Bench Seat Replaced with buckets. Brackets/supports needed?

Bronze Barracuda said

Thanks everyone. Yeah Steven, it is a pretty mean split. Maybe one of the previous owners was a heavyweight, or just drove some pretty mean roads.

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It looks like the nut or nuts were loose for awhile and no reinforcement allowed the metal to flex and crack. Possibly. Fix that area and add the plates and you should be good to go.