Something better to cushion my rump

11 September, 2012

The original seats in the girl are done for.  I'm keeping the frames as I want to have them restored, and the photos show the original colors.  I believe they are Trim Package # 338 - Buckskin, but as is other things "not quite right" with the girl this isn't the right trim for the color (Omaha Orange).  For that matter, technically in 1969 or 1970 none of the production CJ-5s were painted in Omaha Orange, according to published options and records.  I suspect most of those "factory options" were for the Toledo factory, not the Ontario factory where the Old Girl was made.    

When I do the restoration I'll go for a material that is similar to the two colors here.  Not sure what I'd call those colors, but a brown and an orange-tan sound about right.

I went on line and searched for new seats.  My choices are not many.  I decided to go with Rugged Ridge front seats.  The color I got was "spice" as it looked closest to the original seat color.  The tan ones were too light.  The seats are for the intermediate CJ5, made from 1973-1980.  Other than how they are mounted, the tub should be the same...

After discussing how to mount the new seat in online forums I had resigned myself to basically having someone local fabricate (as in weld) a new mounting bracket for the passenger side.  The driver's side fit perfect as is.  Eventually someone who'd bought the same seats showed me the mount he made from steel angle stock, using just bolts.  His solution wouldn't work for me, because his seat mounted to brackets on the tool box whereas mine mounts to a bracket on the tub with different measurements, because I don't have a tool box.  Why Kaiser could not have used the same pattern on both seats is beyond me, as it would easily have fit and made it more common.  At any rate, looking at his method gave me inspiration and I was able to use 1/8th inch steel plate, 3 inches wide and 15 inches long to basically mount the existing bracket to the seat.  All with bolts so nothing was damaged.  I went ahead and sanded the rust off the old brackets and repainted them.  Real sharp.

I'm not sure I like the high backs.  I got them for the back support, although it ain't much; but they don't look stock.  I may regret this in the future, but for right now they work and it means I can drive her!

Thanks for looking...