The Problem
The MGB door drop-glass brush seal is not a hard part to find — if you want black. Every major MG specialist from Moss Motors to MGOC Spares to British Parts Northwest stocks the black version. They've always stocked it. The part is common, the demand is steady, and the supply chain is reliable.
The grey variant is a different story entirely. Restorers who built their MGB with grey interior trim — grey carpets, grey seats, grey door cards — need grey brush seals at the door glass line to finish the job correctly. Those grey seals are effectively unavailable from the mainstream MG trade. Every major supplier lists the black version only.
This isn't a new problem. The MG Experience forum has threads going back years from owners searching for grey brush seals and coming up empty-handed. The good news is that the situation is not entirely hopeless — there is a source. The bad news is that it requires looking outside the usual MG trade network.
If your restoration is still in progress and you need the seals to fit before the car is painted or detailed, fit the black version temporarily. They are functionally identical — they will seal the glass correctly. Order the grey once you've located stock, then swap them before final assembly.
Identifying the Right Part
Before you go hunting, make sure you're looking for the right seal. The MGB has two distinct types of door glass seals and they are not the same thing:
The inner brush seal (sometimes called the inner waist seal or fuzzy seal) sits on the inside face of the door, stapled or adhered to the vinyl-covered waist rail. Its pile fibres press against the inner face of the glass as it moves up and down, wiping condensation and keeping water out of the door cavity. This is the part that comes in black or grey — it's the one you're looking for.
The outer rubber scraper seal sits on the outside of the door glass. On the Roadster it is pop-riveted directly to the door skin; on the GT it is clipped to a bright finisher that runs across the top of the door. These outer seals are rubber, not pile, and they are a separate part with separate part numbers. They are not the subject of this guide.
The OE part numbers for the inner brush seal are:
- AHH7848 Inner brush seal — fits both sides of the MGB GT, MGB GT V8, and MGC GT. Also listed for the MGB Roadster by many suppliers. Quantity required: 2 per car.
- AHH6508 RH inner brush seal — Roadster-specific variant. The Roadster seals differ slightly from the GT as there is a short section at the rear without the metal backing strip.
- AHH6509 LH inner brush seal — Roadster-specific, same construction note as AHH6508.
The Moss Motors catalogue equivalent for the standard (black) version is 682-030. When contacting suppliers for the grey version, use the OE part number and specify the colour explicitly — "grey pile" or "grey fuzzy seal" — as the black version shares the same OE reference.
Grey vs Black — Why It Matters
Grey interior trim was available on the MGB throughout its production run from 1963 to 1980. When the factory built a car with grey trim — grey or dove grey seats, carpets, and door cards — the door glass brush seals matched. From the inside of the car, looking down at the door glass line, the pile of the brush seal is visible. On a car with grey interior, black seals are a noticeable mismatch.
For a working restoration or a driver that lives its life on the road, fitting black seals is entirely reasonable. They function identically. The grey pile and the black pile are the same material with the same pile height, the same backing, and the same fixings. The only difference is colour.
For a concours or show-quality restoration, or for anyone who wants the car to be genuinely factory correct, the grey seal matters. It is one of those details that most people walking past won't notice — but the owner knows, and the judges know. Getting it right means sourcing grey.
Not sure whether your interior calls for grey or black? Describe your MGB's interior colour scheme to Geoff.
Ask Geoff →Current Supplier Status
The table below reflects the current situation with major MG specialists. All confirmed availability is for the black variant only unless stated otherwise. Grey availability is the key column.
| Supplier | Location | Black Available | Grey Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moss Motors | USA / UK | Yes | Not Listed | 682-030 (black) is the standard listing. No grey variant in the Moss catalogue. |
| Brown & Gammons | UK | Yes | Not Listed | Established MG specialist. Grey not in their standard listings. Worth calling to ask directly. |
| MGOC Spares | UK | Yes | Not Listed | MG Owners Club parts department. Black variant in stock; grey not listed on their website. |
| Rimmer Bros | UK | Yes | Not Listed | Broad MG catalogue. Check directly for current stock; grey not confirmed. |
| British Parts Northwest | USA | Yes | Not Listed | Black AHH7848 in stock. Grey variant not mentioned in listing. |
| LB Car Co | USA | Yes | Not Listed | Lists 682-030 / AHH7848. No colour variants specified. |
| Peninsula British Parts | Canada | Yes | Not Listed | Black variant listed. Grey not confirmed; contact directly. |
| Woolies Trim UK | UK | Yes | Yes — Confirmed | Grey fuzzy door seal with side sponge bulb confirmed in stock. The primary source for the grey variant. See below. |
The pattern is consistent: every major MG specialist in the USA and UK stocks the black variant and has no grey option listed. Woolies Trim UK is the only confirmed source for the grey variant at time of writing.
