# 66-72 Seat Track Extender Install



## LarryK (Aug 20, 2019)

(EDIT: The links should work now)

Hi All,

I have a '70 GTO with buckets and a console. With the seat all the way back the steering wheel still felt like it was in my chest compared to my regular ride. I get it. When this car was produced, manual steering was still a thing. That's why you had to sit closer and use a big wheel to get enough leverage to muscle this thing around.

I've heard that seat track extenders were supposed to be a factory optional accessory, but I've never seen any mention of them let alone pictures of an installation. Enough of the major restoration parts suppliers make them so I bought a set thinking "How hard could it be?" Since receiving mine, the only thing I found online about these things was a YouTube video by some guy _asking _ how to do it. So, I thought I'd share my experience. 

Like I said, you can get these things anywhere. I just happened to get mine from The Parts Place, via eBay. 
Here's what I ordered: http://www.ljklusza.net/images/Seat Track Extenders/1_As received.JPG 
Here is the label with the "Installation instructions": http://www.ljklusza.net/images/Seat Track Extenders/2_label.JPG
I take it they mean that the brackets are sandwiched between the seat bottoms and each seat track. Well, that won't work for a couple of reasons. 

First, if you bolted the bracket to the bottom of the seat, you'd have to cut the plastic vinyl lower seat wrap-arounds to let them stick out the front: http://www.ljklusza.net/images/Seat Track Extenders/3_poorfit1.JPG Doing that would also have a 2-inch piece of angle bracket digging into the back of your calf or snagging your clothing.
Second, it won't work because the brackets are flat and the seat tracks are curved: http://www.ljklusza.net/images/Seat Track Extenders/5_poorfit3.JPG

So, it seems that in order to use these things at all requires them to be mounted on the floor in place of the seat. You would then mount the seats in the new position, 2 inches back. Everyone already knows that modern cars do not have flat, symmetrical floors. There is a difference in mounting points between front to back as well as left (door side) and right (console side). This leaves one with the job of selective cutting and bending to achieve the proper fit.

Because the brackets are channels, they don't fit under the carpet without looking goofy, so they must be mounted on top. Another possibility is to cut out the carpet around them but I don't really care to do that. Well, after some cutting and bending, I got them to fit very nicely: http://www.ljklusza.net/images/Seat Track Extenders/6_cuttofit.JPG. I mounted the seats and did a test ride. They worked perfectly and the extra room was much appreciated. 

I marked each one and recorded the measurements: the right (console) side: http://www.ljklusza.net/images/Seat Track Extenders/7_cutmeasurements1.JPG. Next the left (door sill) side: http://www.ljklusza.net/images/Seat Track Extenders/8_cutmeasurements2.JPG.

Here's a pic of them side by side: http://www.ljklusza.net/images/Seat Track Extenders/9_cutmeasurements3.JPG. Looking closely you'll notice that I got a bit carried away making the "V" cuts for the "up" bends. If you work slowly and cut judiciously, you can just weld up the little cuts instead of having to weld on little braces: http://www.ljklusza.net/images/Seat Track Extenders/11_welded.JPG. 

However, once they're painted, they look great: http://www.ljklusza.net/images/Seat Track Extenders/12_finished.JPG. More importantly, they work as originally intended. The 2 inches of exposed extender is attractively painted and flat on the floor, safely out of reach of clothing or calf muscles.

I hope people interested in this upgrade find my experience helpful. If anyone is interested, I can produce this in downloadable .PDF document form and make it available upon request. Just PM me and I'll get it to you as soon as I can get it done.


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## BLK69JUDGE (Jun 10, 2010)

very very nice

thank you for spending the time and documenting your nice work...

it will be greatly appreciated by many...

Im 6' 2 and it would be nice to have an extra inch or so also .... ;] !

Scott


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

LarryK said:


> (EDIT: The links should work now)
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> ...


I have downloaded the photos for viewing. Makes it a little easier. Double click on the picture to expand it to the larger size. :thumbsup:


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## LarryK (Aug 20, 2019)

Thanks PontiacJim for the assist!

Sorry for the clumsy format of this post. I tried to insert images of the appropriate size, but couldn't make them work for some reason. I then tried to upload thumbnails but I was told there too many. Given that the text was already typed out, I wasn't going to redo all of that, hence the links. It was easier to upload the pictures to our personal web site than try to fuss with it any longer. 

BLK69JUDGE: I'm glad you like it. Given what's involved to make them work at all, I was just so surprised that no one had done anything sooner.

Larry


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## LarryK (Aug 20, 2019)

I now have the more detailed installation article finished in .PDF and available for download from my personal web site. I used fairly high-res pictures in it so you can zoom the pics up to about 400% and still have an acceptable image. 
Here you go: http://www.ljklusza.net/Seat Track Extension Installation.pdf


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

LarryK said:


> I now have the more detailed installation article finished in .PDF and available for download from my personal web site. I used fairly high-res pictures in it so you can zoom the pics up to about 400% and still have an acceptable image.
> Here you go: http://www.ljklusza.net/Seat Track Extension Installation.pdf



Very cool, thanks for doing that. I just downloaded a copy for my "library." :thumbsup:


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## LarryK (Aug 20, 2019)

It occurred to me that the original article failed to show what the finished product looked like after installation. So, I updated the article I have listed for download: http://www.ljklusza.net/Seat Track Extension Installation.pdf If you have it already, replace it with this one.

Larry


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