why cant i just get a complete power seat from Ford?

[racerman_27410]

went to my local ford dealer today and found out that i cannot just order a power seat to fit into my 04 E-350 6.0- you have to have a vin number from a vehicle that came from the factory with a power seat and after supplying that information you can only purchase replacement parts for that seat- it would cost at least 1500.00 to build a power seat piece by piece [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] ...... i know someone must be turning regular vans into conversion vans so how do they do the power drivers seat ? any recommendations for who to try and deal with to get a power seat online?

are there any known workaround alternative/retrofit answers for this problem ?


thanks in advance for any replys


Frank

[toalpi]

[ QUOTE ]
i know someone must be turning regular vans into conversion vans so how do they do the power drivers seat ?

[/ QUOTE ] They start with the RV prep package and they order the (drivers) Power Pedestal and the "Captains chairs-Dual without trim (no seat covers). This shouldn't be too hard as long as the seat pedestals have not been changed for 2004. They were changed along with the bolt locations in 1997.

[DarthSurplus]

NHTSA regulations prohibit Ford from modifying the seating in any vehicle to anything different than what has been crash-tested.

[racerman_27410]

"NHTSA regulations prohibit Ford from modifying the seating in any vehicle to anything different than what has been crash-tested."


i realize this but they do offer the power seat option in the E series it should be a straight swap!
i guess its time to modify!!!!


Frank

[hapaschold]

couple thoughts,
- find a van with power seats and use that vin # [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img]
- designer seat works, tempe arizona, www.designerseatworks.com i think
- search junk yards, i think 02 going forward is same color schemes.
- i found a set on ebay i m thinking of buying, but not power, matches front , need 2 more capt. chairs when hauling kids around.

[racerman_27410]

i found a Power seat base on e-bay for a ford explorer- since i am going to have to modify my existing pedistal and possibly the seat base anyway i figured it really doesnt matter what the power base comes off of.

It just worked out this one was ford and brand new.

let the modifying begin!


Frank

[DarthSurplus]

It can be a straight bolt-right-in swap. You may have wiring harness issues. But the f0rd organization, from the factory to the parts counter, wants in no way to be associated with the change, for liability avoidance reasons. There is no incentive for them to make it easy, or inexpensive, for you to do this seat swap. Aftermarket and junkyard would be my first two considerations.

[DarthSurplus]

Oh, and the conversion van seating configurations are NHTSA tested also. I begged and pleaded with three different converters here in Indiana to modify the seating configuration for me, and two of them flatly refused. The third said that I could have it, so long as I ponied up the $200,000.00 to have 'my' configuration crash-test certified, in addition to the price of the van. So conversion companies aren't 'getting away with' anything. Their aftermarket power seats, installed in stripped conversion chassis, are certified. I suspect, but don't know, that conversion companies will be similarly reluctant to sell one seat over the counter.

Good luck with this, and please share with us your eventual solution to this problem.

- Carl

[timrena]

Found this place maybe get a seat there just a little pricey RV Surplus