installing a console and bucket seats from a bench seat 'bu

tadow15A

New Member
Jul 10, 2012
4
0
0
I recently bought an '80 malibu that had a bench seat and want to convert to a console and buckets but... I need some reference pics on where to weld the shifter for the transmission and the inside bucket seat mounts... any help is greatly appreciated!
 

jsiler

Dragway Regular
Nov 6, 2009
701
0
0
Dayton, OH
Re: installing a console and bucket seats from a bench seat

Not sure I can help with exact measurements,I did this once before and I just went to a car that had the buckets and console and transfered the measurements over to my car.I can tell you that on the transmission hump,up towards the firewall there are three small dimples already on the floor from the factory.That is where the shifter cable goes through.The dimple in the center is for the cable and the two outer dimples are where you put the screws that hold on the rubber boot around the cable.If you are able to lift up the carpet,you should see them.They are not in the center of the hump but more towards the driver side.Im not positive that those dimples are on every gbody made,but they were on the malibu wagon that I installed the buckets in and they are in the malibu that I have now.Maybe that can give you some reference.
 

78_Elky

Pro Stocker
Mar 9, 2005
1,680
0
0
Oregon
smlblk78.onlineshowoff.com
Re: installing a console and bucket seats from a bench seat

If your stock bench seat doesn't have the inner seat mounts (ones near the trans tunnel) then you are in the same boat I was in. I used seats not from an El Camino when I switched to buckets though. I just placed the seats in the car, and tried to get them on the two outer bolts my car had, then I measured where they were going to be near the tunnel. Then I fabricated some mounts and welded them in, I just used a bolt through the mounts I made to mount the seats to. Then once they were in I sat in the seat to decided where I wanted the shifter to end up so it would be comfortable. I had some room to play with inside my console so that is how I did it. Good luck finding the dimples on the floor pan, I never noticed any but then again I wasn't going for a stock looking car.
Jess
 

Mike

Pro Stocker
May 27, 2003
1,709
0
36
New York
Re: installing a console and bucket seats from a bench seat

First off, I would buy a set of new seat and console mounts from Mikes Montes. Take the bucket seat tracks and slide them all the way to the rear. The outside mounts are where they should be so all you have to do is make sure the tracks are equal and position the inner brackets under the bolt holes. I went to a junk yard and looked at a Monte that came with buckets to see which bracket went where. Same with the console.
 

jsiler

Dragway Regular
Nov 6, 2009
701
0
0
Dayton, OH
Re: installing a console and bucket seats from a bench seat

DSC06496.jpg
 

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