# Stories about the front center seat in a truck or older car? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [February 2, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077 "2026-02-02T15:00:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Charbonnernathan_192964)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/1 "2026-02-02T15:00:07Z")
Anyone got any stories about sitting there in older cars or having anyone sit there in trucks? -If not allowed ill try to remove post. šŸ˜… Edit: posted something like this in the past. And I forgot. And aplogize if it bothers anyone. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/2 "2026-02-02T15:05:59Z")
All that I can contribute is that it was very uncomfortable to have to straddle the transmission ā€œhumpā€ in cars of the ā€˜50sā€“and later. And, when Chrysler decided to mount their rearview mirrors on the dashboard, instead of on the upper windshield frame (late ā€˜50s-early ā€˜60s), the driverā€™s rear view was completely blocked by the center passenger. **Edited** to add that, if you had a floor-mounted shift lever for your 3-speed manual transmission car, the passenger in the center seat frequently thought that you were trying to ā€œget cuteā€ with them when you shifted to 3rd gear. ---
**Author:** ![Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Charbonnernathan_192964)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/3 "2026-02-02T15:06:50Z")
Rearview mirror being blocked os what my grandparents gotta deal with when I go with them lol ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/4 "2026-02-02T15:17:25Z")
This is very similar topic to the one belowā€¦ > [@Front center seat of a pickup truck used?](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-center-seat-of-a-pickup-truck-used/204305): > > For those that own one with that do any of you have anyone sit there ever or often? I find that most people tend to leave it folded down or never let anyone sit there. For those that have let people sit there do you got any trip stories? -If this is not allowed I aplogize as this is my first post on here sweat_smile ---
**Author:** ![Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Charbonnernathan_192964)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/5 "2026-02-02T15:18:25Z")
Guess I posted before. My bad. Ill try to delete this if you would prefer šŸ˜• ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/6 "2026-02-02T15:20:25Z")
In your previous post about your not driving and wanting to set in the center even when not needed makes me wonder why people are letting you do that. What kind of stories do you expect to get? ---
**Author:** ![Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Charbonnernathan_192964)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/7 "2026-02-02T15:21:57Z")
I honestly dont know. Maybe like road trip related things or something. Idk. Ill probably end up deleting this all soon due to not wanting to bother anyone ---
**Author:** ![bcohen2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bcohen2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bcohen2010)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/8 "2026-02-02T15:53:10Z")
Yes, the front bench seat is very useful, especially in a regular-cab pickup truck. It allows three people to sit up front. There were also compact cars, such as the Dodge Aries/Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Spirit/Plymouth Acclaim, which were offered with a front bench seat. That allows a family with up to 4 kids to fit comfortably. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/9 "2026-02-02T16:57:34Z")
My 62 Sport Fury had a center console 3-4 inches lower than the seats, only about 4 inches wide. When cruising at times there were six of us in the car. Had a girl sitting in the middle, she said it was comfortable. My truck has a 60/40 bench with flip up arm rest. On occasion have had a human ride in the middle, more often my dog rides there in her bed. ---
**Author:** ![Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Charbonnernathan_192964)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/10 "2026-02-02T19:40:06Z")
Prefer the dog there im guessing? ---
**Author:** ![LoudThunder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loudthunder/32/27769_2.png) [@LoudThunder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LoudThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/11 "2026-02-02T20:14:11Z")
As @davesmopar noted, we covered this over a years agoā€¦ I am not cruel enough to allow anyone to sit in the center of the front eat, Even closing up the cup holder, only the smallest person (a childā€¦) could sit there without banging their knees on the dash. And most states, if not all, do not allow a child that small to sit up frontā€¦ > [@Front center seat of a pickup truck used?](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-center-seat-of-a-pickup-truck-used/204305/14): > > My Dodge Ram 2500, 4x4, came with a 40/20/40 Bench Seat (the driverā€™s and passengers seats are really 6-way adjustable bucket seatsā€¦ The Center ā€œseatā€ (or Arm Rest Holder) is not adjustable and has no legroom (although there is a Seat Beltā€¦). If a passenger were to try to sit there, the transmission hump is very high and the 2/4-wheel drive shifter takes up a lot of the hump so the center passenger would have no option but to slide their legs down onto the passengerā€™s legroom side. In the phoā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/12 "2026-02-02T21:50:41Z")
I used to ride in the rear of a station wagon as a kid growing up. On the hard metal floor, not in the seat with the ā– ā– ā– ā–  b.a.r.f. seat facing rear. Our wagon did not have the seat. There was me and my sister so no one needed to ride the hump. The car was a column shift automatic so no 3rd gear surprises! Same for my first car, a mid-size Pontiac with bench seats and a column shift automatic. I have driven 6 in my Avalanche. It has a split front bench with 3 sets of belts and 3 in the rear. It is a big vehicle so not really uncomfortable for short trips. ---
