Recently picked up a new 1968 Ford Country Sedan: In amazing condition, but the bench-seats that terminate below my shoulders are making me leery of whiplash if rear-ended. I found that they actually had optional dealer-installed headrests on these things, and I've searched a few out on ebay, but the cost is ridiculous for the original item. I'm fine with something aftermarket, and have done a lot of searching, but haven't found anything obvoius. Even the stock ones look like they simply had two vertical bars that literally just bolted into the back of the vinyl bench seat, presumably to some underlying frame. Any thoughts on the matter appreciated. At minimum I'd like to pick up 4: One for driver and right side passenger on the front, and same positions in back.
"Terminate below" your shoulders? You must be my height or taller. I don't know what is available from that era, but what about a more modern seat unit, something to tide you over while you deal with the original seat?
I could rip out the original seats and get all new, but the old ones are really nice honestly, and color matched to the car. I'm almost 6', and the top of the seat is right at my armpit. Makes is very comfortable to stretch my arm out on though I'm currently looking at local upholstery shops for some quotes... why not eh? Since this model (basically a Galaxie) actually had real headrests, I thought finding some aftermarket bolt-on ones would be easy. Internet is failing me here
You can find aftermarket bolt in bucket seats but they ain’t gonna be pretty. sure would be a shame getting rid of that bench seat. Maybe you could just scoot it back and do some serious slouching. Posture is over rated
I feel the same way when I drive my old cars. My fears are grounded in actual reality since I was rear ended once before. Luckily the headrest was properly raised behind my head. The impact bent the bars of the headrest almost 45 degrees. The impact was my head hitting the headrest.
I was rear-ended in my '74 Ranchero Squire; my head (at 6'6") got bounced hard enough, to ring my bell, on the top of the rear window frame. Rancheros, as built, never got headrests because they were classed as trucks.
A while back, like 1990, I had a 1979 Jeep (Grand) Wagoneer. My wife at the time refused to ride in it unless I got headrests. She was a passenger when we got rear ended at low speed in my '56 Ford Ranch Wagon (whiplash). So I went looking in Hemmings and came up with a pair of headrests like JC Whitney used to sell (cylindrical shape). Plastic covered spring steel prongs fit over the seat. Very cool. When I sold the Wagoneer, I sold the headrests to a guy with a '67 Impala. He was so happy!
