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MG TD TF 1500 - Rexine for dash

I started my search for a Rexine/Buckram fabric for my dash. I have what is left of the original red dash fabric to compare to. My 1950 TD had the older Rexine that does not have a pattern in it.

Looked in the Archives and ordered samples from a some of the book binding supply companies here in the states. I will post an update if I come up with one that closely matches original.

One other issue. You can see in the picture that the face of my fabric is a dark brown/very dark red. Lines from the dark to the red are very chrisp, so this was either dyed/painted after the material was put on the dash.

Anyone else had factory dash material that was dyed/painted. Cant think it was factory.



Bruce Cunha

Here is a shot of the full piece.


Bruce Cunha

Bruce

I don’t think it’s dyed. What your seeing is pollution and sun damage to the exposed areas that weren’t covered by gauges, panels etc. I have several red dashes hanging in the garage at present with original redone. The dash in TD-4834 shows similar color changes as well

Bill Chasser
TD-4834
W A Chasser

Agree 100%.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Bruce, I was successful years ago. Info in the archives. Regards, Tom
tm peterson

The unmolested (brighter) color is exactly the same as my car was. Somewhere I have lost the sample I pulled from the wheelwell area that was protected.
Christopher Couper

Tom. I searched the Archive, but did not find your thread. Do you remember the title?
Bruce Cunha

Bruce. I sent you pics of my original red rexine dash boards. Did you get them. I would have posted here but files were too large.

Bill Chasser

Also did you get any answers from Frank’s regarding painting body panels? Contact me offline
W A Chasser

Bruce, I am on the road. When I get home I will send the contact info to where I purchased mine. The woman at the time was VERY interested in helping other MG owners as she thought ours a very peculiar and interesting application for her products. Regards, Tom
tm peterson

Bruce, I searched under Rexine. Here is the place I ended up buying from. Karen was the gal who helped me. Really interested in helping with “an interesting” application of her product.

https://longs-roullet.com/buckram.htm

I hope they have something to assist you. Family business. Very nice.

Regards, Tom
tm peterson

Thanks Tom. They were one of the companies I requested samples from. Interestingly, the numbers for the red Buckram are the same on multiple sites. That would indicate they probably come from the same manufacturer.
Bruce Cunha

Bruce: When you get the samples I would really like to see the color. I cannot find my original but my current interior is as close as you could get to the color it was so it would be a good way to check the color too. Also interested in the texture of the samples.
Christopher Couper

I got in a couple samples today from Cover Materials. There #182 Cardinal Red is lighter than my sample. Here is a scan of it. The other color is their Tangerine #290 and it is not close.

I ordered a few more colors of some other material from them.

Still awaiting the samples from longs and another company I requested samples from.

As for the weave. It is very close to the Rexine. The scan is a bit enlarged, the actual weave is finer



Bruce Cunha

The original product on early cars was linseed oil cloth, but where you are looking is probably the closest you will find. The surface effect is an emboss not a weave, and there were and are many different patterns, but you may find something close.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Thanks Dave. The new material is a vinyl impregnated on a woven cloth.(I can unweave it) So other than the material used over the cloth, it probably is as close to original rexine as is available today (unless anyone knows of a company making rexine from an original formula.)

So, if I find a material that comes close in color, what parts of the TD would have been Rexine. I know the dash and underdash panel had rexine.

Were all the door and side panels rexine? The back of the seat?

Current seat kits are vinyl or leather with vinyl top and sides. Was rexine used where the vinyl now is used?

Bruce Cunha

Bruce, the rear panel of the seat cushions and the inboard panel of the seat cushions were rexine. Also the rear of the backrest was rexine. The door panels were mostly rexine except for some leather pieces, e.g., the top of the door pockets and the armrest on top of the door. Bud
Bud Krueger

Rexine will have been used where vinyl is now used. There may even have been a few cars made during the transition, some having Rexine for some places and vinyl for others. I am far from certain about this though as it would have required a good colour match. Once vinyl coated fabric was developed it swept linseed oil cloth away in those applications where durability and flex crack resistance were important, as the vinyl was so superior.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Bud is correct. Saying it another way.

Everything in the car was Rexine except:

The seat tops and sides, top of map pocket, piping at the top of the door panel.

Also of leather was the steering column cuff which was tan on all cars.

The underdash for the TD was also Rexine but black on all cars.
Christopher Couper

Thanks all. Still awaiting more samples. Will keep you informed.

Bruce Cunha

I sent for samples as well Bruce. Haven’t heard back from them yet. But it sounds like the two you got were the same as I asked for. I asked for a third as well. Given that I already have the panel kit for dad’s car I will likely get hides from the same supplier as well to do the original bucket seats. I do believe that the red upholstery was a brighter shade leaning towards an apple red given the Rexine color that was covered by the side curtain brackets. I’m not sure if any one actually offers a more vibrant red. Possibly a UK supplier but not sure who would offer it. I’m not a big fan of the “American Lafrance Red”, for the lack of a better description, that Moss offers.

