Replacing 1980 M20K's seats with 90's seats?

[Khyo]

The 1980 M20K 231 I fly has the original seats with no headrest, and a bench seat in back.

I'm wondering how much effort, time, and money goes into getting the 90's era 252 and J bucket seats installed in an older model J or K.

Anybody have a tip?

Thanks in advance.

[KSMooniac]

Front seats slide right in. Back seats will require more effort as there is a mechanism to control the seat backs, and some hinge brackets for the seat back frames that fold down.

I bought a salvage plane to do the retrofit in my early J and plan to do it this summer, using the salvage plane as a template to transfer the required cutouts for the mechanism and brackets. There is likely a factory drawing too, but I wouldn't know how to get it. I believe finding a set of newer seats is harder then actually doing the installation...

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[LANCECASPER]

13 hours ago, Khyo said:

The 1980 M20K 231 I fly has the original seats with no headrest, and a bench seat in back.

I'm wondering how much effort, time, and money goes into getting the 90's era 252 and J bucket seats installed in an older model J or K.

Anybody have a tip?

Thanks in advance.

When there is a total loss on a Mooney with the articulating seats, those are usually the first items sold by the salvage company. BAS at one point had a waiting list for them. The front pair go from $4500 - $5000 per pair with the cushions. Just the frames alone, if ordered from Mooney, the last I heard, were about $3500 each.

[Khyo]

Both of these replies were very helpful in setting my expectations and weighing my options. Thanks much!

[A64Pilot]

It’s a rare accident that the head rest does much in an airplane as their design was to protect against rear end collisions in automobiles.

If comfort is the target look real hard at Oregon Aero cushions, not talking about the portable ones but the replacement ones, it’s their shape more than the material that makes them comfortable, so you really can’t duplicate them, unless your really talented

[Pinecone]

5 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

If comfort is the target look real hard at Oregon Aero cushions, not talking about the portable ones but the replacement ones, it’s their shape more than the material that makes them comfortable, so you really can’t duplicate them, unless your really talented

But be sitting down when you get the quote.

I got a quote not to long ago for my 1986 252 seats.  The front seats were around $4800.  EACH.  And the rear seat was $7200.   Total for just the seats was pushing a total interior from Aero Comfort.