07 Seats for 68 Mustang , Need idea's & Help

I now have 07 seats to go into my 68 GT. Has anyone done such a mod. I was thinking of getting the seat brackets off a 07 to weld into my floor pan. Anyone have any ideas? Seats should look awesome as I have TMI making 68 comfortweave covers to match my original seats.  

You're a few steps ahead of us, as we plan to put S197 seats in our '68 fastback project as well. Since we installed a new floor pan we had the seat risers left loose for now. We'll either trim the risers down, or fabricate a frame work of 1-inch square steel tubing to support the mounting of the new seats. I have been told the S197 seats are very tall and most do not use the power track. We want to keep the power track and I do know of one shop that simply welded in the convertible under-pan suppports and then welded reinforcing plates to the floor pan and bolted them directly to the floor...

HTH...
Mark  
Mark Houlahan
Editor
Modified Mustangs & Fords Magazine

1965 FFR Roadster 427W/TKO-600
1966 Mustang 289-4V/C4
1968 Mustang 4.6L Three-Valve/5R55S auto
1990 Mustang 347/AOD
1998 Escort 2.0L SOHC/F4E-111 Auto
2002 Explorer Sport Trac 4.0L V-6/5R55 Auto

Hey Mark, thanks for the reply. My 68 GT Fastback is probably behind your project as I am in the final metal stages of my bodywork. Nothing but a hunk of primed metal at this point. I have new floor pans also, and have not installed my seats pans as I knew I wanted modern, power seats like you guys. Keep me updated if you find the answer on the seat mod. Another question on a totally different subject is what is your opinion on a mustang II suspension. One day I am ready to order and the next day I read another opinion why not to do the mod. I really want rack and pinon, and power disc brakes and it seems that I would save considerably by installing a mustang II package. I have been researching the rod and custom system a lot. I still hesitate because there are so many strong opinions for and against the system.
Anyway, just wanted to pick your expertise.    Thanks, Billy  

Billy, we used the Heidt's Superide II, essentially a tuned-up version of the II with our '68 project. We used the Heidt's system since the shop doing the metal work was familiar with them. The R&C product line is very nice too-hard to go wrong with either one.

R&C has made some advancements in modular engine swaps and offers engine mount kits, etc., where as with Heidt's they only offer small-block mounts (we're fabricating our own for the mod motor)...

Anyway, I think the real issue people comment on (and mind you many of these commenters don't OWN a car with a MII setup) is that the powertrain is tied to the frame rails only and that the power is not tied into the firewall/cowl like the original setup with the shock towers and braces. If you're doing a nice street small-block (say 350hp) I don't see an issue. I've driven several classic Mustangs with the MII setup and they all drove very nice. We also added both left and right torque boxes, weld in subframe connectors, and we added one-inch stitch welds along the frame rails, rockers, etc. for strength.

Now, if you plan to put 500hp through the car, I'd be a bit more concerned, but that still doesn't mean you can't use the MII, I would just tie it in to the cowl with some 1.75-inch tubing (like you see on a race car). Weld it in to the front of the frame and back to the cowl/firewall. You can also make a custom engine compartment brace to tie these new bars to each other.

If your shock towers are in good shape there are strut based options too that will bolt in from Alston, Global West, RRS, Fatman Fabrications, and others that will give you rack and pinion, coil over or air-struts, big disc brakes, and more.

If your just building a nice small-block like I said earlier I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on a MII setup for your ride...

BTW, if you look at our BLOG section you'll see our '68 is nothing more than an epoxy primed shell too, so we're kind of "neck and neck" with our projects...LOL

HTH...
Mark  
Mark Houlahan
Editor
Modified Mustangs & Fords Magazine

1965 FFR Roadster 427W/TKO-600
1966 Mustang 289-4V/C4
1968 Mustang 4.6L Three-Valve/5R55S auto
1990 Mustang 347/AOD
1998 Escort 2.0L SOHC/F4E-111 Auto
2002 Explorer Sport Trac 4.0L V-6/5R55 Auto

I just finished my 1968 GT Fastback last October, well are you really ever finished?  Anyway, I too wanted to upgrade the seats to a more comfortable perfomance option.  Therefore, I picked up seats out of a 2001 GT and put them in my '68.  I used a plasma cutter to cut out the floor pan risers.  I then reinforced the thin floor pan with 1/4" plate steel.  After that I welded two 1" x 3" sections of hat channels underneath the car.  This allowed a bolting point form my carriage bolts.  I then took the front and back seats and had them wrapped in leather.  I now have a 8 way driver's power seat that is much more comfortable and supportive.  Hope that helps.  I can send photos if you would like.  Might be easier for you to contact me on my private email as I just stumbled across this blog in trying to research which power rack and pinion I want to install.  Any suggestions?  If this blog sends a bump to your email when you get a reply than disregard, I will check back.  If not, my email is ahummel91@cableone.net  

Good news guys, we just scored a set of black leather S197 seats (power driver's side) and we'll be getting them in the next two weeks. As soon as we get the seats and yank out all of the body parts now sitting inside our '68 (fiberglass scoops, rockers, door handles, etc.) we'll start mocking up seat installation and share what we do here on the forums and in print. Stay tuned!

Mark  
Mark Houlahan
Editor
Modified Mustangs & Fords Magazine

1965 FFR Roadster 427W/TKO-600
1966 Mustang 289-4V/C4
1968 Mustang 4.6L Three-Valve/5R55S auto
1990 Mustang 347/AOD
1998 Escort 2.0L SOHC/F4E-111 Auto
2002 Explorer Sport Trac 4.0L V-6/5R55 Auto

interested in how the mounting went?  Have some 05 seats that I am putting into a 68 coupe here before too much longer and was wondering what modifications I am going to have to do.  

As you may have seen (or maybe not) I just posted a blog today that the seats arrived yesterday. I'm out of the office until Monday but I've already laid them on a loose seat riser to see what it will take. It looks like we'll have to cut off the front mounts at least, and possibly ditch the riser for a custom mount. We'll see soon...

Mark  
Mark Houlahan
Editor
Modified Mustangs & Fords Magazine

1965 FFR Roadster 427W/TKO-600
1966 Mustang 289-4V/C4
1968 Mustang 4.6L Three-Valve/5R55S auto
1990 Mustang 347/AOD
1998 Escort 2.0L SOHC/F4E-111 Auto
2002 Explorer Sport Trac 4.0L V-6/5R55 Auto

Just a small update here fellas...

Due to event travel and those pesky deadlines (you do want your magazine on time right?) I've not gotten too much farther with the seats. I did drop the power driver's side seat into the bare floor pan with no riser at all and they are TALL. Plus I do not have power to the track yet, so not sure if the seat is jacked sky high right now.

We'll probably ditch the risers all together and make a cross brace from tunnel to rocker. We'll see, as we hope to send the shell to the body shop here sometime in mid-July...

BTW, I'm moving this thread to our "Interior" section, which is more appropriate for the conversation.

More soon...
Mark  
Mark Houlahan
Editor
Modified Mustangs & Fords Magazine

1965 FFR Roadster 427W/TKO-600
1966 Mustang 289-4V/C4
1968 Mustang 4.6L Three-Valve/5R55S auto
1990 Mustang 347/AOD
1998 Escort 2.0L SOHC/F4E-111 Auto
2002 Explorer Sport Trac 4.0L V-6/5R55 Auto