Bucket seat tracks

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ConfusedMuchOfTheTime

ConfusedMuchOfTheTime

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Hi everyone
I'm looking for bucket seats for my '69 Dart as it came without. A pair of what are claimed to be '68 Barracuda buckets have come up locally minus the tracks; and are factory hemi fixed brackets which I'm not interested in long term. I've read alot about the inter-compatibility of '68 and '69 seat cores/frames and tracks and wanted to get some confirmation to what I've read if I can please. Am only considering '68 and '69 components as I understand there was a lot of same same btw these two years.
  1. Are '68 and '69 A-Body seat cores/frames identical across years and Dodge/Plymouth ?
  2. Are '68 and '69 A and B-Body seat tracks identical ? If I could locate say a set of B-Body '68 tracks, will they fit a set of A-Body seat cores ?
  3. Is there any core/frame difference between seat trims ? My trim is Rallye and the seats for sale are trimmed as Standard and I am hoping I can get a set of Legendary Rallye cushions on the frame no problem.
Thank you for any help here.
 
Popcorn emoji means I will get notified when people who know what they are talking about reply.
 
ConfusedMuchOfTheTime said:
Hi everyone
I'm looking for bucket seats for my '69 Dart as it came without. A pair of what are claimed to be '68 Barracuda buckets have come up locally minus the tracks; and are factory hemi fixed brackets which I'm not interested in long term. I've read alot about the inter-compatibility of '68 and '69 seat cores/frames and tracks and wanted to get some confirmation to what I've read if I can please. Am only considering '68 and '69 components as I understand there was a lot of same same btw these two years.
  1. Are '68 and '69 A-Body seat cores/frames identical across years and Dodge/Plymouth ?
  2. Are '68 and '69 A and B-Body seat tracks identical ? If I could locate say a set of B-Body '68 tracks, will they fit a set of A-Body seat cores ?
  3. Is there any core/frame difference between seat trims ? My trim is Rallye and the seats for sale are trimmed as Standard and I am hoping I can get a set of Legendary Rallye cushions on the frame no problem.
Thank you for any help here.
Click to expand...
So I just went through this on my beast (because I bought a 'friggin basket case) with NO seats / tracks.

1. Are '68 and '69 A-Body seat cores/frames identical across years and Dodge/Plymouth ?
A. Only A body (yes Dodge/Plymouth) and B body seat frames (68/69) are shared.
2. Are '68 and '69 A and B-Body seat tracks identical ? If I could locate say a set of B-Body '68 tracks, will they fit a set of A-Body seat cores ?
A. No. A and B body tracks are different. However you will probably have luck with 67 A body tracks...been told this from a great source of info.
3. Is there any core/frame difference between seat trims ? My trim is Rallye and the seats for sale are trimmed as Standard and I am hoping I can get a set of Legendary Rallye cushions on the frame no problem.
A. No difference in the core between std and deluxe. Be aware the headrest hardware will need to follow the seat.

Hope this helps. Do you have the back seat? Are you a vert or hardtop? Be aware rear frame on a vert is hard to find (ask me how I know)...
 
Similar deal with me but most of the missing parts are attainable and interchangeable with Chrysler Australia models of the same era and of course eBay, Classic, RockAuto, YearOne Legendary etc etc.

Tell you what though, finding these missing buckets and tracks is HARD but I have time as it's early days in the build and will be the toughest to locate and likely ship.

Ok, so as I was thinking too, I will stick to the A-Body platform but consider '68 and '69 years as interchangeable with the possibility of using '67 tracks. I'm not sure if my car came with headrests as I don't have the seats. I suspect it did as I think headrests were a legal thing from 01-01-1969. I have a vert, and a pair of '68 seat and backseat pieces. The rear backseat has the boot sewn in. So, my rear is good and it's just these damn front buckets which are causing the most pain but I'll get there.

What do you mean by the vert rear frame ? Is that the cross member piece the rear backseat pushes up against and the top motor sits on ? If so, yep all there.

Thanks for your insight. Every bit helps.
 
The vert rear seat (frame) is unique. If you have one, great! I found one (stumbled onto) after searching for 8 months at a auction in Nebraska. It IS interchangeable with one from a 67-69 fish /dart convertible. Many are rusted out. There was one on eBay but shipping will be murder.

You are very correct headrests were mandated for cars built after the new calendar year 1969.

I do have an extra set of bucket seat rails. Shipping would be a killer. They are not really in the best shape. I was going to take them out of the boxes again post pictures and put them on here.
 
Attached is a photo of what I have. You can see my car is a permanent vert atm as the top and rear window are rotted out. My frame is in good shape. I figure it wouldn't be too hard to build in the adjustments needed on non-headrest bucket seat back frames for headrests, a few internal frame brackets here and there to satisfy the inspectors.

If my local guy with '68 fish frames checks out then I will be looking for the tracks so please post pics of yours. I'm just wearing the shipping as it's part and parcel of restoring a US Mopar down this way and my rig is a pretty clean CA car fortunately.

