Bucket seats for 79 Malibu

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shootinblanks

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Jul 26, 2016
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I'm wanting to swap out the bench for buckets. G body seats are hard to come by. Is there a modern day fit that can be picked up readily fro the wreckers? Any experience would be helpful. Consul will follow I'm sure. Thanks
 

Longroof79

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If you can pickup a set of G-body bucket seat tracks, you can probably retrofit many different seats like from a later Pontiac Grand Am, Sunbird, Cavalier, etc. Another choice would be F-body seats. They may be the closest fit to a G-body car. Don't underestimate foreign seats. Treat yourself to a junkyard expedition. You'll be surprised at what you might find. You may have to modify the seat tracks in order to fit other types of seats.
Does your car already have the floor mounts to accommodate bucket seats?
 
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shootinblanks

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Jul 26, 2016
25
15
3
Ingleside Ontario
If you can pickup a set of G-body bucket seat tracks, you can probably retrofit many different seats like from a later Pontiac Grand Am, Sunbird, Cavalier, etc. Another choice would be F-body seats. They may be the closest fit to a G-body car. Don't underestimate foreign seats. Treat yourself to a junkyard expedition. You'll be surprised at what you might find. You may have to modify the seat tracks in order to fit other types of seats.
Does your car already have the floor mounts to accommodate bucket seats?

Thanks that gives me a place to start. I'm not sure if the mounts are there already? I am a big guy and was thinking something along the lines of a SUV set of seats but not sure if they would fit. A trip to the scrap yard is on the agenda.
 

clean8485

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Dec 18, 2005
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In most cases (at least the vehicles that I've seen), if the car is a factory bench seat car, then it doesn't have the inner seat mounting brackets welded to the floor for bucket seats, nor will it have the console mounts welded to floor. If the car has the factory split bench setup, then it will have the inner seat mounts, but not the console mounts.
As for seats, I found that when I updated the interior on my Monte SS, most bucket seats that were produced by GM from the late '70s to the early 2000s would bolt directly to the factory bucket seat tracks for the '78-'88 A/G body.
Hope this helps.
 

Longroof79

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Thanks that gives me a place to start. I'm not sure if the mounts are there already? I am a big guy and was thinking something along the lines of a SUV set of seats but not sure if they would fit. A trip to the scrap yard is on the agenda.
Be careful using SUV or larger vehicle seats, they may be too wide to fit in a Malibu. All I can is, do your homework and carry a pocket size tape measure with you when you go junkyarding.
 

O. D. Showtime

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Feb 6, 2009
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Would you be interested in a set of factory bucket seats and factory console? I might be able to pick up a bucket/console Malibu...need to talk to the fellow again as it's been awhile now. I'm in Saskatchewan so shipping may not be too hard/costly.
 
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ssn696

Living in the Past
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Jul 19, 2009
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Calling all Forum members. Does someone have a pair of seats to measure to define the four bolt holes? The outer bench seat tracks can be used with buckets, just need the inner pair, plus the four floor brackets. I've seen the floor brackets repro'd - maybe OPGI?
 

Texas82GP

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Apr 3, 2015
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I've seen the inner brackets on ebay.
 

shootinblanks

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Jul 26, 2016
25
15
3
Ingleside Ontario
Would you be interested in a set of factory bucket seats and factory console? I might be able to pick up a bucket/console Malibu...need to talk to the fellow again as it's been awhile now. I'm in Saskatchewan so shipping may not be too hard/costly.

Thanks for the offer.....After much reflection on the scope of this upgrade I think I will change direction and not go over to buckets. I did not consider the change of not just the front seats but the back seats to match, consul, shifter and column. I think I will look for a bucket seat, floor shift car instead. No big hurray and the hunt is better than the kill sometimes.
 

O. D. Showtime

Comic Book Super Hero
Feb 6, 2009
3,007
3,527
113
Regina Sask. Canada
Thanks for the offer.....After much reflection on the scope of this upgrade I think I will change direction and not go over to buckets. I did not consider the change of not just the front seats but the back seats to match, consul, shifter and column. I think I will look for a bucket seat, floor shift car instead. No big hurray and the hunt is better than the kill sometimes.

It can be a little bit of work...but not terrible. I was actually going to mention the other things associated with the swap yesterday maybe I should have. One thing to consider is that if I can pick up this car I'd have everything you'd need. Whether seats are right color or not is another thing....console can be painted pretty easy. Choice is yours of course.
 
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