How can I add a seat or two

[Andrew1990]

I got a 1989 Chevy G20 3/4ton Cargo van with 2 seats up in front. I want to add 1, possibly 2 more seats to the van. What are my options? I dont want to get one of those big van couch seats, but something smaller and it doesnt need to be comfortable.

Is it legal to make a home made seat with seatbelt from metal?

 

[Bignate603]

I would probably just go to a junkyard and look at what you can find that can easily be unbolted and dropped into your van. You can buy lap belts for relatively cheap that can be bolted in.

For safety's sake though make sure that you're bolting the seat and seat belt down to something sturdy. If the only thing that's holding them down is a bolt head through thin sheet metal they'll become projectiles in an accident. The bolt will pull through the metal, it just doesn't have that much area to act on.

 

[Black88GTA]

That van probably has existing provisions for additional seats built into it already. Go looking in areas where additional seats would normally go for any unfilled threaded holes in the floor, mounting braces, etc. May be under whatever floor covering the van has (rubber, carpet, whatever).

If you find something, find a "consumer" version of your van in a junkyard, and pull the seats and mounting brackets from that. They should bolt right up.

I don't think I'd put a homemade metal seat in there. Whoever has to sit in it wouldn't be too happy, not to mention any liability arising from something like that in the event of an accident.

 

[geno]

That van also came in a passanger configuration, so I'd do as 88GTA said above and see if you can find the seats / brackets and weld / install those.

 

[Andrew1990]

Originally posted by: geno
That van also came in a passanger configuration, so I'd do as 88GTA said above and see if you can find the seats / brackets and weld / install those.

Thanks for the tips, but this van is the cargo version with just the bare metal as the floor. There are no holes or anythings for a seat to be bolted down in.

I will probably have to just find a bucket seat that can be bolted down then.