1999 196 Driver seat

Thanks for the clarification on the 196. Didn't know there was a difference.

I was thinking about trying some shims. Going back to the lake property one of these days. I will take a look and see how much shim can be put in with existing bolts/studs and if bolts/studs can be replaced with longer ones if necessary.   Thanks

That is a Mack Daddy boat ya got there Mac!!
FWIW, officially the "196" moniker was not used by Correct Craft until 2003, so technically your boat is simply a "Ski Nautique" which certainly is not a bad thing!!

My 1999 Air has the lower portion of the base at the back of the seat also, so, I would assume that is stock. However, what I found with mine was the seat would not adjust forward very much, only two notches from the back. This did not seem right so I got down on the deck and looked around. What I found was that the previous owner had bent the seat rails. This was done while the seat was in the all the way back position. This appears to be a weak area as the rails are unsupported in this position. The rails bent in a downward fashion angling the seat back in a semi reclining position.

I took the seat base apart. Straightened the seat rails. Placed a touch of lube on the rails and reassembled the seat base. Now, the seat has the full travel of the adjustment and the seat does not have such a reclining position. After looking at the design of this seat rail I am sure I am not the only person who has ran into this problem. You may want to take a look at your seat rails to see if this is what may be causing your situation. A couple wrenches and a hammer is all it takes to remove the seat and straighten out the rails.