MG Metro/Newton Commercial seats

Post by **alex_holden** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:34 pm

Am I right in thinking the reclining front seats from Newton Commercial are actually recovered MG Metro seats? I bought a pair of the Metro seats from Leafy today, and comparing them to the NC seats in his trav, they look pretty much the same apart from the nicer covering.

If so I'm hoping I might be able to buy new vinyl or leather covers for them and the standard rear seat as well as carpet and door cards etc. and wind up with a nice matching interior.

Anyone got any advice about dealing with Newton Commercial? Am I best off going to them directly or buying through a dealer?

Post by **Orkney** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:13 pm

dont you have any local upholsterers you migth be able to ask for a price - or oddly as it sounds furniture restorers cause upholstery is a big part of that.

Post by **jonathon** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:51 pm

They used to be Alex, but they are the Rover 100 based units now which in my opinion are not a patch on the old MG ones. Not sure if they still do the covers for them, might be worth asking though. Go directly to Newton for questions, and a friendly dealer for purchase as they will not give you as much discount as we get.

Post by **dunketh** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:50 pm

I had a set of leather metro ones fitted and they really do take up a lot of space. To make front seat passengers 'comfortable' the rear seats were left with barely inches of legroom.

I've gone back to Minor seats now. MG seats were a hundred times better, more supportive etc... but useless when you need space in the rear.

Post by **alex_holden** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:11 pm

That's not my experience with the MG Metro seats after fitting them last Saturday. There still seems to be an OK amount of legroom in the back, but I'm not at all happy with the comfort. The fact that my back starts aching on the daily commute doesn't bode well for my trip to London this weekend.

Post by **dunketh** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:01 pm

Might be worth rasing them up or down slightly?

It took some time to get used to mine, I just put it down to the seats I was using previously. i.e.. my back was all messed up from Minor seats and was now being forced back into shape with the mg ones.

Dunno how you've managed to still keep some useable space though? I'm not a tall person. Perhaps the VDP leather seats are bulkier than MG ones?

Post by **alex_holden** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:15 pm

There's three main problems with them comfort-wise: the side bolsters on the base are too close together and dig into the sides of my legs, the back isn't well padded at all, and the back is an awkward convex shape that forces my spine into an uncomfortable position. I've driven quite a few modern cars and none were as bad as this. I'm thinking judicious use of some thin cushions might help. Maybe even one of those tacky fake-fur seat covers you used to see in the 80s!

Did you fit yours with the Newton Commercial bases?

Post by **dunketh** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:21 pm

I fitted mine through large blocks of wood using long bolts through the floor.

I'm still toying with the idea of re-fitting them only next time I'll make or buy an adjustable base as mine were angled back slightly before.
The backs on mine are a strange shape but they're no worse than other seats I've tried with 'lumbar' support built in.

The later GTa/GTi seats are better still. I had a set in an old XR2. They're firmer but have adjustable lumbar support which you can wind right in to nothing if you prefer.

Post by **Orkney** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:52 pm

Reckon its the angle of tilt relative to the parrallel of the floor thats your problem. Dont forget in a metro you would have been a bit lower to the floor and a bit more of a prone position.
Trust me an mg metro seat isnt incomfy - it was actually bloody good for the car it went in, theres a fine art to getting the position right and reckon thats the problem.
I keep eying up that dead daewoo twin cam 16v by the garage here an often ponder ripping the seats out for scabby (it might just happen) although not sports or bucket seats they do have lumbar adjustment as well as the nifty wind up inclination - ie tilt the angle of your ass from the floor pan.
The crampedness of the std original seats gets me down a lot & sure couldnt contemplate a long journey in it just because it would leave me hunched or worse!

