Camaro buckets into Malibu
+3
dynchel
Wallyuph
thatfnthing
7 posters
Camaro buckets into Malibu
by 76 Malibu Tue Feb 04, 2014 10:26 am
I have a set of Camaro bucket seats from an 80's Camaro. I would like to replace the bench seat from my Malibu with these buckets. I am not a welder and I realize I will have to bring this to someone who can weld. What is the best way to install these seats in a bench seat Malibu? Does anyone have any pics of the brackets that have to be made up so I can show the welder what needs to be done? I want something that looks professional and will be strong and safe.
The seats I have are similar to these ones (although the with custom upholstery).
The seats I have are similar to these ones (although the with custom upholstery).
76 Malibu- G3GM Member
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by Wallyuph Tue Feb 04, 2014 3:16 pm
If you hit up a junk yard and look for a mid 80's-90's power seat track. Take the power seat base. They will look similar to this.
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Most 60/40 seats bases will work also just don't forget to get the control for the seat. If you pull up the carpet you will find the two supply wires that feed the power seat. It will have a harness you can unplug when you need to remove seats in the future, so get the plug also.
" />
I only had to add on to one of the mounting tabs and cut and turn other front tab and they lined right up.Your seat will bolt to the top of the power base. Now for the power seat controls I bent up a piece of tin and mounted to the front of the seat under your knees. This one (pass seat) sticks out a bit more than the drivers seat one did. A little different in pass side base than drives was. The side of the seat is a power recline the power seat base is in the front on the seat.
" />
They have a lot of travel front to back and the power base can make up for the tilt of the floor pans. You can also put spacer in the front of the seat where your seats will bolt to the power base if you want more tilt than the power base will provide. Give me lots of head room and works great for my wife that is shorter than me.
If your going to put buckets in go all out and get the power. Other wise you have to play with spacers to get the pitch right on your brackets.
" />Most 60/40 seats bases will work also just don't forget to get the control for the seat. If you pull up the carpet you will find the two supply wires that feed the power seat. It will have a harness you can unplug when you need to remove seats in the future, so get the plug also.
" />I only had to add on to one of the mounting tabs and cut and turn other front tab and they lined right up.Your seat will bolt to the top of the power base. Now for the power seat controls I bent up a piece of tin and mounted to the front of the seat under your knees. This one (pass seat) sticks out a bit more than the drivers seat one did. A little different in pass side base than drives was. The side of the seat is a power recline the power seat base is in the front on the seat.
" />They have a lot of travel front to back and the power base can make up for the tilt of the floor pans. You can also put spacer in the front of the seat where your seats will bolt to the power base if you want more tilt than the power base will provide. Give me lots of head room and works great for my wife that is shorter than me.
If your going to put buckets in go all out and get the power. Other wise you have to play with spacers to get the pitch right on your brackets.
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by thatfnthing Tue Feb 04, 2014 4:53 pm
And be sure to wire in a 30A breaker, too. 
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by driveit Wed Feb 05, 2014 11:30 am
Is there a good option for non power?
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by Wallyuph Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:29 pm
driveit wrote:Is there a good option for non power?
Cut, weld, test fit Repeat. Cut, weld, test fit Repeat
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by thatfnthing Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:50 pm
Wallyuph wrote:driveit wrote:Is there a good option for non power?
Cut, weld, test fit Repeat. Cut, weld, test fit Repeat
That's what I was thinking, but you put it much more eloquently.
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by Limey SE Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:27 pm
just for the record Second gen camaro is the closest seat Brackets that will work you bolt the front two down but the Backs you have to make new holes
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by driveit Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:19 pm
Sounds good to me. lol. Now to find a welder! Oh and some seats! I've got a set of seats from an olds bravada That I was gonna put in an S10, but never did. I wonder how I could make them work.
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by dynchel Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:26 pm
The one thing no one mentioned is the back out board leg of bench seats bolts to the top of the seatbelt retractor. I have bucket seats out of a '76 cutlass.. They came with the car, the p/o just bolted them to the floor. The were crooked (both leaned toward the center of the car). Currently I have adaptors from a coil spring booster kit under the two front & rear inboard floor mounts to level out the lean (large body washer on the underside). I played around with the mounting and made a adaptor to fit on the seat belt retractor (like the factory bench seat). I'm sure this isn't the best way to do it but it works for me. (and the seats no longer lean to the center of the car)
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by Wallyuph Wed Feb 05, 2014 10:50 pm
That's what I meant by Cut weld test fit repeat. Some time a piece of pipe works great as a spacer as you can cut it to what ever length you need it to be and weld it on your seat. My seat belts were shot so I put in after market ones and put the retractable section in the rear Qtr panel area. I have seat belt anchor plates under the car to bolt the seats to. They are sold at aftermarket seat belts places.
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by driveit Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:38 am
I would like to find an NOS set. Do the buckets for our cars sit on top of the retractor as well?
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by dynchel Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:56 am
Bench seat cars have that setup. Buckets are different.driveit wrote:I would like to find an NOS set. Do the buckets for our cars sit on top of the retractor as well?
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by driveit Thu Feb 06, 2014 1:06 pm
What does the bucket seatbelt setup look like? Anyone got pics?
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by 76 Malibu Fri Feb 07, 2014 1:56 pm
Thanks for all the advice. What I am looking for is if anyone has pics of the actual mounts they made up for the floor pans. I basically want to have an idea of what needs to be fabricated and welded to the floor so I can show the welder what needs to be done. Can the bench seat seatbelts work with the buckets if I still use that rear mount?
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by Limey SE Fri Feb 07, 2014 2:15 pm
driveit wrote:What does the bucket seatbelt setup look like? Anyone got pics?
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by Mcarlo77 Fri Feb 07, 2014 8:08 pm
With all this talk about buckets, keep in mind there were both swivels and std. buckets supplied...depending on GM makes. If memory serves, the outboard rears on std buckets also mounted on top of the seat belt retractor.
Anyway, found a photo of a '75 Cutlass Salon with std buckets showing the front floor mtg points. As you can see, there was nothing special about the inner mtg bracket (welded to the floor).
Inner back mounts were just studs welded into the floor. I can maybe get a pic of that from a Regal floor pan I have.
Anyway, found a photo of a '75 Cutlass Salon with std buckets showing the front floor mtg points. As you can see, there was nothing special about the inner mtg bracket (welded to the floor).
Inner back mounts were just studs welded into the floor. I can maybe get a pic of that from a Regal floor pan I have.
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Re: Camaro buckets into Malibu
by 76 Malibu Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:50 pm
Mcarlo77 wrote:With all this talk about buckets, keep in mind there were both swivels and std. buckets supplied...depending on GM makes. If memory serves, the outboard rears on std buckets also mounted on top of the seat belt retractor.
Anyway, found a photo of a '75 Cutlass Salon with std buckets showing the front floor mtg points. As you can see, there was nothing special about the inner mtg bracket (welded to the floor).
Inner back mounts were just studs welded into the floor. I can maybe get a pic of that from a Regal floor pan I have.
Thanks this is a helpful photo. I'd appreciate the photo of the Regal floor too.
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