Whatever happened to benchseats?

[crewzer]

Hey guys! Need some advice! Looking at changing my vehicle, but really like the idea of a bench seat. Where have they gone? I'm a family man with 4 kids. Currently own a 5 seater cruiser and 8 seater Prado. Obviously can't fit in the cruiser, and as soon as you've got kid's in the back of the Prado, you have no boot left! I reckon a 6 seater is the sollution.
I've seen the odd 80 series with a bench seat, and the older hilux's. What else is there?

[wildplumdx]

older patrols have em my old 84 had one and my 96 l200 has bench in the front jack l modern cars have em which sucks

[mudbugga]

The car manufacturers got rid of them as it's all to do with occupant safety....blah blah
All the new soft-roaders are no good for anything but doing the shopping now.

Chopper would say - "Harden the F#$& up!"

Bench seats are cool!

Bring back - metal dashes, bench seats, simple electronics (if any),
"real" power, removable roofs, removable doors........

[nstacey]

Land Rover Defender 110, 9 seats in some models

[tweake]

front bench seat? have one in the navara (and toyota) and a planned project is to get rid of the thing !
uncomfortable as
the middle seat is useless to small for any kid that doesn't require a car seat and car seats won't fit!
lap belts are @#$% lethal in a crash. hell anyone would smash their skull into the dash if i hit the brakes a bit to hard.
blocks off valuable storage room, i hope to fit fire extinguisher and make a console for other gear.

while the old bench seat was fine in the old ford, column change and stretch the legs out across the car. bugger having it in a 4x4.

[Landcruiser70]

Just get a troopy! You can fit the kids and their mates!

[crewzer]

Troopy would be great...but, do you put the kid's or the luggage in first!?

[crewzer]

What about installing a bench seat? Do all 70 series cruisers of the same vintage have the same seat mounts? ie would the double passenger seat out of a 70 series troopy or truck, bolt straight into a 70 series wagon?