Just bought an - 82 Camaro and I wonder what this lever is for? I can move the seat back forwards and rearwards freely.

 

 

Should be to tilt the seat back

 

Forward actually, as when the vehicle is parked on an decline (downhill).

 

OOPS, sorry, I meant tilt the seat back forward for better access to the tiny back seat area. Lever to tilt back is on the side on mine anyway, but not sure if the earlier models were the same...

 

That lever is to tilt the seat back forward.
The seatback has a inertia lock also.
It will lock the seatback in crash.

Why the lever is even there I dont know why?

 

That's been in a lot of my cars. I've never had to use it. Always assumed that it unlocked the seat back, but you can just push the seat forward without touching that. Maybe while the car is in motion it will unlock the seat back?

 

 

Thanks. That explains it. Thought for a moment that I would have to repair the seatback.

 

That would be something if your mother in law was in the passenger seat

 

lol that is how the rear passengers get in and out of the car. i got a chuckle reading some of the replies.

 

Yeah, I didn't know about it either, until last year. I thought my seats were broken...