The MGB seat slides fore and aft on a pair of runners per side, each runner comprising an inner and outer slide. On a car that has been in service for decades, the runners can seize from corrosion, lose smooth operation from accumulated dirt, or develop play from wear, a seat that does not slide freely is both an inconvenience and a potential safety issue, as the driver cannot easily adjust the driving position. The seat runner arrangement remained fundamentally the same across the production run, but important differences exist between non-reclining and reclining seat installations. Non-reclining seats fitted from 1962 to 1968 use sixteen fixing screws to secure the slide assembly to the floor.
Reclining seats from 1969 onwards use fourteen, two fewer, because a long screw and spacer are fitted at the rear of the outer runner on each side to limit rearward seat travel, replacing two of the standard screws. This rear stop is specific to reclining seats and is not found on non-reclining installations. The distinction matters when ordering fixings.
Runner Sets & Wooden Supports
Each seat uses two inner runners and two outer slides, a four-piece set per seat. Complete runner sets are available for both right-hand and left-hand seats, with individual runners also available separately for replacing single damaged items. Beneath the runner assembly sits a wooden seat support, four per car, which provides the structural base for the entire seat and runner assembly and is secured to the floor by spacers and studs with self-locking nuts. These wooden supports should be inspected during any seat removal, as they can deteriorate with age and moisture ingress, particularly on Roadsters where water can reach the floor through a worn or poorly sealed hood.
Recliner Hardware
The reclining seat introduced in 1969 brought its own hardware, a chrome-plated recliner handle on the inside edge of the seat squab to activate the reclining mechanism, and a spherical seat back release knob on the outside edge for the seat lock-down. Both are visible details that register immediately on a retrimmed seat and are worth renewing during any seat restoration where they show wear. Headrest hole eyelets and washers finish the apertures in the seat back neatly on cars fitted with headrests, headrests were introduced from the 1970 model year, initially only on North American cars. Black blanking plugs are available for earlier cars or cars without headrests where the apertures need closing off cleanly.
Seat Edge Clips
Seat material edge clips secure the cover to the seat frame at multiple points around the seat, on non-reclining seats, seventy-four clips in 3/4-inch tube size are needed, while reclining seats use thirty-two clips in 7/8-inch tube size plus four in 1¼-inch tube size. Edge-type clips are also used. These are consumable items that should be renewed during any retrim.