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Thread: Help on restoring front seat

  1. #1
    Registered Member Belair-o's Avatar
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    Help on restoring front seat

    Hi,
    I am trying to get the front seat on my 57 2-door hardtop fixed up, and have a few questions:
    1. Are there supposed to be plates on the lower cushion that the seat back stops on the upper cushions will rest on? If so, would you have dimensions on where the plates should be mounted? Pictures would also help.
    2. Would you have dimensions on where the seat back stops are supposed to mount on the upper cushions? Maybe also, pictures?
    3. It looks like the large metal hinge arms on the upper cushions are supposed to be painted battleship gray?
    4. Is the base of the seat, that mounts to the floor, supposed to be painted, and maybe that same gray?
    Hope you can help - thanks, Doug

  2. #2
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    1. The early 57s used the same stops as the 56, but not sure when they switched to the later style. The seat I worked on was an October car and had the 56 stops. Here are the dimensions for the early style





    These are the plates for the later style





    That is the general location and you should be able to find the screw holes. The early style seat will not match the bolt holes for the later style stops.

    3. Battle ship gray is the color

    4. The seat tracks mount to the floor and they were originally cad plated but most people use zinc plating today because not many platers use cadmium anymore. Here is a set on ebay that have been replated, the springs are gloss black. A lot of people just paint them silver.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/262744888061...84.m1586.l2649

  3. #3
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    The seat backs only have the rubber bumper with one screw. You should be able to find the screw hole with these pictures of the late style seat.




  4. #4
    Registered Member Belair-o's Avatar
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    Lee,
    Wow! Thanks for all the answers, the pictures, and the measurements. Your help is just what I needed!
    Thanks! Doug

  5. #5
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    Awesome stuff Lee. It's great that you document stuff like this that hardly anyone knows.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  6. #6
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    Its interesting to see some of the places they carried over parts from the previous year, and I think it was just to use up excess parts they had in stock, I mean more than the parts department would need in the future. I once saw a 57 convertible in a shop for restoration, it was #32 and had 56 dome light switches.

    They didn't use "Just in time parts supply" back then, and they couldn't afford to run out of parts, so it just makes sense. Harold Louisiana documented several parts on the early 55s that were different from the latter cars, but I don't remember if that was because of oversupply or better design.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by LEE T View Post
    Harold Louisiana documented several parts on the early 55s that were different from the latter cars, but I don't remember if that was because of oversupply or better design.
    Is there anywhere out there that one could read up on those differences ? I have an early 55.

  8. #8
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    I think he listed them in his magazine but I don't know if I can find the right one, I'll check on it over the week-end.
    Last edited by LEE T; 12-15-2016 at 04:39 AM.

  9. #9
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    It wasn't so hard to find after all, but the pictures are not so good.








































  10. #10
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    Couple more




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