Post by **Peetee** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:04 pm

A standard seat on a level floor produces a pretty much level seat. Put a modern seat on a level floor and you find that the base is lower at the rear. That has to be compensated for in any mounts you fabricate. Generally the rear mount top has to end up at the same level as that at the front to create the sort of slope of a standard Minor seat. Certainly thats what the Newton Commercial bases do whan placed on a Minors floor.
To get the right height for the bases you need to apply particular attention to the following; the suitability of the height, for you, of your current seats. The sag produced by your weight on the new and old seats and the height adjustability (if any) of your new seats.
I have a pair of Rover 200 seats. To get the right base height I adjusted the height to a mid setting, placed this and the old seat on a level floor and got a helper to measure the height of my head on each seat. The difference was the height needed for the rear base.

Post by **alex_holden** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:16 pm

Orkney wrote:Reckon its the angle of tilt relative to the parrallel of the floor thats your problem.

I don't think it is. The NC frames are designed to raise the height and compensate for the tilt of the floor. It feels like I'm the wrong shape for the seat.

The crampedness of the std original seats gets me down a lot & sure couldnt contemplate a long journey in it just because it would leave me hunched or worse!

I don't find the standard seats cramped (certainly not compared to the MG Metro ones with their side-bolsters). The main problems I have with them are the lack of adjustability and the low back.

Post by **Orkney** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:45 pm

Sorry Alex - i should have said crampedness because there isnt enough leg room - driving position cramped as seat isnt far enough back.
If dragon drives it have made a suitably thick wooden gismo to lift the seat so she can reach the pedals.
Far from ideal really, so a replacement must be found.

Post by **alex_holden** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:52 pm

Orkney wrote:Sorry Alex - i should have said crampedness because there isnt enough leg room - driving position cramped as seat isnt far enough back.

Have you got the seat in the rear of the two positions?

Post by **jonathon** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:20 pm

Go for Saab seats they are the recoginsed best in the business

Post by **Orkney** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:57 am

Have you got the seat in the rear of the two positions?

Dont think they are adjustable - front bar is bolted to the floor by 2 x upside down U brackets upon which the seat will tip up.
Will have a look at it again later but pretty sure its not adjustable.

Go for Saab seats

thats what Ray says too - only so he can recline them fully and have a kip whilst goign on a long drive though

Post by **Peetee** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:26 am

Dont think they are adjustable - front bar is bolted to the floor by 2 x

There should be another two holes for each bracket. Chances are they are obscured by the carpet panels - but don't pull them up yet. If you look under the car you will see the four channels for the seats, each with four captive nuts under the holes. You might be able to establish which holes are being used.

Post by **Orkney** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:58 am

Thanks will have a look later - mostly acedemic as even on what presumably is the shortest legroom setting its still way too far back for the vertically challenged dragon

Will have a gander at the daewoo ones later and see if they will be suitable. Although they dont flip forward it wont matter as not planning on keeping the back seats in anyway.

Post by **Packedup** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:39 am

alex_holden wrote:That's not my experience with the MG Metro seats after fitting them last Saturday. There still seems to be an OK amount of legroom in the back, but I'm not at all happy with the comfort. The fact that my back starts aching on the daily commute doesn't bode well for my trip to London this weekend.

I've got a Metro with the MG style seats (in a different pattern) and find them reasonable, which considering the state of my back is a bit of a miracle! However, I had the leather version of those seats in a different Metro and could never get comfortable and long drives were a nightmare. I do have a dodgy back though so it could be more me than the seats.

I do sometimes wonder if the leather versions don't have quite so much give as the cloth types and that was the reason I struggled with them.

Post by **alex_holden** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:51 am

If others find the MG Metro seats comfortable, I'm wondering if some of the springs or padding in mine are worn out (or maybe I am just an odd shape). I've noticed they're not quite as bad if I take my coat off, but it doesn't get warm enough to do that on the drive to work.

Post by **Orkney** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:55 am

Perhaps having that coat on is just emphasising the lumbar support bit which is making it uncomfy?
Get down the charity shop - nice thick coat & cut the back of it out

Course you could always go the wrong way down credibility street & buy a bead mat