**Author:** ![Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Charbonnernathan\_192964](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Charbonnernathan_192964)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/13 "2026-02-02T21:50:46Z")
I just put my legs in either side and call it a day lol ---
**Author:** ![LoudThunder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loudthunder/32/27769_2.png) [@LoudThunder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LoudThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/14 "2026-02-03T00:40:05Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > I used to ride in the rear of a station wagon as a kid growing up. We had one of those ā€œ9-passenger Vista Cruiser Station Wagonsā€ in the early '60s with three rows of seats with the rear-facing, fold-down third row in the backā€¦ My younger brother and I loved that back seatā€¦ Our younger sister could not ā€œstomachā€ the view from there so she had to sit in the middle seat with two younger squirming and squabbling siblingsā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![LoudThunder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loudthunder/32/27769_2.png) [@LoudThunder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LoudThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 12:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/15 "2026-02-03T00:50:33Z")
> [@Charbonnernathan\_192964](#): > > I just put my legs in either side and call it a day lol Then you would be seated like the graphics in this old posting on the subject > [@Front center seat of a pickup truck used?](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-center-seat-of-a-pickup-truck-used/204305/34): > > Yes, if I raised the cup tray you could sit thereā€¦ But if you have every visited your kindergarten or 1st grade childā€™s school and tried to sit in their seat then you have some idea of what itā€™s likeā€¦ The center seat is only 8" higher than transmission hump (while the driverā€™s and passengerā€™s seat height is about 14" to 16" higher than the floor. There is no room under the dash to stretch your legs out and if you keep your feet flat on the hump, your knees are shoved way upā€¦ I thā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/16 "2026-02-03T00:58:28Z")
Growing up I spent my summers with family on a farm. It wasnā€™t unusual for 3 or 4 of us to ride to town (or the next town over) to pick up or haul something or do some work. 4 people in the cab of a standard pickup was a little crowded, so I routinely (as the youngest cousin) spent the 30 mile drive in the bed. An upside down spare tire was a comfortable seat for a 12 year old. Depending which pickup we were in, even 3 in the cab was awkward as we had to keep our legs away from the long-throw shifter that came up through the floor. I like to think that me riding in bed was a safety benefit once. We had slowed down going through town and I heard an odd squeaking from the right rear wheel. I peered over the bed and saw the lug nuts had worked loose. Banged on the back window to pull over and we tightened the lugs and went on our way. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 2:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/17 "2026-02-03T02:29:53Z")
The 1953 Plymouth 2 door sedans had a front bench seat where the seat back was split 2/3 1/3. The 2/3 portion of the backrest was on the.driverā€™s side with the 1/3 portion on the passenger side. This allowed the front seat passenger to move over to the driverā€™s side while the 1/3 portion was folded forward so passengers could enter the rear seat with the front seat passenger not having to step.out of the car. The 1953 2 door Plymouth with its 2/3 1/3 split backrest would be a great car for a date back then, particularly if the Plymouth had HyDrive. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 5:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/18 "2026-02-03T05:09:18Z")
> [@LoudThunder](#): > > And most states, if not all, do not allow a child that small to sit up frontā€¦ Some do if it is a standard cab truck, where else ya gonna put them, on the roof??? Zip tie them to the muffler??? Pfffttt I canā€™t tell you how many times when the boys were little that we would strap them both in the middle of my little 92 Toyota p-up 5 speed manual and go somewhere, and never had anything said to us, and lots of LEOā€™s around hereā€¦ And yes, on some long trips, Iā€™d throw the high topper in it and put them an air mattress and them in the back with us having some cheap walkie talkieā€™s so we could talk if wanted/needed and off we went camping up to 125 miles awayā€¦ Sometimes ya just gotta do the best you can with whatcha got, not all of us could/can afford them big fancy automobiles some of yā€™all have/hadā€¦ lol ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 7:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/19 "2026-02-03T07:38:32Z")
It is where you girlfriend sat so she could snuggle up to you. Ny wufe asked me why we donā€™t snuggle together in the car anymore and I pointed out to her that I was still sitting where I always had-behind the wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 1:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077/20 "2026-02-03T13:32:18Z")
Our neighbor had a large family, this is what he drove, though I think theirā€™s was Biscayne based. One son was my HS class president. ![IMG_3299](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/0/a/0a14169221f3d4d37747eb92747075db1eae0c9a.jpeg) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stories-about-the-front-center-seat-in-a-truck-or-older-car/205077.md?page=2)