Scion xB ('03-'06) Rear Seat Install Datsun 510

[mhub91]

First off, this is my first 510. I've owned a lot of bastard child late 70s Datsuns but have never had the opportunity to play with an earlier 510 until now. So, I don't really know if the rear seat of the 510 is different between sedan, wagon, coupe. I'll leave you to be judge of that and this information.

 

I recently purchased a straight 510 wagon, but it was missing the rear seat bottom. I checked here and searched the internet for quick, easy seat options for the 510, particularly the wagon... Found a lot of speculation and a lot of butchered shit so I decided to use this corona virus downtime to check out the junk yards for myself. I checked a lot of small cars -- Geo Metro, Chevy Spark, Chevy Aveo, 1980s "Chevy" Nova (Corolla). Some were very close, but I wasn't thrilled with cushion or upholstery pattern. Randomly decided to check out a 2004 Scion xB (first gen, smaller boxy model). To my surprise it was 95% perfect measurements including depth, width (perfect - kind of), height, etc...

 

To start out, here are some vague measurements of the Scion seats. I took these initially so I could come home and compare to my 510 wagon.

 

 

Width of seat bottom, approx 50"

 

 

 

Width of seat back, approx 48"

 

 

Height of seat back, from bottom of back to top approx 21"

 

 

Floor to front of seat approx 9"

 

 

corner of seat approx 10"

 

 

rear support bar (more pics later) approx 41"

 

 

bottom of seat back to latch, approx 15"

 

 

 

Initial mock up looks promising.

 

 

Must trim along here and the other side to get it to sit lower and further back

 

 

 

Here are some measurements that you'll need to cut. Same on left and right side. This is on the rear corners that tuck into the wheel wells. The numbers that correspond to the lines are denoting INCHES.
 

 

 

Cut about 3" deep here to clear the center hump in the floor.

 

 

 

The metal loops that originally hold the front of the Scion seat down will be used again. Remove the original seat hinge and the loop will 'almost' bolt in. It lines up exactly, but seat sits a little tall. I think i will make a small bracket work.

 

 

 

IMHO, great fitment. I'm very happy. This looks promising.

 

 

 

Test fit Scion seat back. Seriously looking promising at this point.

 

 

The seat back has a latch mechanism and brackets that will be very easy to make an adapter plate to mount to the existing 510 latch area.

 

 

 

The Scion uses a combination of L shaped brackets and a rear support bar as it's pivot points..... Fuckin insane that the outer L bracket pivots line up with the original pivots. I'm thinking I could do one of two things... Possible weld a nut into the datsun's pivot point that the new scion l bracket will bolt into -OR- I can make a special nut that will thread on to the Scions existing bracket but replicate the function of the original seat (if that makes sense??)

 

 

 

 

 

This is the rear support bar. A lot going on here, but it's simple. The 4 hoops on the bar are the child seat anchor points... which could be very useful for us with families. As mentioned above, the outer pivot points of the Scion seat will use the factory Datsun pivot points on the chassis. But the inner pivot points on the Scion seat are located on the support bar. This bar needs to be located at the rear of the seat cushion and the bottom of the seat back so all of the seat back mount locations are in the same plane. This bar is too wide and will need to be modified.

 

 

 

The Scion has a 60/40 split rear seat. The "60" portion will need to be narrowed. Probably very simple. I will tackle this later and also document it. Note the lower mount hole in bottom left corner of seat.

 

 

 

 

Installed seat bottom. Very happy with fitment. Stock seat back will fold down.

 

 

 

It's also worth noting I used early 2000s Nissan Pathfinder rear "CENTER" lap seat belts. You will need 2 Pathfinders to make 1 pair of rear lap belts. They bolt right in.

Edited April 4, 2020 by mhub91

[mhub91]

Played with a few ideas for mounting the seat back outer pivot point. For fuck's sake man, it's like Toyota made this seat to be put into a 510.

