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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Soft seats

About three years ago I swopped my seats for a pair of mgtf seats. Firmer,larger overall, lower, difficult to adjust back rest and more difficult to enter the car unless you jump in with both feet together but comfortable and firm!

This last weekend I changed back to the originals just to find that :- smaller overall and a better fit in the cabin, back rest easier to use, entry and exit easier to accumplish, embarrasing noises from the PVC covers when trying to shift position and not a lot of support when driving spiritedly.

However I could live with all that except for the very soft foam in the seat. New foam seats are about thirty pounds each but is there sufficient difference between a 40 year example and a new one to warrant the change?

I'm fairly light at 60kg and would expect the seat base to be a bit firm and not so soft that you sink into it!
Tony Wood

Tony, its not necessarily the foam. Underneath it is supported on rubber webbing which gets tired, but are easily replaced. But one easy thing to try is to slide a square of hardboard or plywood between the webbing and the foam cushion. It stiffens it all up, spreading the 'load' and chances are it costs nothing to try if you are in the habit off hoarding "useful stuff". You can even do it without removing the seats.
GuyW

Thankyou Guy

Hardboard from an old picture frame worked wonders

Regards for the tip

Tony
Tony Wood

Tony, I'm glad you found it an improvement. It may not be a forever repair but should last a few months if not longer. I think when I did that it was at least a couple of years before I eventually took the seats out and replaced the webbing!
GuyW

I've just re-webbed my passenger seat.

I had to take the seat out to make room for other work and I found two straps were broken and others on the verge of breaking.

All suppliers refer to a diaphragm, so I thought I was going to receive a rubber sheet thingy, but when it arrived it was exactly the same as the original; rubber straps already threaded onto the U shaped outer frame.

I managed to replace the webbing from underneath, with the seat upside down, without having to touch the vinyl. It's probably easier if you're double jointed with an extra hand, but then, isn't that the case for every Spridget job!

The most difficult bit was getting the last hook into its hole on the frame but a webbing strap to pull the diaphragm's frame rod into place helped to make it manageable.

The seat still feels soft compared with my very firm daily driver and the Sprite's race seat and perhaps a sheet of 3mm ply would have made it a bit firmer, I'll try to remember to give that a go next time!

Colin
C Mee

This thread was discussed on 19/10/2020

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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