seat situation

In my opinion, I would keep the original low back seats. I just think the Highbacks would look goofy on my ECJ with no roll bar. As far as safety is concerned, Im considering my JEEP to be like most would consider a motorcycle. Yes some jackass may run you off the road while yacking into their cellphone, or will run right into your rear end at a red. But I accept the responsibilities and consequences of driving my 40 year old jeep and keeping the original low backs. Besides what good are the highbacks going to do for you if that 3k pound beast rolls over on you without a roll bar?

Its a lifestyle- I think thats why most of us choose to drive these old jeeps. If I wanted to be perfectly safe, I guess I can always jump on a TJ with airbags, ABS, full hard doors and hard top. Hell If im going that far, I can just buy a car [No not really] Who says that? I say that.

 

We have boneyards here.
I am hoping for some heated seats myself

 

What Sparky said....


I might get smarter in the future and get shoulder belts, high backs, etc., but safety really isn't my main concern (outside of preventing a rollover from overdoing the skinny pedal on an obstacle because the seats bounced me forward).

I agree on the motorcycle simile.

 

Yea I agree, If you had a full roll cage the high backs wont look bad at all.

 

Here is the best pic I could quickly find in the trail rides gallery. Mine's the one on the left that actually looks funny with vintage 60/40's under a cage

 

I really like its utilitarian looks.

 

Huh?
Doesn't look funny to me.

But then I'm old, decrepid, blind, and taller than my hair. What do I know?

 

Taller than your hair? That's funny R)

I like the looks of the tall buckets in jeeps. Only a humble opinion though

Sorry, that wasn't the question. Go with the easiest-on-you alternative be it price or looks. Recovering the early 5 seats would probably be the route that I would take.

 

My bucket seats in the 68 came out of a Hundai. They are grey fabric with a head restraint. they fit well and give good support.

 

The 60/40 has the coolest look by far to me.

If you don't like the coil springs just have them take the springs out and install foam in their place. If I'd had a set of 60/40's for old Nixon that's what I'd have done for sure.

I liked the Bestop seats OK but they weren't as comfortable as the originals in my opinion.

I'd vote recover the 60/40s and have them modified with foam fill if necessary.

 

In the 70's our family owned a 1966 CJ5 nearly stock except we removed the original low seats and installed a pair of bucket, high back with head rest seats from a wrecked 70's volvo 2dr sedan (I think). Although the seats tipped forward, it was difficult to climb across to sit out back, but the seats were sure comfy for driving. We installed the volvo rails onto two pieces of highway sign steel post like _/-\_ welded on 3 corners. I remember the guy doing the welding was not at all keen on welding the forth spot right next to the gas tank.

Douglas..

 

I've been trying to avoid using street sign posts as a construction material in my JEEP

 

That's my thoughts, I've got a full cage but if I lay this thing down on its side it won't do me a ton of good if I can swing out and whack my head on a rock. From what I'm gathering there's really no easy swap for high back seats with a shoulder strap. I'll have to look at doing some fabrication then.

 

look at Boyink's setup for seatbelt ideas...

http://www.boyink.com/supersizedutch_comments/883_0_9_0_C/

 

Hmmm.... That's some food for thought, I was considering hooking the shoulder belt into the upright on the cage.

 

if you decide to do away with your 60/40 seats, please let me know as I would be interested in them

 

Well, I kinda did away with them. They are sitting in my garage now, but I haven't really decided what I am going to do with them. I have another JEEP that they might look good in, but that "project" is still a year or two away.

Sorry to waffle, but I just can't make up my mind. My wife tells me I need to get rid of something (I have a set of original low-backs sitting next to the 60-40's), and I am currently using the intermediate low backs in my '68.

 

Mike, I found the intermediat low-backs to be very comfortable. At the time I weighed about 170 and am 5'9" tall, so average build. If you're built like that, you may like them too.

That said, for my second Jeep I bought Bostrom high-backs with nifty arm rests, because that's what the boss (Brian C.) used in the Baja racers. I liked them a lot, but I doubt they were worth the extra $400 (1975 $) I paid for them. Pretty darn comfy if you spent a lot of time in the saddle though.

What have you decided, anything? The 60/40 seats are quite spartan IIRC.