I’ve been thinking for a while now about getting 206 middle seats to replace the rear seats on my 180. I’d like to have some comfortable seats back there for my kids, not any of the jump seats that are available. (I currently have Cessna jumpseats). I know Kenmore sells the STC. Does anyone know which part numbers can be used for this STC? I see some deals come up on seats every once and a while on eBay or barnstormers... but I don’t want to buy anything without confirming what part numbers will work and what won’t.

Kenmore is not currently selling that STC I believe, I forget why. They may have got it sorted by now but you better call them to make sure it's currently available

Best mod we did on our 180. Not the lightest option but versatile and comfortable,

206 seat STC has been revised and is currently for sale. Give them a call and ask Matt or Eric for P/Ns.

http://www.kenmoreairharbor.com/

robw56 wrote:I’ve been thinking for a while now about getting 206 middle seats to replace the rear seats on my 180. I’d like to have some comfortable seats back there for my kids, not any of the jump seats that are available. (I currently have Cessna jumpseats). I know Kenmore sells the STC. Does anyone know which part numbers can be used for this STC? I see some deals come up on seats every once and a while on eBay or barnstormers... but I don’t want to buy anything without confirming what part numbers will work and what won’t.

I have the same issue. I believe that you have to have a float kit in order to do their seat stc.
Atlee Dodge seems to be the best alternative for me. Although pricey.




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FWIW... I didn't like this mod at all. I had it in my bird when I bought it, and it was one of the first things I tossed when I started my resto. I found them really big and heavy... took up tons of valuable space in the back.

The install is also pretty booty fab and not very strong. I know the Atlees are not the most comfortable for rear pax, but so they are so much more convenient as well as robust.

Just my 0.02.

I will see if I can dig up the old paperwork for you Rob.

Bigrenna wrote:FWIW... I didn't like this mod at all. I had it in my bird when I bought it, and it was one of the first things I tossed when I started my resto. I found them really big and heavy... took up tons of valuable space in the back.

The install is also pretty booty fab and not very strong. I know the Atlees are not the most comfortable for rear pax, but so they are so much more convenient as well as robust.

Just my 0.02.

I will see if I can dig up the old paperwork for you Rob.

Again, the STC has been revised and I believe they addressed the booty fabiness of the installation and the limitations, I don't think Greg's old paperwork will accurately reflect the current version of the STC. It is the heaviest option for an aftermarket rear seat installation, but prolly the most comfortable.

There is literally a person waiting at Kenmore next a phone anxious to answer these questions, give 'em a call

Have you considered just running the stock bench seat?
A friend of mine tore all the horsehair & upholstery off his,
and covered the bottom & back frames with ceconite, a la the BAS / Lakevue jump seats.
Lightweight and easy to get in and out,
esp if you attach the back with hitch pins instead of regular bolts and take the bottom & back out separately.
His wife sewed up a lightweight pad to cushion the bottom a bit.
Dunno how old your kids are, Rob,
but his set-up served his kids well until they got old enough to not wanna / hafta hang out with the old folks anymore.

If you don't have the stock seat, I imagine it's not too hard to find one for sale--
usually by someone who just installed jumpseats and is looking to heal his wallet up a bit.
Mine already had BAS jumpseats when I bought it,
I figured I'd never need the stock seat that also came with it
and sold it about a year later for $200.
MIne had very dated upholstery but the framework was in excellent shape.

I had 206 seats in my 185 and they were very comfortable. They came out very easily min or two per seat. Yes not the lightest but by far the most comfortable. I had seat tracks that were riveted down and very strong. My 2cents

Had 206 seats in our 180 when we first got it, yes they are comfy, but that's about it. The install of the seat rails in ours really was not great, kind of flimsy, and our seats were kind of a pain to take in and out because of the big comfy upholstery (about 20 Lbs each, ouch!). Ended up ditching them real quick, and going back to the bench seat. Honestly, the bench seat is lighter, quicker and easier to take out, and a hell of a lot stronger than the 206 seats. Being that I fly around 95% of the time with the back seat out, I couldn't justify the cost of the Atlee seats either.

RKTX wrote:Had 206 seats in our 180 when we first got it, yes they are comfy, but that's about it. The install of the seat rails in ours really was not great, kind of flimsy, and our seats were kind of a pain to take in and out because of the big comfy upholstery (about 20 Lbs each, ouch!). Ended up ditching them real quick, and going back to the bench seat. Honestly, the bench seat is lighter, quicker and easier to take out, and a hell of a lot stronger than the 206 seats. Being that I fly around 95% of the time with the back seat out, I couldn't justify the cost of the Atlee seats either.

I would be willing to put the stock bench seat in also instead of the Cessna jump seats that I have..... anyone want to trade? I don’t have any of the parts for the upper seat back support either. I had the brackets off my 170 but that’s a different style anyways and I gave those away.

