The 'lift the dot' strap in the boot of a Minor Saloon

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firedrake1942
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The 'lift the dot' strap in the boot of a Minor Saloon

Post by firedrake1942 »

I suppose that this counts as bodywork.

Does anyone know the change point, if there was one from the ' lift the dot' strap in the boot of a Minor Saloon (- to secure the rear seat / to allow it to be folded down.) to the two wing nuts I have seen on many later (Series V) cars.

Mine broke back in the late 1970s and I foolishly threw it away.

I did a bit of detective work to try and find an original at the National Rally and came away with a lot of ad hoc solutions but no real original, until I remembered a local car which was a barn find. I now have a template, I have sourced the fasteners - which I think were black rather than shiny, the tool to press them onto the leather plus screws and cup washers and a local saddlery is making me the strap (s) out of a neutral coloured leather - it appears that they were coloured to match the parcel shelf covering / heater shroud - at least on the (1960) donor car and I think I recall mine (1957) being a faded reddish brown.

Does anyone want one of these, made to original spec? I might as well get the bits to make more than one. The ESM replacement one on their site, is unlike any I have seen both in shape and material.
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geoberni
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Re: The 'lift the dot' strap in the boot of a Minor Saloon

Post by geoberni »

We appear to have discussed this elsewhere on the Interweb.... :wink:
So you've already got most of the answers.

I certainly learned that they changed the strap location from MM/SII to the S3, before switching to pair of wing nut bolts.

I made Basil's replacement from the end of an old belt, and the fastener that ESM sell for hood repairs. I also wasn't impressed by the look of the one they sell :D

(Now I've seen the photo, I must clean the dust from that nice new shelf covering. It's a little lighter shade than the upholstery, but you can't exactly see it and it's better than the old cardboard that was on show before)
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Basil the 1955 series II

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