What year seats do I have?

[DamianC]

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of advice as I am about to buy seat foam and covers for my '71 Challenger. When I check out the foams available on the Classic Ind website, the '73-'74 foams look like a match as compared to the images attached. Here's what I am looking at -    https://www.classicindustries.com/product/md3012.html    The car is a '71 and as such should have these fitted according to Class Ind      https://www.classicindustries.com/product/all-years/dodge/challenger/parts/sf154.html    But, I think I am right in saying that looking at my actual seats, they are the '73- '74 items? As you can see from the Class Ind description on the '71 foams, they have added additional information, saying that '70- '71 seats had some changes, and that the foams are not interchangeable. I just want to make sure I don't order the wrong foam and covers, and was looking for some clarification from the experts! Also, I have taken the drivers seat apart - took lot of photos along the way - and it looks like the original foams are molded around the seat frame, almost as if they were dipped in a mold I guess. Removing that old foam is just a case of cutting it off the seat frame with a knife? As always, thanks in advance for your advice. Aiming for this spring to have the brute back on the road for the first time since 1984!

[6bblgt]

what do your bucket seat back release/hinge covers look like? - or do you have pics of just the bucket seat frame?

1971 seats should have the plastic back & the springs should be part of the seat frames top & bottom (not encapsulated in the foam)

do you want correct for '71 seats or do you want to make what you have work?

[6bblgt]

and there are early VS. late 1971 bucket seats - they changed around January 1971 - what is your car's SPD?

[anlauto]

72's had the plastic back as well, the vinyl back started in 73 I believe.

[DamianC]

There are no hinge covers on either seat. I have to get those. The backs don't have a panel. The seat base springs are separate from the foam, but the back springs appear to be all foam encapsulated. I am not too bothered about making the car exactly correct, I would just like to make these work. I have added some images.  Also, I was checking out the passenger seat today and found what looks like a seat warmer attached to it. I wonder what year they were available? It definitely looked like it had been there from factory. I ran the part number in google but came up with nothing. Thanks for your advice!

[Chryco Psycho]

Not a seat warmer but for the seatbelt warning , it is a switch that activates the light on the dash .

[anlauto]

73...74 for sure

[6bblgt]

if you want '71 style seat covers you are going to have to go "custom", no vinyl backs on '71 seat covers

  put '73-'74 covers on those or look for a correct seat frames for a '71   

[6bblgt]

& if you use those seats, I wouldn't replace that foam 

[DamianC]

Not a seat warmer but for the seatbelt warning , it is a switch that activates the light on the dash .

Ah yes, of course it is. My car doesn't have a seat belt warning light, so I won't be needing the part anyway.

[DamianC]

& if you use those seats, I wouldn't replace that foam 

Thanks a lot for helping clear this up. So, they're 73-74 seats, not 70-71's. Don't replace the foams - I get it, they look like a pain and probably not worth the hassle. I want to go with these seats so I'll just order 73-74 covers for the front and rear and be done.

Thanks again 6bblgt.

[anlauto]

@DamianC here's a set of front seat covers at a decent price https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1549968064

$300 CDN is about $225 USD

[DamianC]

Thanks for the heads up buddy. I have a complete matching set on the way already though!

[PLY474]

Legendary has a good instructional video for 73-74 front seats.