Bench Seat to Bucket Seat Conversion - Ditchin The Bench
| toyota Truck bench Seat
Most single-cab mini-trucks come stock with a bench seat. Some trucks look better than others with the bench, but when it came to our little project 'Yota, it was time to make the switch. In a single-cab truck, it's fairly difficult to find room for anything, much less your stereo gear. Not only does a pair of buckets give you more room for a center console and stereo equipment, but it also adds a lot of style to a once boring interior.
Bucket seats range in style, price, and size, but for our budget, we knew it was time for another trip to California Mini-Truck Dismantlers. There, we found a bunch of sets we could choose from at a fraction of the cost. Since we eventually will be reupholstering the seats, we weren't really concerned about the appearance of the seat covers. At Cal Mini, we came across two 4Runner bucket seats that were perfect for our 'Yota, due to our recent 4Runner front-end swap.
| toyota Truck new Buckets
This conversion is pretty straightforward and can be done at home if you have access to a welder. After removing the factory bench seat, test-fit the bucket seat to check and see which mounts will have to be cut off, moved, or modified. Once the mounts are cut, bolt them to the floor and line up the bucket seat where you want it placed. Mark the seat rail to indicate where the mount will have to be welded, then pull the seat back out, unbolt the mounts, and get to welding.
After it was all put back together, this bucket swap really helped our project, along with the overall look of the interior. It gave us room for a stereo system and center console, and once the seats are wrapped, the interior will really start to come to life. Stay tuned for more on interior upgrades. For more information, contact the companies listed in the source box.
