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MG TD TF 1500 - Bucket Seats for TD

In the quest for more leg room in my TD one option that is starting to to look viable is to use vintage style bucket seats.

The seat back on the bench seat is padded very thickly at the base of the back - it's probably at least 6 inches thick if not more. I'd to either get that thickness down to 3 inches or so, or find a pair of vintage bucket seats that have a thin layer of padding which will allow more leg room.

I'm thinking of the type pictured below. Does anybody know where they might be found without having to pay a fortune? Even something like early Sprite bucket seats might work.

Has anybody here done such a conversion?

BobbyG


Bobby Galvez

Factory Five Cobra offers a great set for $500.00 I put a set in my MG TD

G Dillinger

Do these seats bring you both further down and rearwards, and if so, apporx by how much?
Jan Emil Kristoffersen

G Dillinger,

I would like to know more about your side view mirror mount. May I contact you via e-mail?
mortres at pobox dot com.

Thanks,
Mort
Mort 50 TD

G Dillinger,

Is there a way to adjust the angle of the back of the seats?

Did you mount the seats using the slides from the TD or does it come with a set of slides?

Thanks again,
Mort
Mort 50 TD

G Dillinger,
I started a similar thread a few days ago and have the same problem - legroom. How tall are you and about how much more legroom did you get?
Bobby, a pre '65 AH Sprite seat will work. See archives. Search for "legroom".
Thanks,
Ed
efh Haskell

G Dillinger - same question from me as from the others - did you get those for more legroom? Bow much more did you get?
Ed - thanks for the info on the pre-'65 Sprite seats. Now to hunt around for a possible source for them. Frames alone - well, buckets - will be fine since I'll want them upholstered in green to match the interior.
Thanks all,
BobbyG
Bobby Galvez

Bobby, the usual sources plus Ebay have some I believe. Just Google "Sprite seats".
Please update this thread with your progress! I'm also going to look into having some of the springs/padding removed from the center left/right portions of the standard bench style backrest to allow my body move back another 4" or so. Maybe impossible??
Ed
efh Haskell

Also wondering how one attaches a 1/2 (or full?) tonneau cover with bucket seats in place??? Where would a tonneau bar go?
Ed
efh Haskell

Here's another one I've been eyeing:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sca-80-1400-54r/overview/
efh Haskell

Ed - as I explore options I will be taking the seat back to a local upholsterer to see how much he can compress that seat back. I am looking for another 3-4 inches. It might be possible, even if it entails removing the spring assembly altogether and replacing it with different padding.
I have googled and looked on ebay - a promising possibility came up at one store where the fellow actually makes his own frames. His prices look very reasonable, too. Store name on ebay is:
2Tall Custom Auto Interiors
I look forward to more owners who have done this chiming in.
As to using a full tonneau with bucket seats I see no issue - when using the full tonneau I don't use the tonneau bar, I just tuck the folded part under and snap the lift-a-dots on the rear portion.
A half-tonneau would lose the bar and the support that it offers.
Ed, the one from Summit Racing looks like the back padding is as thick as the padding on the current bench seat back. That look is also too modern - the older buckets look period correct.

BobbyG
Bobby Galvez

Bobby
I have acquired a pair of TR2 bucket seats that I am having upholstered in leather for my TC - very period.
Peter Malkin

Yes, Peter - the bucket seats from that era surely found their way into more than one T-series MG at the time. If having the seat back altered won't give me what I'm looking for that is the route I'll take.
Once they are in please let us know if there is a difference in leg room.
Thanks!

BobbyG
Bobby Galvez

Bobby - will report but could be some time yet.
Peter
Peter Malkin

When I bought our TD in 1967 it was already fitted with bucket seats and they are still there. They, the seats came from an MGA coupe so I guess to replicate this will be difficuly but perhaps someone in the US sells them.
Between the runners and floor are two wedge shaped inserts which support the seat and raise them enough to see all.
R J Marshall

Bobby,et al, would appreciate your opinions on pix below. This is a bucket or unknown origin a friend is letting me play with from his parts TD. I have it sitting up pretty high but it can go lower. It's tracks fit right over my old tracks allowing for easy removal to put the standard TD seats back in. Even the 1/2 tonneau fits reasonably well without a bar although I could fab one easily that would screw into the 2 existing bench seat hold downs not visible.

These needs recovering to match the interior (leather?) and new padding. Note my left leg is straigt out with foot under the clutch pedal in cruising mode. Right leg fairly relaxed with foot on gas pedal. Room for a nice right arm rest also.

I did have the chance to sit in a Factory 5 cobra Sat at a show with those seats shown above. I found them a bit small for my frame, although very nice looking.

Aside the fact that I need to suck in my belly, what do you think?
Ed


efh Haskell

Remove the pedal extenders under the pedals for a bit more legroom.
JRN JIM

Ed - does that seat give you more room than the original seat?

The style is a bit more modern than what I'll consider, but as "proof of concept" if it gives the extra leg room it's worth the look.

Thanks!

BobbyG
Bobby Galvez

Jim, actually, with the seat this far back you need the pedal extenders, odd as it may sound. I removed them years ago for the bench seat because it crams you so far forward but I need the clutch extended with more legroom!
Bobby, I get a good 4-5" more leg room!! Maybe an upholster can make them look more "period" but what good is period if you can't drive the car all day in comfort:)
Ed
efh Haskell

This thread was discussed between 12/08/2014 and 19/08/2014

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