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Hard top and roll bar question for tall guys
Hey guys. I'm and thinking about buying another miata but am unsure if it'll work like I'm hoping. The plan is to keep it a street/track car, and maybe do TT eventually. It's a 2002 with a hard top and I want the tallest bar possible that will still fit under the hard top. I've heard the non-hardtop versions seem to work if you use the SM side plates, which I'd plan to do. I'd probably remove the soft top entirely and fix the hard top in place permanently.
I'm wondering if I'm still going to have to cut off the rear seat mounts to get under the bar and pass the broomstick test. I'd really like to avoid this if possible as I'm not sure I want a full race seat yet since I want it to still be comfortable on the street. Is this a lost cause because of my height (6'1", 32-34" inseam or so)? I had a 94 with a hard top version roll bar and even with the rear mounts cut off I was just barely under the bar with my helmet. But the seat was uncomfortable which really turned me off from driving it and I sold it not long after. Any other suggestions? Find a car I actually fit in? :) |
I'm the exact same height and waist as you. I'm using this seat mount with a sparco sprint V seat mounted as low and far back as possible. There's no need to cut the mounting tabs but you loose the slider adjust-ability. This seemed to do the trick for me as far as height clearance. Although I've never done a broomstick test with my helmet on to see exactly how much clearance I have from my roll bar.
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Which seat brackets?
My old 94 had Sparco Sprint V's mounted to the floor and I wasn't a fan of them for street driving. Basically it's an ass hammock without any padding for your back or butt and when I was sitting on the floor pan it wasn't the most comfortable thing. :) I've looked into Ultrashield SM and Rally seats, those might fit the bill but I'll have to measure myself and see. It's just a pain in the ass because I love all the shit you can do to miatas but it costs an additional $2k (Roll bar, seats, harnesses) or so out of the gate just to get it on track. |
Originally Posted by Larimer
(Post 1201827)
Which seat brackets?
My old 94 had Sparco Sprint V's mounted to the floor and I wasn't a fan of them for street driving. Basically it's an ass hammock without any padding for your back or butt and when I was sitting on the floor pan it wasn't the most comfortable thing. :) I've looked into Ultrashield SM and Rally seats, those might fit the bill but I'll have to measure myself and see. It's just a pain in the ass because I love all the shit you can do to miatas but it costs an additional $2k (Roll bar, seats, harnesses) or so out of the gate just to get it on track. my bad forgot the link. If you go the aluminum seat route you need to do all the proper bracing to make it safe. You might be better off getting a higher quality molded seat rather than aluminum one. |
I have a non hardtop bar and it fits fine without side latches. I've heard they don't always fit though.
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I just need to figure out a seat that's a good dual duty seat. But it's so subjective and there's not much chance to sit in them before buying.
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Are there any mounts that will accommodate for sliders so as to permit more than one person to use the car without having to unbolt, readjust, and re-bolt race seats?
Thanks, Richard |
Originally Posted by Larimer
(Post 1201970)
I just need to figure out a seat that's a good dual duty seat. But it's so subjective and there's not much chance to sit in them before buying.
Originally Posted by ZOOMNBY
(Post 1202008)
Are there any mounts that will accommodate for sliders so as to permit more than one person to use the car without having to unbolt, readjust, and re-bolt race seats?
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Originally Posted by cyotani
(Post 1202009)
there are many options for that but if head clearance is an issue for you it's not the best route. It raises up your seat some to accommodate the sliders.
Cheers, Richard |
Ugh, maybe I should just buy a MkII MR2.
Edit: lol, searched and found this thread by me from 4-5 years ago. Nothing has changed except now I'd be looking at N/A versions of both. The freaking roll bar and seats thing is a big downer for me. https://www.miataturbo.net/general-m...2-turbo-50245/ |
Originally Posted by Larimer
(Post 1201808)
Hey guys. I'm and thinking about buying another miata but am unsure if it'll work like I'm hoping. The plan is to keep it a street/track car, and maybe do TT eventually. It's a 2002 with a hard top and I want the tallest bar possible that will still fit under the hard top. I've heard the non-hardtop versions seem to work if you use the SM side plates, which I'd plan to do. I'd probably remove the soft top entirely and fix the hard top in place permanently.
I'm wondering if I'm still going to have to cut off the rear seat mounts to get under the bar and pass the broomstick test. I'd really like to avoid this if possible as I'm not sure I want a full race seat yet since I want it to still be comfortable on the street. Is this a lost cause because of my height (6'1", 32-34" inseam or so)? I had a 94 with a hard top version roll bar and even with the rear mounts cut off I was just barely under the bar with my helmet. But the seat was uncomfortable which really turned me off from driving it and I sold it not long after. Any other suggestions? Find a car I actually fit in? :) |
Originally Posted by Larimer
(Post 1201970)
I just need to figure out a seat that's a good dual duty seat. But it's so subjective and there's not much chance to sit in them before buying.
