Grand National/Monte SS Buckets - Common or hard-to-find?

[CaliWagon83]

Hey Guys! I got an alert on my eBay watch list that a set of GN front buckets was going down from $399 to $299. They have the normal wear and tear you’d expect on 30+ year old seats, but overall looked in good shape.

I know you can get replacement foam and covers no problem, but I’m wondering in your experience how difficult it is to find the original seat cores/frames? Still haven’t totally decided if I’m going to keep the split bench or do buckets, but would like to have some idea how easy/hard they are to find when the time comes. The other bummer about the eBay seats is they’re local pickup only in Jersey.

 

[mikester]

I guess you didnt see my last comment on your thread about the OEM materials ?

Seats are all over the place but pretty pricey for stuff youre going to tear apart recover anyway. When you pull the covers and foam off, all thats left is two stamped metal pans and some wire.
The seat foam is available from numerous places. Mikes Montes sells them for Monte buckets for $120 a seat. Then you have to purchase the matching cloth. Then the cost of having an upholstery shop recover the seats. I paid $1500 in labor to have the Monte bucket seats done for my 81 Malibu and that was at least 5 years ago. Maybe its a lot cheaper labor rate in CA. If you do buckets what will you put in the middle of them ? Monte console ? More $$. Then youre going to need a good lid since most of them out there have broken hinges. More $$ Youre going to want an exact color match to the dash for the console. If you send a sample of the dash (I sent a glove box door and had them match the color to the inside) to SEM in SC they'll do a free color match. You can get a can mixed by a local body shop supplier or buy it directly from SEM.
I dont know how skilled you are or if youre set up to spray stuff in your garage. That could also turn into even more $$.

The cheapest way would be just to fix the one panel on the split bench. If its a power seat that would be even sweeter then a set of buckets ! Thats just my opinion of course. LOL

 

[CaliWagon83]

Honestly, I’m prepared to spend some money to do it right. Seems like everything but the seats themselves are pretty readily available. That’s what I’m most concerned about getting a sense of.

 

[mikester]

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/pts/d/oldsmobile-cutlass-bucket/6466517457.html

Heres a set of Cutlass seats. Foams available for these and theyre on your side of the country. LOL

 

[Ribbedroof]

Paid $50 for my pair of Cutlass buckets about a year ago. Obviously, they need to be recovered and will likely install new foam, but complete highback seats are not common in these parts, and finding buckets with the tracks on them is tough as well.

You just have to keep looking, or spend stupid money for seats that need to be redone anyway. Semi-Local guy had a set of Monte SS buckets, no tracks, worn ripped covers, $375....that's nuckin futs

 

[CaliWagon83]

Would consider the high-backs, but hoping for the low-backs w. headrest. I’ll keep my eyes peeled. Thanks.

 

[565bbchevy]

I have Cerullo buckets in my Monte which I bought new probably 20 years ago back when I got the pair for $600 lol.
I recently contacted Cerullo about possibly getting buckets that will match the burgundy in my Regal, they sent me some material samples and they had one that was nearly an exact match but the price for the pair was about $1500 this is for the GT style pictured below.
My 60/40 front and rear seat in my Regal are GM NOS that I got stupid cheap but when the time comes I decide to go with buckets I will get the Cerullo's since it is a brand new seat and IMO far more comfortable than any Gbody seat I have been in.
These also recline flat.

 

[mikester]

We all customize our cars to our individual tastes but one of the things that kept me on the fence about choosing front seats was the fact that buckets tilt forward. After all theyre designed for a 2 door car. Since Im extremely OCD, all I kept thinking was I wouldnt put in a bench from a coupe in my wagon. I know guys on here have used buckets and they look great but again, its individual tastes.
The other thing youre going to have to do is have mounting brackets welded to your floor if you decide to put in a console.

 

[Ribbedroof]

Riv-nuts would also work for securing console mounting brackets

 

[565bbchevy]

Riv-nuts would also work for securing mounting brackets

I will say I love using riv-nuts but I feel for safety I would only want welded on brackets for holding my seats in place. IMO