WD21 Pathfinder seat swap

[Zed]

Hey NPORA -

 

Since some of you helped me out tremendously with getting to my oil pan (and other things I’ve learned on here), I thought I would share a cool seat mod. Just installed some Mustang GT seats (2002, cloth), and I am finally happy with my ride. Got the pair of seats in pretty good condition for $150.

 

I’ve had real issues with the Pathy seats - which have killed my back. My last long trip was the last straw. I’ve been searching everywhere for info on a seat swap - and found very little. I wasn’t really interested in swapping a crappy seat for another crappy seat, and knew I would have to get creative.

 

Here’s the new seats installed.

 

http://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a467/felix9871/gt%20seats_sm_zps8aoqtzhl.jpg

 

I don’t really have a write-up with pics, but wanted to at least inform those looking for some help in swapping seats that it is possible - without doing a seat pan swap (which looked like a real PITA).

 

There really isn’t much to the install. It basically took a lot of measuring, finding a creative way to make some spacers, and some drilling (into the new seat pan metal). For whatever reason, the Nissan engineers made the seat pan about 1 3/4” to 2” higher toward the center console. The GT seats were flat.

 

I started by taking the rails off the Pathy and GT seats - that was easy. I then mocked them onto the GT seat pans. I started with the inner rail side of the seats and drilled new holes. This inner rail was basically flush with the new seat pan. After measuring the distance between the bolt holes in the floor (each side was slightly different - around 15” give or take a 1/4”. I then drilled holes to set the outer rails onto the GT seat pan. Once I was sure the bolt holes matched the holes in the floor, I needed some solid spacers to lift the outer rails to the proper height.

 

I used some old long socket wrenches that were lying around. I added washers where needed to get the right height. Then it was just a question of buying long bolts and tying them down tight. They pretty much fit right in, and then I just bolted them down to the floor using the existing bolts.

 

Took me a long day to get it all tied down tight.

 

So, take heart pathy fans - you can improve the comfort of your ride without too much difficulty!

[Slartibartfast]

Looks like a clean swap! Matches the interior pretty well too. I can't say I've had a problem with mine but everyone's back is different.

 

I wish I could do this to my mom's Honda. Those seats are like church pews with a coat thrown over, except they've also got bombs in them (airbags) so we're leery of messing with them.

[Zed]

The comfort of these GT seats is like night and day compared to the pathy buckets. Perhaps the best mod I've done on my ride!

Now I just need to find a manual R50 center console for some cup holders and I'll be set. Those suckers are hard to find in the junkyards.

[Cuong Nguyen]

Looks good

I'll add that to the bottom of the list of to dos lol

Edited December 6, 2016 by Cuong Nguyen