1947 P2 Floor and front seat mounts

Post Reply
gbrewer
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 12:29 am

1947 P2 Floor and front seat mounts

Post by gbrewer » Mon Jan 14, 2019 12:53 am

Hello,

Have purchased a '47 Rover 16 and in the throws of rebuilding. The floor has me confused. It has 2 wooden inserts (one on either side of the driveshaft hump) as well as wooden front seat mounts. Is this the original setup.?? My concern is that here in NZ the certifiers get a little upset at wooden floors unless it is the original setup. I guess my concern is that maybe the original steel floor has been cutout and replaced with ply wood?? have been trying to find some pictures with no luck. Can someone please advise me re this as well as how are the front seats mounted to the floor/chassis please??

regards,
Graham,
Whangarei, New Zealand

User avatar
Phil - Nottingham
Posts: 357
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:45 am
Location: Nottingham

Re: 1947 P2 Floor and front seat mounts

Post by Phil - Nottingham » Tue Jan 15, 2019 7:44 am

Our P2 is a prewar saloon and these had more timber in that postwar cars. However, I am sure because of the post-war steel shortage plywood floorboards were used till the end (the 4 Light Sports saloons had steel rear footwell recesses though). They were black painted both sides with felt strips to rest on the sills etc and timber seat supports. Nothing extra next to the transmission tunnel.

There is no reference I can find to the actual "floorboards" timber or steel apart the fixings/supports in the parts manual
P2/P4/P5/P5B/LR's - EXJ 8**/2**8MY & others

TonyG
Posts: 288
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2015 4:38 pm

Re: 1947 P2 Floor and front seat mounts

Post by TonyG » Tue Jan 15, 2019 8:54 am

Graham,

My P2 is also pre war and that has a wooden floor. It is exactly as you describe in your 47 model, supported between the sills and transmission tunnel, so I would think that is original for your car.

I recently replaced my floor with half inch marine ply. With several layers of varnish it looks nice from underneath and will withstand the weather easily. The seats sit on wooden strips and are bolted through the floor with no metal supports joined to the chassis. When I fit my seats I intend to use metal plates rather than regular washers underneath, although I doubt it is necessary but certainly makes a stronger job of it. I’m sure it would be possible to bolt and weld in cross bracing bars under the floor to bolt the seats through if greater strength was desired. Alternatively, I suppose a steel floor could be cut out and bolted in instead of, or underneath, the wooden one. I think the original set up is adequate though if your testers will accept it.

Plywood was also used on the original floor of my P1 between the ash planks and the transmission tunnel, providing the mountings for the inner seat runners. So this was certainly the preferred method of construction for a number of years.

If seat belts are to be fitted to your car you should be able to fix mountings to the steel B pillars and transmission tunnel mountings, thereby avoiding the wooden floor.

In 2000 I had a Morgan 4/4 built and was interested to note that the seat belts mount onto the ash frame. Despite having a wooden frame the car was approved to the latest NCAP safety rating at the time, so I am confident that quality timber can provide the strength needed in our cars.

Hope that helps a bit. Hopefully, a member with a car of the same year and model can confirm that the floor should be wooden and remove all doubt.

Tony Gilbert
Tony Gilbert

P1 12 Tourer
P2 12 6 Light Saloon
Discovery 3
Discovery Sport

GOY189
Posts: 557
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:08 pm

Re: 1947 P2 Floor and front seat mounts

Post by GOY189 » Tue Jan 15, 2019 1:53 pm

The floorboards for 1947 16 6 light saloons were indeed all plywood. As Phil says, the 16 Sports saloons that had a lower roof line, had steel footwells that fitted into cutouts in the plywood floors.
Hope this helps
Mike

RobHomewood
Posts: 320
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2013 8:04 pm

Re: 1947 P2 Floor and front seat mounts

Post by RobHomewood » Tue Jan 15, 2019 2:23 pm

What I might add is that the hatches are for access to the jacking points (and lubrication) - at least on my P2

RobHomewood
Posts: 320
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2013 8:04 pm

Re: 1947 P2 Floor and front seat mounts

Post by RobHomewood » Tue Jan 15, 2019 2:30 pm

Oh and yes I have steel insert floor troughs - waiting to be refitted one day - for the rear seat passengers. The floor in these is tilted slightly to allow their feet to rest at a more comfortable angle and gain a little more height. I think they are original for a 39 DHC but comments above have put doubts in my mind. . .

Post Reply