Please help ID these seats

[frankc]

These seats came with a '73T project car that I recently purchased. The chrome recliner makes it obvious that they are pre-72 seats, but what year had the slide-button release mechanism on the side of the upper recliner? I found a couple of pictures with this mechanism on '70 seats, but I've seen some '71 seats without the slide-button. Was this a '70 only seat?

[Jim Breazeale]

These seats came with a '73T project car that I recently purchased. The chrome recliner makes it obvious that they are pre-72 seats, but what year had the slide-button release mechanism on the side of the upper recliner? I found a couple of pictures with this mechanism on '70 seats, but I've seen some '71 seats without the slide-button. Was this a '70 only seat?

69/70. 71 recliners are different

[frankc]

Thanks.

Now that I know what I have, I need to decide whether to keep them or look for the correct '73 seats...

[NorthernThrux]

Thje seat frames are mostly the same for all these years. You can get the correct 73 double locker recliners and rails. There is a set on ebay and one at Aase right now. And you can reupholster the seats with the correct 73 materials. I forget if the 69/70 seats have headrest holes. If so, you can get the proper peanut shaped head rests too at Aase and often ebay.
However this will all set you back a couple of grand, so you'll need to decide whether you want to bring them to the correct '73 configuration or sell them and find the right seats - or different seats.

Ravi

[frankc]

Thje seat frames are mostly the same for all these years. You can get the correct 73 double locker recliners and rails. There is a set on ebay and one at Aase right now. And you can reupholster the seats with the correct 73 materials. I forget if the 69/70 seats have headrest holes. If so, you can get the proper peanut shaped head rests too at Aase and often ebay.
However this will all set you back a couple of grand, so you'll need to decide whether you want to bring them to the correct '73 configuration or sell them and find the right seats - or different seats.

Ravi,
Thanks very much for the suggestions. The seats do have the headrests holes, and one of the seats still has the headrest.

Even though I know it's not correct, I actually prefer the chrome recliners to the black ones so I may just restore these as 69/70 seats and use them like that, while also looking for a proper pair of 72/73 seats in case I ever decide to sell the car.