Updated How-To Cavi Seat Swap

-Picked up some cavalier seats and all of the how-to threads ever made do not have pics anymore and it frustrated me, just like it does other people who are looking to do the swap. I decided to do something about it and take pics. Hope they help

-Cavi seats were put into a 98 s10 extended cab that allready had stock buckets. For the 98 and up, the hardest part is getting the seats out of the truck because of the torx.

-For first generation s-series and 94-97 second gens the Cavy seats should bolt directly to the S-Series seat tracks without having to drill holes.(check the last few steps for this to make sense)

-Putting these seats in will give you a gain in headroom bc they sit a little lower. They also are a lot more comfortable than the stockers (i.m.o.)

- If you make sure you have bucket or 60/40 seat tracks for the proper year of your S-10 then you should not have to drill any holes in your floor! (If your truck is a first-gen, get first gen seat tracks. If its a 94-97 use 94-97 tracks. 98+ use 98+ tracks. You get the idea.)

-If you have stock bucket seats or a 60/40 (split) bench seat, you can use those seat tracks to put on your Cavi seats. If you have a full bench seat, I believe you will have to go out and find some bucket or 60/40 seat tracks in order for this to work properly.

-You can get this style seat from any newer Chevy Cavalier or Pontiac Sunfire. They have various colors/prints available. Just go check out your local junkyard. Getting them from a 2-door is best because they have the tab in the back so you can tilt the seat forward so you can have access to behind the seats. Camaro seats also work for this swap.



Tools Needed….
13mm wrench (ratcheting one would be nice)
T50 Torx
T20 Torx
Drill and some sort of bit (5/16” worked for me)

Cavi Seats (Left one with s10 track on)


Comparison of both seats (Stock S-10 Bucket on Left, Cavi seat on Right):



Underside of S-10 Bucket, stock seat track still on:



First thing you need to do is take the seat track off of the S10 seat. When taking it off, Simply feel in each corner between the seat track and foam padding for 4 nuts(13mm) and remove each bolt from all 4 corners, In the rear part there are two bolts (one in the corner and one in front) holding the seat track on.(bracket bolt pictured below) You will be removing a total of 6 (13mm) nuts.



On the side with the seat belt, you need to unbolt the seat belt latch from the side of the seat, in order to swap it over to your new seats. You'll need to unclip the seat cover from the back and side with the seat belt so you can pull it back to reveal the Torx so you can take off your seat belt latch, loosen the T50 Torx you find and take your seat belt latch off.
(Torx pictured below)




Also remove the plate that holds the seat adjuster handle (T20 Torx)



This is what you should have once you get it off.
Bottom of s10 seat (below)



S10 tracks (below)


Next you need to start drilling your holes on the cavi seats. Start with the two front holes that already exist. All you need to do for the front holes is drill out the threads so the S10 tracks will fit. I used a 5/16” bit for this. I recommend getting a good set of drill bits, you’ll thank yourself in the end.


Front hole drilled out



(This step is only for 98+ S-Series) On the back of the seat you'll need to find were the tracks need to go then drill your holes accordingly. I just lined the tracks up and made sure the front bolt was in its hole and marked where the rear bolt was and drilled. It should be about a half inch behind the original hole. Below are the holes drilled in the bottom of the Cavi seat for the S10 tracks to fit. (original hole is on the bottom)



Now all you need to do is put the tracks in the holes and tighten the nuts down.(only 4 nuts this time, one in each corner) Don't forget to put the cross bar in so you can slide your seat forward/back.
Here's the seat tracks installed. (cross bar not pictured)



Now all you have to do is bolt them into your truck and enjoy the sweet smell of success.

Here is a Cavi vs. S10 seat in the truck (Cavi seat on driver's side)



Here is a Pic of the final product, I removed the head rests for a better look.