Replacing front seats question

[Lee J]

In my 2000 new shape tranny I have the standard drivers seat and a double passenger seat. I can get hold of a pair of new seats from a Leyland truck. These have all the features.
How easy is it to swap them out?
Am I gonna come up against all sorts of problems?
Anyone done it?

[Gunslinger]

generally speaking, and dont hold me to this as some of the more recent vans have a raised section below the seat that isnt there on my mk2 ...... to replace seats is not so dificult, if you are lucky maybe 2 of the bolts will line up, if your not then you need to remove all fittings from the floor, seat runners, mats etc, position your new seat where you want it, mark the foor, then look around and see if anything is going to cause you a problem, like to close to original holes or how it fits in relation to the ribs in the floor etc

then get underneath and work out excatly where your new holes are going to be, and make sure there is nothing to get in the way, like cross strengthening plates or original seat area strengtheners .... while your under there see what ford used as a strengthenning panel as you will need to make something up to go under your new mounting position

then when all is checked, drill new holes, make up your bracing pieces for underneath, bolt it all together and then spot weld the bracing plates in a few places, clean the area, paint it and slap your mats back down, and then put some silicone sealant down the holes before you screw the seats in as this will seal it up and make sure it doesnt leak water in, then once finished get underneath and slap some underseal around the bolts to make sure they dont go rusty

thats it really, nice and simple

the far more complicated and not really worth it method is to make new low profile frames that bolt to your van and the seat then bolts to them ..... think stud adapters for wheels, that kind of idea

or if possible modify the seat to match the van, i think its just easier to make new mounting positions in the van myself

[transitgeoff]

drivers seat houses battery

[Fast but dim]

I'll buy your double seat if you do it pm if you do

[Fast but dim]

anyone else, i want a nice double seat with three point middle belt for a 99 tranny.its got to in good nick cos thats where the wife sits, and the comfier she is the less she moans.

[Gunslinger]

drivers seat houses battery

whats that geoff ???

[MrMPuk]

Inside the dirvers seat is the battery!

[Gunslinger]

ah ok, fair enough, cant say i have noticed that ... anyway, i thought it was only landrover and other daft british companies that did stupid things like that ... i would relocate that from under my arse straight away

[Valsheda]

I AGREE WITH THAT GUNSLINGER

[FredTransit]

Mee too, can't understand why anybody would want to sit on a battery, anybody seen what happens when one explodes?

[Valsheda]

I ASSUME NOT A PRETTY SIGHT AND WOULD SAY A HOSPITAL JOB IF YOUR SAT ABOVE THE THING

[Gunslinger]

i was thinking more along the lines of the seat 'sagging' with time .... instant heated seat as it shorts across the battery

[FredTransit]

I would hope there was some kind of insulation!

[v64paul]

it is well covered to the point that it's major surgery to get the battery out. there is even a remote jump start point under the bonnet! ford say it increases the battery's life having it protected from the nasties in the engine compartment...

[MrMPuk]

I've had 2 batteries explode in my face, not nice!