68 Eldo - Bench seat out, buckets in?

[Carl Glass]

Has anyone ever completed a swap of their old bench seat for new bucket seats and console?  I have the 6-way cloth and vinyl power bench with no headrests.  Thought it would be cool to have the leather power buckets with headrests and a console.  The option sheets aren't clear but the electrical diagrams in the shop manual (figures 12-62 and 12-65b) look like a 2-way bench was standard and 2-way buckets (both drive and passenger)  and well as 6-way driver with 2-way passenger were optional.

If anyone knows differently, please advise.

And I would appreciate any thoughts, positive and negative, regarding this mod.

thx

Carl

[Chris Conklin]

Can't help with specifics of performing the modification, but here's some info about the options and the seats for your car. Hope it helps.

[Chris Conklin]

Don't know why it keeps pasting these in up-side-down, but here's another anyway...

[Jim Skelly]

I was talking to a member of the club several years ago about his '67 Eldorado with bucket seats.  His comment was that he didn't like the way the console was lower than the center armrest would have been with the bench seat.  He said it wasn't as comfortable to drive without the armrest.  But it looked nice.  Perhaps some club members with a '67-'70 Eldorado with buckets will comment on this issue.  You might have difficulty finding a set.  From what I've determined through Ward's Automotive Yearbooks, less than 1000 were ordered in each of these four years, so you may have a tough time finding a set.

Jim
'68 Eldorado, '77 Biarritz

[Antoni Deighton]

There's a set on eBay right now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320697057949&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME%3AB%3AWNARL%3AUS%3A1123#ht_500wt_1070

I have no affiliation with this sale, just thought I'd point it out. Personally I prefer the bench seat, which to me at least, looks as good as the buckets, and you can take full advantage of that flat floor and comfortably carry a third person up front.

Just my $0.02

A.

[Luke Hunt tame55]

My 69 Eldorado has the bench in black leather, and I would agree that the arm rest is a must for any long cruises. I have not drove an Eldorado with the bucket seats so I cannot comment on the comfort, but would say that the loss of the arm rest would be a big factor for me. Plus your girl cannot slide right up close to you during those summer rides. However if you want a little space between yourself and the misses' the bucket seats might be the perfect solution. You can also sleep fairly comfortably on a bench seat, I have done it a few times.

Luke Hunt

[Jim Skelly]

Those seats are out of a '69 or '70, which is even rarer than the '67-'68 seats. 

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Jim & others,
I'd like to know how many bucket seat cars were made in each year.
IMHO they made more in 1967 than all the other 3 years combined. BTW ,67 & 68 seats have lots of differences. 69 & 70's are the same.
Bob

[Jim Skelly]

Bob,

I can't access the information as I'm recuperating from major surgery.  If anyone has Ward's Automotive Yearbooks from 1968-1971, there is a section listing percentage of factory installed options for the preceding model year.  It doesn't list the exact number installed, but only the percentage.  Among options listed are bucket seats, vinyl top, and air conditioning.  So you can take the number of units produced (which is listed) and multiply the percentage to get a number.   

[Meadca]

The swap can be done, but you will need the complete seat and track assembly for the buckets. Also you will have to drill holes in the floor for the bucket seat tracks as they are different. 67 and 68 seats would be the same, but the upholstery is different.  The 69 and 70 seats would probably work but I would have to look it up.  Since they are scarce, a compltet set with the console will be expensive.

[Carl Glass]

I have procured the black leather power buckets with headrests, console, all wiring, tracks, etc.  I'm about a year away from doing anything to the interior, but glad to have the parts to inspire me!

[Carl Glass]

The seats have arrived.  They are black leather 2-way power buckets.  The seat leather is shot.  The switches, motors, tracks and brackets seem intact.  The headrests look great.  The console will need some work.  The wire harness appears to be intact as well.

Bob said the '67s and '68s had lots of differences and the '69s and '70s were the same.  Can you be more spedific?  Jim said these seats were out of a '69.  So now i'm wondering if adapting them to my '68 will be tricky.  Comments?

Also wondering, presuming I could find the parts, if I could adapt a 4-way power track to get some height.

If anyone has pictures of the '68 leather buckets I would greatly appreciate seeing them before I commission an upholsterer.

thx

Carl

[Carl Glass]

One more thing.  I thought production percentages were largely NOT available for '68.

But if that is not the case, I would love to see percentages for all colors and options on the Eldorado.

Anyone?

thx

Carl

[Jim Skelly]

Hi Carl,

What I said was that the seats were out of a '69 or '70.  I don't know if there are any differences between the '69 and '70 seats.  The 1969 Cadillac Data Book lists percentages of colors used on the 1968 models.  For options such as bucket seats, vinyl top, etc., refer to the 1969 Ward's Automotive Yearbook.  I understand that Cadillac's 1968 records were mistakenly thrown out!

[Warren Rauch #4286]

 I only have three of the four years of Wards. (from 1968) for 1967 models buckets 4.9% , production 17930 or about 879 cars. (from1969) for 1968 buckets 3.2 % , production 24528 or about 785 . NO book from 1970. ( from1971) for 1970 buckets 1.9% production 23842 or about 453.
  THe following are Percents for 1968 Eldorado models. air 98.8; moveable steering column 78.9; power seat ( 6 or 4 way)96.5; vinyl top 86.6; white wall 99.1; tinted glass 99.2 speed regulating device 29.1; AM only radio 12.9; AM-FM radio 18.4; stereo tape player not listed ( most makes are listed), Several other items are listed that are standard on Eldo or not avalible like 6 cylinder motors.
The 1969 data book does list colors for 1968 Eldo, some years it is hard to just get the total production info. IT should be noted that only the colors that are used over are included . Exact match or just light blue for light blue is as good as is needed.
Black 5.5; white 10.8;silver 4.4; gray 1.8; astral (light)blue 3.1; atheaian(dark) blue 3.7; aqua 3.5; palmetto(Light) green 3.5;rampur(dark) green 2.4; yellow 3.6; beige 3.1; gold 7.1; corovan(brown) 8.0 red 5.5; maroon 1.6; FIREMIST colors blue 4.7; gold 9.0; aqua 7.4; brown 5.8; mauve 4.1 Warren

[Carl Glass]

wow, warren, thx for all that info!

So my black slick top with cruise control and buckets is pretty rare, eh?

Did the book omit AM/FM Stereo percentages?

thx

Carl

[Warren Rauch #4286]

 The 1968 Cadillac data book doesn't list a radio with a tape player , so I guess Wards was right. They don't have any listing for the Cadillac top of the line AM-FM stereo radio type. But with the cheaper radios at 30+% , I would guess a lot (over 60%) had the best radio.
   When you start to include all the options , Cadillac probably didn't have to build two alike in the model year. Warren