2022-11-23 09_00_06-Messenger.png
 
One of the quirks of the 67-69 Dart Convertible is how many parts are identical to a 67-69 Barracuda Convertible — more so than the coupes. Oddly, although the Dart has a 3-inch longer wheelbase, and the extra length is in the rear seat area, nevertheless the top frame, top, side glass, quarter glass, rear interior panels, rear seat top and bottom frames are all interchangeable with the Barracuda.

1967 A-body bucket seats have a hard shell on the back, which is why the seat parts aren't interchangeable with later years. But I can't see why the tracks would be different. You can certainly swap an entire seat assembly between the years.
 
My bet is you could scower the wrecking yards for old cars of the day and find other brand or other Mopar seat slides and retrofit them to fit.
 
Dana67Dart said:
My bet is you could scower the wrecking yards for old cars of the day and find other brand or other Mopar seat slides and retrofit them to fit.
Click to expand...
Most of the yards in the mid Atlantic region have been picked clean of anything pre mid 80s for years. I suspect it's fairly similar across the country.
 
DentalDart said:
To clarify - The seat track are the same 67-9 darts, but my seat covers and foam for my 69 dart will not fit a 67 seat frame?
Click to expand...
Correct. The 68/69 seats have a few differences that the 67’s don’t have. The buns are thicker, they have a Masonite like back cover that is covered in the vinyl seat material, unlike the 67 seats which have a metal back cover with stainless trim, and lower metal seat trim with a stainless trim, which the seat adjuster lever comes through. The 69/69 seats also have black handles on the seat adjuster levers, 67’s are chrome, and the seat backs of the 68/69 seats lock in place, whereas the 67 seats don’t have a lock and tip forward without latching.
 
cosgig said:
Correct. The 68/69 seats have a few differences that the 67’s don’t have. The buns are thicker, they have a Masonite like back cover that is covered in the vinyl seat material, unlike the 67 seats which have a metal back cover with stainless trim, and lower metal seat trim with a stainless trim, which the seat adjuster lever comes through. The 69/69 seats also have black handles on the seat adjuster levers, 67’s are chrome, and the seat backs of the 68/69 seats lock in place, whereas the 67 seats don’t have a lock and tip forward without latching.
Click to expand...

The backs of the 67s are metal? That’s cool.

I didn’t know all the differences between them. I have a 69 with buckets and just got another 69 without front seats but it has brand new foams and seat covers for bucket fronts….

I found a 67 gt relatively close that I was going to see if I could buy the seats (love the emblems in the 67 seats), front grill, all the gt badges and rear trunk panel.
 
DentalDart said:
The backs of the 67s are metal? That’s cool.

I didn’t know all the differences between them. I have a 69 with buckets and just got another 69 without front seats but it has brand new foams and seat covers for bucket fronts….

I found a 67 gt relatively close that I was going to see if I could buy the seats (love the emblems in the 67 seats), front grill, all the gt badges and rear trunk panel.
Click to expand...
Yep, they’re metal, and they have a vinyl coating on them.
 
cosgig said:
Yep, they’re metal, and they have a vinyl coating on them.
Click to expand...

Bet the metal lasts way longer with the kids kicking the back of the seats. My 69 seat backs are all kinds of bumped and bent up, they didn’t start in amazing shape to begin with though.
 
The 67 seat back while being metal is thin, and if kicked most likely will dent.

I'm in a similar boat.

Buddy and I picked up a 67 Dart convert that was picked clean of the common parts. The unobtainium parts were all there. Go figure!

I'm researching bucket seats for it I found:

  1. 66 and 67 A body use the same seat frame
  2. 67 A and B body are the same seat frame as well
  3. 66 - 67 A and 67 B seat hard trim is similar, but the B has wider chrome at the top of the metal back.
  4. Obviously the upholstery is unique per car and year and trim package.
  5. As for slides (in this post) it looks like 67 -69 A body slides are interchangeable.
66 A body seats narrow chrome

Screenshot_20230306-220445.png



67 A body GT seats narrow chrome
Screenshot_20230306-215519.png


Screenshot_20230306-215544.png

67 B body seats wide chrome
Screenshot_20230306-215855.png



By the way ledendary has bucket seat spring kits.

I thought I saw that they also had reproduction seat frames.
https://www.legendaryautointeriors.com/?s=68+69+dodge+a+body+seat+frame&post_type=product
 
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Sweet I’ll have to look more into aftermarket reproductions if I can’t find anything. I have time to collect parts as the dart is a long ways away from needing the seats. Except… if I did. Have seats I could reupholster them and use em as garage chairs lol.
 
DentalDart said:
I found a 67 gt relatively close that I was going to see if I could buy the seats (love the emblems in the 67 seats), front grill, all the gt badges and rear trunk panel
Click to expand...
How much for the whole thing.
 
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