MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MG Y Type - YA Seat Runners

At last I have come to fitting the front seats, but since the restoration has taken so long and new floors were fitted years ago I have no idea where the seat runners are screwed down. I need the position measurements if someone has them, also are the runners on top of the carpet or is the carpet cut to suit? Its the problem of having too many hobbies that Ive got into this mess! Who said retirement is easy.
Thanks All Bryan
B Mellem

Bryan,

Tried to be helpful for you but the old archived thread from 30th April 2004 would not re activate but answers your query. Considered creating pdf copy for you but remember can't add .pdf files here, grr.
Top tip is to search for key words on BBS archive, brings all sorts of useful info up often repeated here.

To find the post I refer to simply type "seat runners" you'll find a thread titled "Securing seat runners to floorboard" started by D Mullen.

Good luck.
Richard

R E Knight

Hi Bryan, to answer your second question the answer is yes, the carpet is cut around the seat runners as is the felt underlay which was originaly under the carpet. The exact position of the runners is a little bit harder to obtain as it will be necessary to remove the seat and carpet to get the details. If an answer is not available from another source I will in due course remove the seat and carpet and get the details for you.
Regards
Terry Y2866
T J Ciantar

Bryan

Assuming you have the rear toe board in place, the correct approximate positioning is:

Toe board to REAR of seat runners = 10.8 inches or 27.5cm.

Measuring approximately from the sides of the transmission tunnel, the outside edge of the inner runner should be about 3.75 inches or 9.5cm running parallel to the tunnel.

Measuring approximately from the sides of the transmission tunnel, the outside edge of the outer runner should be about 15.75 inches or 40cm running parallel to the tunnel.

My suggestion to you is:
1. Do not fit or cut the carpet until the last stage!
2. Measure and mark the wood floor so that you know where the runners will go.
3. Mark the outline of the runner on the floorboard with either Tippex/white out or a white paint pencil.
4. Place the seat on top of your markings to ensure that:
a. the runners of the seat straddle the middle of the markings you have made, and
b. the seat can be moved to a sufficiently comfortable position for you to reach the pedals/passenger comfort.
c. adjust seat as necessary and confirm position relative to markings.
5. Drill only two front and two rear holes to hold down the seat runner, drop four screws through the floor to hold them in position, then repeat 4 above putting the seat on the runners but dont bolt it down.
6. When you are happy with the position you can drill the remaining screw holes for the runners and secure to the floor using T nuts. If you cannot get these easily in the UK, drop me a note off line and I will send you some and matching screws from here - very easy to get in our local hardware store).
7. Fit and cut carpet panels to fit runners.

When you are ready to bolt the seats to the runners, the MG Car Club Regalia Page (http://www.mgccyregister.com/node/32) has new bolts and new brass runner strips (sold in seat sets). Tip, before you put the bolts into the runners, cut a slot in the top of each bolt to fit a flat bladed short stubby screwdriver in. When you are ready to tighten the nyloc nut if you dont have a groove in there to hold the bolt steady then it will simply spin in the runner and you will not be able to get it snugged up. Once the seat bolts are snug (brass strip between the runner and the seat - note orientation of the third hole for the seat adjuster lock mechanism) to the runners, you will need to loosen them up about 2 or 3 flats so that the seat can glide up and down the runner.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Thanks All and Paul for the measurements I didn't appreciate that the runners are bolted [or set screwed] down, also as the carpet is cut are the edges bound and tacked down to prevent creeping. I can obtain stainless bolts locally which I assume are BA threads. Ask one question and the answer gives rise to a dozen more questions, it always happens!
Thanks again Bryan
B Mellem

Hi Bryan

The carpet is not tacked down. It should be held in place with poppers - see Let there be Ys pages 174 - 180 (copies available on CD from www.mgytypes.org - shameless plug!).

The thread of the screws is not as material as the use of T Nuts underneath the floor to hold them in place. Can you get the T Nuts over there Bryan? The use of Stainless Steel is not so important as you can always seal the floor underside with rubberized seal when you are done and that will prevent them rusting on the ends when cut to length.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Hi Brian, Attached are some pictures of the original carpet from my Ya which may be of some help to you. You will note that the cut out for the seat runners do not have any binding. There are only 3 edges of the carpet that do have binding and they are the rear edge of the tunnel cover which ends just forward of the emergency brake and the other two are on the tunnel cover that runs from the emergency brake to the rear seat. This tunnel cover is made from a thick upholsters board (known locally as Tar Board) which has the carpet sewn onto it and the edges bound.
You will notice that on close inspection there appears to be some stitching in the carpet. This is most noticable around the area of the heal pad. That is not original stitching but stitching I added in order to hold the decaying carpet together.
Also worthy of note is that the retaining ring for the gear stick gator does not fit over the top of the carpet as often seen. The gater ring is screwed directly to the tunnel cover and the carpet then placed over it. I have also included a picture of the popper clips to which Paul refers.
Regards
Terrt

T J Ciantar

Picture 2

T J Ciantar

Picture 3

T J Ciantar

Picture 4

T J Ciantar

Picture 5

T J Ciantar

Picture 6

T J Ciantar

Are the "popper" clips, or fasteners to which Paul and Terry are referring available from Moss? They look like the ones that I recently bought for my MGB carpet (part no 226-338).

