Advice on Alternative Seats

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tomauld
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Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by tomauld »

Hi MMOC,

Firstly I have returned to the Morris Minor Fold. I learnt to drive in a 948cc 4-door in 1993, graduated to a midget powered 4 door in 2001 switched to a Maestro Turbo powered 2 door in 2004, but sold it shortly before the birth of my first child. After 12 years, 3 children and 4 cats I felt it was time to return and have just acquired got a gorgeous split personality 1098cc 4 door (thinking about electric conversion but that is for another post).

Now, I need a sliding comfortable modern but sympathetic seat. Before you say Newton Commercial, I do not like them. I won't bore you with the orthopaedic and ergonomic details but I am very keen on these which I have heard mentioned on other forums:

https://procarbyscat.com/product/pro-90-lowback/

The fitting process using a universal adaptor is outlined in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtkT5hlhc34

And here is a link to the universal adaptor:
https://www.jegs.com/i/Scat/942/81000/10002/-1

It looks like you have to do a fair bit of work to the universal adaptor including ideally welding (I would be paying somebody to do this). My question to you all is, is there any reason why these would not fit in? They are a little smaller than the Newton Commercial and may even allow for a little more leg room in the rear seat behind for the brood. I am fairly committed to buying these but want to avoid making an expensive mistake if they don't fit in! (Even with expensive delivery, import charges, the adaptors and paying for reupholstering in bespoke leather these end up quite a bit cheaper than the Newton Commercials, and Newton don't even do a decent colour match on my model)...

Thanks for your help and advice...
les
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by les »

If the Newton ones fit, and presumably they do, the ones you are interested in, being smaller, should fit too. However it’s guess work really unless you can get some comparable measurements. Also altering the adapter may interfere with the seat runners, another consideration. I’ve fitted alternative seats but made my own bases to suit.

neilmorey
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by neilmorey »

JLH will do a bespoke version of their seat base and all you have to do is bolt the bases to the car and your chosen seat to the runner supports. No welding needed.

https://jlhmorrisminors.co.uk/accessori ... -base.html
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Monty-4
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by Monty-4 »

If you like the Pro 90 seats (I've also considered these in the past and I'm pretty sure they'd fit, I got measurements from an classic VW supplier), I'd also note that the Cobra Roadster SR look like they'd be a great fit and others like the MG F/TF. I have late MG Midget seats which also fit nicely.

JLH's seat bases are rather solid, I went through several cheap drill bits making mounting holes in those!
68' 4-door Saloon, another 'Monty'.
tomauld
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by tomauld »

Thanks all for your help - It looks the JLH seat bases are probably the best option - we're getting one of the seats next week so we'll investigate further then. Those bases look pretty good value for £95 / pait given how much Labour they could save...
Declan_Burns
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by Declan_Burns »

My mate has made very sturdy bases, laser cut to fit the early Ford Ka seats. He has them in his traveller and I must say they are really nice. He intends to make a bolt on kit if anyone is interested. I will see if I can get some photos.
Regards
Declan


Regards
Declan
Declan_Burns
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by Declan_Burns »

Here are some pics.
No welding is required or any further modifications except to drill the 4 holes in the floor to secure the rear of the seats. The front mount uses the original minor floor bolts. These photos are of the first prototype. Minor improvements were introduced for the final version. Photos to follow. The whole process is reversible as the seats are not modified. I will find out exactly which model Ford Ka seats are required as there are several different models.
Regards
Declan
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Regards
Declan
tomauld
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by tomauld »

I finally got the procar seats recovered in a more original matador red leather and into the car (it's a 1957 4 door in black) - JLH bases were too large for these so we had to default to the universal fitting kits supplied by the manufacturer. Very happy with the seats - they are much closer in size to the original ones and also much more comfortable. I thought I would share a few photos below...
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philthehill
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by philthehill »

Very nice. 8)

ManyMinors
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by ManyMinors »

Those seats look a great alternative to the (horrible in my opinion) Newton Commercial seats. The other problem with their range is the colours available. My car is the same age as yours with the correct, original red interior/white piping and Newton don't even acknowledge that this exists. They list a maroon colour which came out later and is completely wrong for cars up to 1959. My interior is quite tatty now but I don't want a maroon interior and it is understandably almost impossible to find good secondhand trim now for such an old car.
May I ask what you fitted as the red draught excluder around the doors? It doesn't look like the standard offering although it is hard to tell in the photos.
Declan_Burns
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by Declan_Burns »

Beutifully done!
Regards
Declan


Regards
Declan
myoldjalopy
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by myoldjalopy »

ManyMinors wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 11:56 am Those seats look a great alternative to the (horrible in my opinion) Newton Commercial seats. The other problem with their range is the colours available. My car is the same age as yours with the correct, original red interior/white piping and Newton don't even acknowledge that this exists. They list a maroon colour which came out later and is completely wrong for cars up to 1959.
Neither do NC do the correct material/colour headlining for SII cars. Odd, considering all the other stuff they do. Can't see that it would be difficult to do either.......
Chipper
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by Chipper »

They look great, as does the rest of the car! 8) Are those LP936 reverse van rims you have fitted? Also, do you have any photos of your Maestro Turbo-powered Minor? Would love to see if you have...
Maurice, E. Kent
(1970 Traveller)
tomauld
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by tomauld »

A couple of things to reply to:

1. The current interior was done by Bobby from Milton Keynes who advertises on here from time to time.
2. Bobby did some of the draught excluder and I also bought some of the usual stuff from ESM and I think it was the same.
3. The wheels are BMC competition Morris Minor rally wheels. Ian Allen of Minor services thinks they may have been made by Dunlop. They are a 14" x 4.5" rim and I have 165/65/14 tyres on them. They were on the turbo but I wisely took them off when I sold the turbo car to Ian in 2008 as I knew I would use them one day!
4. Sadly no photos of the turbo, I sold it to Ian 12 years ago. However, Ian sold it on this Summer on ebay so you might have noticed it then - it was a white 2 door and I doubt the paintwork was up to much by now. I actually was not very keen on the position of the Ford type 9 gearbox and the turbo was quite laggy (Jonathan at JLH thinks he can do a better job). I preferred the old school single carb midget powered one with the original gearbox with massive gearstick in the right place and a lower diff...it felt more in keeping with the car.

Now, just saving up for my hyper 9 tesla battery ford axel conversion. It is going to be expensive if I do it...

Thanks for all the encouragement.

Tom
tomauld
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by tomauld »

Also, yes, bizarre about the Newton Commercial matching the matador red with a maroon. I took that out along with the Newton commercial seats which I find uncomfortable and take up too much space in my opinion. I mounted these quite high at the back and I find it saves my lower back (had an op there in my 20s)...

Tom
jagnut66
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Re: Advice on Alternative Seats

Post by jagnut66 »

Hi Tom,
Very nice looking seats, well matched and much more in keeping with the car than Newtons (to my mind anyway). Very nice Moggy too.
I'd keep it petrol for now, until / unless we have to change them to electric to be allowed on the road with them.........
Save your money (the family will have other uses for that anyway :wink: ).
Best wishes,
Mike.
1954 Series 2: 4 door: "Sally" -- Back on the ground with (slave) wheels and waiting to be resprayed......
1970 Triumph Herald 1200: "Hetty" -- Driven back from Llangollen in Wales (twice.....)
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