I was just thinking... why do we need flip down rear seats in our cars? It's not like it really gives much more room for anything. Does anyone know the reason GM made it this way? What is the reason for the split rear seat?

 

quote=racing geek;3653279]I was just thinking... why do we need flip down rear seats in our cars? It's not like it really gives much more room for anything. Does anyone know the reason GM made it this way? What is the reason for the split rear seat?[/quote]
[

 

Probably so we'd be able to get to the shock mounts... LOL.

 

Same reason GM offered ski racks for the 4thgen cars. To carry crap that a sports car really shouldn't carry without marring the car much. Such as tearing up the upholstry.

 

ya for the most part its useless but iv used it to fit a few more boxes in the car when i moved so it dose some good

 

When I had my old hard top I had the backs flipped down all the time, just thought it looked better.

 

I just thought of a reason for the split rear... if you can ever get anyone back there, they can flip half down so they will have an armrest

 

i have used it many times. i recently put the seats down when i bought new interior. i put all the plastic and the seats and door panels all of it. i could have never done it with out the seats folding down. lol.

 

I think its that inch or two where you can fit more stuff in, maybe you have something long you want to put in the back but you need a flat surface. Ya know... Not to good of an excuse but combine that with shock access and there is enough reason.

 

 

Mine stays down all the time, since I bought the car. I carry quite a bit of tools and (sometimes) materials for my job. I've fit 8 whole sheets of plywood in it, 2 knockdown door jams. Had (5) 5 gallon buckets of paint it one time too. I love the feature, but as earlier people said, its a sports car, and technically shouldn't be used for such things. It sure does come in handy though.

 

mine stays down all the time. saves me from telling ppl i dont want to drive there asses anywhere.

 

haha people never want to ride in the back of my camaro because im big so i have the seat reclide pretty far back into the allready small back seat so they cant fit lol

 

I fold mine down so i can fit my bike in there.. other then that their up.. never really thought of this question before... lol, good point

 

Does it have someing to do with listed cargo space? Like my Escalade EXT is listed as a 6' 4" bed when the sets are down. I mean why do mustanges have flip down seats? You can't even get a duffle bag in there!

 

My snowboard fits in there nicely when its folded down lol.

 

yea that makes a lotta sense. i just recently put racing seats in the front of my rs and theres barely any leg room at all in the back so i was thinking of jusst ripping them completely out! i mean it will save some weight also so thats a plus and if someone asks for rides.....I dont need a back seat with people!

 

see i'm one of those people who has one specific setting for their seat and thats it, so my drivers seat doesnt move at all...so now i can only fit 1 person in the back rather than 2 lol

but yeah i dont quite understand the usefulness of the flip down rear seats...ive used them a couple times with helping my g/f move from college to home for the summer...but thats about it

but one thing that i have found from hanging out at community college with 5 hours between classes is that if you fold down the seats, fold the front driver's seat forward you can lay down on the back seats and put your feet (no shoes) up on the front seat and the area where the gas tank is under makes for a decent head rest

 

I use them all the time. When I go to car show I flip them down and put my cooler and chair on them, that way I don't get the seats dirty. I think they're very useful.

 

I forget the site, but they make box looking things that you can put if you do a rear seat delete.. they look clean.. they are like little compartments to put stuff in.. or you could have them drill it out for subs if you wanted, i'll do a little searching and see if i can find it

 

i flip mine down when people try and bum rides an i say"sorry man i only got two seats help ya if i could" that way i dont look like a total A hole

 

if you ride bikes, you can pretty easily fit 2 of them in there with the rear seats folded down, with plenty of clearance to not scratch the window tint.
also, i don't think i could've gotten my new wheels home if they didn't fold down. ..

 

Because it's easier to fit my rifle cases when I go to the club! Thats why!

 

It does come in handy, its nice having a flat rear surface sometimes. Besides we all know thirdgen back seats are not meant for human beings, no one can really fit back there. I also drive with my seat all the way back and between the back seat cushion and the back of the front seat, there is maybe 5in if you're lucky...

 

A buddy and I fit an entire set of 15" firebird wheels (with tires mounted) in the hatch, and I don't think they would have fit without the fold down seat. We had taken his car to the junk yard looking for something, and I found a set of wheels I couldn't pass up

 

So you could ask this DUMB question twenty years later.