Bill Chasser
TD/c-8151
W A Chasser

Here is a new sample I got from Cover Material Sales. It is their Garnet #188. I scanned this at 1200, but again, the scanner makes it more grainy than it actually is. It also is looking darker on the computer than it is.

Not a perfect match, but fairly close to my original. Allowing that my original probably has faded (even the parts that were not exposed to the sun), it may work. It also has just a slightly thicker fabric.

I did get a sample of red on linen. It is too fine a weave and has different finish than the original.

Also got samples from Hollander's. Their Maroon is dark when compared to my original.

Still awaiting the samples from Longs-roullet.

Since I have a bit of time while I do the restoration of the body of the TD, once I get the Longs-roullet samples, I will order enough to make the dash cover and the door panels. This will give me a good idea of how it actually looks and how it works for panels.



Bruce Cunha

Does anyone know what year the factory changed from using" Rexine "to "Vynide"?
J K Barter

Looking at archives about Rexine and Vynide, it looks like to the answer to my question is no, nobody knows, or the change was done over time.
J K Barter

JK. My ‘53 TD 24060 has what I believe is the vynide material on a dash board I’ll have to look at the remnants of the door cards
W A Chasser

I got a pretty good idea from the dates when the UK Trade Marks were filed by ICI. Once vinyl coated cloth had been developed it supplanted oil cloth very quickly. The dates are in the archives somewhere.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Vynide started to be marketed by ICI in 1949 but clearly the T's series were using Rexine way after that. In fact ICI co-marketed both products for years.

This ad is from 1954.




Christopher Couper

Chris. That is an invaluable advert. I had always, mistakenly it appears, described Rexine as Linseed Oil Cloth, but according to that Ad the coating was Nitrocellulose (maybe they used both). This would have been contemporary with the use of Celluloid for steering wheel rims as Celluloid is Nitrocellulose plasticized with Camphor. In my first job I worked in the Vinyl Industry (a factory that previously made Linseed Oil Cloth), but we merged with another business that made Vinyl and Celluloid products. I observed the Celluloid production, though it continued for only a few years thereafter, and was mainly used for covering musical instruments, like drums.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Matthew McGilton has painstakingly collected a complete colour set of samples of the original Rexine material. I believe he's also has samples of the original leather, too.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gord Clark

Gord: Did you mean Matthew Magilton? Pretty close. :-)
Christopher Couper

On the TALAS conservation materials website they have something called Euro Buckram that they say has a lacquered surface- probably not nitrocellulose, though?
J K Barter

Gordon. That would be some good information to have available. Do you know if Matthew has scanned or published any of his collection on the web?
Bruce Cunha

Got a new sample from LBS out of Des Moines Iowa (www.lbsbind.com) today. Their #188 dark red is very close in color to my original dash.

The weave is slightly rougher than the original, but probably as close as there is available to the original.

Here is the color. (scanned at 1200, and had to enlarge it as the sample is very small.)


Bruce Cunha

CMS never responded to my inquiries
W A Chasser

Bruce: I need to get his green and tan leather but here you go.

http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/mgtd_finishes.htm#swatches
Christopher Couper

Just after my last post, I received a sample of Euro Library Buckram from Talas. The weave is much closer to the original. The red is a bit redder than my original.

Their on line colors only show red, but I have written them to see if it comes in a dark red.

Again, the actual sample is much smoother, this is blown up.


Bruce Cunha

Chris. Try Talas bookbinding http://www.talasonline.com/bookcloth

Their Euro Library Buckram is a finer weave than others I have received. Closer to the original that I have.

Bruce Cunha

If someone is setting up an archive of rexine and leather swatches, I have a piece of original pink, hood material - never exposed to the light; that I would be prepared to send.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gord Clark

Hi Gord,

Can you take a picture of it to share with the group?


Thanks,

Frank
TF1414
Frank Cronin

Chris Cooper would be the one that could add it to his web page.
Bruce Cunha

I just got the cordovan samble of Euro Library Buckram from Talas bookbinding. Unfortunately it is much darker than the original red used on my 1950 dash. Still have not heard from longs-roullet.

Will keep looking. The Euro Library Buckram does appear to be very close to original. Just need to find a better color match.

Chris Cooper. I will send you the samples once I decide on what one I am going to use.
Bruce Cunha

OK. I will check it with my color to see how it compares. I have a green sample for texture and somewhere my original red one too.
Christopher Couper

This thread was discussed between 16/11/2017 and 19/12/2017

MG TD TF 1500 index

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