Factory bucket seat question

[BurnoutNova]

My 71 has original truck buckets, and they are factory not just an addition as the cab has all the correct bracing and stuff under the floor and they are listed on the SPID. My question is did all of the trucks that were factory equipped with buckets have the carpet to cover the fuel tank? Mine does not appear to have any holes in the back to screw the carpet to. It did have the cardboad fuel tank cover but that is it. Does anyone re make those little stainless trim rings that hold the carpet on?

[70cst]

I will take a stab at this.
I'm guessing the carpet covered gas tank came in a Trim package and the Buckets alone did not come with the carpeted gas tank.
Others?
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[FirstOwner69]

The bucket seat option was to include seats, console and "floor carpeting". The assembly manual also shows the tank carpet.

The trim rings (generally referred to on the forum as clips) really aren't necessary and are fairly hard to come by. The do show up in the parts section occasionally. You could get by with fender washers or by using a continuous strip of some sort (something like aluminum yardsticks) under the top edge of the carpet since the carpet is folded down over it anyway. In my opinion, a strip works better since it prevents sagging between the attachment points. Unless, of course, you are doing a factory correct restoration.

[BurnoutNova]

Originally Posted by FirstOwner69

The bucket seat option was to include seats, console and "floor carpeting". The assembly manual also shows the tank carpet.

The trim rings (generally referred to on the forum as clips) really aren't necessary and are fairly hard to come by. The do show up in the parts section occasionally. You could get by with fender washers or by using a continuous strip of some sort (something like aluminum yardsticks) under the top edge of the carpet since the carpet is folded down over it anyway. In my opinion, a strip works better since it prevents sagging between the attachment points. Unless, of course, you are doing a factory correct restoration.

I'd like to keep it factory correct, but there is a lot of small details that keep this truck from being a super rare factory truck anyway so I guess it doesn't matter.

My main question is, did all of them have the carpet? I assume they did. It is weird mine has no holes. I don't care that it doesn't, I will drill some and make a strip to help retain the carpet I just couldn't believe a factory bucket seat truck would not have that carpet.

[leddzepp]

I have a gas tank carpet made by Trim Parts, bought from Brothers. It has plastic "hooks" (more like flaps) that hook over the top of the tank to secure it...doesn't even need screws. I am not sure if all the bucket seat trucks came with carpet or not...I would think they would have?

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by BurnoutNova

I'd like to keep it factory correct, but there is a lot of small details that keep this truck from being a super rare factory truck anyway so I guess it doesn't matter.

My main question is, did all of them have the carpet? I assume they did. It is weird mine has no holes. I don't care that it doesn't, I will drill some and make a strip to help retain the carpet I just couldn't believe a factory bucket seat truck would not have that carpet.

According to the literature at www.gmheritagecenter.com The bucket seat option was not available with the Custom Deluxe, but was apparently available with other trim levels and base. What is your trim level? Do you know if your truck had floor carpeting from the factory?

[70cst]

Another point is the years varied to the Trim packages. Ie: the 67cst trucks came with buckets while later years the buckets were optional in later years. I guess I would like to know...did buckets come as a separate package in 1971 and what package did the carpeted gas tanks come in?
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[SS Tim]

IN '71-'72 the bucket seat option RPO A50 included floor carpeting and console in addition to the buckets of course. The pricing data of the option is different between the carpeted and base mat trucks. With the base Custom they were $148.50 but with the Cheyenne the price dropped to $121.60 reflecting the carpet/insulation cost difference.
The problem here is that few base trucks other than chassis cabs destined for motorhome conversion were ordered with buckets. Plus it seems that the "volume" converters often went with alternate seating.
Did some digging last night and tried again this morning but somewhere I have pictures of bucket seat trucks and at least one of them is a Custom. I just cannot find them and am now worried they may be on my bricked HD.
That said however if I remember correctly the Custom trucks had the cardboard tank cover and the Cheyenne/Cheyenne Supers had the carpeted tank. Your lack of mounting hardware would seem to indicate this as well.
Perhaps someone will open up a full '71 data book and see if there is a note/footnote in the trim section.

[mcbassin]

The screw trim rings are made from brass.
borrowed pics from this site

[mcbassin]

Originally Posted by FirstOwner69

According to the literature at www.gmheritagecenter.com The bucket seat option was not available with the Custom Deluxe, but was apparently available with other trim levels and base. What is your trim level? Do you know if your truck had floor carpeting from the factory?

From OP's sig:

1971 Custom/10 K10 350,th350/np205,3.07 posi,towhooks,Factory buckets and console,AM-FM

[BurnoutNova]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

From OP's sig:

1971 Custom/10 K10 350,th350/np205,3.07 posi,towhooks,Factory buckets and console,AM-FM

It is a 71 Custom/10 according to the emblems on the fenders. Not a Custom Deluxe, doesn't say anything about Custom on the SPID. It says code "A50 BUCKET SEATS" on the SPID. It did have carpet in it, but no console when I got it, but you could tell it was there the bolts were going through the carpet into the factory holes for it. The only other cool stuff it had was posi and cab lights factory. The towhooks, am/fm and all that were added.

[BurnoutNova]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

That said however if I remember correctly the Custom trucks had the cardboard tank cover and the Cheyenne/Cheyenne Supers had the carpeted tank. Your lack of mounting hardware would seem to indicate this as well.
Perhaps someone will open up a full '71 data book and see if there is a note/footnote in the trim section.

This seems to be the answer... I felt like this had to be but I have always thought it looked like crap not having that carpet.

I ordered some from LMC so hopefully it will look better now

[nbrfd007]

This is the SPID for my 72 GMC swb 4x4, pretty plain jane, factory buckets.