forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
+2
Grand73am
74MonteCarlo
6 posters
forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Hey folks,i'm removing my 75 s3 furniture so i can replace the full floorpan and i need a refresher on the best way to yank the rear seat without damaging anything.Many years ago i seem to remember just pulling up really hard on the 73 chevelle bottom seat to get it loose and it worked fine but i don't want to risk damage on the s3.Can someone tell me the correct proc edure? Thanks.
fishhead- G3GM Member
- Street Cred : 3
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Remove seat belt retractors- use a breaker bar & the correct "Torqs" bit. Pay attention to how the belts & hardware are "stacked" for reinstall. Other than that there are only two other bolts @ the front of the lower bench section between the floor pan & where the seat rests on the "shelf".
77mali- Donating Member
- Street Cred : 62
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Mali is correct for removing the upright seat. If you have a Southern car, those T50 Torx bolts probably won't give you much trouble. If it's from the Rust Belt, they can be brutal to remove. Then, just lift up on the seat to unhook it at the top. They can sometimes be stubborn, but work it a little and it will come up and off.
The lower seat is held in place by a bolt on either end...underneath the front of the seat.
The lower seat is held in place by a bolt on either end...underneath the front of the seat.
Mcarlo77- Donating Member
- Street Cred : 78
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Mcarlo makes a good point- if there's a lot of rust be careful or you might strip the torx head on the bolt. You may also want to have an extension handy for the breaker bar also to help with leverage. Mine were a @#$!% nightmare to get out.
77mali- Donating Member
- Street Cred : 62
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
It's also easy to break that torx socket completely apart. That happened to us once on a parts car. My dad got to break out of of his favorite tools to get the bolts off. His air chisel. Just chiseled the bolts away.
74MonteCarlo- G3GM Fanatic
- Street Cred : 17
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Thanks fellas,i'm getting back to what i love after many years of "life happens".I recently got the 75"rustbucket" laguna S3 because the price was right and the body is pretty straight considering that it was stored outdoors for many years.The grill and all exterior chrome is in great shape but the interior is pretty shot.As for my 73 malibu coupe i'm still searching for a factory hood.I lost the original because the house it was stored in was completely destroyed during that alabama tornado outbreak.
fishhead- G3GM Member
- Street Cred : 3
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Yes, for removing the seat bottom, look or feel for a bolt on each side that is under the front bottom edge of the seat bottom. Remove the 2 bolts and just pull the seat bottom forward and out.
Grand73am- G3GM Newbie
- Street Cred : 0
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Thanks for the help,I'm soaking the mounting bolts on the front buckets with penetrating lube..so far so good.I might hafta grind one off the drivers seat..it looks like it came off the ocean floor...kinda shapeless..
fishhead- G3GM Member
- Street Cred : 3
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Is it ok to remove the bottom of the rear seat first or is there a certain sequence to follow?Sounds silly but I don't like to destroy semi-rare (expensive)parts and its been many years since I've done this.I removed the 2 bolts and just want to be sure there aren't any hidden clips or such when I start yanking the bottom portion loose.Thanks for being a great help everybody,I'll try to send pics soon.
fishhead- G3GM Member
- Street Cred : 3
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Is it ok to remove the bottom of the rear seat first or is there a certain sequence to follow?Sounds silly but I don't like to destroy semi-rare (expensive)parts and its been many years since I've done this.I removed the 2 bolts and just want to be sure there aren't any hidden clips or such when I start yanking the bottom portion loose.Thanks for being a great help everybody,I'll try to send pics soon.
fishhead- G3GM Member
- Street Cred : 3
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
If I remember right I took the bottom out first , it just lifts up after the bolts are out. Shouldn't be too hard.
77mali- Donating Member
- Street Cred : 62
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Yep, GM didn't exactly over-engineer these seats. With the two front bolts out, the seat will easily pull out. Then, as we discussed previously, the real fun begins in removing the retractor bolts (if they are rusty) so you can release the upper seat. If you have an impact wrench, try "burping" them back and forth to see if you can loosen them. If you use a socket (Torx50), be very careful to not let it slip while you're muscling them. All it takes is a few slips and you've rounded out the inside of the head enough that you'll never get a bite on them again. Guys at the yards put some heat to the threads of the bolts (underneath the car) to remove them.
Mcarlo77- Donating Member
- Street Cred : 78
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Yup,had some fun drilling a large hole in the head of one bolt..It popped right off with a little crowbar work between the retractor and floorboard runner.These rust-bucket restos are great for innovative thinking.
fishhead- G3GM Member
- Street Cred : 3
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Mcarlo77 wrote:Yep, GM didn't exactly over-engineer these seats. With the two front bolts out, the seat will easily pull out. Then, as we discussed previously, the real fun begins in removing the retractor bolts (if they are rusty) so you can release the upper seat. If you have an impact wrench, try "burping" them back and forth to see if you can loosen them. If you use a socket (Torx50), be very careful to not let it slip while you're muscling them. All it takes is a few slips and you've rounded out the inside of the head enough that you'll never get a bite on them again. Guys at the yards put some heat to the threads of the bolts (underneath the car) to remove them.
^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^
Words to live by
but if they do get stripped (& you have a compressor) 74montecarlo has the right idea w/ the air chisel. Wish I had one back when I did mine. You have to be careful with that though or you'll deform the threads and or bolt hole & then have to tap them (not the end of the world but I'd try my hardest to avoid it).
I ended up using a drill & masonry drill bit on the bolt head to install a "broken bolt removal tool"...not fun. Just be careful & take your time & it'll work out.
77mali- Donating Member
- Street Cred : 62
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
The torx bolts are specific to the seatbelts they go too.They arent all the same so pay attention to that too.
ant7377- G3GM Addict
- Street Cred : 36
Re: forgot how to remove 73-77 rear seat
Will do!Thanks.I got the bottom rear seat out smooth and easy but I think the top is gonna be a royal p.i.t.a...I seem to remember it requires a little extra back muscle.
fishhead- G3GM Member
- Street Cred : 3
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