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MG MGB Technical - Centre console catch plate

Hi,

The catch plate(?) for the armrest(where the square female catch is housed) on the centre console on my 72 Gt has disintegrated - actually it was never there in the first place.

I do not want to by a complete new centre console. Does anyone have an idea of how to fabricate a plate or have a diagram or photo of the missing plate?

Thanks

Iwan
Iwan Jones

I think you can buy them with a repair plate. I bought a new armrest and it came with one.
Paul Hollingworth

There is a repair kit available widely in the States - I can't believe we'd have something here that you couldn't get in the UK. It consists of a new spring clip recepticle for the latch, mounted in a flat plate which is glued to the base in the relieved area, and a new clip which is mounted on a flat piece of plastic with a 90-degree bend at the front of the console cover. This is the trick part, as the now vertical flat plate distributes the load the catch used to take as occupants would push laterally on the console armrest and fatigue the parts.

I've installed the kit in both my B's and here it costs about $7-8 and installs in about 5 minutes. I'd be surprised if Moss and your larger spares companies don't have it.
John Z

I replaced my catch a few years back. The new parts came from a local mg specialist who had them in stock, but they could have been had from Moss at the time. I expect MGOC has them too.
Miles Banister

You can buy both male and female parts. I have had to replace both of mine as the plastic male on the armrest had broken in both cases. Looking at it it is not difficult to see why. The armrest has a degree of side-to-side movement at the front, which applies presure to the male part of the catch in its weakest direction. On refitting I rotated both through 90 degrees by making my own plates so now the pressure on the male catch is in its strongest direction.
Paul Hunt

Hi,

It seems that I've been misunderstood. It is not the catchplate on the underside of the armrest or the plastic male/female parts of the catch. (I have these)

I need something to secure the square female part of the catch to the console.

Ta.

Iwan
Iwan Jones

It's part of the repair kit I mentioned - the "flat plate which is glued to the base in the relieved area". The female recepticle goes in there. Typically, all the side loading does in the square hole - which seems to be your problem - and / or it bends the male part until it fatigues off or is otherwise useless.

See if you can find the kit, it is both palliative and curative.

And - by the way - did you hear about the guy who was going with the contortionist, until she broke it off?
John Z

I fabricated that out of a bit of scrap, outer dimensions to the relieved area that John mentions, inner to the catch. Not seen that plate available in the UK.
Paul Hunt

This thread was discussed between 29/01/2002 and 31/01/2002

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.