I have a spare stock seat in nice condition at KEDU.
You can have it if you want.

--Bill

Its amazing how everybody’s experience with this is different. We had a deluxe interior from new (1975) and the bench seat to go with it. It was great if you never wanted to take it out and you didn’t want to use the 5th and 6th seat. It was set too far back to allow passengers, or lots of baggage, in the back. It was an absolute PITA to take out. I hated it for years. The only upside was comfort and we could fit three kids on it when they were small. The 206 seats can be slid way forward to allow rear passengers or more baggage room. Slid back if just 4 passengers for more leg room. One out and one in if neeed. Both out if needed in less than a minute per seat. One forward and one back etc etc etc. I can also store them both in the extended baggage area and put mountain bikes in, or leave them behind. I think they are great. We did cut ours down a bit as in cut a peice out of the middle to make them slightly narrower and a bit lighter, which made the install easier. Fully riveted sturdy seat rails. Very comfortable and very versitile. The only downside for me is weight. I did weigh them once and they were only slightly heavier then the deluxe bench seat that came out. If you want light they are not for you. For everything else they get a big tick from me.

c180bill wrote:I have a spare stock seat in nice condition at KEDU.
You can have it if you want.

--Bill

I’ll take you up on that offer Bill, that would be great! ...And for anyone in need of a stock 170 rear bench I have one sitting in my hangar collecting dust that I’ll give away to a good home.

I appreciate everyone’s advice on this. I just read all of the replies, some I missed earlier. I realize the 206 seats aren’t the lightest option. I have the Cessna jumpseats now and I HATE them. They sit way to far forward, and they aren’t adjustable. They’re terrible with kids car seats. They’re easy to install and uninstall that’s the only good thing. I had the Atleee Dodge jump seats in my 170B and like them a lot better. If I had those I would stick with them. But to add them now that’s $2800 plus install. 206 seats would be nice because they’re more comfortable and they can slide back and forth as needed to accommodate for cargo or just extra leg room. But, they aren’t necessarily easy to find, and once you do find them you have to buy the STC and all the other parts and pieces needed to finish the installation. Putting a stock bench seat back in will be cheap and no basis for approval needed, and it’s a lot more comfortable than the crappy Cessna jump seats that I have now. So sounds like that’s what I’ll be doing. Having a comfortable spot for my kids to fly with me is more important to me than saving a few pounds of weight. I used to be much more concerned about extra weight in the 170B, the Pponk’d 180 doesn’t care as much.

I loved the bench seat in the back of the 180 and most days it was an easy 15 minutes to put in or take out. Some days the holes didn't want to line up right and it took a little longer but not too bad. I got lots of practice! The car seat and booster fit fine side by side for us too. And it was comfortable for adults!

CW

I have the seat and brackets out of a 1957 180A, light blue in color. 218-749-5734

I lusted after a set of BAS seats back when I had my old C170,
but couldn't talk myself into ponying up the dough for them.
I ended up installing a single RH C185 factory jump seat,
which I managed to buy cheap from someone- probably because he only had the one.

Like you said, Rob, they're too far forward so not really comfortable for anyone above about 3' tall.
However, there is some demand for them.
I'm sure you could sell them for enough to buy a bench seat and/or the bracketry required for same.
You'll need different seat belts--
they mount on the seat itself with the bench.

I'm not sure that the rear seat upper seatback bracket set-up is the same for all the 170/180's--
the one in my 53 C180 is the same as was in my 48 C170,
but I seem to recall that they changed it after some years went by.
If you go this route, be sure the seat matches the bracketry..

Those brackets are still in my C180--
they make a good place to hook the bungee cords that secure my BAS seats in the stowed position.

hotrod180 wrote:I lusted after a set of BAS seats back when I had my old C170,
but couldn't talk myself into ponying up the dough for them.
I ended up installing a single RH C185 factory jump seat,
which I managed to buy cheap from someone- probably because he only had the one.

Like you said, Rob, they're too far forward so not really comfortable for anyone above about 3' tall.
However, there is some demand for them.
I'm sure you could sell them for enough to buy a bench seat and/or the bracketry required for same.
You'll need different seat belts--
they mount on the seat itself with the bench.

I'm not sure that the rear seat upper seatback bracket set-up is the same for all the 170/180's--
the one in my 53 C180 is the same as was in my 48 C170,
but I seem to recall that they changed it after some years went by.
If you go this route, be sure the seat matches the bracketry..

Those brackets are still in my C180--
they make a good place to hook the bungee cords that secure my BAS seats in the stowed position.

I checked in my parts manual and found the numbers for the brackets. The 180A brackets are different than early 180s and 170s. I also pulled some of my interior out to see where and how they mount. Looks like the brackets are attached with 2 screws and nut plates on each side.

I can take pics of the brackets in my 53 model tomorrow if you'd like.