What seats?

My '56 CJ came with Peterbuilt seats. These things are too tall and ugly. I've seen originals and replacements from BestTop but I don't know if I have the correct seat frames or brackets. The ones I have I assume are original but are they complete? The only frames I can find pictures of are earlier CJs or military. Are the M38a1 seat brackets the same? Hopefully my picture came through. These are my seat brackets. Are they correct and complete? I have only found the seats for the '76 and up CJs from best top. Is there a source for the earlier seats?

 

These are the seats I bought for my '56, I was told these are the correct type, and I had to buy them used. To my knowledge, these ARE NOT available aftermarket, but Bestop makes buckets that fit the frames you have.







Rich at Beachwood Canvas told me that what I bought aren't exactly right, that those are for late '56 through early '60's. He said this type of frame is what should be in the '55-early '56 CJ5's, but I don't know about that, these are military frames AFAIK. They have no adjustment to them either.

 

Are the original brackets one piece, the horizontal and vertical? One piece except for the passengers over the tool box, of course. Or is that just the military frame?

 

Shawn, I believe your seat frames are for a later than '56 CJ-5, mid to late 60's pehaps. Real early '5s had the pass seat like Rons. Just tabs on the seat frame to fit in the ears on the toolbox. The drivers seat Ron has looks correct, I've found some later ones are wider than the earlier ones and mount closer to the center PTO lever. The covers Ron has are not like the original in my '56, mine were a grey material like vinyl with 4 vertical panels. Your passenger seat bracket is identical to the one I took out of a'69.

 

Yeah, both of my seats have been recovered before, and are gonna get it again. I have no idea what year model they came out of, or if they're even from the same Jeep. I bought 'em from a parter-outer in Indiana who said they were at least the correct vintage, if not exactly 1956.

I WOULD like to see what original, unmolested 1956 CJ5 seats look like, so I can get the pattern duplicated.

 

I am gonna take a picture of my passenger seat for you Rondog. It is all original, including fabric. I was thinking of carefully removing the fabric someday and creating templates to give to some company to start making them. Hope I don't start this new company!! The frames you bought Ron look absolutely correct. You and Howard and I all have the same frames. I see our boy at Beachwood is a little misinformed. The seats frames that are the subject of this original post look to me like 73 or 74ish frames. Not 100% sure on that though, but about 99.9% sure.

 

Shawn M,
Those frames look just like the ones I have in my late model CJ5. Your passenger frame seems to have an extra "leg" towards the front if I'm seeing the pict right.
Steve

 

I think that you shoul djust let me have those seat frames R)

Those look identical to the one's in my '70 model. I was wondering about seats too- Good thread.

MM

 

http://portland.craigslist.org/pts/170421946.html

What frames are these? Intermediate?

 

That would be sweet Cee Jay! You can either email them to me or post them here. Beachwood says they have recovering kits for those early 5 seats with the covers and all the padding, but they're not cheap. However, compared to having an upholstery shop do them from scratch it seems the best bet would be the Beachwood kits. They do recommend having them installed by a pro, and the upholstery shop I visited said he'd much rather install the kits than make them himself. He said it would be much cheaper for me and a lot quicker turnaround.

 

I believe that first frame is '76 and later and the other is an earlier frame.

 

Rondog, Thad took the poicture for me. He said he would post it today maybe.

 

The black seats are correct for a 1956, at least thats whats in mine.

Russ

 

Thanks Russ! What's the pattern look like on the covers? Can you post a photo?

 

I had to redrill the rear 2 holes in the driver's side frame, and had to lift up the rear of the pass seat about 1.5" (otherwise felt like you where laying down) when I added the Bestop Aqua seats.

 

Here's the pic of CJ's passenger seat. I'll let him tell you the details....

 

Thanks Thad! Not much to tell, other than the prior owner, who bought it in '55, rarely had the seat in the vehicle, but took it out and stored it indoors so his dog could ride in the passenger area. Nice and original. I note that the corners are much more squared than the recovers I have seen. I kinda like that.

 

So that's a stock, original '55 pass. seat? <click - save>

Does anybody know if the '56 pattern was any different?