Well one can put the base C 5 seats in a C 3. I bought a set from a C 5, you get one manual seat and one power seat. First thing you have to drill out the rivets for the frount bracket. Photo with bracket.
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/clubs/.../C3/seat_1.jpg

Rivets drilled out.
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/clubs/.../C3/seat_7.jpg

You then center the manual operated seat in the passanger side on the floor making sure you can operate the lean back lever and drill holes for the bolts. I drilled the two frount and inner side rear. (you will see why when you get it in the car)
Bolt it down and you are done with the pass. side.
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/clubs/.../C3/seat_3.jpg

Note the seat height compaired to the stock driver seat.
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/clubs/.../C3/seat_4.jpg

If you use a manual seat on the drivers side then the install would be the same. However I chose to install the power seat which requires two notches in the floor. Note the cut on the tunnel side was too wide it can be the same as outside. One also has to cut the frount lip of the brace that runs under the floor. I plan to patch the holes from underneath later. The best way to get a feel for where to cut is to put the seats with one bolt in with a in or so play in and operate the controls which will leave scratches on the floor.
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/clubs/.../C3/seat_6.jpg

When you put the seat in to drill the holes use the outer frount stock hole and the inner frount track hole and the position will be about right.
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/clubs/.../C3/seat_8.jpg

Should look like this.
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/clubs/.../C3/seat_5.jpg

Caviat is your height. I am 5 6 and it was comfortable for me but I am still going to swap out the 15 in wheel for a 13 1/2 aftermarket for a little extra clearance. This car does not have tilt/telly

Tyler

 

Nice work.....I love the C5 seats.... :yesnod:

 

Very impressive! Those are some really nice seats. Make sure you post some pictures after the rest of the interior is installed. I know it is going to look really good!

 

One real quick question I was unclear about:

With the stock seats, are you drilling holes in the C5 seat bracket, or are you drilling holes in the floorpan of the C3 and putting new holes below?

 

I would like to do this mod!
Dan

 

GREAT JOB........Looks Fantastic...I too would luv to do this

 

Is the base of the c5 seat higher then the base of the c3 seat (do you sit higher)? Does it go back as far as the c3 seat or are you forced to sit closer to the wheel?

Also, how is your roll bar mounted? I am planning one and would really like a picture if you could. Does it clear the soft top mechanism?

Thanks
Chris

 

Well done! :cool: :cool:

 

I could use a little clarification as well, what is bolting to what and in what holes? :confused:

And how much higher do you sit vs the C3 seats? Can you measure that for us? Pleasssssssse?

I'm so curious because I have a pair of C5 seats (sitting in a BR closet), both power and I'm planning on rebuilding the whole floorboard 2"-3" lower and providing inlayed nuts in the C3 floorboard for the C5 track bolts. But don't intend to undertake that task until the body is off.

Thanks :seeya

 

I used the holes in the C5 seat track track as a guide to drill the holes in the floor pan. Used new bolts/nuts/washers and a 2x2 1/4 in plate on the underside of the floor pan as backing. Since I retained the stock floor mounted belts I am not worried about it coming through the floor in a crash.

Tyler

 

If you look at the picture with the new and old seat you see that the manual seat sits at the same level as the stock seat IF you drill out the rivets that hold the frount bracket. (THEY ARE HARD METAL). You do not have to do major surgery to the floor pan to make the Base electric seat fit. I do not know if the 6 way seat has more under seat levers than the base seat. As you can see it takes 2 cuts about 2 in wide and 4 in long in the pan and a 2x2 cut in the underpan brace for each slot. When you turn the seat over and operate you will see the arm that pivots which is what the slot is for. As near as I can tell the seat at its lowest point is at most an inch higher in frount which is why I plan on using a 13 in stearing wheel. The back is probably 2 in thicker than the stock seat so if you are tall you might wait and try one done by someone like me to see if it fits in the max rear position. The rearward seat travel is stopped by the back of the seat hitting the bulkhead just as it is for the stock seat.

The roll bar is welded to the frame and was done before I got the car, will try to make pictures next time I go to the paint shop which is where it is waiting for the guy to get done. I have to put in the six speed and 3.08 rear and hope to drive it to Monteray in Aug from Fl.

Tyler

 

Great Work!!!!! I shyed away from doing this this past summer and now I'm :mad !!!! Looks awesome!!!! I'll have to put it back on my list of things to do!!!

:cool:

 

I could live with a manual seat on the driver's side. Can you get one or would you use a passenger's side seat on the driver's side?

 

TYLER "The new and old seat, you see that the manual seat sits at the same level as the stock seat."

So you are saying that the new seat is not any higher than the old seat if you use the manual seat. Correct? The next question is how much taller are the backs of new ones than the old ones? Will they be in proportion with the C-3 interior? I like the looks of these seats and if they will fit in my car and not look out of place because of being to tall or out of sync with the rest of the car I would like to have a set. JIM

 

When I test fit mine, I thought they looked great in a C3 interior. I have a convertible and I'm planning on adding the C5 style humps to the convertible deck lid to flow with the taller C5 seats. Bhays has already added the C5 humps to his deck lid and is working on the waterfall and center console; his project looks awesome. :cool: The C5 style hump fabrication is one of the projects I plan on completing before I take my car apart. :D

 

I believe the base seat configuration is what I have. So you would use the pass seat on drivers side. It puts the controls on the inside but it would be liveable.

The seats backs are about 8-10 in higher than the stock seat but with the roll bar in mine it really adds to the interior layout.

Tyler

 

Tyler,
My personal thanks for documenting your project. It is very informative. I wish more Forum members would do so. I will stay with my C3 seats but your post gave me an alternative to consider.

 

I know this is a very old post but would like to add a little mod that will save you from cutting the floor. I am about 6 foot so seat travel will be very minimal anyway but I drilled all of the brackets off then took the rear and moved them to the front redrilled the mounting holes front and rear. Rear tracks are now direct to the floor and the front are mounted using the rear brackets. This leaves roughly 3/4 inch room on the front arm to floor board. like i said I have it pretty well set for me but there is enough travel for the avg person. I will and can post more pics if any one else is wanting to know or are still doing this.