Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all
My first post so go easy.

I am in the market for my first Moggie, I would prefer a saloon 2 dr or 4 dr or even a convertible if the price is right, I would prefer a car where all the work has been done because I don't want to turn it into a busmans holiday type ownership (I'm an engineer by day), I just want to enjoy the car without doing heavy maintenance, I don't mind general servicing and fault finding but would prefer not to be changing and welding panels every year.

Anyhow my question is- due to me being a little portly lets say, my concern is just sitting in the thing without the steering wheel getting in the way, I appreciate it is possible to get a smaller wheel which could help and would it help if I put other type seats in such as Newtons or the KA, Mazda etc?

My questions are-

1.What is the dimension from the seat back and bottom of steering wheel with the seat adjusted fully back. (does this alter with seat or model type?)
2.What is the outside diameter of a standard steering wheel.
Many Thanks

Welcome to the forum
Here goes...
My car is 1956 and unmodified. Seat back to steering wheel is 41cm give or take. Steering wheel diameter is 43cm. I'm not sure if later cars had smaller wheels or not. The age of car and the pattern of seat fitted may effect the seat-to-wheel measurement.
Minor seats are not adjustable in the accepted sense. They are provided with two sets of mounting points; one for shorter legs and one for longer legs. Adjustment is achieved by unbolting the seats and re-fitting them onto the alternative mounts either fore or aft. If you are as you say 'portly' bear in mind that the doors on 2-door and convertible models are wider than those on a 4-door.
Modern seats are an option and many people have fitted them with varying degrees of ease. May be worth considering that most modern seats are more chunky. To achieve the legroom etc that you require may restrict rear legroom considerably.

I'm 192cm in height, about 104kg in weight and built for comfort not speed. Getting into my 4-door is a bit of a squeeze and the damaged weather seals around the door aperture are testament to that! Once seated (seat on rearmost mountings), there is sufficient room between the wheel and my 100cm waist. I tend however to adopt a rather ungentlemanly spread-legged position with knees either side of the wheel!

palacebear wrote: ↑Mon Jul 16, 2018 2:01 pm Welcome to the forum
Here goes...
My car is 1956 and unmodified. Seat back to steering wheel is 41cm give or take. Steering wheel diameter is 43cm. I'm not sure if later cars had smaller wheels or not. The age of car and the pattern of seat fitted may effect the seat-to-wheel measurement.
Minor seats are not adjustable in the accepted sense. They are provided with two sets of mounting points; one for shorter legs and one for longer legs. Adjustment is achieved by unbolting the seats and re-fitting them onto the alternative mounts either fore or aft. If you are as you say 'portly' bear in mind that the doors on 2-door and convertible models are wider than those on a 4-door.
Modern seats are an option and many people have fitted them with varying degrees of ease. May be worth considering that most modern seats are more chunky. To achieve the legroom etc that you require may restrict rear legroom considerably.
I'm 192cm in height, about 104kg in weight and built for comfort not speed. Getting into my 4-door is a bit of a squeeze and the damaged weather seals around the door aperture are testament to that!

It's worth bearing in mind that the Series II (as above) has a different seating position to the later Minor 1000 models, which have lower seats, potentially giving a bit more room.

palacebear wrote: ↑Mon Jul 16, 2018 2:01 pm Welcome to the forum
Minor seats are not adjustable in the accepted sense. They are provided with two sets of mounting points; one for shorter legs and one for longer legs. Adjustment is achieved by unbolting the seats and re-fitting them onto the alternative mounts either fore or aft.

I beg to differ. I have never owned a Minor which did not have an adjustable driver's seat so would suggest that Mr palacebear either has not worked out how to adjust his or has two passenger seats fitted. My wife and myself are different heights so regularly slide the seat back and forward (simple to do) depending on who's driving. There is also, as mentioned above, the facility to fit the seats into different mountings which is an additional help. The Minor is a compact car but Minors owners seem to come in many shapes and sizes. I would seek a local specialist and arrange to visit and try a few cars for size. Hope you find one is suitable!

There is a very good illustration (Fig: R.1) of the drivers seat adjustment in the BMC wksp manual Section R.1 with a description of how to adjust the drivers seat.

An original Minor should have double mounting positions and also an adjustment lever on the drivers seat. As the drivers seat gets the most wear some have been replaced over the years with scrapyard seats which can result in cars having two of the less worn passenger seats.

Replacement with a seat from elsewhere offers many possibilities depending on personal preference and what is currently available in breakers yards. Ka seats are currently popular. Since most seats will require brackets to be made you can suit yourself for driver legroom and seat height. Iif you want to use the rear seat you will need to leave some legroom there and have at least one seat tipping for access (unless you buy a four door). There are already threads on here discussing seat choices.

