Hi All!
can someone please help identify my seat frames?
I have an early 68 coupe. I am in the process of going through the interior and restoring most of it. I’m at the point in the process of taking out the seats to have them re-covered . I am pretty familiar with the differences in the C3 years as far as as the interior and the seats.
But I am completely stumped on my seats for the most part. They seem to be early 68 with the low latch release.(latches are missing) a previous owner had really done a horrible job of putting covers on the seats.
After removing the covers from the backs, I’m completely confused now because it seems like the entire top of the frame is missing.
Can someone help me identify the frames because now I’m wondering if they had put some type of seat in the car, other than a Corvette seat or did someone for some reason, chopped the tops off?
As they are right now, no aftermarket seat cover would fit because it seems like the top of the seat frame is missing. Thanks!

Seat frames from my 68

 

the big problem with the 68 was it was the first year for the C3 and came with a lot of problems which were corrected in 69. Correct parts are hard to find and chances are so were the correct seats . I would start going over the whole car and see how many other parts are incorrect as well . Take that pic and post it it on the NCRS website. Those guys will definitely know good luck

 

Welcome to the Corvette Forum Bucks68! This is THE place to be if you have issues or just questions regarding a C3 Corvette! We are glad you have joined us here! There is so much knowledge on this forum that I learn new things every day.

When I first got into Corvettes I bought a 1968 Convertible pulled from a barn and displayed at the local gas station. I was totally NEW to Corvettes and I knew Nothing about them. I was not ready to enter the world of Corvettes because I had never planned on owning one. This opportunity was something I couldn't pass so I jumped in, blind. I soon learned that the 1968 C3 was the most disliked Corvette in the C3 series and I was surprised. I have since then assumed that the 1968 C3 is like Rodney Dangerfield, "they just can't get any respect". I LOVE my 1968 and I am so happy I bought it when I did. I also paid a fair price for a chrome bumper-ed C3 which started life as a BB solid lifter Corvette.

Your 1968 Corvette is a very unique Corvette and like mentioned above there are plenty of One-Year-Only parts on them. The seats were not that bad but when I finally recovered them I had a very hard time to get the leather seat covers to slide on smoothly. In the end I did my best and they looked okay, just not perfect. I had purchased the leather seat covers from Al Knoch Interiors located down in Texas. I was not a happy customer when a thread broke on the front seam of the drivers seat. So I spoke to Al himself at Corvettes @Carlisle and he looked at the seat and then asked me to ship both seats back to his shop. I went home and a few weeks later I shipped off the seats for my early 1968 C3. One day a box showed up from Texas and inside were both of my seats in brand new leather with fresh foam under them. They took my seat apart and really re-conditioned them. They came back freshly painted and perfect. They even replaced the seat backs on both my seats and the old worn hardware was polished up to look like new.

I guess what I am saying is that unless you have done one before I might just ship them to Al or have Al's shop sell you the parts you need. I bought a new convertible top kit from them and I got a DVD with step by step instructions on how to replace the top yourself. Al Knoch is a QUALITY company and Al stands behind his products like very few others do. I will be a customer of his for life as he has "earned" my business. They sell most of the interior parts you will need to bring the car back to life. The best part is they are correct for the C3's and that makes life much easier.

Do you have the Assembly Instruction Manual for the 1968 Corvette? It shows the seats in detail and it might be helpful to have around when working on your C3. If you go to Rockauto.com they sell the manuals for the 1968 Corvette on DVD or hard copies. DocRebuild has some laminated charts showing the wiring system and another which shows all the connectors and where they were installed. DocRebuild also sells some of the best restoration parts out there. I had one of his Vacuum hose sets on my car and they were still working and looking good after decades of use.

There are a lot of 1968 C3 owners out there who can help you on this Forum.

 

Thanks for the answers so far, but yes, I have discovered many things on the 68 during the process that are either extremely difficult or impossible to find replacements because of being a limited production there are some things that nobody has bothered to reproduce, so I have learned a few things about it in the last months .
I do have an assembly manual, but just like with searching for new replacement frames or even refurbished replacement frames period, mine don’t seem to look like the ones in the diagrams or like the replacement frames, which is why I am so confused. They look like somebody either chopped off the top of them or they are seats from some other GM car that pretty much fit so somebody just stuck them in there. They are missing at least 6 to 8 inches off of the top, so no existing replacement foams or seat covers would work. If I want to try to keep the seats because they are original, I’m looking at a complete custom job, which is more than I’ve spent on the entire interior. And I’m still not convinced that I wouldn’t be wasting my money and time custom covering some seat frames that somebody had butchered through the years.

 

Here is a picture with measurements of my 1968 lower release version seat on the back. Tape is held at the bottom edge of the shell. No idea if they are original to the car but appear to be.


1968 Seat back measurement.

 

Redvette2 thanks! yes exactly! But if you look at mine, exactly where the plastic back should end at the top, mine have no more frame above it, where the remaining few inches of vinyl/leather should be.. it’s very strange. And they don’t seem to be cut and grinded off unless it was so long ago it’s all rusted evenly.
it’s a real annoying mystery. I’ve looked into every replacement cover imaginable that shows the measurements and mine are definitely missing a few inches on the top. I was hoping I’d discover they we’re actually c2 seats or some other GM car, but I can’t find any pictures with exact matches

 

Hard to tell with the tape and foam on it. Take all thet off and take more pics. There is no reason to cut the top off....none at all

 

How was the seat cover on there?
Heres a listing that shows how they should look.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/13492770876...ff7f0f9ff9b2c6

 

Yep...does look to be a lot shorter. If not cut off perhaps an earlier year seat model.

 

If you can take off the foam carefully and send a pic of the top portion
What is the serial number of your car??
Black interior??

Thanks, Grant

 

Here is my 68 back that I just recovered….

 

Hey, there is a set of 68 seat frames for sale in the C3 FS section

 

Well, the mystery is over as far as what the seats are. They are definitely original early 1968 seats that some previous owner decided to grind off the tops of the backs and put covers on them from a 1964. (See pics) I can’t for the life of me understand why anybody would have done that but, it shows me the direction I need to go, which is basically get replacement back frames with new foam and covers. I would love to get a hold of whatever owner that was through the years and ask them why in the world they would do that?
Thanks for the help

 

Welcome to the world of Corvette Bubba! Now you won't be ever surprised at what other weird things Bubba has done to our cars. Here is how Bubba tried to fix the parking brake on my car.


Bubba Cable Tension Fix