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MG TD TF 1500 - seat bolster

I have a little over 500 miles of experience with my mgtf now. Admittedly my back is a little tender but I am finding the shock of hitting bumps in the road a bit harsh. The car has original suspension and springs and the shock absorbers are fresh rebuilt by Peter Caldwell to standard specs. 2 things I think could help: Lower air presuure (the manual recommends 18 PSI but that was for bias ply--I had the radials at 25PSI cold but it may have been a bad guess as to what was best) Condition of the seat foam (the car was reupholstered in 1987 with almost no use since. I have no idea whether the foam was replaced but it does feel like I may be bottoming out. Anybody have any thoughts or solution suggestions besides posting for the bumps? I should have compared my seat to others at the British Invasion (missed opportunity)
bew wright

If the original 'dunlopillow' waffle foam piece is still in there, it could have lost all its support. (If TFs have the same foam piece as TD's)...
I took high density foam and cut it into 2" cubes and pushed them into the spaces.... still has some 'give', but much better support....


gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

i know these cars, even in the day, were not noted nor revered for their cloud like ride. how bad is yours? sounds like seat foam is your last/best place to check. regards, tom
tom peterson

My seats were bottoming ( no pun intended! ) out so I tried Gordons technique and it worked so well I did the seat back too.I checked the original Dunlopillow foam and it was stamped "52" so I am not surprised it has lost some of its cushionjng effect. My Wife now claims to her friends that the TD is " very comfortable on long trips" So there is a bonafide seal of approval if there ever was one!

Cheers, Keith
Keith McKenzie

I remember 'back in the day', my father had an Austin Healey 100/6 re-upholstered and they used a big block of high density foam.... the seats were so uncomfortable you slipped around and almost 'fell off' them....not to mention being higher then the windshield.... I figured the waffles were there, may as well just fill them....
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

The seats in these cars don't have springs or rubber bungees below the foams like other cars. You are seperated from a piece of plywood by the foam only. When it no longer has any resiliance, you are sitting on wood. I used the Moss blanks about ten years ago and they have held up nicely.
My seats, when I got the car, were a cheap 70's aftermarket vinyl. The driver's wood base was cracked. I felt like I was sitting on the floor, but the seats appeared to be overstuffed. When I took them apart, I found 2 additional layers underneath; the bottom being the origional dried-out red leather. The foam had to be origional as well.
Steven Tobias

Well I appreciate all of the feedback on this and I will take my seat apart to inspect what ha.ve underneath and then determine where to go
bew wright

I had to smile when I read this thread...
About a year ago, I renewed the upholstering of my TD, since the old foam had completely disintegrated. When I opened them, I saw that I had to rebuild the seat bases as well, since they were quite worn and apparently had been fixed in the distant past (and not very professionally).
The new upholstery is made of fairly strong foam (the type that is used for gym mats), therefore, I decided to add 2 springs to the seat base at the rear edge of the seat. The springs are selected according to my weight (roughly...) and are of similar size as you might find in an old "classic" bike saddle. On the upside of the seat base is an aluminum bar along the back edge of the seat base to prevent the wood base from breaking (unfortunately I did not take a picture of before closing the seat covers).
This is now quite comfortable despite the relatively solid seat upholstery and worn shox. Not quite "original" of course, but nicely hidden beneath the seat and who says you cannot improve a 60 year old design ;-)

Mike Fritsch, Kelkheim, Germany


Mike Fritsch

Bew,

Tire pressures have been a fun item on this forum, with many different perspectives. I use 20 to 22 lbs in the rear and 23 to 25 in the front depending on the loading. The ride is soft, confortable and easy on the car. H'way speeds require an extra 2 to 4lbs both front and back, again, depending on the loading. This is something you have to experiment with, and very much depends on your driving style. My tires are 165R 15 radials.

George
George Raham [TD4224]

My wifes MGB rode quite stiff before I restored it. When it was time for the new tires, I bought Vredestein tires from Holland and the ride and handling improved tremendously. The tires on her car are Quatrac2s, with a directional tread, which won't look right on a T series, but their Sprint model looks good and I understand a few fellows use them. PJ
P Jennings

This thread was discussed between 20/09/2010 and 12/01/2011

MG TD TF 1500 index

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