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Passenger Seat Removal

eoseitz

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 22, 2009
Messages
154
Location
Marion, OH
Corvette
1974 Stingray L82
I was wondering if anybody could give me some helpful suggestions. I'm installing a new carpet interior kit and have to remove the seats and most of the trim off the sides. It has all been fairly painless up until the last bolt on the passenger seat. It is the back bolt that holds the seat track down (right next to the door). Some of the bolts must have stripped out, because they no longer are self threading. A previous owner put bolts with a nut in their place. This bolt wont come out. The bolt is rusted to it. It just spins. There really is no clearance under the car to get anything into the nut. I'm fairly positive I've rounded it off now. There is only a tiny hole in what appears to be "the frame" or some other metal. I bought a dremel thinking I could cut the top of the bolt off, but there isn't a whole lot of room. I'm afraid I'll hit the seat track or the fiber glass floor pan. I know, I've had countless people tell me the floor pans aren't fiberglass in a 74, but I have the drivers seat out and they definitely are. Does anybody have any suggestions? Do they make an extension for a dremel? Similar to a ratchet extension? I haven't looked into it too much. I literally just bought the dremel. I was using a cutting disk to try to get in there. Would a grinding stone be able to grind the top off a harden still bolt? Thanks for any suggestions.

1974 Corvette stingray L82
 
If the PO put a nut on it (as mine did) there should be a way to put a socket or something on the nut. If that won't work, put a wrench on the head of the bolt and lock it down with a clamp or vicegrips to somehting (seat frame?) and drill the head out. The bolt should then fall through.
And yes, your floors are fiberglass so don't be tempted to torch it out :)
 
Thanks for the reply. I managed to get the dremel with a cutting wheel in there. I cut the top of the bolt off and it fell right through. I just need to remove the rest of the plastic panels and I should be ready to put the new carpet in. Thanks again.
 

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