m38 driver's seat mounts

bill_oleary · Post by **bill_oleary** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 1:13 pm

The original seat frames for my M38 were somewhat chopped up, with extra holes drilled, things apparently cut off, etc. I am cleaning them up and repairing them to fit properly again and I see that the driver's side frame has only three legs that seem to support it: front right and left, but only a rear right (no left). Is this correct? If so, what supports that left rear corner -- does it come in contact with/sit on top of the fuel tank? Doesn't seem like that would be a normal configuration, but then neither does only three points of support. I don't see any hole for a left rear leg to be bolted down, nor does there appear to be any room for it, given the fuel tank below. Just want to be sure I have this done properly (especially given that it is going to have to hold my 200 lb+ body! Thanks all...

Rich Saylor · Post by **Rich Saylor** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:28 pm

The supports for the M38 driver's seat are as folows: two front legs, bolted to the floor with captive nuts, one on the right rear. bolted down, and the remaining left rear seat corner resting on a small bracket welded to the sloping front of the left wheelwell sheet metal.

Incidentally if more driver's legroom is needed a pair of offset brackets can be made for the front legs (which are not symettrical) to relocate the attach points for the front legs to the rear, something like 1 1/4 inches or so, and the left rear corner will still perch itself on the bracket welded to the wheelwell sheet metal, only now very tightly. Just unbolt the seat, jam the seat tightly up against the left wheelwell, measure the resulting offset to the rear, and make the adjusting brackets to that dimension. Nice brackets can be made from 3/4" x 1/8" steel bar, with a hole in the front position to allow a bolt to mount the bracket to be bolted to the original captive nut, and another hole to the rear of the bracket, drilled & tapped , to fasten the seat leg to (but with new, slightly shorter bolts). The bolt will go thru the bracket, but stop short of the floor itself. Tightened down, the seat will remain in position. It isn't much, but if you combine that mod with fitting a very thin rear seat cushion you'll gain a significant amount of room, without any mod whatever to the tub or seat- only a couple of brackets. BTW the right rear mount can either have a new hole drilled, or else another bracket fabricated, as per the front two. That location is less conspicuous than the front two holes.

Cuz · Post by **Cuz** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 6:34 pm

bill_oleary · Post by **bill_oleary** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:16 am

Thanks very much -- that explains the the rough spots in that area of my old sheet metal. Bracket was long gone, so guess I'll have to create something like it. Many thanks again...

Buster1 · Post by **Buster1** » Mon Aug 16, 2021 5:06 pm

Does anyone have a photo of the driver’s seat support bracket?

Thanks.

dpcd67 · Post by **dpcd67** » Tue Aug 17, 2021 3:11 pm

Instead of resurrecting a decades old thread, you should start a new one. No one will read this one. Ok, two guys.

Buster1 · Post by **Buster1** » Tue Aug 17, 2021 3:27 pm

A new thread with a similar title that sits at the top of M38 Tech... just like this one? Odd.

Kendall · Post by **Kendall** » Wed Aug 18, 2021 1:27 pm

Got a response from me.
Here is mine-

Buster1 · Post by **Buster1** » Wed Aug 18, 2021 2:18 pm

Thank you! That’s a huge help!

You wouldn’t know if anyone sells those perhaps? I’ve been looking everywhere. It might be fabrication time.

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