raiz Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 I'm sorry if I missed it in searching, but I didn't see this specific topic covered. Is it possible to add seats to a cargo/work Ford Transit connect? This is the taller version that doesn't come with the 2nd or 3rd row of seats. My girlfriend is afraid of buying a 2 seater in case we want to bring friends along. Also, if you can add seats, does it matter which year or model of Ford Transit Connect you buy? Do the seats have to match the model year? Thanks in advance for your help guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddkageals Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 alx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddkageals Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) I bought a set of front seats, made an adapter plate and installed them in the rear. You can get the bench seat but people want like $1000 for them. I did this with almost new seats (100 miles on them) for $200.00. The seats I got from the junk yard were so nice that I put them in the front and moved my fronts to the rear. I also got a set of front seatbelts and installed them in the rear too. The belts bolted right up. All I had to do was make an L bracket that fit the factor mounts in the floor. Edited May 21, 2014 by toddkageals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddkageals Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) The adapter plate is bolted to the factory holes for the rear seats. I did not have to drill holes in the floor or anything like that. I installed a "bed rug" which I am very happy with. The bed rug goes over the plate and then the seats bolt in on top. I can have the seats out in under 10 minutes and the bedrug keeps the rear effectively flat. You can see the seatbelts in the last picture. They don't have pretty covers but they work perfectly in the rear. Edited May 21, 2014 by toddkageals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Nice job Todd. There are also some regular back seats that show up here for sale from time to time. Also a lot of people wanting them. The seats I see are for the 2010 to 2013 vans. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocor98 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 (edited) Nice post Todd .. but be advised folks this info must be model year spacific .. I just added a 10 power Highlander front seat to a 2012 XLT cargo version sold in Canada, and found to my disappoiment that this process would not work .. In my situation the bolt locations did not exist as the extendend cargo area floor plate was not bolted in, but was spot welded .. none of the factory bolt locations were left in place. To have any way of securing the plate I mounted my seat on, I had to go through the cargo deck floor, and with all the gear that is on the other side, gas tank etc, this takes some planning. I wanted to reclaim the rear foot well, so I ground out the spot welds and cut out one half of the extention, leaving the other half in place .. be advised in my model year the floor carpet is cut at the beginning of the extention, so you will need to allow for an addition of floor covering in the 8" void the removal of the cargo base extention creates .. the pics above in the other post look like the cargo extention was left in place , this would be leg length spacific ... my mod was for a 6'2" person with long legs, and a Toyota seat .. I bought my van used for this purpose , and was prepared to go through the cargo floor, had 108k on it, but wanted it for the body, sadly the previous owner did a rather sloppy repair job to a broken third break light, and it was leaking in the cargo area roof .. but that is another story :-) The rear scuff plate (molded plastic) starts with 3T on the wagons, and 9T on the cargo versions. I have yet to fit the one I received from the dealership today ( 3T replacing 9T ) and will report if it is lacking .. may also need to get a different front piller base to meat up with the 3T scuff plate as in my mind it seems a few inches shorter ... Edited June 17, 2014 by rocor98 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnTroy Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 I just added a 10 power Highlander front seat to a 2012 XLT cargo version sold in Canada... Please tell us more about this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocor98 Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 (edited) Seat was installed .. 27" × 6'2" platform was also installed on the side of the cargo area where I left the extention in place. Steel plate was extended long enough to allow access through the deck ( bolting locations ) before the gass tank and aft of the gass tank .. platform was sesured to the unremoved portion of the cargo deck extention at the front, and to the the side wall along its length. With an anchor through the deck at the rear. A new piller base was required ( plastic trim 3t1z5424357ab ) to meet the wagon style rearscuff plate ( 3t1z1713228aa ) .. I tried to adapt the 9t1z1713228aa for use but it would not work for me .. as not doing this project on a regular basis , I put the $40.00 Cdn into the new base trim as opposed to a plastic welding kit .. I secured a $139.00 retracting 3 point seat belt on line as opposed to a junk yard purchase and using existing attaching points will make a plate to move the belt piviot point rearward, as I wanted to get the full travel range of the Highlander power seat. Powered the seat from the rear cargo area aux power supply line ( fused ) Observations ... Some aspects of the resconstruction will not be pretty .. not factory pretty anyway .. as in the modified reclamation of the foot well, this will require some attention to detail unless you have access to a junked TC wagon/taxi for molded carpet parts etc. I did not .. You will need a fan as not a lot of air back there when one first enters a hot parked situation as air from open passenger window is defused. Talking to someone on the street will require you open the door if sitting in the 2nd row Conversation level to drivers seat seems normal .. would be better if one covered the inside wheel wells Use a 3 point seat belt as it will move you to the center of the van away from the metal walls Sliding doors when locked back, are not easy to pull closed from seated position .. I would not buy this van as a Wagon if I had kids .. ( I liked ) :-) Years ago in my 20's I did lots of auto restoration so I would suggest you get professional assistance for a mod like this :-) Edited June 29, 2014 by rocor98 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnTroy Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Nice writeup, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renalynd27 Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Is it possible to also add a 3rd row seat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alx Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Looking to put back seats in my 2012 Transit Connect and just found this post. Great solution Todd! I was able to find 1 seat so far and was curious about the adapter plate. How thick was the adapter plate you made for this? I'm assuming it needs to be thick enough to accommodate the bolts needed to secure the seat. Any help would be greatly appreciated. thx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiller Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Check my ad in the classifieds. Two brand new leather seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beta Don Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 (edited) We had the same dilemma when we were shopping for a van - 90% of the time we would prefer to have the extra space and no rear seating at all, but then there are times we would want to take our grandkids with us, so we didn't know what to buy. No Ford dealer sales rep knew ANYTHING about the seating in the SWB models. "Maybe you could unbolt the rear seats and take them out" We almost bought a cargo van and were thinking the same thing - Is there any way to jury rig in rear seating into a cargo van? I kept thinking it must be easier to take seats out than it would be to put seats in where there were no seats before. If the OP is trying to decide what to buy and needs both occasional seating for 5 and a flat floor for use as a work truck, the SWB models of the 2014 and newer TC's come with rear seats which are completely removable - Sadly, none of the sales people we talked to knew that . . . . we *almost* bought the wrong truck! Fold the back down flat, flip them up vertical (which gives you back about 75% of the floor space previously occupied by the seats without actually removing them) and then you can flip a pair of little levers and the rear seats lift completely out of the van - They have built-in handles for toting them around. The rear seat is a 60/40 design and you can take out either the larger one, the smaller one or both of them. Time to take them out is maybe a minute . . . . time to put them back in is maybe 2 minutes. They ARE a bit heavy (especially the larger one) but I'm no youngster and I can do it by myself Don Edited January 5, 2017 by Beta Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave777 Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Hi I have a standard 2012 transit connect and wanted to know if I acquired some crew cab rear seats of the same design/year whether they will fit straight in or whether I will have to make alterations? Any advice is helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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