Joined: Thu Oct 13 2005, 02:28AM
Location: Germany
Posts: 318
71F3 wrote ... As I understand it, the formal 4 DR HT is a rarer bird than the standard Hard top. The rear window is the same as the 2 Door Formal. A friend of mine said he owned one. He claimed he had done some research on them and found the 4 DR Formal was an odd ball. I've seen plenty of "innie" windows on the 2 doors, but not on the 4 doors. Most of the 71's I've seen are "Outies"
The 2dr HT's were available with a regular roof ("outie") or as a Formal Hard Top ("innie"). GT's only came with regular roof.
The 4dr sedan was always an "outie" whereas the 4dr hardtop was always an "innie".
Not 100% sure, but I think the 4 dr HT and 2 dr Formal HT had identical roof sheetmetal and rear window.
Joined: Sat Dec 10 2005, 04:28PM
Location: United States
Posts: 4954
Thanks Ceebuddy
Maybe he was refering to the "formal" as a trim package?. I know the seats I have are very unusual. . . . They have the high back in the front, like the Chargers had. There is no lift up head rest. The pleated interior seems to be the 2 door style, not the 4 door. The original interior in my car was Vinyl. But I has cloth put in, not realizing I did what the 2 door interior had. Here is a reference. . . .
Joined: Thu Oct 13 2005, 02:28AM
Location: Germany
Posts: 318
Hi Steve,
the High-back seats were new for '71. They were mostly found in the higher-priced 2-doors or 4-doors were they were either standard (Chrysler 300) or optional - as was the case with the 1971 Fury III. You seem to have the optional all-vinyl bench seat with integral arm rest. If those seats were installed in a four door, the seat backs would of course not tilt forward.
Joined: Mon Oct 10 2005, 04:16PM
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Posts: 18
My '71 came with a lot of wierd hack jobs, and so I'm not sure what seats it originally had. When I bought the car, it had a poorly re-dyed cloth and vinyl split bench setup, but the back seat was definately from a 2-dr car (too narrow) and I found the build sheet from a Newport in the springs. After looking at the fender tag, it was apparently built with similar seats; my guess is that the front was original but the back wasn't. Since those seats were so beat up, I replaced them with the near-mint ones out of the '73 Polara. The front bench is the high-back w/ armrest like Dan posted, and is upholstered entirely in black vinyl.
Joined: Sat Dec 10 2005, 04:28PM
Location: United States
Posts: 4954
Hey C
You are 100% correct. I knew it was an option on the F3, I think that is what my friend was telling me. There weren't that meny made with the 4 Door and the formal seat option. By putting in the cloth where the pleats were, we made it look like the 2 door seat. And yes, the seat does not tilt.
When we had the seats apart, I noticed it was made like a two door. For the heck of it, we swung the seats before we set the catch that prevented the swing. Interesting how they did that. The catch looked like a two door catch, with provisions to have a release added. The frames were all set up. I am sure it was a "cheap" way of reducing tooling and costs and give a different seat.
MORE good info.
I guess we concluded the rear isn't the same without moving the spring pads. Bummer. More work. I'll have to decide if I want to keep it the way it is, or use the carrier in one of my Vhryslers with an open rear.
Joined: Fri Oct 07 2005, 12:03PM
Location: Central Ky.
Posts: 1575
I'd say Ceebudy is correct, Like I said I never paid all that much attention to the rooflines. What he said makes perfect sense to me. Learn new stuff all the time!
No wonder it's confusing, they mixed the rooflines by trim level & in-between body style's.
The good ole' days.......when you had choices in colors/bodystyles/rooflines/drivetrains! Unlike today.
I agree with you Butch. . . Cbuddy had a piece of lit I never saw before. That picture of the front seat he showed is exactly what I have, or had, before I put in the cloth.
Given the era that they were made, it makes perfect sense. I also learned that the Formal interior was available in the SEEdan also. Never saw one of those either. That would have the outie window.
I guess you and I agree I'll need to do a spring pad shift? Unless someone has a 8 1/4 LIMITED SLIP (For the benefit of Snotty BB)carrier. . . .