Hi ,

Anyone out there that can send me pictures of a fold down seat in the down posiiton showing all teh attqachement points for the partition, the latch, and then possibly removed to show teh hold down brackets welded to the floor? I want to add a fold down to my car and have no reference on what to do.

Thanks

Mike

no one has any photos eh?

Thanks anyway. %Think Ill test fit, tack weld, validate functionality, and weld permienetly. Could use some help on the backing rail and backing photos. Photos of this simply with a fold down seat in the down position would help.

Thanks

Mike

I've got complete interior out at the moment Do you need pic of the floor points only ? Shoot me you email address and I'll shoot all you need.

Mike

Awhile back I think this guy on the PY forum showed all the pics and measurements you're looking for.
I met him at the Pigeon Forge show and took a few pics of his installed but not the floor point measurements.

Oh yea. These pictures help a lot. This site is great! Thanks a lot for taking the time to post them.

Mike

Oh man, thanks for the pics. I am just about to recover the fold down rear seat that I purchased from a fellow site user and I could not figure out how the hinges worked. Pics are very helpful, thank you...

The brackets I have must not be correct as they are more flat and don't have the 90 bend at the end, that would make more sense. Also, did someone say the 68 did not use a latch? If not what held it in the upright position?

68 used a latch as shown in the picture to keep the seat back in the upright position but was not originally painted (as red in the picture). The hinges you can see in the picture are on the seat back itself. What you cannot see in these pictures are the brackets that are welded to the floor which these hinges are attached to.

Hope this helps.

Hmmm, ok maybe those are the brackets that I have (the ones you are saying that are not in the picture). I will have to locate the others and a latch as well. I now live near NPD and I beleive they show then in their catalog. I'll be going there on Monday or Tuesday, thanks!

Ok I now have everything except the brackets that act as the hinge. They are not repopped as far as I can find. If anyone has a pair I would to buy them. If not, I am going to have some made as I have put the seat together, installed everything but I do not have the hinge/brackets. Not a huge issue as I put it down at a show/cruise and then flip it up and latch it when I need to put it up, which is seldom...

I also have a picture of the rear channel which I could not see in the above pictures:

https://firstgenfirebird.org/registry/parts/1968/FoldDownRearSeatChannel/Channel_Complete.jpg
[img]https://firstgenfirebird.org/registry/parts/1968/FoldDownRearSeatChannel/Channel_Complete.jpg[/img]

A picture from an accessory guide:

I would love to see a pic of the hinge pieces. I've yet to actually see these things and what they look like by themselves. I need a pair in a bad way.

Here you go

Has anyone tried installing a rear folddown seat in a Firebird that did not have this factory option. Is this a hard process and what is needed. Do you have to cut off the old hooks that hold the back section of the seat? Anyone have pics on the parts needed to do this, and some advise on the process involved in completing this switch over.

68Firebird400 (Joe) has been all over this...

Check out his photobucket.

Do you have the web address for his site?

Disregard, I found it.. I checked it out, but not much pics on parts needed or process.. Thank you 68tpls400 anyway.

Carlos, What parts do you have now?

I dont have any.. Just wondering what I'll need to add this option. I know it can be done, just wondering what the process is. Does the metal frame attached to the rear of the seat unbolt off with all brackets and attach to the regular seat etc..

I will post a parts list in a moment. I can always take additional pics as well.

Ok, first off you will need to round up a COMPLETE fold down rear seat. If you watch Ebay, becareful and know exactly what you need before you buy anything.

Here's the issue. Some parts are repoped and some are not. I had to purchase 3 fold down seats to complete one a 100%. I then sold off the extra parts.

The post below is in progress. I am trying to think of every part so people will know exactly what they need...

For your conversion:

1) The seat bottom is the same for fold down or not, so the one you have will work just fine. Providing you are starting with a car that does not have the rear fold down seat option and you want to add this option.

2) Remove the seat back and bottom. The tangs that hold the non fold down seat in place will have to be removed.

3) Coupe vs. Conv. are a bit different in regards to the rear fold down seat. The conv. model is a bit narrower so be sure you are buying the correct one for your application.

