Seat replacement question

[Rex]

I'm going to be replacing the stock seats in a 1974 CJ soon so I've been looking around for some new seats but I'm having a problem. It seems like all of the new seats I've seen are for Jeeps from 1976 and later. So what is the deal with putting better seats in the older Jeeps? What fits? What doesn't and Why? Is there a reason that new seats can't be made to fit in the older CJs? I definitely want to get better seats than the original ones but it seems like there is a problem doing it and I don't know why. Those dinky little stock seats just won't cut it for someone my size.

 

[SteelHeadz]

If your looking for a seat you want for your jeep and it doesn't just bolt on, all you need is a welder and some metal stocks to make a new seat platform bracket.. That's what i did with my CJ, the seats came out of a Little 2 seater sports car and i recovered the seats with leather..

 

[Rex]

Thanks for the info. I do have a welder and I already have some seats that might work, now that I think of it. But that still doesn't answer the question why all the new seats I see on for sale all say for 1976 and newer jeeps. Anyone know why none of the seat makers say the old jeeps can use their seats? I looked at seats from Mastercraft, Recarro, and some others and they all showed them fitting only 1976 and later jeeps. I was just wondering why that is the case.

 

[SteelHeadz]

MMmm, dunno the answer to that. I just wanted a good lumbar bucket seats thats unique, and i took it..

 

[Crazy4diesels]

76 was a "major" design change in the CJ line (the introduction of the CJ7). The seat frames are probably different. I'd think they used the CJ7 seat frames in the CJ5 from 76 on up.
Early (80's) Ford Escort high-back bucket seats fit nicely in a CJ and still leave enough room for a console. With a little drilling and welding my buddy grafted the seats onto his existing Jeep seat frames. Beast of luck - John