort so easy (about $6 per headrest). When Mr. Mike gets back from vacation I will see if he can find some leather in Ford's Medium Blue and will get the front and rear seats done (in a slightly more modern style) to match my new interior. His swatches were pretty close but I'd think we can find the right color. I'm also going to have him punch some holes in a piece of matching leather for the rear shelf so the 6 x 9s can work well back there.
I'll also put up some pix later this week in case anybody else is thinking about this mod.
[Edit: I should say that I spoke with Mr. Mike the other day and mentioned that I heard about him on this thread. I'm looking forward to working with him on this project.]
Thanks I'd like to see some pix of how you did it. I'm going to do the brackets this week one way or the other, so it would help. For me, legroom and kneeroom is key.
Yep, I removed the original speakers which are worn out. I found some really low profile new ones on ebay, and will put a couple 6 x 9s on the rear shelf with an entry level CD player in the glovebox (4 x 50w). I read that the front speakers will probably require some bass blockers to cut out the low frequency signals so that they don't distort so easy (about $6 per headrest). When Mr. Mike gets back from vacation I will see if he can find some leather in Ford's Medium Blue and will get the front and rear seats done (in a slightly more modern style) to match my new interior. His swatches were pretty close but I'd think we can find the right color. I'm also going to have him punch some holes in a piece of matching leather for the rear shelf so the 6 x 9s can work well back there.
I'll also put up some pix later this week in case anybody else is thinking about this mod.
[Edit: I should say that I spoke with Mr. Mike the other day and mentioned that I heard about him on this thread. I'm looking forward to working with him on this project.]
Are the 65-66 seat mounting bolts in a different location than a 67-68 mustang? I was able to use the fiero seat brackets with a few minor modifications in a 1967 mustang. I did not even try to use the stock seat track because it looked like it would take more work to use them because they are shorter. Using the front fiero seat mounts and drilled out the rear brackets and removed them, then welded a small piece of angled metal to give the rear the right lift and mounting point in stock location. This kept the same seat level as the stock seats.
66 Restomod
Member
Hmm, I'm not sure about the differences in the Mustang brackets. (The front Fiero bolt holes seemed to line up with the Ford bracket.) Doesn't the Fiero bracket cause the seat to sit further forward as well as a bit higher? It appears that way, but my car's not handy right now to doublecheck. I'm looking for maximum kneeroom and legroom (without buying a tilt column...)
Here's the route I chose to take. I could have gone fancier and crafted some Z shaped brackets but in the end I was more concerned with it being solid, safe and affordable and with $10 in hardware it's all 3. About the only thing I would do differently if I did it again is cut the brackets at 5 3/4" and 3 1/4" instead of an even 6" and 3". This would have given me the same amount of meat on each sides of the holes front and back. Let me know if any questions. I look forward to seeing how you tackle it. I could have easily spent $30 and made look cooler but it wouldn't be any more secure and who the heck is ever going to see it.
So is Mr. Mike custom making the back seat for you too then? I thought about asking him about that.
I'm not sure how the different Mustang years compare but that was pretty much my plan also in the begining. Because the center line width of the Fiero track and the 69 track is only 1/2" I was going to ream the two front mounting holes into oval holes and then remove the rear brackets and just make new ones. After several days of dileberation and photshopping and measuring I decided not to for several reasons and it wasn't that much more work really.
A) even though the width is close the Fiero tracks are over 4" longer so the track would hang over the end of the floors seat pan and I didn't like this idea very much. B) you can gain 1 to 2 inches of extra thigh room to the steering wheel with the stock mounts. C) using the Fiero track means the bolts to the floor would be loose instead of fixed (unless you weld them too) and it is much easier to fasten the fixed bolt of the stock track from underneath.
I noticed you cardomain site still shows the stock seats??!?!?!? Got any pictures?
66 Restomod
Member
Thanks
Thanks for the pix, very helpful!!!
Looks like he's on vacation and returns in 2 weeks. We had just started talking about this project when he left on vacation (and I went that day to pick up the new seats around here). We didn't get beyond very briefly discussing the fronts and sending some samples. The rear seats need to be done since I'm using a darker blue, so there would be a mismatch if I don't change them. Not sure of the cost for the rear seats or if he'd even want to do them. I think I'd be happy with one of his standard upholstery kits such as the Vetter or Semi Sport for the front, but in Ford's 66 "Blue" color. (I'm kinda going out on a limb here with a "custom" Blue interior, but it seems to be shaping up very nicely.) Thanks again.
Thanks for the pix, very helpful!!!
Looks like he's on vacation and returns in 2 weeks. We had just started talking about this project when he left on vacation (and I went that day to pick up the new seats around here). We didn't get beyond very briefly discussing the fronts and sending some samples. The rear seats need to be done since I'm using a darker blue, so there would be a mismatch if I don't change them. Not sure of the cost for the rear seats or if he'd even want to do them. I think I'd be happy with one of his standard upholstery kits such as the Vetter or Semi Sport for the front, but in Ford's 66 "Blue" color. (I'm kinda going out on a limb here with a "custom" Blue interior, but it seems to be shaping up very nicely.) Thanks again.
