Re: Front seat 48-50 repositioning

Posted by HH56 On 2022/11/3 19:55:13

Others have moved the seat and it can be moved fairly easily as it attaches to the floor with studs having 4 nuts and washers underneath the car on each side. I would suggest a good application of penetrating fluid on the studs for a day or two before trying to remove the nuts. On the top side there is a heavy spring attached between a hole in the seat frame and a tab welded on the transmission tunnel. In addition to drilling new holes for the attachment studs you will need to reposition that tab or make another arrangement to attach the spring.

If you have an underseat heater how far you can move the seat will depend on whether it hits the seat frame. If it clears, depends on how much you want to see exposed. It is not that easy to reposition the heater because of the plumbing and particularly if it is the type where the motor body extends down thru a large hole in the floor. Same with carpet as there is probably only a few extra inches in front before unfinished floor is exposed. If a two door also consider how much rear seat passengers need to enter and exit. Also, on some models you need to watch out for the power wire(s) at the drivers side rear corner that go to the cigar lighter and any courtesy lights in the seat back.

You may need to add extra metal under the floor. Most Packards have a strip of heavy gauge stamped steel plate welded to the sheet metal where the seat stud holes are located to provide a reinforced area. Depending on how far you move the seat you may run out of reinforcement and need to add some extra. Do not skimp on this part as any crash and the nuts and ordinary size washers can pull right thru unreinforced sheet metal.