Let there be Ys show you need 10 - two on the tunnle carpet, and three on each side and it says the side ones were also used to hold the the tunnel carpets down too. Were there holes in the tunnel carpets so that the floor carpets were able to go through to the floor or was there some other way they did this? Is that what your hole is in the 1st & 3rd picture Terry under the round tunnel piece? I look hard at your picture and I think I can see 5 on the driver carpet.

I am confused. Have I not read the book right please??

CG
Corry Grainger

Hi Corry, Have attached another picture with the location of the fastners clearly marked in red. As you can see there are five fastners to each of the main carpet pieces. Three along side the tunnel and another two at the bulkhead end. So a total of 10 fastners are required to hold the two main pieces of carpet. However you will note that there are two more fastners on the tunnel cover on the drivers side, but the strange thing is that they are only on one side and I can't see any reason for having them on one side and not the other. A close inspection of the carpet shows no sign of any fastners ever having been attached and there is no corresponding fastners in the floor boards on the passenger side. These two fastners are exactly the same as all the others. Were they added in the factory or at some later date? I don't know and it's anyones guess.
The tunnel carpet is indeed held down by the floor carpet but only by the overlap of approx 30mm. You will not need to cut holes in the tunnel carpet as the fastners are just outside of the edge of the tunnel carpet.
Trust this helps.

T J Ciantar

I am most impressed by the help from around the world, and thanks to everyone. I now have a vague recollection of the original carpets way back in 1960 when I purchased my YA, but then just keeping the old bus on the road was the priority and no thought was given to retaining worn parts for use as a pattern. In fact by 66 the car came close to being scrapped, it was sold in part exchange for nearly new Ford 105e Anglia, but such was the liking I had for the YA I returned next day to the dealer and bought it back. I still have both the Anglia and YA which although very different cars, both are a joy to drive. Bryan
B Mellem

Hi Corry, a small correction to my comment regarding the fixing of the tunnel carpet to the floor. It is correct that you don't have a hole for the fastener to pass thru the carpet covering the tunnel. The lower half of the fastner (male) actualy sits on top of the tunnel carpet and screwed into the floor boards thru the carpet thus fixing the tunnel cover to the floor boards.
Regards
Terry
T J Ciantar

http://www.mgbits.com/contents/en-uk/d224_02.html

Terry,

Is the Carpet Prong & Plate part J294 &

Stud - Carpet to Floor part J295

The parts from NTG as per the hyperlink, compared to your photo looks like they are fairly good after market copy of I presume your original parts?

Richard
R E Knight

Thank you Terry for the clarificatons. Thank you Richard for the NTG link. They look identical to the MGB ones and about the same price. If the suspension was the same Y - MGB they probably didnt change fastners! That is a big help to me as my repo carpets from NTG slide around.

CG
Corry Grainger

Great photos and information Terry as I am just about to fit a carpet to one of my two Y/Ts too so this is very timely and helpful. Thanks to all for their contributions too as I was somewhat unsure myself about much of this.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Hi all, have attached picture of the complete original carpet clip for the record. Although the replacements are a little different to the originals they are certainly very acceptable as the only part visable when installed is the thin outer ring which appears identical.
The markings on the orignals reads Eng. Car Fastener Co Ltd.
Details in Let There Be Y's makes mention that there appears to be some evidence that some tacks may have been used originaly to help hold the carpet in place and while I didn't notice any evidence of tacks (maybe long gone and rusted out)I did use some staples to help hold my new carpet in shape where the carpet folds at right angle and folds against the floor boards. These staples may be removed at a later date once the carpet takes a set.

Happy Restoring Guys
Terry

T J Ciantar

Hello Terry
Thank you for the comprehensive information, regarding carpets of a YA. Owing a YT, I would appreciate some information regarding the six carpet strips that are made of sheet metal - hopefully this is not a specific YT topic...
Regards
Anton
Anton Piller

Anton

These are available from the MG Car Club Regalia Page (http://www.mgccyregister.com/node/32) too I believe.

The rear most ones for the Y/T are slightly shorter than the Y/YB ones because of the squared off toe board rather than the one that goes round the edges in the sedan/salons.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Paul
I did buy a set.Unfortunately the strips are "straight", without the required "curved" shape. It's going to be job to get them right. My (incomplete) old samples have some rusted-in countersunk wood screws stuck to them. does this mean that the strips were bolted to the floor boards and the carpets outer edges were tucked into them?

Anton
Anton Piller

Hello Anton, firstly may I apologise for the slow response. I have been away for a very pleasant 3 day camping trip.
I have attached picture showing details which may help you with the curve of the carpet retainers. I hasten to add that they are for the YA not the YT.
The front and rear sections are held down by five 1/2 inch counter sunk wood screws and there are six screws in the mid section evenly spaced along the length of each retainer. The retainers are screwed directly into the floor boards and the carpet is then sliped into the folded edge.
As you can see the most pronounced curve is in the mid section and this will be the most difficult one to reproduce. Although not original, you may consider making a series of hacksaw cuts in the wider bottom section which will assist greatly in creating the curve.
I trust this is of some help
Terry

T J Ciantar

Hi Anton

Terry is quite right in that small cuts through the bottom of the rail will enable you to contour the curve. That said, I didnt have too big a problem fitting them to my Y/T that I am doing here.

Yes secured by small 1/2 inch wood screws to the floorboard.

Paul
Paul Barrow


Thank you Terry and Paul. Much appreciated :o)
Anton Piller

This thread was discussed between 28/10/2011 and 07/11/2011

MG MG Y Type index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MG Y Type BBS now