Pakrat you are right the seat track does overhang the seat mount some but I really liked the position of the seat so I figured I could deal with it. The funny thing is I actually gained leg room for the people in the rear seat because the seat is fairly thin. I have the seats in the car at present I will take some pictures when I pull the seats out to clean and paint the brackets. What did you think of mrmikes covers, they look sweet in the picture do they fit tight like the original covers? I am not sure what I am going to do to recover my seats but those look like a quality cover.
66 Restomod let me know what mrmike does on your back seat, if it is as nice as the front covers I would be very interested in having him do my back seat in matching covers as well.
66 Restomod let me know what mrmike does on your back seat, if it is as nice as the front covers I would be very interested in having him do my back seat in matching covers as well.
I can't say enough about the quality, service and value of Mr. Mikes. He could not possibly make it an easier for you to do a 100% proffesional job yourself. I never did a set of seats before this and I am totally happy with my results. His method for attaching is far better than the stock set up and you can literally just open the box the day it arrives and start. I watched the video first than I went thru it again and did the steps one by one as I did it. By the second seat the next day I just did it by memmory. He bent over backwards to match my stock grains and make me an all vinyl set for half the price of the leather so I could save money, outstanding customer service! Look at all the stuff in the kit.
New foam and batting, spray glue, hog rings and pliers, even a pack of razor blades for petes sake, a DVD and skins already turned inside out too and sprayed with a silicone to aid the process.
New foam and batting, spray glue, hog rings and pliers, even a pack of razor blades for petes sake, a DVD and skins already turned inside out too and sprayed with a silicone to aid the process.
StangDreamin'
Founding Member
Pak, I'm sticking this thread in my "favorites" tab (Hope there isn't another servercrash); as I have to do something about the seats in my XR7. Does MR Mike have a webpage? I got the intimation that he did; but didn't see it?
66 Restomod
Member
Recent Progress....
I received the set of 4 Clearwater Audio speakers for the headrests today. They have the proper connectors on each to attach to the Fiero seat wiring. ($127 shipped, little more than I wanted to spend but they look first rate). Should work pretty well wired in parallel with a 7-8 ohm rating.
For brackets I'm pretty certain I'll be using the Corbeau brackets I already have since a.) I can't sell them since nobody would buy them (just for Corbeaus in the 65-66 Mustang), b.) they are the lowest profile of the stock and Fiero brackets, and c.) they are brand new and look and work great. There's a metalshop right near my painter's shop that I found out about Saturday so with any luck this week we should see a pair of rails bolted to the Fiero seats and then welded to the Corbeau brackets.
Mr.Mike is on vacation until next week so no news on the custom front covers. After thinking it over, I'm going with a good vinyl like you have. Seems to fit the car better.
I've been discussing the rear seat covers with a classic car interior specialist in CA, but haven't finalized anything yet. Apparently he specializes in Mustangs and is willing to do something custom in Sierra Grain to match the style in the photos I have of the Mr.Mike front seats. If this person comes through, I'll post his contact info as another option to consider for anyone else interested in doing something custom for the rear.
One idea I had that I won't pursue since with my car at the painter I have many other things going on -- Use a seatback for the rear from another car that has integrated headrests and a lockable passthrough with center armrest. This would work great in the coupe (particularly with the steel divider that I'm using). I hadn't found the right donor car yet, but at $25 to $100 the seatbacks from various cars on Ebay looked promising. I'm tossing this idea out there for anyone else interested in doing something custom.
Sorry for all the info, but that's my recent progress...
I received the set of 4 Clearwater Audio speakers for the headrests today. They have the proper connectors on each to attach to the Fiero seat wiring. ($127 shipped, little more than I wanted to spend but they look first rate). Should work pretty well wired in parallel with a 7-8 ohm rating.
For brackets I'm pretty certain I'll be using the Corbeau brackets I already have since a.) I can't sell them since nobody would buy them (just for Corbeaus in the 65-66 Mustang), b.) they are the lowest profile of the stock and Fiero brackets, and c.) they are brand new and look and work great. There's a metalshop right near my painter's shop that I found out about Saturday so with any luck this week we should see a pair of rails bolted to the Fiero seats and then welded to the Corbeau brackets.
Mr.Mike is on vacation until next week so no news on the custom front covers. After thinking it over, I'm going with a good vinyl like you have. Seems to fit the car better.
I've been discussing the rear seat covers with a classic car interior specialist in CA, but haven't finalized anything yet. Apparently he specializes in Mustangs and is willing to do something custom in Sierra Grain to match the style in the photos I have of the Mr.Mike front seats. If this person comes through, I'll post his contact info as another option to consider for anyone else interested in doing something custom for the rear.
One idea I had that I won't pursue since with my car at the painter I have many other things going on -- Use a seatback for the rear from another car that has integrated headrests and a lockable passthrough with center armrest. This would work great in the coupe (particularly with the steel divider that I'm using). I hadn't found the right donor car yet, but at $25 to $100 the seatbacks from various cars on Ebay looked promising. I'm tossing this idea out there for anyone else interested in doing something custom.
Sorry for all the info, but that's my recent progress...