Front seat removal?

[Jolly-John]

Hi, Gang. I fear I've encountered a problem common to our Avantis. My 1963 driver's seat assembly (seat and track) front mounting bolts will not back out. It appears some kind of captured nut inside the fiberglass floor has broken loose on both of these front mounting bolts, so the bolts just spin. Is there any advice, a procedure, or a trick a member can share with me for getting these bolts out?

I already have the front seat mounting repair "kit" from Classic Enterprises on hand. However, I've got to get these mounting bolts out first! Thanks for any help. John in Wisconsin

Edited September 14, 2008 by Jolly-John

[Gunslinger]

I believe the original design was a reinforced threaded area that the seat mounting bolts simply threaded into. If there's any nuts holding the back side of the bolts, then someone added them due to the fiberglass breaking away...a not too uncommon way these were fixed over the years rather than do a proper repair. The reinforcing part could have simply torn away from the fiberglass and is simply spinning with the bolt.

Since your going to use the repair kit from Classic, I'd just use an air chisel and knock the bolt heads off. After that you could simply drill out the remains of the bolts. A hand chisel will do the same thing but take longer.

[ernier]

you need to get under the car and get a vise grip on the nut. It is is a captured nut that gets riveted to the fiberglass and it's accessible from underneath.

ErnieR

Hi, Gang. I fear I've encountered a problem common to our Avantis. My 1963 driver's seat assembly (seat and track) front mounting bolts will not back out. It appears some kind of captured nut inside the fiberglass floor has broken loose on both of these front mounting bolts, so the bolts just spin. Is there any advice, a procedure, or a trick a member can share with me for getting these bolts out?

I already have the front seat mounting repair "kit" from Classic Enterprises on hand. However, I've got to get these mounting bolts out first! Thanks for any help. John in Wisconsin

[Jolly-John]

Thanks for the help, guys. John in Wisconsin

you need to get under the car and get a vise grip on the nut. It is is a captured nut that gets riveted to the fiberglass and it's accessible from underneath.

ErnieR