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Paul. I was checking the templates in your TDr assembly manual and the last template is titled “Seat Support Template”. Where are these used in you TDr?
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackUnder the seats. To support them.
Damn I’m funny!
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
But really….
Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess has a bench seat, the vinyl and seat foam are attached to a fiberglass base.
It is supported in three places.
You make two supports based on those templates for the left and right side. They bolt to the fiberglass seat bottom.
The fiberglass rear of the seat is riveted to the fiberglass along the back of the body tub.
I modified that approach.
I had the seat supports fabricated from 1/8″ steel plate (in lieu of the 3/4″ plywood the assembly manual calls for).
And
I trimmed the rear of the seat, attached a piano hinge, and attached
the piano hinge to the body tub. This allows me to flip the seat base up
to access the battery (Classic Roadsters Ltd. leaves the battery in the
stock VW location).
PMOSSBERG2015-10-29 17:29:57Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Ah. I forgot that the Duchess has a bench seat. Thanks!Just curious. Wouldn’t the Beetle bench seat work just as easily? I mean its already there where it belongs AND…it would relieve the tired butt syndrome.newkitman2015-10-29 18:20:42
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackPaul
I also own a Classic Roadsters LTD. My battery is located in the front compartment just in front of the firewall on the drivers side. I like your location better as it would give me more room for an extra gas tank. Is your car a VW also and if so, does the battery interfere with the pipes for the heater? Would like some pics of your set up if possible.
Thanks…
RickI’d be curious to hear some thoughts and knowledge about the gas tank/battery locations. My car, like a lot of ’em, has a VW gas tank up front with a battery box just ahead and below the tank. It’s molded of fiberglass and sits almost on the tunnel. This seems a good location to put a little bit of ballast up front where it’s needed. It’s also a pretty simple way of doing it. But.
1. The high-mounted fuel tank puts an potential 10 gallons–60 pounds–of very burny stuff right in the right place to get you in the event of a hard front-end collision.2. The battery, with those posts facing up and unshielded by anything beyond the half-inch plywood “floor” in the front trunk, would almost certainly, in the event of a hard frontal hit, contact the fuel tank and arc. That would probably be bad, right?The Dutchess, with its custom tank down low in front of the passenger footwell, moves the fuel weight lower and forward. I doubt it’s any (or much) safer in the event of a crash, but with the battery kept 4 feet behind the tank, at least the above scenario is less likely.But it seems like the Duchess design would also work tolerably well with the battery placed forward, above the fuel tank and central, as the front-end crash would flip the battery backward but now there’s no metal tank there to contact the electrodes.Anyway, I know a lot of you are much more knowledgeable than me about this sort of stuff. Anyone have any thoughts?Or any good, large-format pictures of your cars or TDr-related stuff that has happened?My duchess doesnt have a battery box. Its just held in place with two threaded rods and a rubber strap over the top. I was thinking of adding one but Id rather use the space for fuel. Remember in the original bug the tank was located way up front. At least with our kits we have a little more space before someone hits the tank in a head on.
lets face it when all you have surrounding yourself at 80 plus MPH is a couple of inches of fiberglass, you realize that youre living a little closer to St. Peters desk than most people. I figure that if Im ever in an accident Ill be quoting Super Chicken, “You knew the job was dangerous when you took it!”
Its like that old joke…
What was the last thing that went through the mosquitos mind when he hit the windsheild?…
His butt! 😆Allen…
Pictures of my seat brackets are in a post directly after this one.I’ve no idea if the Beetle rear seat would work. The interior was the first thing gone during the dissambly process. Plus, my seat bottom and back came completely upholstered. There’d be no point recovering the Beetle seat to match the Classic Roadsters Ltd. interior.
And as far as tired butts…my two longest “non-stop” drives were from central NJ to Indianapolis, and central NJ to Cincinnatti. Both in the 14 to 16 hour range. Add in numerous trips to New England from NJ. My butt was fine with the Classic Roadsters Ltd. seats.Rick…Yes, my Duchess is VW based. There is no interference with the heat tubes. Remember, they basically came into the Beetle in the same place as they come into our TDr’s. Pictures in the following post.Ed…I would never move my battery from its stock location. The Duchess has a nicely finished trunk. Pictures are in my gallery folder (40). A battery would only get in the way. Plus the stock location has a very short run to the starter. And the battery is more protected. Frankly, I do not understand why ANY f the VW based kit manufacturers moved the battery.And back to Rick…The VW tank was not really “way up front.” It was right in front of the firewall. TDr’s that use stock VW tanks also mount them right in front of the firewall, albeit it’s all moved back a foot or two from the original.I agree that a crushed fuel tank is the least of our problems. I’m far more aware of potential side impact ramifications. Best advice I have for public roads…drive your TDr like it’s a motorcycle.And in closing, I’m not so sure about those bug butts. Most of the bugs I hit look like little kamikazee pilots, screaming head first into my windscreen.PMOSSBERG2015-10-30 10:05:47
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW based)
Seat supports for Allen. Under seat views for Rick.Bench seat hinge
Close up
Seat support bracket
Seat up, providing a view of the battery location and the heat tube entering the car on the outside of the battery
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Since the conversation expanded from seats, to batteries and fuel tanks…Here is the Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW) trunk showing the floor and the fuel tank set up.Note that I built the box over the steering column.The kit had it running unprotected through the trunk.Not a good idea if you are going to use the trunk!
PMOSSBERG2015-10-30 10:18:40
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Paul. Is that the so called ballast box up front just behind the grille?
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackI know thats where my box of rocks is. When I removed the carpet and top of the box I was surprised to find all that gravel. Im hoping to lower my front end so I can use the box for jack and tools and give the rocks back to neature.
I have a feeling that is EXACTLY what Paul uses it for. And hinged on the front edge too I’ll wager.
I ask because that’s where I want to store the GI Jerry Can. That way it wont bounce around.Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackI’m generally against adding ballast in these cars. But, if I had to have ballast, here’s what I think would work better than a box o’ rocks:
1. measure the diameter (or smallest opening) under the front the tunnel cover. I believe you’ll see something about four inches.2. buy a couple feet of the biggest size cast iron round bar that will fit in that hole. At 3 7/8 inches diameter, for instance, that’s 37 lbs per foot. Two feet is 75 lbs. Three is 112. You definitely don’t want more than that….3. Drill and tap a nice healthy-sized hole in the middle of one end to thread is nice, strong bolt into it.4. drill a hole in that tunnel cover such that this bolt can go through it, and into the iron weight5. Load the weight into the tunnel. It’s now as low and far forward as it can be in the car and perfectly centered. Replace the cover, then screw the bolt into it, maybe with a nice wide washer and some Permatex Blue spread on it to both act as a sealer for the tunnel and as a thread lock on the bolt.If you do this right, that big bar will stay put, because it doesn’t have enough leeway to move much. The bolt will keep it from sliding backward and its not-sliding-backward will prevent it becoming a slide hammer during panic stops.And, because the weight is as low as it can be and well-concentrated on the car’s centerline, it will do the least violence to your handling as is possible.Yes, that box is the ballast box.
It’s Classic Roadsters Ltd.’s standard design. It’s filled with 150 pounds of sand. Has a plywood top. And a couple “L” brackets holding it tight to the steel frame that supports the front of the body work.
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
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