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MG MGA - Seat Install

Need some detailed instructions on how to put the seats back in the car. Can't seem to get the left side of the rail to slide into the bottom of the frame. Also, can't get to the right side seat bolts or screws to tighten the wood down to the floor board from underneath, the exhust pipe is in the way. Also, do I need to attach the backs to the seat frames or can I attach those after I figure out and install the frames correctly?
Mike Razor

Mike, With mine I attached the bottom rails directly to the floorboards. Each rail with two screws from above and they go into a type of captive nut which is sunk into the underneath of the floorboard (Todd Clarke has these). When you have the captive nuts fixed there's no need to go under the car to install the rails.

It sounds as if you have an intermediate wooden base. I may be wrong but I don't think you need one.

The bottom frames can be installed without the seat backs and bases; these can be fitted after. I'm sure you know that both the backs and bases are handed.

If you have new floorboards then take care with positioning the bottom rails. I can give you dimensions if needed; they may be in Todd Clarke's book........................Mike
m.j. moore

Thanks for the quick response. I am also having a hard time trying to put the rail that slides back on the frame. Can't seem to get it to go back together and function.
Mike Razor

I found that assembling the runners without the seats on them was the way to go. The seat runners "folded"into the floor-mounted piece from the side when it was mounted on the floor, rather than sliding in from the end. This gave me the ability to get to the bolt heads before mounting the seats.

You also have to put the pozi-headed screws in the runner ready to take the seat frame. I loosely mount the runners, attach the seat frames and then bolt everything tight.

The captive nuts that are referred to are probably also available in your hardware store, it's just a top hat shape, with the hat bit being threaded, and the brim equipped with sharp teeth that bite into the wood when tightened dow.
dominic clancy

The fasteners that the seat bolts screw into are called "Tee-nuts". Most hardware stores have them.
Ed Bell

Hi
The only thing important is the rails are paralel. The way I did it, I put bolt in back and screw fender (big) washer to hold the rail in front for adjustment. I test run the seat frame
and only then I drill the front hole. The whole thing can be done on bench-floor out.

good luck and season greetings

Martin
m zazvorka

I just bought new floor boards (marine grade) from Scarbrorough Faire with those t-nuts already installed. While original, I'm not certain that I want to rely on 4 t-nuts to hold my seat in an accident. I may use longer bolts and install washers and nuts on the underside of the floorboard to "spread the load". It's probably not an issue for the first several years, but as the floorboards age, I would feel better with washers in place.
M. D.

M.D. I had exactly the same feeling when I saw the seat fixing method. But in fact there shouldn't be much force on those fixings in an accident as the seat is relatively light. Unless some-one attached a seatbelt to the seat frame, which would be an extremely dangerous and unwise thing to do! Think of the seat cushion that is held in place by little more than gravity and it starts to make more sense. That said the MGA is inherently unsafe in an accident in any case.
Neil McGurk

Neil -

Excellent point re the seat cushion! I have lap belts attached to the frame and tunnel, so I really have no reason to worry.

M.D.
'57 coupe
M. D.

This thread was discussed between 06/11/2010 and 17/11/2010

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