Works driver seat

General Chat with an emphasis on BMC Minis & Other iconic cars of the 1960's.
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m1cH1
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Works driver seat

Post by m1cH1 »

Hi to all,

I´m asking myself now for quite some time, who originally made the seat some of the works cars have fitted for the driver...
The seat which appears to be the closest match is Sprinzel´s "Scandinavia" seat. Are those in the works cars of this kind, or different ones?

Best regards, Mike
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m1cH1
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Re: Works driver seat

Post by m1cH1 »

And does anybody in here now, if somebody is currently making covers/padding for those seats?
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Re: Works driver seat

Post by mk1 »

I believe that that light weight GRP seat was made in ST, although I may be wrong. Someone was offering copies of them a few years ago, maybe Bryan Purves or our own Contour51 would know how to get them.

The passenger seat is a Microcell recliner with special wing extensions fitted.

M
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Re: Works driver seat

Post by contour51 »

m1cH1 wrote:And does anybody in here now, if somebody is currently making covers/padding for those seats?
Hi all,
Yes,as in this link viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4564 I too at 1st thought they most resembled the 'Scandinavia' ,but with hindsight I think it was just the shape of the back that was misleading me :oops: .Unfortunately the original photo's in the link have expired, but here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-BMC-Work ... 7675.l2557 you will find a pair with the identical "set up".
I now firmly believe that these 'Downton/ST/Works ' seats were a "re-worked" version of the 'Corbeau GT2' (below)that was introduced in January '67.As you will see the similarities are uncanny. Fill in the vents, remove/round off the runner plinths and "Hey Presto!"So ,you can draw your own conclusions on that.
Image
Image
On the same note,not so long ago I bought this seat off Ebay ,1. Because I've never ever seen another (still haven't)2.It has some of the features of the previously mentioned seats features Ie .wing backed, bulge in the base and runner plinths ,but on this occasion the 'Gel coat 'is on the outside.I have my suspicions what it is ,but the way it's trimmed is throwing me.So ,if anyone can positively ID this seat I' be glad to hear from you.
Image
Image

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As 'Mark' mentioned,there was some one here offering "works" seats .This was 'Paul Stanworth' (Big-un 1967 on here)he was able to supply the Grey seats and the Red /Grey seats in the link below.
Image
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=works ... B500%3B375

These seat "tubs" are still regularly for sale on Ebay.
Image


Regarding the passenger recliner in this thread ,forgive me 'Mark' but on this occasion ,going on the supporting evidence of 'Pauls' seat .I firmly
believe this seat is not a 'Microcell' ,but is based on this seat.(photo courtesy of 'Tedwong')
Image


Cheers for now
Gareth

PS .Just realised I've added my "post" on the wrong "Quote" link .But to answer the question from my point ,"Sorry.unfortunately not for the foreseeable future".
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Re: Works driver seat

Post by mk1 »

You are (as always) absolutely correct Gareth, having looked at the image again, the passenger seat is without a doubt based on a standard Cooper S recliner.

M
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Re: Works driver seat

Post by Toby »

Gareth, your seat looks similar to the ones I have for my MK2, I believe they are Terry seats, can't remember the model name at the moment. The handle on the runners have Walsall stamping on them.

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Last edited by Toby on Fri Feb 21, 2014 9:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Works driver seat

Post by SMOKE GREY »

Image

This style of seat was very popular in Scandinavia, check out this BMC Sweden 997 from 1962, the works SAAB and Volvos used basically the same seat. When AJB44B was displayed at the Racing car show after the Monte the Sprinzel seat was advertised as 'Makinen sat here!'
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Re: Works driver seat

Post by pigpen »

That Corbeau seat is fantastic!
Tom
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Re: Works driver seat

Post by nick rogers »

Hijacked ! Sorry . Tom can you email me as I might have found the 13" Cosmics you were after. I have a picture.
nick@min-e-bitz.co.uk
m1cH1
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Re: Works driver seat

Post by m1cH1 »

Now that have been quite some nice posts! Thanks a lot for those quite interesting replies!

Seems like there have been quite some different seats that are very close to this pattern...
  • -Works/ST/Downton type
    -Corbeau GT2 (especially interesting, how close that one is to the works driver seat! :roll: )
    -Sprinzel Scandinavia
And there have been some other seats I´ve seen in pictures that were really close to this Works/ST/Downton spec, but are different in some details.
But unfortunately I don´t have any names of manufacturers for those... (And some of those seats have also been in Saab pictures! ;) )

The hints regarding the replica seat´s and trim are very helpfull to me. So I´ll try to contact Paul Stanworth and ask him if he still has some of those covers and or padding...

The actual reason (besides getting to know more things about those seats) why I posted here, is that I have some of the seat tubs mentioned before (those replicas from ebay). I´ve already done some measuring and started to make a jig for the frames. And in a few weeks I´m hopefully able to get back to the workshop and finish those jigs and start some tube bending and welding... ;) :D

Cheers, Mike
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Re: Works driver seat

Post by mk1 »

Just to clarify.

The seats referred to as "Downton" were made / supplied by one of the later reincarnations of Downton that had nothing to do with Downton Engineering Works of Downton Wiltshire.

The original Downton were agents for Restall seats.

Mark F
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