Just kind of curious as to how comfortable people find the stock original seat. After a long day of driving your Cuda or Challenger, are you ready to go out dancing :banana: or hobble into your house and flop on the couch. I really do plan on putting quite a few miles on my car. I'm just a hair under 6 feet tall if that matters.
I just finished a multi-thousand mile trip in a 70 Challenger with really nicely restored stock seats. Averaged about eight hours a day for a week. No problems really. We actually had a conversation about how it may be better to sit on seats with lots of wiggle room as opposed to modern seats that hold you in more restrictive positions. I will say there was plenty of moisture on your back and butt with those vinyl seats in those hot desert situations.
https://forum.e-bodies.org/cuda-and-challenger-general-discussion-roseville-moparts/2/vanishing-point-50th-anniversary-run/18220/
I'm 5'11" BTW
I drove 42 hrs straight across Canaduh in mine & no issue , they are comfortable but I was younger when I did that , you can add a bit more padding & support along the edges under the stock covers as well .
Hyundai Tiberon seats are a great upgrade if you want to change the seats .
On long drive being forced to sit in one position like a race seat can be uncomfortable .
I am just over 6' tall but 160 lbs
I'm 33 and find the seats to not be very comfortable at all. My other problem is no form of an arm rest unless the window is down and you can hang your arm on it.
Comes with the territory, however.
I would say that a 2 or 3 hour limit, is about the max.
We are all different in size, weight, and lower back. Which is often a factor.
I have a 2015 Vette and my 70 Cuda seats are way more comfortable.
How comfortable do you want them? Mine wrap around me, caress me, massage my back, and whisper sweat nothings into my ear. LOL. I don't ever recall having an issue with mine. I think the furthest I drove it was from Marin county to San Francisco, well, I attempted to then it broke down part way there. LOL. But seriously, Never bothered me, never had an issue, at 19-21. Being 50 now, who knows. LOL
I went cross country in my 70 challenger R/T, no problem. My 70 Gran Coupe seams even more comfortable. :yes:
Quote from: Topcat on September 27, 2020, 06:48:38 PM
I would say that a 2 or 3 hour limit, is about the max.
We are all different in size, weight, and lower back. Which is often a factor.
I couldn't agree with this more plus add "age" to the mix. At 64 my parts are wearing out and after a 3 hour cruise I have a bit of a struggle getting out of the car and it does take a few moments to get moving normally.
For me they're decent for a 3 or 4 hour drive without a break and another similar stint after that. I guess it's a personal thing. New seat foam is a must when redoing the seats if you want any comfort.
Longest trip was to Orange County and back to SF Bay Area(820 miles r/t) in my 70 Roadrunner convertible with 383, 4-spd, bucket seats, console, etc. No issues. :banana: Had the top down the whole time. The seat was restored/reupholstered and drove non-stop each way. Didn't want to sit down for a while after getting there. LOL
I'm 6-1 weigh 280, not comfortable. My father 5-6 weights 130 his challenger is great for him. I do still like driving my 70 Cuda; however, I have to stop on long drives to stretch.
I put new foam and leather covers in my 1970 Challenger and they are great. The leather is more comfortable than the vinyl was. Cooler and breaths much better.
I did the Hot Rod power tour drove 3000 miles in one week I was 40 I thought it was pretty comfortable I did roll up a small towel and put it between back and seat for lumbar support
To me they are comfortable enough, little lacking in the lumbar, BUT they offer no support for 'spirited' driving. Go around a corner with any speed and you have to hold yourself in the seat by having a firm grip on the wheel.
With the GS-1 Sportsman seats I put in, the seats holds you in place, and makes the driving more fun.
For me it is not about comfort, they are OK. But the lack of side support is a pain and limits more spirited driving IMHO.
I didn't find them comfortable at all. Mind you to be fair, they were old. Driving to Carlisle ( 7 1/2 hours driving time each way) I needed a chiropractor by the time I got there. I tossed them and went with Hyundai Tiberon leather seats and really like them. MUCH more comfortable and adjustable. Also took the opportunity to mount them further back as I found driving with my legs at a 45 degree angle and using the sides of my foot to brake and accelerate also most uncomfortable. Seems like they were mounted for the Roloff 's
I had some additional foam added to mine and I find them quite comfortable for an afternoon drive. After an all day trip my butt cheeks are feeling it. The biggest issue is that the vinyl doesn't breathe and they become sweaty.
5'10" 220...
The seats are a little menacing on my back, I'm 41 now, bad back, the stock seats feel like they recline back too far for me, I've got longer legs and shorter arms, T-Rex? I don't know
I just ordered some new seats that are on their way now, they resemble Factory but have more side bolster and they recline, I'm taking a stab at the dark with the U since I didn't see any bad reviews about them, but I didn't see any reviews at all really about them.