Want Geoff to suggest alternative sources beyond those in the table? It's a known gap — he may know of community solutions.
Ask Geoff →Woolies Trim UK
Woolies Trim is a UK-based trim and weatherstrip supplier that works across classic and vintage vehicles — not exclusively MGs, which is likely why they turned up where the MG-specific trade did not. Their stock of grey fuzzy door seals with side sponge bulb has been confirmed by MGB owners on the MG Experience forum as a match for the factory-fit grey inner brush seal.
Their grey seal matches what is sometimes described in the MG community as a "Morris Minor Grey" colour — a soft mid-grey pile that suits cars with dove grey or similar factory interior trim.
A few practical notes for ordering from Woolies Trim:
What to Check Before You Buy
- Confirm current stock and colour. Inventory changes. Contact Woolies Trim directly — via their website or by phone — and confirm that the grey variant is currently in stock before placing an order. Specify it's for MGB door glass brush seals and give them the OE part number (AHH7848 or AHH6508/6509 for Roadster) for reference.
- Confirm the pile dimensions. The critical measurements are the pile height, backing width, and overall seal depth. The factory MGB inner brush seal has a metal-backed top strip stapled to the waist rail. Ask Woolies whether their seal uses the same backing configuration or whether it requires adhesive fitting.
- International shipping to the USA. Woolies Trim is a UK supplier. If you're ordering from North America, confirm their international shipping options and approximate lead times before ordering.
- Order the correct quantity. You need 2 seals per car (one per door). If you're doing both doors in one go, order 2. If your car is a Roadster, confirm which of the Woolies part numbers corresponds to AHH6508 (RH) and AHH6509 (LH), as the Roadster seals are handed.
Woolies Trim's website is at woolies-trim.co.uk. Searching their site for "MGB door seal" or "grey brush seal" should locate the relevant listing. If their search doesn't surface it, call them — they know their catalogue and can confirm whether the part is available and in what colours.
Ordering from Woolies Trim and unsure what to specify? Tell Geoff your year and interior colour and he'll confirm what you need.
Ask Geoff →Workarounds
Practical Options When Stock Runs Dry
- Fit black temporarily. The black variant from any major MG supplier is a functionally identical part. Fit it to complete the car, keep it working, and replace it with grey when you locate stock. This is the cleanest approach for an active restoration — grey seals can always be swapped later.
- Post a WTB on MG Experience forums. The MGB community is active. A Want To Buy post in the MGB & GT Forum classifieds, specifying grey inner door brush seals and your location, often gets results. Other restorers sometimes have surplus parts from their own sourcing, and suppliers occasionally hold stock that isn't in their online catalogue.
- Contact Woolies Trim directly by phone. Their website may not always reflect live stock accurately. A direct call will confirm what they have and whether their grey seal is the right fit for your application. Ask for the pile height and backing dimensions if you want to cross-reference against OE spec.
- Check eBay UK listings. Search for "MGB grey door seal" or "AHH7848 grey" — NOS (new old stock) examples occasionally appear, as do parts from other restorers who have sourced more than they needed. eBay UK is more likely to surface UK-sourced stock than eBay US for this part.
- Avoid dyeing or painting the black seal. The pile fibres do not absorb dye evenly, and most brush-pile dyes stiffen the fibres in the process. The result looks wrong and wipes the glass less effectively. It is not worth the effort when a genuine grey seal is available through Woolies Trim.
For the broader picture on sourcing MGB parts — body panels, engines, electrical, suspension, and the full supplier landscape — see the MG Parts Guide for MGA, MGB & Midget →.