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MG MGA - early coupe carpet questions

I am sorting out the trim on my coupe (1500 body) and have a couple of questions for those of you with original cars.

The grey carpet kit that was supplied to me has binding on all edges of the floor sections. I thought the binding should only be around the cut-out for the chassis rail near the door hinge pillar.
Was the coupe different to the roadsters or has the binding been applied too liberally?

The only reference I have found to the carpet on the spare wheel cover is in the book by Robert Vitrakis. He lists this as black, even though the interior carpet is listed as grey. IS this an error or were the covers originally black. The part numbers are different in the parts list, suggesting to me that grey may be the correct colour.

Thanks for your input,
Mark

M Wellard

I have some pictures of mine when I did it a couple of summers ago. I have to up load them to photobucket and I'll try to get them up. As to the tire cover it was not carpet but something I believe called Hardura not sure if I'm spelling it right---
gary starr

Mine is a 1600 though the difference being the high mounted starter and the rear shelf. Carpet was from Scarborough Faire

gary starr

another-

gary starr

1 more-

gary starr

I should say when I redid the carpet a couple of summers ago,I restored the car in the mid 80's when correct parts were hard to get.
gary starr

Gary, thanks for the pictures - your car looks good.
You have the additional edge binding that was supplied on my kit.

What I am after is information on an original carpet configuration.
The 1500 coupes had carpet protruding into the cabin and it is the colour of this that I am asking about.

Mark

M Wellard

You mean thru the back bulkhead? Don't think that was carpet either. And thanks
gary starr

Spare tire cover in front of the rear bulkhead in the 1500 Coupes was carpet cover. The 1600 Coupe had flat bulkhead with spare tire entirely in the boot. Spare tire cover in the boot was optional for either model and was Handura material (nubbly vinyl) with a print pattern and soft liner.

I thought the tire cover in the cockpit of the 1500 Coupe was gray carpet, same material as the rest of the cockpit carpet.
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/coupe/pics/parcel_1.jpg
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/coupe/pics/parcel_6.jpg
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/interior/int117a.htm
Barney Gaylord

Thanks Barney,
You confirm what I thought, which must mean Vitrakis' book is most likely wrong.

My other question about binding on the edges of the original floor mats remains - was it like the roadsters and predominantly un-bound?

Mark
M Wellard

Mark, the remains of my original coupe carpet were like the roadster and not bound on the edges.
Neil MG

Thanks Neil,

That's good to know.

M Wellard

Both my Coupes have had 'unbound' carpets, too. Shane
Shanerj

Barney,
I am fairly sure the spare tyre hardura cover in the boot was not optional but supplied with all cars.
Garry
Garry Kemm

Garry, -- You my be right. I just checked the SPL's, and the tire cover in the boot is not listed as "extra", so we may presume it was standard equipment.
Barney Gaylord

The carpets under the seats are not bound, but the ones in the footwells are.
dominic clancy

Mark,
The concourse specs listed on the MGA Holland Register say "Binding should be on centre tunnel, oil flap and around crossmember only." Here's the link. http://www.mgaregister.nl/concours.html

Jim
JL Cheatham

I have quite a lot of my original Feb 1958 UK 1500 Coupe's carpet and it is Blue rather than Grey. Barney previously suggested this might have been provided as an option but it doesn't show on the Heritage Certificate as other options do. The car was originally painted OEW, the trim was Black and chassis number is HMR13/48247.

I guess all this proves is that there were exceptions, or the heritage records missed a selected option.

Paul
Paul Dean

Thanks for the specs, Jim,

Paul, this original car also has non-black carpet.

Mark

M Wellard

sorry - that should have been non-grey carpet above.

M Wellard

Jim,

I am now able to answer my own question after seeing an original car that has been in the same family since 1964 and on blocks since 1974. Contrary to your concours notes, the original carpet in this car has bound edges on the front section, as described by Dominic.

The attached pictures show the binding.

Regards,
Mark

M Wellard

This thread was discussed between 19/02/2015 and 28/02/2015

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