No, that's not get Get Shorty's,...
No, that's not get Get Shorty's, but these seats were made using the same technique described in the story, and they will look somewhat similar to this style when all is said and done.
Back when show rods and wild custom cars and trucks were at their height, circa late '50s to early '60s, builders spared no expense in creativity. Their art, expression of one's self, vision, or whatever you want to call it, began with the exterior of the vehicle and flowed into the interior. Long story short, onlookers got to see a wide array of designs and techniques being applied, for better or worse, being at the forefront.
In today's world of custom classic trucks, builders are still running the gamut with creative exteriors searching for new ways to distinguish their rides from the pack. However, continuing that creative mindset into the interior has dwindled in popularity. The never-ending search to escape the norm by looking for new ideas and ways to set one's interior off has seen a significant drop.
Months ago I built the custom...
Months ago I built the custom dash in Get Shorty. Now it's time to wrap up the inside of the cab by building a custom center console and seats.
When I embarked on building Project Get Shorty I wanted to be sure to try and carry the theme of the truck, which is being built in the vein of an old-school custom, throughout the build, whether anyone agrees with me or not; that's why Baskin Robbins serves up 31 flavors. Therefore, when it came time to create the interior of Project Get Shorty I left my mind wide open. I began by placing an Auburn-style dash insert housed with my own custom-designed gauges smack dab in the middle of the dash, but that was just the beginning. I still had the seats to worry about. However, I wasn't satisfied with transplanting an oddball seat from some random vehicle in the cab of Shorty, which meant the only way to achieve my one-off custom look was to dig down and pull out some ancient Kansas kustomizing secrets to create my own seat and center console.
One might think building their own seat is a monumental task, however, it's really quite simple. All it takes is some 1/2-inch conduit mixed in with a little 18-gauge expanded metal and creativity and you're off. By bending and forming the conduit to your liking one can create any style of seat imaginable. Whether it's bucket seats, a bench seat, lawn chairs, or a chaise lounge it's all doable! For Shorty, my mind kept coming back to a hybrid between two bucket seats and a bench seat surrounding a custom center console. (Somewhat hard to picture in thin air, but the ensuing pictures are sure to help.) Oh yeah, here's the best part. Between the conduit, expanded metal, and sheetmetal I dropped just a bit over 80 bucks! Now of course that's not including upholstery, but that's something that will have to be done no matter what option one takes. For now, follow along as Star Kustom Shop whips up a batch of custom seats.
Fast-forwarding ahead a few...
Fast-forwarding ahead a few steps, I fabricated these custom seat mounts that use the stock seat bosses out of 1x1/4-inch steel strips.
The plan is to build the seats...
The plan is to build the seats around the center console; therefore I started by building the center console, which is going to be shaped like a torpedo cut in half. I began by creating the base of the console and tacking it to the floor of the truck.
From there I created the upper...
From there I created the upper half by bending some 1/2-inch conduit into the shape I was after and welded the console together.
It was then onto forming the...
It was then onto forming the seat. I wanted a sleek, flowing seat; therefore I created this rolling design for the perimeter of the seat. (Any shape to your liking would do.) I then created five more pieces just like this. All of these pieces of conduit can be bent using your knee, a vise, workbench, and so on, and then they can be cut to the desired length.
Before the perimeter could...
Before the perimeter could be set, I had to create the upper perimeter of the seat, which lies just below the rear window, hugging the cab. I tacked the upper perimeter in place, and then concentrated on tacking the outer perimeter in place. To do so I used a six-inch block to set the height of the seat, and added a few temporary braces. (Remember, padding will be two to three inches, and when added to the six inches of seat height, that will be right on target.)
Before the rest of the seat...
Before the rest of the seat could take shape, the center of the seat needed to be formed. The seat is going to hover above the rear of the console; therefore I created the U-shape above the console, and then ran a piece of conduit up to the top of the seat.