 

I removed mine so I wouldn't have to carry more then + 1 person in the car.

 

i stuffed 4 tires in the back. with out the seats folded downtheres no way it would have fit. i couldnt see anything behind me but it was nce to know my seats werent getting ruined.

 

so you can fold them down and put seets forward and top down and watch the stars with your girl man and have a little fun

 

I used that feature several times when I received some parcels from Summit lol

 

Yea its the BEST excuse to say "hey I've got two seats and ones already taken" so who's ridin b*tch?!! What also helps is after I put my subs in the back...its a nice fitted box but with the t-tops the tops don't fully fit with the box so i put the t's in the bag and put them on the folded down seat.....sweeeeet!!

 

I find it pretty utilitarian. . . I live alone and its my only vehicle, and I've always been able to cram whatever I had to in the back. Boxes, groceries, a bicycle, sacks of dog food, furniture anything. . .Third gen's are like the SUV of the sportscar world. . .

And yup, having the seats folded down has kept anyone from asking for a ride, they say, "ah, never mind, your's is a two seater". . . Heh.

 

ive foudnt hat they can come in handly at the drive inns so instead of sitting outside the car u can fold them down and wiht some blankets it not to bad

 

If you don't like that I asked this, then don't take the time to post in this thread.
I was wondering why this feature is in our cars and what people use it for. So far, I haven't had to use it since I just bought the car about 7 months ago and its has been put away for atleast 3 months (snow sucks). Even if I did have to haul something around I know plenty of people with trucks that would be willing to help out.

Ok, so it seems that the only reason people use this feature is to fool people into thinking their car is a two seater and to protect the seats. I guess the those are good enough reasons.

 

try also posting in the history/restoration section...they might have some clues as to why GM decided to make flip down rear seats

 

Ah man, you kinda took my answer!

 

So you can have sex in your car.... Hello...

 

thats where i put my ttops because of the speaker box in the rear well so im glad it folds down ..

 

Yea, maybe if you're 5'2" or so... being 6'3" it doesn't quite work in the 'bird...


Though I barely fit my truck's tire in the back with the seat down & after I put air in it the hatch was near impossible to close...

 

After finding 6 245/50/16's at the tire store(the only ones I could find used anywhere in a 40 mile radius with decent tread) for $10 a peice, I had 2 mounted and put the other 4+1take off in trash bags and tossed 'em in back. Could've fit 1 more.......

 

snow and camaros should not mix...lol

 

i keep my seats down too, plus it gives me somewhere to put my longboard...

 

yeah, I ususaly flip my seats down to fit a complete drum set, decent size guitar amp, stands, and a guitar. trust me, its a TIGHT fit, and things need to be twisted into place, but after a few trys everything fits. I think it was a good idea on their part, just because some people need it . Just my opinion.

Other than that, when its empty, there down, it looks cleaner to me.

 

I have a system in the hatch of my car so now i have no room for my t t bag when i take the t tops off when its nice, so now i just fold down the back seats and them in the bag and put it in the back seat. Im no taxi so noones ever in the back seat anyways. Does come in handy



no room for the T-Top bag now... so use the back seat!

 

When i use to ride bmx i could fit mine and buddies bike in there. So it was the prefect cruiser to go tear up the skate park with.

I once had a small 50cc dirt bike in the back.

And the part about being able to sleep back there, i have to ask can you ride the big kid rides at the fair? When the seat folded its only about 2ft untill the hump.

 

I know what you mean, When I got My t/a in 05 and I got it running People would Always want to Come along and pack the car out.. any more then two people in a Ta or camaro is NO GOOD

 

The flip down seats are good for me. I can fit my 4x12 guitar speaker cab in my car with them folded

 

haha yeah its too crowded and i dont like being right up against the steering wheel when someones behind me and complaining about no damn leg room... hahaha

 

YeA Right???.. And Here you are Chest Agaist the steering wheel and its YOUR *&^%$#%^ CAr...hahaahh and they are complaining.. I also have an airbag, makes things scary when against it..

i got the grand prix too so no more woories

 

exactly... wish i had another car to drive, dad crashed my truck so now i gotta drive the T/A. dont wanna put too many miles on it....