ManyMinors wrote: ↑Mon Jul 16, 2018 3:15 pm I beg to differ. I have never owned a Minor which did not have an adjustable driver's seat so would suggest that Mr palacebear either has not worked out how to adjust his or has two passenger seats fitted.

Interesting. My car is 4-door late Series 2. Both front seats identical in appearance and correct pattern for age. Drivers seat has 4-point mounting with alternative position for longer legs. No slide brackets or anything of that sort. Has a lever under the front edge of squab which unlocks the back-rest allowing it to be tilted forwards. Passenger seat has 2-point mounting with no adjustment of any kind possible. Both back-rest and squab can be tilted. Neither back-rest nor squab has any form of locking mechanism.

Palacebear
My '55 2 door is as per the Manual, with an adjustable Drivers seat. I have it at full back and I'm a fraction over 6ft with leg length of about 3'6". If the seat is fully forward I'm guessing you could have a leg length of about 2'9".
Seat isn't fixed at the back as the adjustment requires the seat to move on the carpet, not pivot on the rail.

I tried to add a screen shot from the pdf manual but this darn forum software won't play ball about adding it!!


So take a look at R1 in the manual.

mm1

In my experience, your biggest problem will be access and the distance seat to wheel. I have difficulty twisting my legs around to get in and if I have anything in my left pocket I have to wiggle around a bit to get in, but once in I'm fine.
I'd say any more than about 6" or 60cm leg thickness mid thigh front to back and in a Series II you'll be a tight squeeze to get in.
That said I brought mine from a rather portly chap who was hunched over the wheel like a bear driving...!

I'd go out and try a few, it's the only way, we tried loads before picking ours.

geoberni wrote: ↑Mon Jul 16, 2018 4:59 pm Palacebear
My '55 2 door is as per the Manual, with an adjustable Drivers seat.
So take a look at R1 in the manual.

Oops! I stand corrected... again!
Tilting backrest and tipping squab with no locking mechanism (Don't know where I got that notion from). Adjustment mechanism as per manual. Currently as far back as it will go. Jammed or otherwise immovable. Probably not been moved for years!
Thanks @ geoberni for pointing me in the right direction

These things happen when you're over-familiar with the mundane day-to-day aspects of anything.

This is the ratchet adjustment on my S2 style seats in an earlyish (May 57) S3 (Inevitably , I cannot attach the image )

This is the ratchet adjustment on my S2 style seats in an earlyish (May 57) S3 (Inevitably , I cannot attach the image )

Try attaching a link ??

https://www.morrisminorforum.com/phorum/read.php?2,646

Coincidentally, when I bought my car, I asked the vendor (who had owned the car for six years) how to adjust the driver's seat and he told me that it wasn't adjustable. On arriving home (after a less than comfortable drive) my wife asked me the same question and received the same answer. 'Why has it got an adjustment lever then?' she asked, pointing to the object in question. As a result of her almost complete lack of understanding of cars and mechanical matters in general I have since been able to move the seat backwards and forwards. Women! What do they know, huh?

You'll probably find that the longer you own the car, and the older you get, the steering wheel will mysteriously move back towards the seat thus making the whole thing a snugger fit.

A bit like trousers that hang in the wardrobe for a while shrink - the only remedy being the next waist size up!

Enjoy!

Thank you for all the replies and the added bonus of others learning something too.

I guess going to see some cars will be beneficial but I would say its going to be tight and embarrassing
My current car driving position is set at 20" from seat back to bottom of wheel which is perfect, this also includes some breathing space.

I have just played with my adjustment and the limit is about 17 3/4" before it becomes snug and I look like my granny driving.

I guess every car is different i.e. how much you sink into the padding, the angle of the seat and the steering wheel, height of seat, wheel rake anon. Of course all this is very limited with classic car seat adjustments.

Thanks again everyone.

The not readily adjustable seat is a bit of a nuisance if there are two people alternatively using the car.
I am playing with the idea of using a seat runner I got from a Triumph Herald. It is readily boltable to the floor but the seat will need some steel flanges welded on. Will let you know if it works.

Well, I fit. It is snug but I think a few small tweeks should make it better but as it stands it is perfectly usable and if while the weight keeps coming off it should only get easier.
Other than that, a reversing camera and beepers strapped to my backside should do the trick for getting in

cheers all.

Excellent news! Have you a particular car in mind or are you starting to search now? There always seem to be a good number for sale.