[BLDFW]

Guys,

Got a couple problems with my '72 XR7 convertible front seats.

The rear of the drivers seat seems to be about 1"+ or so lower than the rear of the passenger seat. If you stand to the rear of the car and look forward, it looks like the drivers side is about 1.5" lower than the right side. When I sit down I swear feel almost like a 12yo barely able to see above the hood.

OK....No biggee! When I freshen up the interior including replacing the carpeting, I'll simply remove the seats, check the frames for integrity, and replace them if necessary. Well, I started that process today. Seems one problem begets another.....

My sense now is that the passenger seat is also probably lower than it should be. While I can easily remove the forward bolts, the rear bolts face to the rear. Simple task of insert a socket on an extension, right? Well, not so fast.

On the right side, even though it's higher, I can not get the socket to land squarely on the bolt so when I tried to turn it off, the socket will not grasp firmly and there's not enough room under the seat to utilize a wrench. If the passenger side is higher than the drivers side and I'm having trouble getting the bolts out, Houston, I have a greater problem.....

Anyone encounter this problem. Any suggestions as to how to get those bolts out if I can't get under there??

Thanks!

 

[motley1987]

I'll be curious to see a solution since I'm going to be doing the same thing to mine next spring. Are you putting the stock seats back in? I'm hoping to eventually get the rally seats like the ones that are going to be used on the Cougar build on Gearz. Those looked sweet.

Ben

 

[BLDFW]

Yes. Staying stock. The seat covers themselves are in great condition. It's just the drivers side feels incredibly low. Who'd have thought 1-1.5" would make a big difference.

 

[motley1987]

Well if it's any consolation, your problem sounds like every project I work on. If I have 6 bolts to remove 5 will come out with one being stripped or broken off. I think I work at a 75% success rate.

 

[67bigkitty]

This may be stupid but did you slide the seat forward before trying to remove the rear bolts?

 

[BLDFW]

uh..... (he thinks hard trying to figure out how to come out of this one without looking like an idiot....oh....toooo late!....)

Well...no....I thought I would try it the hard way first.

sigh........

 

[BLDFW]

And right there at the bottom of this post is a posting on a similar problem......sigh.......

 

[BLDFW]

Ok...Ok.....still not sure why anyone would want to move the seats forward to get the bolts out but...GEE...it works really really well.

;-)

Duh.

 

[Harvey]

Man I am glad I get a few months to read everyone else's trials and errors before I start mine! That sure sounds like something I would do.

 

[CoolFogMan]

uh..... (he thinks hard trying to figure out how to come out of this one without looking like an idiot....oh....toooo late!....)

Well...no....I thought I would try it the hard way first.

sigh........

Yup, ya gotta slide the seats forward and back so it's easier to get to the bolts and remove 'em! (even more fun is having the power seat track without a working motor and trying to get that out!!! :realmad: )