Help me find an auto part for my FIL please.

October 22, 2020, 10:48 AM

My FIL is a great guy but his google fu is weaker than mine. (Mine is currently failing me)

What he is looking for is a driver's front bucket seat for a 1991 Ford F150 XLT. I am searching local auto salvage without much luck...

I was hoping eBay might have something but I'm only seeing bench seats.

Any suggestions guys? I am my FIL's only "son" and he's a great man and patient teacher. He hardly ever asks for any help so I'd love to come through for him.

October 22, 2020, 10:51 AM

PHPaul

If you have a local junkyard, call them. They have a network they can post a need on and find out who has it etc.

I got a pretty obscure tractor part that way. Nearest tractor parts yard was in Ohio but they didn't have it. Put it up on their network and got one out of Nebraska a few days later, shipped direct to me in Maine.

October 22, 2020, 10:52 AM

95flhr

quote:
driver's front bucket seat for a 1991 Ford F150 XLT

Try here, they seem to list a bunch of seats for that year. https://www.partshotlines.com/...ckup/front-seat.html

Or Here
https://dicksautoparts.com/c-1...placement-seats.html

October 22, 2020, 11:05 AM

rsbolo

Thank you guys. I am expanding my search now. Paul, I have a call into my local salvage yard I will keep my fingers crossed.

October 22, 2020, 12:54 PM

hapevo

Try car-part.com. You can search inventory at wrecking yards across the country

October 22, 2020, 01:08 PM

reflex/deflex 64

Good luck to you seats are notoriously difficult to source and expensive when found. I would put some effort into rebuilding what you have.

October 22, 2020, 01:25 PM

OKCGene

I've got the same issue. I have a '99 Chevy S10 I bought new. I rarely drive it, maybe once a month. It goes to home depot, lowes, the plant nursery, stuff like that. It still looks very good, runs and drivers very well.

The upholstery is still very good but the seat will not not adjust. NEVER LOAN A VEHICLE OUT, BETTER TO HELP SOMEONE RENT ONE.

In all the years I've owned it I never moved the seat. Let a short person move the seat up, and now it won't move back. It's been in the shop for 2 weeks. They tell me the slider rail things are worn out and binding, something about ball bearings. I've been down to the shop, it will NOT adjust back.

We're trying to find a drivers seat for it. All the ones we've come across have bad upholstery and need redoing.

I may end up just buying a functional seat and reupholstering it.

I'd like to buy a new truck, but my daily driver is my Camry, and I just can't justify a new or newer-ish truck since I don't need one very often.

October 22, 2020, 01:29 PM

Krazeehorse

Might try a WTB ad on CL.

October 22, 2020, 01:59 PM

egregore

What's wrong with the seat? A used seat that is in good shape and matching is hard to find. The salvage yard may remove and store a seat that isn't trashed, but mostly they are left in and exposed to the elements and vermin because the doors or windows are left open, have been removed or never had them in the first place. Can it be repaired?

October 22, 2020, 02:25 PM

arfmel

quote:
Originally posted by OKCGene:
I've got the same issue. I have a '99 Chevy S10 I bought new. I rarely drive it, maybe once a month. It goes to home depot, lowes, the plant nursery, stuff like that. It still looks very good, runs and drivers very well.

The upholstery is still very good but the seat will not not adjust. NEVER LOAN A VEHICLE OUT, BETTER TO HELP SOMEONE RENT ONE.

In all the years I've owned it I never moved the seat. Let a short person move the seat up, and now it won't move back. It's been in the shop for 2 weeks. They tell me the slider rail things are worn out and binding, something about ball bearings. I've been down to the shop, it will NOT adjust back.

We're trying to find a drivers seat for it. All the ones we've come across have bad upholstery and need redoing.

I may end up just buying a functional seat and reupholstering it.

I'd like to buy a new truck, but my daily driver is my Camry, and I just can't justify a new or newer-ish truck since I don't need one very often.

I’m no seat expert but I question how a seat that’s never been moved can develop worn out slider rails and ball bearings. Seems a little fishy to me. Maybe something fell down into the seat track or adjuster mechanism and jammed it? I’ve had numerous vehicles, GM and others, that are older than yours, and the seats still move even on the ones that are thrashed pretty thoroughly by the time I get them.

October 22, 2020, 04:06 PM

rsbolo

Thanks guys. More background; My FIL called me and I could tell he was frustrated by the search for this seat.

He said the seat (I'm hoping it is a bracket) has been welded before and he thinks it cannot be welded again.

I told him I'd search for a seat and I would be over on Saturday to take a look at it. He's not stranded or anything and seemed to be mollified that I was coming his way on Saturday. He's a couple of hours away over on the west coast of FL.

October 22, 2020, 04:17 PM

83v45magna

Try LKQ. It's a nationwide network of wrecking yards.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. -Ecclesiastes 9:11

...But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by Him shall glory, but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped. - Psalm 63:11 [excerpted]

October 22, 2020, 05:28 PM

220-9er

Refurbish what he has or see if a much newer version can be made to fit.
They are. after all, 29 years old and finding something "nice" is a tall order.

October 22, 2020, 06:36 PM

OKCGene

^^^^^^ The shop has had the seat in and out several times. When out they've turned it upside down to inspect etc, and try to fix. The auto upholstery shop, 2nd opinion, agrees. Some part of the rail system just wore out and now it just doesn't slide any more.

From over the years it just wore down. There are no new parts available. Things wear out, break, etc. Shit happens.

I've really got no complaints. It has been a very good vehicle for what it is. It just keeps running great, drives great, etc and just won't quit.

October 22, 2020, 06:59 PM

rburg

Can you trade places with the passengers seat? It doesn't need to adjust.

October 22, 2020, 07:11 PM

CT Dakota

Check a "pick and pull" lot. We have Garden Street over here in Fort Myers. You can check their inventory on line but you got there and remove the part from the old are yourself.

October 22, 2020, 07:38 PM

Jelly

It sound like all you need is the seat bracket setup. Try this place... they sell Ford Pickup seat brackets. Crew cab or ???

https://corbeau.com/ford-f100-...83-95-seat-brackets/

https://corbeau.com/ford-crew-...83-91-seat-brackets/

October 23, 2020, 06:18 AM

rsbolo

Thanks guys!

I have searched though all the suggested online venues and see that there are some parts out there for brackets and other parts. I did not find an entire seat but I don't know that I need a whole seat. I will know more when I get there on Saturday to see what's up.

As an aside, my FIL suffers from Parkinson's and it has really degraded him. I spoke to my MIL last night and she said that FIL's medication has thrown him off. She downplays everything so I am not sure what I'll be dealing with on Saturday. As I wrote before my FIL doesn't ask for much help because he's never needed it. I've always been happy to be his extra hands because I learn so much from him when we work together. He's a good man. I am somewhat worried.

Thank you all again.

October 23, 2020, 07:08 AM

vulrath

quote:
Originally posted by hapevo:
Try car-part.com. You can search inventory at wrecking yards across the country

This right here. I was able to get a hookup on a "gently used" driver door for my blue 2013 Mustang that required just a wash/polish/wax to look like the rest of the car for a pretty reasonable price through them after I got hit by a drink driver last Christmas. (I ended up spending the money I saved compared to what the insurance company gave me for a strip/repair/repaint on replacing the front calipers, rotors, lines and pads.)