4) Parts needed for a complete fold down rear seat:
a) Fold down rear seat frame, be sure all of the following are present if you are buying one. Frame, hardboard back (this is what the carpet glues to) and three trim pieces that go at the top of the back side of the seat. In other words, when the seat is in the "down" position, there is a center trim piece and two corners (ends) that will be facing the front seats at the top edge of the carpet. If they are not there, you are screwed, they are not repopped! The carpet is repopped & available.
b) There are also a pair of hinges. THESE CAN BE TOUGH TO FIND as they are not repopped and most likely no one would sell them seperately. Hense the reason I had to buy three seats...
c) Floor brackets ARE repopped and can be welded or bolted in place. I welded mine. They weld to the floor under the seat and receive the hinges as the seat is being installed.
d) You will most likely need a new package tray, they are the same for fold down or non fold down and they are repopped.
e) You will need the vinyl rear seat seperator. Screws to the webbing behind the seat and is exposed when the seat is folded down. Repopped and available.
f) Retaining latch, (67 used clips on both sides) and they are repopped. 68-69 used a latch (repopped). The knob is repopped for this latch as well (same as for your seat adjuster lever I beleive).
g) Rubber bumpers that the seat rests on when in the upright position. Repopped and available.
h) Seat seperator "gutter". Part that gets tack welded or screwed into place and receives the vinyl seperator in part (e) above.
i) Plastic cup for the rubber bumper on the driver's side. Hard to find as someone repops them now and then. Terry has one for me (thanks buddy).
j) There is also a post that screws into the left side of the fold down seat, this post is basically a striker like on the door jamb of your car. It catches the latch on the 68-69. Remember 67 uses a "catch" on both sides, not the latch type. This "striker" is NOT repopped and could be tough to find. Hense the reason I had to buy 3 seats to get one complete.
k) Rear fold down seat cover repopped for standard and deluxe interiors.

All in all this conversion/project is not very difficult. It's finding ALL the parts and pieces. As stated above, some parts are repopped and available, others are not. I did not know what I was getting into with mine as it appeared to me, there was not much to the rear fold down seat option. However, there are many parts and finding some of them can be very difficult.

All in all based on myexperience, I would be prepared to spend about $1,000.00 on this project. You might find a seat on Ebay that says complete etc. for $300-600 but I can tell you first hand there will be additional parts needed. Not too mention they almost always need recovering etc.

All total for me, after buying 3 seats off Ebay, all new repop parts (the ones that were available), new seat covers, carpet etc. I spent about $1300 but able to sell off the left over parts that I did not need therefore I recouped about $300.

So as you can see, this may seem like a simple task, and although the work envolved is not difficult, it's the rounding up of parts that takes time and money...

Hope this helps anyone who may be considering adding a fold down rear seat. Of all the options I have on my car this one for some reason just really has a lot of "wow" factor at cruises/shows.

There are several cool OEM options that were available for the FGF I find them all insteresting. People at cruises/shows typically miss most of them but are really drawn to the fold down seat option.

If anyone can think of a part or a step that I missed in the above post, please post it and I will add it to the list above so we can have a step by step, part by part list for future reference for anyone who might want to tackle this project...

Well I guess you are the expert in this process... I didn't realize it involved so much, but now atleast I know what I'm getting myself into,, Thank you for passing along all this valuable knowledge,, It's very much appreaciated.. I'll keep in touch, if and when I start this project...

No problem. I certainly do not consider myself an expert when it comes to FGF. There are however several on this site lucky for us. This entire hobby has been self taught with the help of the folks on this site. Good luck to you...

Nominating this thread for Hall of Fame.

Wow, I never imagined that I'd be able to contribute at such a level. I feel honored. LOL

Twice if you look at the other topic further down as there is another on the fold down rear seat.

Link Here: 68 Fold Down Rear Seat Picture

Is there a way to combine the two?

Does anyone make the small caps that are on the ends of the top rail. They smooth out the ends with a cruve......Mark

Nope, that very well may be the least likely part you will ever find. I just happened to end up with a full extra set, all three pieces after buying 3 partial seats (all of which claimed to be a complete fold down rear seat). All I can suggest is to watch Ebay and eventually they may pop up.

Way back when, I decided to use my fold down rear seat to turn my trunk into a giant speaker box:

I have an entire black '67 fold down seat assembly for sale if anyone is interested. I have EVERYTHING for a complete installation. The black covers are even nice enough to use as is if you don't want to re-cover them. Black divider panel and clips, screws, hinges, etc all included

Will physically fit and work for '68 and '69 as well, but the latch is technically correct for '67 only.

PM me if interested. I'd rather not ship, but that could be worked out.

That's not a giant speaker box. Now dis bee a giant speaker box. Back in the hair-band days when I looked like I belonged in a hairband, it would make the hair vibrate. It still would. The problem is that I don't have the hair to vibrate.

Hell. Why not? This car was a deulx parchment w/rear fold down seat. I threw away the back seat, and all hardware; chunked it in the dumpster at work because I couldn't give it away.

The real cardnal sin? I threw away the origional-issue TX plates that were on the car because they were so nasty. Now that was dumb as rocks.