 

Check it out:

 

 

Here's the L bracket on the lower outer corner of the Scion seat that bolt to the seat and when used on the Scion bolts to the chassis. 

 

 

 

It's a shouldered sleeve with a bolt that passes through and a wave washer.

 

 

 

I cut the head of the bolt off (it wouldn't slide out otherwise) because I had a crazy idea. I found that the outer diameter of the shoulder was able to slide into the U shaped receiver on the 510 chassis where the factory seat would slip into and pivot. The factory "nub" on the 510 seat is 5/8" outer diameter. It sits a little loose in the U shape receiver, so the slightly larger diameter on the Scion seat is perfect. 

 

After I cut the bolt out, I welded that shouldered sleeve to the outside of the L bracket.

 

The next few photos are self explanatory. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's where I'll need to build some adapter to connecter the Scion's latch to the 510's chassis. Really wont be hard at all.

 

 

 

This is showing the installed height of the seat back using it's factory bracket and sleeved pivot welded to the outside of the bracket sitting in the U shaped receiver.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fucking mint.

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by mhub91

[mhub91]

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[mhub91]

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[mhub91]

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[datzenmike]

Is it Mark??? This is perhaps what I need for my goon. Got Subaru front buckets (tan) and they in no way match the rear fold down. (black) I got the matching rear Subaru rear full and 3/4 fold down but the doors hit the seat bottoms when closing. Been a couple of years since I gave up on the fitment but it's SOOOooo close. You've given me some ideas to trim the seat to narrow both sides. May have to do the seat back also, I forget. I really want this to work and match the front.

[mhub91]

10 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Is it Mark??? This is perhaps what I need for my goon. Got Subaru front buckets (tan) and they in no way match the rear fold down. (black) I got the matching rear Subaru rear full and 3/4 fold down but the doors hit the seat bottoms when closing. Been a couple of years since I gave up on the fitment but it's SOOOooo close. You've given me some ideas to trim the seat to narrow both sides. May have to do the seat back also, I forget. I really want this to work and match the front.

 

Yes, Mark. I believe the last time we spoke in person was at canby years ago about my A10 with KA24DE swap. 

 

You have got to give these a try. It's (fucking) crazy how well things are coming together. It's like Toyota built this seat to swap into a 510. (just kidding..😄)

[datzenmike]

Naw, I already have the matching Subaru back seat. What I meant was seeing someone else not afraid to cut and trim to make something fit.  I did go out this afternoon and roughly draw them and made some measurements that I added to the sketch.

 

The seat is 51" wide vs. the 50" for the 710 so the doors will close nicely. It needs to be necked down narrower where it meets the seat back. It hinges at the front so all it needs is to fit where the seat back meets it. 

 

The seat back has to hinge on each side at the bottom and also in between where the 3/4 seat splits. The back is also much taller overall at 24" vs. 17.5" and there are latches on each side to lock in the upright position and wider 48" vs. 45". If the weather is better tomorrow I'm going to take the rear seat out completely, like I did before and fuck with it. 

[opalbeetle]

That’d be awesome to see what you come up with Mike. I have Subaru from seats ready to go into my 710 wagon. I have the complete back seats too. They’re from a 2000 Outback wagon. 

[datzenmike]

Outback sounds right, I think that was it. I thought they were vinyl but, what do I know, they were leather. I saw the 3 way electric seat adjustments. Turns out it has heaters too and a side air bag I disconnected.

 

Took most of a weekend and dozens of test fits before I could finally weld the 710 rails in place and have them fit the holes in the floor. They are nice and comfortable but on long trips they are easily adjusted to get a superb comfort when tired. There's up/down, forward/back and a tilt

.

[Bleach]

For other Canadians, the xB wasn't sold in Canada. You'll probably have to get the rear seats from the USA.

 

In Japan it was called the bB.

 

Similar small cars that might have a back seat to look into 2000-2005 Toyota Echo. 2004-2006 xA

[4perrev]

Nice write up with all the measurements and guide.  Looks awesome!!