Finally got around to pulling apart the fold down seat I bought last year. Wow, I have my work cut out for me. I really hadn't intended on working this hard on it but I'll just have to make the best of a bad purchase. That's what I get for not looking at it better before I bought it. Buyer beware and all that.

Was that brought up from the Titanic?

Do you have the back board part and trim pieces? If not, you are in for a serious search as I have NEVER seen anyone selling them seperate nor are they repopped...

Bury that puppy, she is done!

No, I have all the parts.
If it were somebody elses I might agree but I love a challenge. Heck I'll put it back together with old bed springs if I have to. They don't call it hotrodding for nothing.

I have the fold down seat as well so if you need pics / measurements just ask away!

Good to know Gus, thanks. I probably will take you up on that one of these days.

There is an entire thread dedicated to the fold down rear seat:

https://firstgenfirebird.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=102531#Post102531

I had to buy 3, yes 3, fold downs in order to build one complete. I then sold off all the extra parts. Of all the rare options I had on my car, this was my favorite. Totally useless, but totally cool! Kinda like the ram air pans... LOL

It kept my beer safe in the trunk until we needed it.
We also laid our skis inside the car because of the fold down seat.

You must have had really short skis. Or else you opened up the cardboard back to the trunk...?

Yes, the cardboard was always just sitting on the ledge. Just feed the skis thru the trunk on top of the fold down.
I even had it setup that I could pop off the top of the passenger seat top so I could lay 2x4's inside from the h/w store!

Quite the project Bob, but I'm sure you'll sort it out in no time!
B!

Well I have most of the structure worked out now. Springs are all in and I just put the first layer over the back last night. Got the frame all de-rusted, rebuilt and painted. Next is the padding. I think they used 2" cotton batting orig. I may go with some synthetic pad this time. Got my floor brackets from Ames yesterday. Couple little issues but I should be able to adjust them with a BFH and use them. Got the new PUI cover set and the carpet for the back too. I'll post some pics tonight. Should be going in soon.

I assume when it goes in that the cover moulding that runs along the top of the back is supposed to sit on top of the package tray. Anybody know if this is correct?

gus68... shame on you... go buy a pick up truck if you need to hall 2x4's LMAO

Me soray massaa, me just a grasshoper! LOL

Hey Gus, when you install the seat into the car, do the hinges sit flat against the floor brackets or do you have to tighten the nuts to suck it down into place? The aftermarket plates that I just got don't have a deep enough hump for the nub to fit in and allow the hinge to lay all the way down. It didn't come with a stud either so I'll have to work them a bit anyway.

I took some pics tonight and will upload them in the morning.

The tongue on the hinge fits in a sleeve in the floor support and then the bolt already attached to the support feeds thru a hole in the hinge. You tighten down the hinge to the support by tightening a nut on the bolt.

My description of the floor plates wasn't very good so here's a pic of what I was saying.
Also a couple of the progress so far.

Here are some pics ...

Looking great Bob! This is going to be a good reference thread with the additional pix! Thanks!

Brett!

Wow looks nice! I just love the look of a fold down in these cars!

It's coming along. I had to take a break for the wedding and the track but I'll get back to it this weekend. Now that I have my car home I can weld in the floor brackets. I'll take lots of pics because my memeory is so bad that after it's all back together I won't remember what I did or how I did it.

Couple more pics from this weekend.

Getting there.

Very nice!

Anybody know how much gap is supposed to be in between the top of the package tray and the overhanging lip of the top moulding on the back of the seat? Seems like if I mount it too low it will have issues with the botoom half.

Seems to me they were about flush with one another from what I can remember.

Well, if you think about it, the latch position is already predetermined by the mounting holes in the web and the striker post is already predetermined in the seat back. So there really is no way to "adjust" the up and down height of the seat back...

It can be adjusted right now because I don't have the latch to use as a guide. Besides the holes in the body sheet metal are slotted vertically. So there is a bit of adjustment there. It would be easier with the latch though, if had it. I had it mounted in but there was 1 1/4" gap. Just looked like too much to me.

I would wait till you have the latch. Once the latch is mounted as mentioned above, it will more or less set the stage so to speak of where the seat will rest...

I wish I was that patient.

The top molding should be just above the top of the seat to provide protection for the seat cover. That way when you drop the seat down the molding will hit the seat back before it can harm the upholstery.

Can you post a pic with the back up through the back window? I need to know how far above the package tray the moulding sits. A measurement would be great.

I'm about to order the rest of the pieces that I need to finish this thing off.

I need to know if I need one of those latch trim pieces or two?
(Classic Ind)
Product # C455251
1968-69 F-BODY FOLD DOWN

I thought it only got one on the left side under the rubber bumper but that isn't the latch side so why would they call it a latch trim plate? Seem like a lot of dough for a little piece of plastic.

I do not recognize that part.

You only use one, on the driver's side rubber bumper...

I believe you need two of the trim pieces, They go up in the corners of the trunk divider panel under the catches. If you notice on the trunk divider panel there are two cutouts in the upper corners, these trim pieces cover that cutout on two sides, the bottom and the inner side. I have a fold down in my vert, best useless thing I ever put on the car...always get comments on it. Yes that is alot of cash for that little trim piece.Also I have latchs on both sides as the seat has little chrome plates that the catchs latch against on both sides of the seat.

You have the 67 then. It's a bit of a different setup than the 8-9. Wonder why they refer to it as the latch trim if it doesn't go on a latch? My guess is they did use it to go around the clip/latches that were on the 7s and just kept it on the one side to cover up the cutout around the bumper on the driver side on the 8s and 9s.
I'm tempted to just make something to take it's place. That is too crazy for a little piece of plastic.

Yes, that is correct, 67 used two because the 67 did not have a latch, they used "catches" on both sides, therefore a trim piece was used behind each "catch"...

I didn't know 8 and 9 were different. You learn something new every day I guess.