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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - MX5 seat fitting

Hi everyone,

Getting around to fitting the seats and wondering if anyone can advise about practicalities of seat slider fixing and height of seats.

Car nearly ready for mot now. I actually washed it this weekend.
Dave Squire

Can't help with that, but there are some FREE MGF/TF seats advertised in the latest Enjoying MG.

If anyone is interested, I can provide details.

They are in The Wirral.
Dave O'Neill 2

Dave,

I'd be interested if you'd be so kind?

Jeremy
J Tickle

Jeremy

drop me a mail

daveo138 at yahoo co uk
Dave O'Neill 2

Hi Dave,

email sent. Thanks :)

Jeremy
J Tickle

Dave,
I have fitted mark 1 mx 5 seats to a couple of midgets---the seats I used are the ones with the detachable headrests.
Carefully cut off the pointy locating pins with an angle grinder then even more carefully bend back to horizontal the front part of the runners using a thick screw driver. I think I used the inner rails under the car,where the original seat location holes are, to fix the inner runners of the MX5 seats then set the outer holes wherever they lie. Use a few large washers between seat and floor to give some height (and spread the load) or the seat will not slide on its runners. Use different numbers of washers front and rear to give you the correct seat angle.
You may also wish to alter the slide adjuster as it will crush your fingers if you lift it and slide forward too quickly. The drivers seat is usually well worn so you can swap it with the passenger seat provided you are not going to use the MX5 seat belt attachment.
The seats are very comfortable and give you the added luxury of tiltability. If you have the Mark 1 seats they will also fit under an alley bar.
John S
J Sloan

Thanks John, Mine are the headrest incorporated ones from an M reg with pop up lights. I don't have the MX5 seat mountings just the seats.

I have a spare set of midget seat runners so was thinking of mounting those. But - Just realised the problem will be adjusting for the driver as no adjuster with them! Doh

Do you think I can adapt some spare old midge seat adjuster bits for the adjuster or best stick with an MX5 one?


Dave Squire

Unless you are very short surely you dont need any adjustment.

Trev
T Mason

Well, she is Trev. And sunshine is taller than me.
Dave Squire

Fair enough Dave. Obviously it depends how you like to sit but I would have imagined a fairly short person could reach with the seat right back. Im only six foot but could do with it back a lot further, especially the rake as my arms are way too close for my liking.

Trev
T Mason

Dave,

Not so straightforward adapting MG runners to MX5 seats, not tried it myself.
There are two scruffy MX5 seats for sale on ebay at only £45 with runners, located in Milton Keynes, not too far from Notts. If I were you I would be sorely tempted to buy these, use the runners and sell the seats back onto ebay.
Sorry cannot be of more help,
John S

PS Others are trying to sell MX5 runners alone for around £40 per side!!!
J Sloan

You have been very helpful John. I was given the seats and gave no thought to mounting them.

Will feed back in due course.

Cheers, Dave
Dave Squire

I fitted MX5 seats to my car, ones with the separate headrest as this is the only sort that will fit under a roll bar. The MX5 runner ends on mine are very awkward.(I assume that later ones will have the same problem if the floor pan was not altered in some way.) The rear fittings almost align with the pre-drilled holes in the floor. A bit of enlarging of the hole in the runners will mean that you can utilise the existing holes. However, the runner ends dip downwards, meaning that a bolt would not sit squarely, so I had some angle sections fabricated. Two were placed either side of the runner to enable the bolt to be tightened correctly. You will need to drill new holes for the front fittings, and again use some angle sections to get a true bolt angle through the floor. On the driver seat the inside front runner is perilously close to the fuel line that runs from front to back, so I attached that to a bracket and drilled a hole in the floor in a safer area.
If you want to use the seat adjusters you will probably need the correct runners and do what I did. It is well worth the trouble. The seats are so much more comfortable than the Midget ones, and are also more shallow, so you get a bit more room in the car. As the seats hold you better, I fitted the passenger seat at a slight angle for better posture.
Geoff Mears

This thread was discussed between 12/09/2016 and 18/09/2016

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