16 replies to this topic

[Mini V]

I have a bought a pair of MG metro turbo seats :cheese: (or somink like that anyhow!) they came with their headrests taken out... AS WELL AS the little plastic bits that each of the 2 headrest bars slide into. (i.e. at the top of the seatback, there are 2 holes with fabric around em and not the plastic bits!) I do have all the plastic bits and the headrests tho.

Inside the holes, there seems to be some sort of metal barrel (into which each of the head rest poles go into...i think!) these are "wobbling" or loose. (not too sure if thats how they are meant to be tho!)

Please can some1 advise me if the headrests are refittable. Also, will these fit str8 onto my existing mini seat frames?

p.s. i wouldve taken a pic to show it, but my digital camera is being borrowed by a friend! Im quite sure ive made clear whats what tho! please can some1 help... cheers me dears! :cool:

[Dan]

As far as rebuilding the seats goes, pass. It could be the plastic holds the top of the tube in place to stabilize it, it might not.

But as for them fitting straight in, no chance. Standard Mini seats don't have subframes or frames which remain in the car after the seat is removed. You need to have fabricated, or make for yourself some rear mountings to hold the rear of the seat runners in place at the same height as the front. Also you need to be able to secure the front of the runners to the cross member. This all needs to be able to pass an MOT. Try some of the Mini body conversion specialists for advice as this is quite a common adaption.

[Mini V]

oh dear! good thing i only paid a £5er for em then i guess.

how about if i got the subframes out of an mg metro turbo and put them into the floor of my mini? would that be sufficient? to pass the MOT etc...

[Dan]

The problem is that the floorpans of the two cars are entirely different so parts don't happily migrate in this area. Something needs making but it ain't all that hard really. I have seen just flimsy little Z brackets used, but that isn't really good enough. Something which boxes out from the sill at the outboard side and some kind of bridge accross the tunnel inboard is ideal. If you can continue to use the original Mini seatbelt buckle fixing points you will save yourself loads of work as the belt loads are then put through the shell as designed. I don't know how the Metro belts are fitted myself.

[Mini V]

thanks 4 that further bita advice mate... eres somink i found on ebay. is this what i shud b lookin 2 buy to mount my seats?
eres the description:
"New Mini Universal Subframes fit a few different makes of aftermarket seats including Cobra, Corbeau and is tailored for the Mini.
Both Subframes are in new condition and have just been opened to make sure everything is present. Never fitted and cost £50 brand new each."

This looks very similar to what you described in ur last post... and the descr does say universal subframes. seems promising... cheers

p.s. the seatbelts should almost certainly fit as normal. from what i can tell :cool:

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[andyps]

For the headrest, you may find that the plastic tubes clip into a part of the metal seat frame. I had to replace tehm on a Montego I had years ago, but can't really remember how they worked.

For the seat mountings, I have fitted MG Metro seats and used a piece of angle iron at the front to fit into the original seat mountings so I didn't have to change very much. I made a simple fram for the rear, just a rectangle made from angle iron again. As mine is an old Mini there is no requirement for the rear to be fixed, but it would be easy to bolt it through the floor if needed. The way mine are it probably wouldn't be a problem anyway as I have bolted them tight at the front so they don't tip.

[Dan]

That 'universal' frame sadly is unlikely to be of any use. The thing is that aftermarket seating is designed to fit any and all cars if possible, so they tend to be made with a flat base with fixing points on the bottom or sides. The universal frame is designed to accomodate this by having a flat top with bolt holes in the corners. But OE seats are designed just to fit the floorpan of the car they are built for. So the fixings could be anywhere really. The seats for Mk1 / 2 Golfs for example use a kind of slotted channel up the middle of the seat, which is a little strange. No, the answer you need to make these fit is to make something up or ask the Mini specialists if they have a special panel available.

[Mini V]

cheers for them tips guys... i guess im gonna have to go round to my local mini dude and get somink made for the mg metro turbo seats to fit into my mini!

anyone got some idea of how much this will cost me Dan?? for the fabrication of a set of subframes OR just a simple few bits that will secure the seats onto the existing fixings at the front (as andyps stated...) - im assuming andyps you meant "L-brackets" etc... (the ready made ones that are available from DIY stores etc?)

(if its too much ill just try n flog the seats on ebay!! DOH! :nugget: )

[Mini V]

oh and as for the headrests... i think the plastic tube which holds the headrest arms in place is snapped/broken! i could superglue them i guess... the head rests do slot in but they just dont stay in position or stay held into the notches (as the tube containing the notches to hold the headrest arms seems to have broken - as described above.)

So im thinkin if i superglue the head rests in place (and that holds it together!!) then they will be likely to b fixed at that position and not be adjustable...

hmmm... are headrests being adjustable part of the MOT? if they are not adjustable will my mini pass its MOT?!

[andyps]

Headrests and MOT - I am sure there would be no problem with a fixed headrest for the MOT. In many cars they don't move anyway.

As for the cost for a frame, I made mine out of angle iron which I welded together. Cost for the metal was only a few quid, first one took a bit of time to measure everything and get the size right, then about 5 minutes with the welder. Second one was much quicker as I could make it the same as the first. If I get a change I will take a photo of the front mount so you can see how I did it.

[Mini V]

cheers for that andyps - thatd b great mate! :cheese: no rush though mate. whenever you get a chance eh...

[andyps]

My daughter (who has a digital camera) took her camera out with her on Sunday and I probably won't be in during daylight this week to take a pic, but will get one next weekend.

[Turbo Nick]

one of the companys that advertise in the mini magazines sell metro to mini seat subframes. Cant remember which company though but its one of the big ones. eg, minispares, minispeed, minisport.

[Zeemax]

Hello there matey

I had some Recaro Seats in my 1st mini which didnt fit any mini subframes so i used my local mini specialist and they said use a Corbeau Subframe

What ever one it was, it was a mini subframe. Of course a Ford seat to a mini subframe again wont work but for £10, i got some rails made up, that attacted to the subframe and had bolt holes to connect the frame to the seat

Was a great idea and saved me a packet, plus it only raised the seats buy around 3-4mm!

[andyps]

Finally got to take some pictures - not much room in the Mini to get a great view of them though so hope this helps.

This is the mount at the front - basically a piece of angle iron long enough to accept bolts from the seat sliding frame with two short pieces welded on to mount in the original seat mounting brackets:

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