Swivel seats

[Poptopcamper]

I see a lot of feedback saying to replace older bus seats with newer model swivel seats. It occurred to me that my 78 vw Riviera has the steel divider between the front seats and the rear of the bus. I thought by 78 all walk throughs had no divider. I even pulled my title to double check the year and it says 1978. Anyone have an answer to this mystery? I too would like swivel seats but I would have to do some serious metal cutting.[/u]
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If you only have one tool in your tool box, and it's a hammer, pretty soon, everything looks like it needs to be whacked!
1978 VW Riviera
2021 Dodge Ram 3/4 ton
2020 VW Tiguan
2001 Harley Electraglide Classic
1986 BMW R 800cc motorcycle
2002 Chevy Camaro Z28
1999 Harley Sportster 1200 Custom

[VDubTech]

The swivel has nothing to do with the age of your seats. The swivel is a welded in 3 part unit that only came in late Westfalia campers. The seat upgrade you're referrnig to has to do with putting Vanagon seats in your late Bay, which I couldn't agree more with. That single upgrade is one of the best things you can do for your Bus, and for your ass.
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First Trip in the RustyBus:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=279077&highlight=

[drober23]

But the question of why he has the bulkhead behind his seats on a '78 remains. The '76 and later walkthrough busses I have seen do not have these, combi or camper.

Have you checked your M-code? This will give you information about how the bus left the factory, and may give you clues as to what is going on. On a '78, the M-code is kind of hard to get to. Here is a post the explains how to find it on your bus:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=503163&highlight=code
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DJ

'75 Westfalia, '79 Deluxe, and some others...
(more busses than sense)

In a time of chimpanzees I was a monkey

[grandpa pete]

69 bus with 76 front seats, passenger swivel and 76 sink cabinet....Having the swivel seat greatly increases your useable inside space;especially when it is raining at the car show. For a really clean instillation you wil need the top of the swivel pedistal .Using the top of the swivel pedistal also gives you a finnished edge where you cut out the 1/2 divider from the original bus.It can be done with just the round swivel but then you have no finished "rear" top lip .

Note; The small metal triangle comes out of the donor bus, and where you cut the divider out on the door post ,cut as close as you can with the sawsall and just grind the rest flush

the seatbelt bracket gives just enough room for the seat to move

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63 two fold rag
66 sedan delivery Type 6

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569619&highlight=sedan+delivery

[VDubTech]

[jtauxe]

[Poptopcamper]

[busdaddy]

[drober23]

Again, the M-code will tell you... But I suspect Busdaddy is right (as usual).
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DJ

'75 Westfalia, '79 Deluxe, and some others...
(more busses than sense)

In a time of chimpanzees I was a monkey

[TheRealMacGyver]

My '77 and '79 do not have the divider. I would also like to do this, just need to find a donor.
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1977 Transporter 2.0L Automatic Project
1979 Transporter 2.0L Automatic Project
1977 thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=484931

[Poptopcamper]

I can live with the divider and non swivel seats. I'm just glad to have another one after 30 years. I had a 73 non camper in 1980 that I found a seat that makes into a bed for. But I sold my bus, went to graduate school, had 3 kids and never got back to another bus until three weeks ago. Life happens!
_________________
If you only have one tool in your tool box, and it's a hammer, pretty soon, everything looks like it needs to be whacked!
1978 VW Riviera
2021 Dodge Ram 3/4 ton
2020 VW Tiguan
2001 Harley Electraglide Classic
1986 BMW R 800cc motorcycle
2002 Chevy Camaro Z28
1999 Harley Sportster 1200 Custom

[grandpa pete]

the real mcgiver; got mine from randy in valrico
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63 two fold rag
66 sedan delivery Type 6

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569619&highlight=sedan+delivery

[ariley]

I would love to do this with my '78. I don't have any problem cutting out the bulkhead behind the seat but what style seat would i need to replace it with? Please forgive my ignorance but doesn't the bulkhead support the seat in case of an accident? Would i need some sort of reinforced seat or would I install a removable bulkhead/rollbar to mount the seat to while driving?

Thanks!

[grandpa pete]

you will need the SWIVEL BASE to work with YOUR SEATS..get the swivel from 76 to 79 bus.....the bulkhead in the 69 did NOT support the seats...I just cut it out with a sawzall
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63 two fold rag
66 sedan delivery Type 6

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569619&highlight=sedan+delivery

[notchboy]

Not all buses were walk through, not all buses had single bulkheads and or deleted ones. You can have any mix for what ever reason.

This is a 78

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[djway3474]

[ariley]

Thanks djway3474 , I was thinking of doing the same. I checked today and my drivers seat could be free standing but the passengers seat needs something behind it. What year bus did you pull your seat from? Any tips on cutting/smoothing out the bulkhead?

[djway3474]

[DrKamikazi]

So if I'm understanding this right, if I wanted to do this to my 78 Riviera I would have to find a donor bus and cut the swivel seats out of them. Is this terribly difficult, or is it pretty straight forward where to cut and stuff? Also would I just have to cut the bulkhead off, or would I need to remove the rails and stuff for the old seat?

[dockmaster]

This 71 has both front seats are swivel!