Seats advice please

[burnham28]

Having recently acquired a 1968 ex metropolitan Morris minor police panda (It's the actual car that I drove in 1968/69) I need some advice in re upholstering the front seats after some very large bottoms have been sitting on them. I have bought a kit from ESM which consists of foam etc and webbing straps but after looking under the front seats I see that there is a rubber diaphragm fitted which I assume has been there since new, do I replace it with the webbing straps or leave it in place and how difficult is it to do. Also I intend to take the seats out to do the re upholstery. Are the bolts holding the seats to the floor held by captive nuts underneath ? Being 6' 3" I understand that the brackets holding the seats to the floor can be moved back. How far from the original holes are the other ones and do they have captive nuts underneath. All help would be greatly appreciated.

[philthehill]

The seat securing bolts go into a set of qty 4 captive nuts attached to a strengthening plate secured underneath the floor.
The distance between the centre of the front hole and the centre of the rear hole is 88mm.

[RobThomas]

Extra holes are about an inch away. 5/16 BSF rings a bell for the thread and the threads are welded together in a strip of 4 holes. You can drill right through if you need to fit a longer bolt if the threads strip.

The rubber diaphragm is just another way of achieving the same effect but if the rubber goes you'll need to replace the whole lot whereas the single strips can be fixed one at a time.

Stripping the seats....take lots of digital photos to remind yourself where the bits go!

Pic shows the strips with the 4 holes in.

[frame][/frame]

[burnham28]

Hi guys
Thanks for the replies. The drivers seat is now out and in the dining room (she doesn't know yet) ready to have the new foam inserted. Still not sure as to whether to replace the rubber diaphragm which appears to be in good condition with the new webbing straps. Have found the new holes in the floor to relocate the seats and yes the bolts are 5/16ths

[panky]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the seats in a police car were up-rated with a diaphragm for said large bottoms and long periods of use So if you're after originality stick with the diaphragm.

[charlie_morris_minor]

the diaphragm is much firmer than the webbing but uses the same mounting holes.

If you have not started to dismantle the seat I can send you a pdf document on making your own trim that deals with taking the seat apart and rebuilding it. if you want it just drop me a PM with your email address.

[stanley0070]

Have a look at this..........

http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f= ... g&start=40


hope it helps
Brian...........

[ManyMinors]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the seats in a police car were up-rated with a diaphragm for said large bottoms and long periods of use So if you're after originality stick with the diaphragm.

Yes, I agree. The Police cars did indeed have the rubber diaphragms fitted and also - the Panda car I owned anyway - had extra gussets welded into the seat frames to add strength to them. Other than that, the seat was trimmed the same way as usual and had 5 webbing straps in the backrest but the door cars and rear quarters were just covered in a plain material like the basic (non deluxe) Minor saloon. Bull Motif spares sell the rubber diaphragms new for a very reasonable price. I've just bought a pair for my own car but if your originals are still OK I would simply re-use them.

[jaekl]

I've see Ford Perfects from the late Fifties or early Sixties with the same seat, but they were upgraded to coil springs. that would be another alternative.

[IaininTenbury]

Yes my Panda car has rubber diaphragms too. I understand they were part of the Police spec (to cope with greater wear and tear) along with the plain door trims (cost I presume) and the large positive earth alternator (to power the radio).
I assume the diaphragms are a standard BMC/Leyland part, possibly Mini, and therefore available?

[burnham28]

I can confirm that all met police pandas had rubber diaphragms on the front seats for long and frequent use. Met pandas only had a roofbox police sign and police signs on both sides. There was no blue lights. sirens or bells and the roofbox could be switched on or off from a switch inside the car. They were unit beat cars used for patrolling the streets. We were told not to chase any suspect cars but of course we did. There were no radios fitted we relied on the personal radio carried with us. I would love to obtain a Storno P/R to go with my car. The only car to have a radio fitted was the supervisors car known as the sergeants panda which had a force radio fitted. All met cars ran on a dynamo but I don't know what other forces had as some were fitted with radios, blue lights etc.The Lancashire and Cheshire forces were the first to use Morris minors as pandas and they were black and white hence panda, one force had a white car with black chevrons painted all over it, it looked very strange. The car I have is one of the first minors the met had delivered from the factory in April 1968 and it is the actual car that I drove in 1968 as a serving police officer. I have just received a heritage certificate giving the build date the colour which is described as Bermuda Blue and Police white whatever that is and confirming the delivery to the Metropolitan police. I see that there is an article in Minor Matters of two pandas with SYT numbers my car also has a SYT number, it would be great to see them all at the national rally next year. Who knows there may be more SYTs out there

[ManyMinors]

That is some interesting insight. The "Panda" I owned had a dynamo rather than alternator and although it had had a roofbox I don't believe it ever had a blue light. Bermuda Blue was a standard colour in the BMC range but it had not previously been used on the Minor. Most "Pandas" seem to have been finished in this colour by the factory.

[IaininTenbury]

Very interesting. Not sure what force mine was with. Reg BBJ.... Its a factory fit alternator as wiring loom is specific for it. I assumed it was to power radio but may just have been for lights and plenty of stop start use.

[ManyMinors]

I'm sure some of them did have alternators. There will have been various differences during production and, as you say, between different forces. There is a Panda register within the MMOC isn't there? I expect members are fairly well clued up regarding specifications.

[burnham28]

Seats are now back in and relocated to the extra holes in the floor. As my wife remarked it's amazing what that extra inch can do.

[amgrave]

Did she make that remark with a sly grin by any chance

[burnham28]

Now I come to think of it she did have a sly grin don't know what that was for but after doing my seats she did say she was looking forward to a nice comfortable ride.