2005 or newer seat install

Anyone here put 2005 or newer front seats in a 65? If I cut my pans down can I get them in with the power tracks intact? Or do I even need to modify the pans?

Once again changing plans and want to put in seats like in my newer car. I found a set of brand "new" 2005 red leather ones that I think would match well enough.

Come on boys, let me hear from you. I can get these for a hell of a lot less than having my set of Fiero seats covered in custom leather. I've read all kinds of stuff across the web but want to hear from guys I trust. I'm looking for measurements now to do my own analysis but if anyone here has already gone down this path...

If it can be done I would love to add a full power seat to the list of modern upgrades to my car. All these creature comforts going in I might even drive it!

I have always used the 99-04 model seats. The newer ones are wider and fit looks wedged in. Also, the power rack has always set the seat to high for me to use without a sunroof to look out of. I looked into no seat pan and it was tight for me but you do need the support the pan provides. I am sure someone has done it.....with enough work anything will go.

The '05 and up seats use a different mounting mechanism: they are bolted into a sideways set of raised pans rather than vertically through the floor boards. You'll have to do a major amount of modifications, as the raised pan where they bolt is a vertical face. Our current floor pans are angled a bit and are not thick enough to support the bolt by itself.

Does anyone know if the 2005 and 2014 seat share the same mounting?

I looked at the seat in my 2014 and took some measurements. From what would be the flat floor mounting surface in my 65 the top of the front edge of the seating surface is about 9" as set up in the 2014. I think I can drop that a half inch or so. That would make it just a 1/2" taller than my Fiero seat. I have plenty of headroom with it in the car so I think I can make the newer seat work without lowering the pan. As far as modifying it to mount I think I have a way I can do it rather simply using the new seat set-up largely intact.

Anyone have red leather seating in a newer mustang? I haven't seen it in person and would like to get a better idea of the actual color. Hate to trust what it looks like in pic on the computer. A picture next to a common red item would help. Ketchup bottle maybe? IDK. I'm hoping it is a deep but bright cherry red. Hate to have to drive an hour just to see in person. Maybe I can find a used one at a dealer nearby...

All you have to do is just bolt your 65 tracks on and your good to go. We use a very small motor on out power seats, that's how we're able to do it.

Rich, do you have pics of the track bolted on? The visual of where to bolt would be a great help.

Thanks,

Mel

I made my own seat base that I grafted into the seat pan. I cut the seat mounts off the tracks and mounted the track to my base with some button-head bolts to clear everything. Seats fit good and the power works also.

I don't have any pictures, but you only need to drill 2 new holes in the back for your originals to bolt right on. This will also give you around 2 more inches of leg room.

Ryan, That is kind of along the lines I was thinking based on my first look at things. Was it really necessary to graft the homemade base structure so deep into the pan? It looks like you sank it in a couple inches.

mustangstofear said:

I don't have any pictures, but you only need to drill 2 new holes in the back for your originals to bolt right on. This will also give you around 2 more inches of leg room.

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Rich, I had always heard that late model seats could work so easily but I thought the seat design changed on these later models that made the simple method obsolete. Do these latest seats still share the same mounting hole pattern?

Horseplay said:

Ryan, That is kind of along the lines I was thinking based on my first look at things. Was it really necessary to graft the homemade base structure so deep into the pan? It looks like you sank it in a couple inches.

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The new mounting holes are about an inch and a half lower than the stock pan. To use the power seat base, you need as much room as possible. I'm 6'1 and think the height is just right. I'll also be installing one of Rich's headliners to gain some more head room. If you notice, I notched the base in a few spots, the power base has arms that need room to clear when the seat goes up and down, a flat pan like the stock one would not work.

I'm going to go check out the seats either late today or tomorrow. Pretty sure I am going this new route. I sure hope the color is what I expect.

Really appreciate all the pics, Ryan. It will save me the time of trying to engineer it all from scratch. It looks like the stock you used was 1x1" and 1x2", correct? Would seem more than adequate for the job.

Best thing to do is just unbolt the 05 seat tracks and get a measurement, then you'll know for sure.

Horseplay said:

I'm going to go check out the seats either late today or tomorrow. Pretty sure I am going this new route. I sure hope the color is what I expect.

Really appreciate all the pics, Ryan. It will save me the time of trying to engineer it all from scratch. It looks like the stock you used was 1x1" and 1x2", correct? Would seem more than adequate for the job.

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Correct Terry

Nice job on the welding I have a 68 mustang im getting ready to do the same thing what were some things I should expect some trouble with

I basically copied what Ryan did but I added some 1/4" thick plate on top of the tubing that Ryan shows in his photos. I then tacked a Grade 8 nut inside the tubing to accept some Grade 8 button head bolts.



Once you grind off the rivets holding the mounting brackets to the late model seat tracks, there are holes in the seat track that will accept the button head bolts.