Here is a picture comparison, I wanted something that didn't look too crazy aftermarket or out of place, I just wanted something with more beside bolster and the ability to recline.
The original seats aren't a picture for my car, just something I found at work while I was on break.
But my seats appear to be the same design, 70 Style Cuda
Quote from: blown motor on September 28, 2020, 06:57:22 PM
I had some additional foam added to mine and I find them quite comfortable for an afternoon drive. After an all day trip my but cheeks are feeling it. The biggest issue is that the vinyl doesn't breathe and they become sweaty.
I have more foam so they are nice and stiff. I have clothe in the areas where I sit so it breathes decent. 73 Cuda.
Im 41 and 6 feet weighing in at a wimpy 160. I am comfortable while driving 1 hour trips. I have never owned or desire to own new cars and drive crap cars so I am used to cheap seats so I dont know any better.
Did not really care for the stock seats. Near no support so you slide around quite a bit if not going in a straight line and feel like you are sitting on the floor pan. Legs are near straight out as opposed to a sitting position. You will sit quite a bit higher with most newer seats unless you are going to do modifications. You get used to that pretty quickly though.
:alan2cents:
I've wondered how much seat height (or lack thereof) plays into this discussion. Standard E-body seats are lower than a-body seats which are lower than b-body seats.
6', 170 lbs
I wish they slid back and leaned back a little further and had more side support. My shoulder belt rubs the side of my neck which I find the most annoying thing of all. If the seat just went back another inch and a half I'd be fine.
Also, the seat bottoms are a little short.
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I ditched the factory buckets (in perfect condition), because they simply don't have enough lateral support... hips, ribs, etc. I searched for a couple years and sat in many different seats. I also wanted lighter weight seats... the factory seats are a solid 45 pounds each without the floor glides (they add another ~5 pounds each).
Eventually, I chose a Corbeau GT8, fixed, well padded and great lateral support... and without those upper annoying shoulder wings. The brackets were easy to make (two plates) and adapt to the factory floor glides (which are not on the same plain level that most aftermarket glides are designed for). Weight... 18 pounds each seat. I could drive cross country as the seats were very comfortable.
However, I later purchased some full reclining seats, well padded, high side bolster for very good lateral support ... from JC Whitney... I was able to sit in them and compare to others before I decided... and the price was very reasonable. (Sadly, I believe JCW recently went out-of-business.. after about 100 years.) Weight each seat: ~30 pounds; again, was able to adapt the factory floor glides by making a couple simple plates for adapters. With the seat being reclining, that adds to better long-driving comfort.
Whatever you choose will more than likely be better in comfort than the factory seats. Although they are very nice styling, they lack lateral support. Perhaps having them redone with more bottom padding will help in comfort, but to find a seat with better lateral support and padding, and possibly sitting a little higher, and... repositioning the seat so that it moves further back (if you need)... would be worth the search.
Although a bit expensive (actually, not too bad) I've always liked the overall comfort and styling of the Corbeau GTS-II ... on my desired list!
Search and sit... until you find a seat that fits your personal body.
Quote from: Mr Lee on September 30, 2020, 05:35:11 AM
6', 170 lbs
I wish they slid back and leaned back a little further and had more side support. My shoulder belt rubs the side of my neck which I find the most annoying thing of all. If the seat just went back another inch and a half I'd be fine.
Also, the seat bottoms are a little short.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
^^ This, I find it annoying as heck as well. The seats from the 08 I put in have that belt collector at the door side, so at least the belt is now off my neck. I miss the optional shoulder belt from my 70 Charger.. just never used it. What does everyone else do about the shoulder belt?
Quote from: Mr Lee on September 30, 2020, 05:35:11 AM
6', 170 lbs
I wish they slid back and leaned back a little further and had more side support. My shoulder belt rubs the side of my neck which I find the most annoying thing of all. If the seat just went back another inch and a half I'd be fine.
Also, the seat bottoms are a little short.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This might work for you? Easy and cheap?
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=106740.0
I don't find the shoulder belt a problem and I don't have the seat all the way back. I sat in a friend's 72 Challenger and it felt like I was on the floor. That is so easily solved by adding some foam to the seat. I sit much higher in mine and it's thick enough that I've never felt I was sliding sideways. If I did slip a little, so what! This is an old car, that's part of the character of it. Put the pedal down and enjoy the ride!
Quote from: Scooter on September 30, 2020, 09:16:29 AM
^^ This, I find it annoying as heck as well. The seats from the 08 I put in have that belt collector at the door side, so at least the belt is now off my neck. I miss the optional shoulder belt from my 70 Charger.. just never used it. What does everyone else do about the shoulder belt?
