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MG MGA - reupholstery of seats (wadding?)

I'm using a Moss Motors kit to reupholster my seats. It does not come with any madding.

The methods shown on the Chicagoland MGA Club Website do not include adding madding to the seat backs:
http://www.chicagolandmgclub.com/photos/a_seats/

However madding is required by the method show in Malcolm Green's book (see page 126).

I think the seats in the Green's book look better. Does anybody have thoughts to share on the pros/cons of adding this wadding? Did the original seats have this?

Thanks. I've never done any upholstry work before.

brucep

Bruce. What is "madding"? I am not familiar with that term. There is "jute padding" which is sometimes used. Not sure, however, why it would be used here. I do, however, had two very good friends in the upholstery business and they have done three sets of MGB seats for me. Two of the sets used the Moss supplied seat covers and one was a custom set for my daughter made up from raw materials. Their impression of the Moss seat covers were that they are of excellent quality--good materials and well put together. (My daughter's seat covers were custom made to her specifications and had a matching dog bed made to fit on the rear shelf for her fiance's Golden Retriever.)

If you can tell me what "madding" is, I will ask them about its use and post what they have to say.

Les
Les Bengtson

Madding is the term used in Macolm Green's book, "MGA Restoration Guide." Perhaps it is the British equivalent to badding. It looks like some sort of moderately fluffy cotton material used for padding. The Green book says to wrap the side edges of the seat backs with it "before" wrapping with thin felt. Then they say to put some on the top edge of the seat back "after" wrapping with the felt. Then you put exterior seat cover over all this.
brucep

I think you all mean "W"adding
dominic clancy

Oops. You are correct Dominic. Every reference I make to madding, should be wadding.
brucep

bruce. You may wish to take both the seats and a copy of Green's book into the upholstery shop you wish to use. The reason I mention this is that some of the aftermarket, which is all that is available today, seat foams and covers may not duplicate the practices of the original, factory, work.

The upholstery people I deal with, again, they are friends, are more than willing to look at what has been done in the past, what the present materials are, and discuss what needs to be done to make my cars as original, or as custom, as needed.

I do not remember my MGA sets as having any "wadding" associated with them. It may be that this was not an original process or, it may be that the seats had been rebuilt sometime in the past using newer technology.

In any event, a good upholstery shop would be the place to begin. I have been sufficiently fortunate to establish a good relationship with a local shop. For some minor time spent talking with them (we are all interested in cars) and some beer (a 12 pack of whatever they drink) the results have been significant. You might consider the same with whom ever will be doing your upholstery. I had considered doing such work myself. But, in the long run, having a professional do the work makes the most sense.

Recently, they built a "dog bed" for the back of my daughter's 77B when she and her fiance (with his dog) went to visit his family and they were taking Therea's B. It was a custom job which matched the upholstery they had done on the seats. No charge since, "It was for Theresa".

The benefits of dealing with a professional shops, in my experience, go far beyond the initial work. You can find friends, of similar interests, who will repay your friendship in far more than dollars.

Les
Les Bengtson

Hi,,,I'm an upholsterer in England here and you can get every thing that you want from my self for upholstering the seats of all old cars from Coconut fibre to horse hair and white wadding and black wadding.
If you need any thing just drop me a mail and I can send the items world wide and you can pay me via paypal as well

alan
Alan Stout

Scarborough Faire's seat reupholstery kits include cotton "wadding" to use per the Malcolm Green book. SF has used original seats as templates for their kits, so I assume the wadding was original.

Regards,
M.D.
'57 coupe
M. D.

Bruce,
I did my seats this summer using a Moss seat kit and used Malcolm Green's book as a guide. I think they came out great, other's who have seen them seem to agree. It's not that hard to do. Do use the wadding as he shows. Otherwise the fit will be loose. My original seats had it as well. Any upholstery shop should have it. I actually used some that was removed from an old couch. Slipping a plastic bag (dry cleaning bags are great) over the "guts" before installing the cover really helps. But it will still be tight so use care not to rip the seams. I also suggest keeping your covers nice and warm when installing. This makes them plyable and easier to work into shape.

Regards,
GTF
G T Foster

Wadding, badding, cotton batting, all pretty much the same thing as far as I know. All just clean cotton for padding areas that need a little cushion to "plump up". Cotton batts, again as I understand, are like rolls of a certain thickness sheet of unwoven cotton. Like a roll (sheet) of foam rubber might be used in similar situations today. Your everyday furniture upholstery guy might work more with this stuff than an auto upholstery guy.
Tom

This thread was discussed between 17/01/2006 and 18/01/2006

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