Herald / Vitesse seat frame clamps

[Colin Lindsay]

I've been messing about with fitting front seats in the Herald 1200 and I've found a lot of movement; possibly down to the fitting bolts being slightly smaller than intended - I thought 5/16 was fine, but the seat moved alarmingly once I sat in it and slipped off the rails at the rear. Fine tuning required but in the meantime I realised I'm missing the rail clamps from the runners. Anyone got any? Two preferred but more if available, for other seats in different cars. Might even take complete runners, early versions preferred.

Colin

[trigolf]

I've concluded that these are one of the first things to get broken, particularly with convertibles, as people clamber into the back. I only had one fitted on the passenger seat and it was broken years ago. I don't think they're available new?

[68vitesse]

As above don't think available new, got one from Mick Dolphin years ago, just a thought would a couple of suitable sized Terry clips be an alternative.

Regards

Paul.

 

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, 68vitesse said:

As above don't think available new, got one from Mick Dolphin years ago, just a thought would a couple of suitable sized Terry clips be an alternative.

Regards

Paul.

 

That's very possible, given that I may want to raise the rear of the seat off the rail. Good idea!! That's started a whole train of thought, especially around fitting them to a thicker mounting plate than original. Thanks!

[johny]

Ive screwed a rubber strip in place as well to give a bit noise deadening when the seat slams down!

[trigolf]

Yes, I'd pondered the Terry clip idea too, although not exactly the same. Although it's probably classed as a "slow moving part", I wonder if any trader would be interested in remanufacturing it? 

[9345490]

I've also been looking for a pair of seat frame clips. I found these last week, and ordered a pair as they look as if they might work with a rubber pad. Haven't received then yet.

Ebay item no. 261221824897

George

[Colin Lindsay]

My problem being tall is getting my legs under the wheel, so I'll drop the front of the seat but have started to wonder how the seats clip into place if I use the adjustable rubber blocks - at the highest setting, to raise the rear of the seat to the highest point, the rail will be out of the clamp altogether. As usual I'm thinking out loud here before investigating possibilities in the garage, as to be honest there should be NO lateral movement at all so I suspect either wear or too-small bolts which are allowing the rails to pivot where they shouldn't. I'll know when I get the seats out, but the notion of the clamp not actually reaching the rail at highest setting came to me whilst reading the posts.

[johny]

its rubber blocks on the driver seat and no clip and the reverse on the passenger side. Thinking being, logically the driver seat wont lift under braking and passenger doesnt need to see out of windscreen😁

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, johny said:

its rubber blocks on the driver seat and no clip and the reverse on the passenger side. Thinking being, logically the driver seat wont lift under braking and passenger doesnt need to see out of windscreen😁

That sounds logical; I'm replacing seat frames that have been out of the car for twenty years and while they both have the twin-hole mounting points for the clamps I can't remember if they both had them actually fitted, back in the day. Some of the mounting frames are substantially different, too, so apart from the very early versions, with the black knob on the adjuster, I'm trying to keep things functional rather than original and get the seats to a useable spot.

If I'm fitting them correctly and the adjuster handle should be to the inside ie closest to the tunnel then my 13/60 driver's side has a clip fitted, which causes more confusion...

[Pete Lewis]

Im sure you wont have terry clips if the seat had the rubber risers blocks 

apart from them helping with anti rattle the clips cannot be any safety feature 

Pete

[trigolf]

I see Fitchetts have a few brand new ones,but a bit pricey for me, I'm afraid.☹️

As Pete says not a safety feature and only fitted on Passenger seat runner.

[PeteH]

One would not expect any great amount of lateral movement?. Which would suggest wear, of the holes or the bolts?, or wrongly sized fasteners. My recollection ( I have MX5 seats in my 13/60 now) is that the material is not exactly substantial? and age/wear is to be expected. I suppose if the holes are worn with some ovality opening up and fitting a larger bolt would help?. I found the O/E seats not to be partiularly comfortable, perhaps a personal thing? So replacement was one of my first Job`s. Back in the 80`s I fitted a set of Dolomite seats to the Vitesse for largely the same reasons.

