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Belair-o
12-12-2016, 06:00 AM
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

LEE T
12-12-2016, 12:50 PM
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

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/Forum%20photos/d6d0b4f7-48d2-4199-bb91-28bed2b7c8f9_zpsx4sqrvsn.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/Forum%20photos/100_2639_zpshozlb5lg.jpg

These are the plates for the later style

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/Forum%20photos/c786600e-585b-42f7-aaba-44a2b5451423_zpstafgsgfh.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/Forum%20photos/589ca711-41b3-44eb-a6e5-60e6ff6d0301_zps9dlkjynk.jpg

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?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649

LEE T
12-12-2016, 03:06 PM
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.

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/Forum%20photos/f9b26e52-9000-47b2-8520-800aad5ec976_zpsa2efyh8q.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/Forum%20photos/65495d16-8c5d-4181-b9a3-66c78b076b77_zpslurcajav.jpg

Belair-o
12-13-2016, 06:23 AM
Lee,
Wow! Thanks for all the answers, the pictures, and the measurements. Your help is just what I needed!
Thanks! Doug

chevynut
12-13-2016, 07:23 AM
Awesome stuff Lee. It's great that you document stuff like this that hardly anyone knows. ;)

LEE T
12-13-2016, 09:18 AM
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.

Rustaddict
12-14-2016, 04:28 PM
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.

LEE T
12-14-2016, 05:17 PM
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.

LEE T
12-15-2016, 05:06 AM
It wasn't so hard to find after all, but the pictures are not so good.

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/c4a9441e-9b58-4271-b14b-59106fd7d85f_zps6fd20hsk.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/c9644923-058c-428f-811b-d3ab7f96de5f_zpsq7phbi6d.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/67f73267-e02c-4d83-954f-ca6262fb02ee_zpsmyex1qdg.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/3bbce292-b3ea-49f8-bff9-476b2d1d7bbb_zpsn13v5iki.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/d1ada249-7834-44c1-8427-aa4bcc24b591_zps3w0zwgpd.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/196170e8-82e5-4223-9879-3fbe00c0e906_zpsqavc9nc6.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/c4c65e38-40f5-4888-8563-c9438b2df68f_zpsu2vxraw7.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/2b2df155-c53a-4f9c-8784-e3d0947eb709_zpsu4q8geai.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/01908475-1a26-4296-8036-0e517e7b09ac_zpsjastrkql.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/1b188e8a-31ca-4ab5-a653-5c9a64bb33dd_zpswgmwskie.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/b3f15f5d-f841-4372-81ea-94255ffe4ada_zpsnw0wz4uu.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/ca458fba-2d42-4be6-88a4-5bb19c6c3fe9_zpsmzpgx9lk.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/c6742c6d-3ef2-465a-8dbd-73432199c35e_zpspdg1ljsl.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/9addd89c-db38-48cc-8552-49bbeeb4c671_zpsbaiidejl.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/eb59ca17-c63f-4317-a303-852789659830_zpsjr8uayon.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/946660d1-549b-4627-ac53-b110b606c2c2_zpshj11epeh.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/9638e2ee-8d98-43a3-8081-9902e8b1b186_zps5kusanr9.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/1cd5a85f-e482-49bb-869f-020ae63b2d7b_zpstvqaf5a2.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/ff5dc15d-4976-4e2c-91ed-3a38b20e1129_zpsof5afjde.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/7a84ba77-f96f-40fb-81e3-2a9587018a3e_zpstzeqnpqf.jpg

LEE T
12-15-2016, 05:11 AM
Couple more

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/7687500d-6318-4228-90b4-28d8463f76df_zpsdzbj1rrg.jpg

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx119/from7/55%20Chevy%20early%20changes/e2e5985f-1cb9-4da6-8f8a-3c475e707896_zpszfj7qcrs.jpg

BamaNomad
12-15-2016, 06:12 AM
Lee, you went to a lot of effort to photograph/scan Harold's book for these photos and comments... :) Thanks from all of us..

chevynut
12-15-2016, 06:31 AM
Pretty interesting stuff Lee.

One other not so well-known fact is that there were actually 3 different frame types made, I assume, by three different manufacturers. AO Smith was one of the frame manufacturers but I don't know who the other ones were.

Most everyone knows about the two frame types, 2-piece and seamless which are obviously different in looks and construction. However, there is another type of 2-piece frame that had welds instead of rivets in some places, and the front frame horns were different in construction.

I'm sure none of these things were a big deal at the time, but it's interesting to look back on them now. It probably affects only those who want to do a 1000 point restoration. ;)

Rustaddict
12-15-2016, 04:45 PM
Thanks for posting! I have an early car that has the wiring harness under the battery box and the cowl drains that are clamped in place.