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MG MG Y Type - Y Type Seat Runners

I seem to recall some talk a while back of remanufacturing seat runners....may have been David Pelhams idea?

Did this suggestion fall by the wayside?

Rob
Rob King

Hi Rob

Your recollection is correct it was one of the ventures that I proposed some time ago. I list below the actual text from the entry I placed on the Bulletin Board a couple of years ago:

"I am contemplating placing an order for a once off run of Seat Runners for YA/YB/YT. The Seat Runners will be Laser Cut, Pressed and finally Zinc Coated. The new seat runners will be improved upon the original in that they will be slightly longer, enabling the two ends to have additional metal; this will result in the new product being stronger than the original

I have identified a potential supplier, but as with all bespoke parts tooling will be required for the pressing, and there is a minimum charge for laser cutting. Therefore the more units manufactured in the initial run will reduce the overall cost."


I can confirm that although this was not progressed at the time, Pelham Solutions will now be financing the production and I have commissioned a run of 20 pairs (5 cars). The actual cost is still to be quantified as some tooling is needed, but I hope to have preliminary costs within the next couple of weeks. If anybody is interested then please let me know.

Regards.

David
David Pelham

Hi David,

Thanks for the reply.....

Well put me down as a 'very interested' customer of Pelham Solutions please.

Two queries....why zinc coat rather than chrome plate as per original?

and

20 pairs will do 10 cars, or have I misunderstood?

Regards

Rob
Rob King

Hi Rob

Sorry I was getting carried away 20 seat runners not 20 pairs.

The seat runners were not chromed as original (Let There Be Y's states on page 172 that they were painted a silver colour, possibly nickel plating or galvanised). However, once we have the product we can decide on the finish. Perhaps we can offer options for anyone buying 'Off Plan'.

Regards.

David.
David Pelham

I sometimes get concerned about safety of seats in a crash...how much force would simply rip the seat out of the runners....has anyone ever fitted a metal floor in place of the wood...or found a better way of securing the seats where front seat belts have been fabricated....as I use my YB a lot I have toyed with modifying the drivers seat...or even fabricating brackets connected to the chassis to fit a more modern one...hmmmm mind you where would it all end! Just a thought though.
D MULLEN

David,

I think that a collision sufficient to detach the seats from the floor might be fatal in other respects.....a 'bomb proof' chassis such as ours has no energy absorbing capability whatsoever and the shock of a severe collision would be transmitted through all of the rigid framework of the car to the squishy lump on the drivers seat.

If the car did 'crumple' to any extent then that solid one piece steering column would come straight for heart and lungs....seatbelt or not!

No HSE in those days!

You could leave the sunroof open and get a big spring to fit under the seat?

Rob

Rob King

Mind you re reading the 1951 article from The Autocar...'How to have an Accident Abroad..if You Must' by Len Ayton....that was a fair smash and there was no reference to the seat coming lose....I once met a guy in Byshops Lydiard in Somerset who had a bronze YA ... he coverted the steering column to collapsible UJ jointed one...back in the mid 80s. You are right though about safety...why I keep below 40 mph in mine!
D MULLEN

Mind you re reading the 1951 article from The Autocar...'How to have an Accident Abroad..if You Must' by Len Ayton....that was a fair smash and there was no reference to the seat coming lose....I once met a guy in Byshops Lydiard in Somerset who had a bronze YA ... he coverted the steering column to collapsible UJ jointed one...back in the mid 80s. You are right though about safety...why I keep belos 40 mph in mine!
D MULLEN

Fascinating thoughts Dave about vehicle safety.

After I sold the YA I owned in '90's I bought a TA that I kept for the next 13 years. However, on the way to the Cotswolds in 1999 to organise the third Spring Run we were driving through Leamington Spa, and less than a mile from where we lived. Picture a bright sunny morning at around 8.30. Nothing on the road, which is a 10m wide avenue, when suddenly from a side road a car emerges about 5 metres in front of me. I braked - /I was doing about 25mph at the time. Result twisted front end, Jo my wife hit her head on the windscreen which then rested on the bonnet, whilst I was 'speared' with the steering wheel.

Painful and expensive - but the car was rebuilt and turned out to be great fun over the years. Jo though is very wary of traffic entering from the nearside - whatever car we are in.. It does make you think about fitting seat belts. Although some of you may recall the YA that Sandy Henderson owned. This was side swiped by an artic on the M5 and was virtually written off. Sandy later rebuilt it as a convertible He comments in his article in Safety Fast as apart of a Y Register report that had he and his wife been wearing seat belts they might well have been killed!

Like all these things - in general it's not the driver but more often than not a fellow road user!

Sincerely

Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

This thread was discussed between 11/05/2013 and 04/06/2013

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