Bench Seat Mounting

So I have started the conversion of putting a Bench seat in instead of the buckets. I found a very nice factory bench seat and hardwear. I was hoping the mounting brackets for the bench seat used the same wholes as the buckets, but not quite! the two front left and right mounting wholes match up but not the back ones. So would I be ok to just drill some new wholes for the rear mounts and bolt it down? Is this safe or should I put somsort of reinforcment under the floor ? the other problem I have is on drivers side is the gas tank? Looks like I will have drop the tank to proprly bolt down. ty for any advise.

Alan

This question is going to depend on who you ask and the condition of the existing medal your working w/.
I switched from a bench to buckets in mine. I also had some rust in that area so my interior has an overlay of diamond plate I bolted through.
When relocating my mounting holes and installing my lap belts I drilled new holes, used some oversixed flat washers lock nuts or nylocs and grade 8 bolts.

sheetmetal is in good shape in that area! ty

just curious which way the holes don't line up. Are they closer to front or rear than stock, wider or narrower than stock?

Is the bench seat from the same year? I guess you got it from a pickup bronco?
Lastly, does it sit right, as in no funny forward or rearward lean?

the rear wholes on the mounts go past the wholes in the floor. the fronts match up nicely. my bronco is a 75. think the seat came out of a 69? Yes the seat sits fine