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Interior Upgrades

Fitting MG ZT seats

With thanks to Phil McNeil for this contribution via the MGOC Forum.

First task is to remove the seats from the MGB.

With the seats out of the car, place on a dust sheet and turn upside down and prise off the circular clips that hold the seat base onto the frame, keep the clips safe.

Next is the back, remove the handle and any clips that are holding the back cover on. Remove the headrest (if fitted).

Next is the ZT seat; remove the cover cap on the plastic wheel to expose either a screw or locking washer, a pair of pliers will remove the washer and pull the wheel off. There will also be two screws that hold the plastic cover onto the seat, remove these and turn seat upside down.

Next is to remove this screw, which will help to free off the plastic outer cover. (Pull hard)

With the plastic covers out of the way, the seat cover can be prised off, apply a little pressure onto the seat and the retaining clip (which is about 8inches long) can be undone all around the seat base.

The back support is a bit different, but it still has the interlocking clips, apply pressure to the back and wrestle the clips apart. Start to roll the back cover up the seat and you will come across several clips and loops that hold it all together.

Pull here (circled)

Untwist this bit of wire. (circled)

 Some wires go through the foam backing, undo these and continue rolling the cover upwards.

When you get to the top of the seat, the cover can be pulled off the headrestraint fittings, this can also apply to the foam.

With the foam out of the way remove the plastic head restraint covers.

Measure the gap on the MGB seat frame and transfer to the ZT frame where the head rests fits. This section will need to be cut out and welded into place on the MGB frame, see picture.

Weld into place, clean up and paint.

Apply the foam backing onto the frame and where the air bag was insert new foam and tape up, if you intend to use the reclining handle you will need to cut a hold for this.

Replace with missing foam and tape up. The back board of the original seats can be refitted; this helps to tape up the sides.

Pull cover back on (if you put a plastic bag over the top of the foam it helps it to slide on)

At the bottom of the cover there are two interlocking strips which will need to be fastened together to hold the cover on. Once on there is a flap of material left, this can be left on or cut off.

Seat base.

Put the seat foam base onto the MGB frame and where there is a gap insert more foam to act as a packing piece.

Pull the cover over the foam, turn the seat upside down apply pressure and pull the cover and fix with the original circular clips onto the frame.

Please note that it was easier to do the work than it was to write about it and produce pictures, when doing these seats please refer to Martin's explanation and pictures of how he did it and cross reference the two articles as there might be something I have missed off.