Pete

[Peter Truman]

I always assumed that the front seat hinge bolts should be short shanked bolts as fully threaded would quickly wear down quickly allowing the seat to move about on the runners

[Colin Lindsay]

33 minutes ago, Peter Truman said:

I always assumed that the front seat hinge bolts should be short shanked bolts as fully threaded would quickly wear down quickly allowing the seat to move about on the runners

Propshaft bolts fit mine, the perfect length of unthreaded shank when used with washers. I've replaced the driver's seat with the passenger side (which I suspect was the original mix-up) and it's a perfect alignment, and very supportive, even without rubber blocks to raise the rear. I'd forgotten the extra rearward movement in the saloon as opposed to the convertible. I'll get out later and replace what is now the passenger seat, and see how that lines up with the rails and if the sole surviving clip keeps things properly situated. 

[martyn wright]

On 30/03/2024 at 15:29, Colin Lindsay said:

I've been messing about with fitting front seats in the Herald 1200 and I've found a lot of movement; possibly down to the fitting bolts being slightly smaller than intended - I thought 5/16 was fine, but the seat moved alarmingly once I sat in it and slipped off the rails at the rear. Fine tuning required but in the meantime I realised I'm missing the rail clamps from the runners. Anyone got any? Two preferred but more if available, for other seats in different cars. Might even take complete runners, early versions preferred.

Colin

Hi Colin I found mine at "fitchett" on ebay at £12 each  I had the same problem as you!  Thats if you haven't already got them?

[Colin Lindsay]

On 18/06/2024 at 15:24, martyn wright said:

Hi Colin I found mine at "fitchett" on ebay at £12 each  I had the same problem as you!  Thats if you haven't already got them?

Thanks Martyn; I thought I had replied to this on the date you posted but have just realised I didn't. Those are the guys I need so I'll get one (or two) but sadly I got sidetracked surfing the other items and it'll probably cost me more than that. Too many nice things there!

[martyn wright]

No problem!  I'm  glad I got them!  My 1600/6 is with Bernard Littlewood, he's finishing the couple of jobs for me, so car should be up ans running in a few weeks  did hope to have it done for the Malvern show but I'll health has taken over!  😀 

On 30/03/2024 at 15:29, Colin Lindsay said:

I've been messing about with fitting front seats in the Herald 1200 and I've found a lot of movement; possibly down to the fitting bolts being slightly smaller than intended - I thought 5/16 was fine, but the seat moved alarmingly once I sat in it and slipped off the rails at the rear. Fine tuning required but in the meantime I realised I'm missing the rail clamps from the runners. Anyone got any? Two preferred but more if available, for other seats in different cars. Might even take complete runners, early versions preferred.

Colin

 

[Peter Truman]

I wonder if their is so accurately designed so when sat down the bottom of the seat tube sits on the base of the clamp without pushing the curved part of the actual permanently open?

If originality isn't an issue could an alternative be made up using multiple Terry's tool clamps in series rivetted to a base plate. In my sundries box I have several office partition S/S clips around 2in long used to clip the panels together onto a vertical joiner tube, I have several different diameters of the clips/clamps.

[Pete Lewis]

i have a good few terry tool clips from my days in trucks used to hold jack and wheel brace etc

fit the seat tubes ok but are single and twin pop rivet holes in the base of the clip

not extended not extended like the originals ,    the worst job in aligning the seat with the clips/runners

is remembering to offset the selection of pivot holes in the seat slides so it tilts ok and lands on the clips 

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

11 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

I wonder if their is so accurately designed so when sat down the bottom of the seat tube sits on the base of the clamp without pushing the curved part of the actual permanently open?

If originality isn't an issue could an alternative be made up using multiple Terry's tool clamps in series rivetted to a base plate. In my sundries box I have several office partition S/S clips around 2in long used to clip the panels together onto a vertical joiner tube, I have several different diameters of the clips/clamps.

Easily replicated using modern clamps, but I just like the old-fashioned look / feel of the originals. I must check alignment of the frame before fitting any, as mine was broken off on one side - perhaps too much pressure on that side due to misalignment, so if there seems to be a risk of too much distortion I may forgo fitting them at all. 

Edited June 26 by Colin Lindsay