Sourcing Rexine Modern Equivalent UK

[SteveW]

Whilst I'm waiting for my oil pump to be refurbished to contine my engine rebuild, I have turned my attention to restoring my dashboard.

I have a new red leather seat cover set and partial trim kit (both bought as new from e-bay, but they are the Moss kits).

I need to source some matching Rexine (or should I say, the modern equivalent) to cover the dash. I could spend a fortune buying samples from various UK suppliers only to find that they are the wrong colour or texture, so where can I get some from in the UK based on recommendation from the members on here?

Faux leather ranges in price from about £10/m to ~ £50/m so I guess that quality is an issue as well.

Regards
Steve

[Tom Lange, MGT Repair]

Remember also that there are two distinct types of dash fabric. There is much discussion in the archives...

Early dashes used a warp-and-weft weave Rexine without texture. Later dashes used material with a distinctive leather-like impressed texture. In general, people have found the closest substitute for the early cloth at book-binder supply houses, which are increasingly hard to find.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair

[Steve Simmons]

Several years ago I tried to find something to to match the original Rexine on my Y-Type. I was not able to find anything remotely close to correct. Even getting a piece off as a sample proved futile, as it would crumble to dust if you tried to remove it from the car.

Over the past decade or two there have been several places who claimed to have it, or a suitable replacement. Some of them that I found in the archives are:

British Heritage
Georg Donni
Woolies (UK)
https://ratchford.co.uk
Boyriven Textiles, 01264 771414
http://longs-roullet.com/index.htm
https://www.boyriven.co.uk/Boyriven_Aut ... plier.html
https://www.talasonline.com/Euro-Librar ... number=821
Martrim.co.uk

[Duncan M]

TC's never used anything but the plain woven type rexine on the dash. TC9866 retains the original rexine dash. Hard to get a good pic, but it more resembles a very lightweight canvas. I would be inclined to look into cotton canvas, wash it and dry it, and then "paint" it. Something like 7oz regular square weave canvas, unless you could find something a bit finer. https://www.bigduckcanvas.com/7-oz-duck ... -the-yard/

[Steve Simmons]

That looks exactly like the Rexine on my Y-Type, even the color. I suspect all the early post-war cars used the same stuff, and likely the pre-wars also.

[Tom Wilson]

Here is some technical and historical information:
History
Rexine was a tradename for a leathercloth - or oilcloth as we called it in the USA. Made with a thin, finely woven cotton fabric base and a linseed oil base surface. It was the forerunner of what we know as vinyl. Rexine was not embossed, and could be made as a solid color or "printed pattern." When we were kids I remember the kitchen table covers at my grandma's house were made of oilcloth.
Most English car manufacturers used Rexine - or similar product from another company - for interior trim. Though thin and light it was reasonably durable. But aging makes it more brittle, and it's rare that one finds any from the 1940s that retains suppleness.
MG cars had Rexine from the M type on. The red (known primarily as Regency Red) and green (Apple Green) were standard colors used from the M type all the way through the TD.
Rexine was replaced in Great Britain about 1953 by a product called Vynide, a vinyl type of product with an embossed surface.

Modern replacements
Virtually all vinyl fabrics made today aren't really suitable for T and MMM car interior trim applications. It is known as an expanded vinyl, is stretchier and puffier with a thicker backing. It functions better for upholstery than the non-stretch Rexine and Vynide of the past.
There are a few firms making what's known as Leathercloth in the UK - it's a modern version of Rexine, no stretch and thinner than other types. Woolies may be your best source in the UK.

If you have a Moss Motors interior kit, you can purchase extra vinyl from Moss Motors USA that will match what you have. Check with them.

I (Kimber Creek Ltd.) accurately reproduced the 5 key leather colors MG used 1930-53 along with a custom made vinyl that closely matches the original Rexine. It's the materials we use in our Kimber Creek Ltd. business that took over the MMM/T interior business when Mike Collingburn retired. If you are after accurate original colors and details for your interior or weather equipment, we are the place to go. I'm not aware of anyone else in the world that has matched original as closely as we have.

So to make a short story endless - check with Woolies to see if they have a red leathercloth that is close to your upholstery color. Check with Moss Motors USA if your kit really is from them and buy a yard of vinyl.
Or get some from me . . . .

Tom Wilson
TC0273, TC0279, TC2040
11 MMMs, VA1508,
and a super nice BGT LE50

[frenchblatter]

I can highly recommend Tom's vinyl rexine replacement. In fact I can highly recommend all of Toms products, they are superb.

[Duncan M]

I would be curious to see what it looks like up close.

[Tom Wilson]

Duncan, when you are ready to purchase a new interior for your TC (or MMM, SVW, or TA/TB/TD) let me know and I will send you a sample.

[Duncan M]

Or, someone could just post a pic.

[SteveW]

The problem with posting a picture is that it's almost impossible to get a true representation of the colour.

[Tom Lange, MGT Repair]

I wrote imprecisely above, and was rightly corrected. The basic form of Rexine was used from the TC into the TD, and the later leather-textured cloth is only found on the later TD. Precision is so important, isn't it?

Tom Lange
MGT Repair

[SteveW]

Hi Tom (Wilson),

I just wanted to check to make sure that you got my private message as it seems to be stuck in my out box rather than showing in my sent folder, so I'm not sure that it's actually been delivered. If not then I can send you a direct e-mail if you let me have your address.

Regards
Steve

[Ray White]

Personally, I prefer a wooden dashboard although I am aware for my car it would not be correct for the year.

[Tom Wilson]

Steve, send me an offline email at mgtctom AT gmail DOT com