I put in shoulder belts from XV Racing because I can't stand using the fixed shoulder belt that came with my '70. I'm happy with them so far. The XV retractor that's mounted near the floor is black and so is my carpet, so it pretty well disappears. Might be a pain if there was a lot of traffic in and out of the back seat but that's not going to happen often if at all.
Quote from: Brads70 on September 30, 2020, 12:22:29 PM
Quote from: Mr Lee on September 30, 2020, 05:35:11 AM
6', 170 lbs
I wish they slid back and leaned back a little further and had more side support. My shoulder belt rubs the side of my neck which I find the most annoying thing of all. If the seat just went back another inch and a half I'd be fine.
Also, the seat bottoms are a little short.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This might work for you? Easy and cheap?
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=106740.0
Yes, that is probably going to happen this winter. Thanks.
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Quote from: Dakota on September 30, 2020, 03:53:33 PM
Quote from: Scooter on September 30, 2020, 09:16:29 AM
^^ This, I find it annoying as heck as well. The seats from the 08 I put in have that belt collector at the door side, so at least the belt is now off my neck. I miss the optional shoulder belt from my 70 Charger.. just never used it. What does everyone else do about the shoulder belt?
I put in shoulder belts from XV Racing because I can't stand using the fixed shoulder belt that came with my '70. I'm happy with them so far. The XV retractor that's mounted near the floor is black and so is my carpet, so it pretty well disappears. Might be a pain if there was a lot of traffic in and out of the back seat but that's not going to happen often if at all.
I have the XV belts as well. Highly recommend.
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/tmi-pro-series-seats-for-mopars-custom-interior/
http://www.distinctiveindustries.com/component/virtuemart/ford/mustang/1969/touring-ii-assembled-seats-4/1969-mustang-mach-1-touring-ii-front-bucket-seats-detail?Itemid=0
http://www.distinctiveindustries.com/index.php/touring-ii-seats
Quote from: Chris Pauluk on September 28, 2020, 09:48:17 PM
5'10" 220...
The seats are a little menacing on my back, I'm 41 now, bad back, the stock seats feel like they recline back too far for me, I've got longer legs and shorter arms, T-Rex? I don't know
I just ordered some new seats that are on their way now, they resemble Factory but have more side bolster and they recline, I'm taking a stab at the dark with the U since I didn't see any bad reviews about them, but I didn't see any reviews at all really about them.
Here is a picture comparison, I wanted something that didn't look too crazy aftermarket or out of place, I just wanted something with more beside bolster and the ability to recline.
The original seats aren't a picture for my car, just something I found at work while I was on break.
But my seats appear to be the same design, 70 Style Cuda
@Chris Pauluk (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/chris-pauluk_568) Please post a pic once you have them in (even a mock-up). I also like the looks of those, similar to OEM. The front looks a little taller so not sure how they will fit/feel.
I just got the confirmation for shipping today, I will definitely keep everybody posted, as soon as it gives me a time frame, I'll be tearing out the carpet and everything and installing my new carpet I bought from RockAuto
The seat pad is the same height as stock, just a side bolsters to keep you from sliding left to right are a little higher.
I hope the seat brackets don't lift the seat up too high, that's what we'll throw things out of whack
Quote from: 70vert on October 08, 2020, 08:06:31 PM
Quote from: Chris Pauluk on September 28, 2020, 09:48:17 PM
5'10" 220...
The seats are a little menacing on my back, I'm 41 now, bad back, the stock seats feel like they recline back too far for me, I've got longer legs and shorter arms, T-Rex? I don't know
I just ordered some new seats that are on their way now, they resemble Factory but have more side bolster and they recline, I'm taking a stab at the dark with the U since I didn't see any bad reviews about them, but I didn't see any reviews at all really about them.
Here is a picture comparison, I wanted something that didn't look too crazy aftermarket or out of place, I just wanted something with more beside bolster and the ability to recline.
The original seats aren't a picture for my car, just something I found at work while I was on break.
But my seats appear to be the same design, 70 Style Cuda
@Chris Pauluk (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/chris-pauluk_568) Please post a pic once you have them in (even a mock-up). I also like the looks of those, similar to OEM. The front looks a little taller so not sure how they will fit/feel.
I like the stock seats. Have only sat in them for an hour at a time, but seems OK to me.
Agree that the biggest weakness is lateral support.
The worst seats I have ever experienced was from a 2014 Charger R/T. They were high-dollar seats, but after 10 minutes my lower back would be aching. So bad I had to stop the car often and get out. I tried adjusting them about 5 times before giving up.
Definitely keep your old seats incase you sell the car in the future. Seeing modern seats in a classic is one of those things that personally turn me off.