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double post sorry
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your 100% right. we have had quite a few people install the omp style. it's a squeeze into a miata but it can be done. this will aso give you the provisions for a 5/6 point harness.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422910153[/QUOTE] i got this review of it from a member on this forum. still waiting on pictures though... Hey Johnny, ... Some impressions for you. I'm 5'9 ~ 200lbs 35" waist, I think longer torso and shorter leg body build. I had stock NB2 leather seats with foamectomy and the stock sliders bolted to the floor pan in the back. Ie I cut the rear mounts out, bent the rear sliders a little and bolted them to the floor. I also had to beat in the metal seat pan and I thought it felt ok on my butt. That setup worked ok. Fit well in the car, ok leg room and arm distance from the stock steering wheel. But pretty damn good head room. I could wear a helmet and I think just barely touch the soft top. But I couldn't wear my wallet or anything in my back pockets, it just felt uncomfortable. And the main reason I wanted a better seat; absolutely zero body support. I'm not sure if you're familiar, but NB2 seats have a nice and high back, but for some god forsaken reason, they're only like 8" wide and it's basically just a thin back support for forward/backward motion, nothing side to side. Combine that with leather and it just plain sucks. So that was the modified stock setup. OMP seat is nice, box was beat to hell, one back adjuster knob was broken, other got knocked off but has enough tabs to still work. Other than that and a tiny knick in the fabric at the very top and it is a very nice piece. So I yanked my stock seat and sliders out and just dropped the OMP seat in there to see what was what. And it was apparent right away that this seat in my case would need to be bolted to the floor. With the back bottom of the seat on the floor, and the front bottom of the seat resting on the front mounts (which I'm sure you know are raised), the seat felt almost exactly the same as far as head position up and down, if anything, maybe a .5" lower. Which is good/ok/push as it was pretty good before, but I definitely don't want to go back up. Secondly, the seat back is even higher that the NB2 seat which in my case, hits the roll bar in a way that doesn't allow me to recline the seat back as far as it used to. I'm thinking maybe 2 "clicks" or a half to a full inch further forward, but since the seat back seems thinner than the stock seat, it's about the same arm distance away from the steering wheel, just a little more upright. I'd say the seat is right about where I'd have it if I was at an HPDE or out cruizing the mountains or something. A little more upright and closer. But there is noticably more room behind the back of the seat and the back shelf where as before, there was pretty much none. That said, I needed a BFH and a smallish 2x4 to massage some of the sheet metal around the seat. When I just dropped it in, it was a little side ways point forward left. So I pushed in the tunnel a little up by the front right of the seat. The seat compartment was a little tight in the back too so I cut off the adjuster on the right side of the seat with a cut off wheel, that got me about an inch, I pulled off all the plastic covers for the seats on either side as you'll never see them when the seat was mounted and it helps you see whats going on better. I still had to massage the tunnel a little on back and a little on the outside of the seat in the back because like I said, the wheel adjusters take up a good amount of room. But other than that, it fits pretty good. My ass fits in the seat bottom really good. Like there's actually room to sit with my legs open or whatnot. And there's a million times more side support. I still need to figure out mounting it to the car and what to do about the seat belt. It's just in my case the roll bar doesn't allow it to recline very much. Sorry for the essay. I may try to condense it a little and make a thread. But so far I am pretty content. It's definitely going to be better than what I had. It's just going to take some work. Which I imagined it would. |
Originally Posted by OGRacing
(Post 1202278)
your 100% right. we have had quite a few people install the omp style. it's a squeeze into a miata but it can be done. this will aso give you the provisions for a 5/6 point harness.
i got this review of it from a member on this forum. still waiting on pictures though... |
Originally Posted by Ryan_G
(Post 1202305)
Biggest problem is that it is not a fixed back seat.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...c6862942a033cf i have hundreds are you just looking for something with low bolsters. that's easy to get in and out of? |
Originally Posted by OGRacing
(Post 1202313)
oh man you want fixed back seats?.... i have hundreds are you just looking for something with low bolsters. that's easy to get in and out of? EDIT: The infinit fab replicas were basically perfect but their upholstery quality was questionable and they are currently out of business. |
Originally Posted by Ryan_G
(Post 1202317)
Low bolster, fits in a miata and will sit low in the car, accepts 5 point harnesses. I have looked through hundreds of seats looking for something similar to an s2 exige seat and found nothing. By low bolster I really mean low and not just lower than a normal bucket seat.
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Originally Posted by OGRacing
(Post 1202321)
Your not finding low bolsters because it compromises seat rigidity. A seat can't obtain a FIA rating without enough support to take the required G forces. I street drive a SPARCO ADV. getting in and out sucks, but that's just part of life with a double duty car. |
Originally Posted by Ryan_G
(Post 1202323)
I completely understand the reasoning. I don't need it for competition so the FIA rating is not important. This is why I have come to the conclusion that I will just need to sets of seats. I refuse to pretty much daily a track seat. My passengers would not appreciate it either.
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Originally Posted by OGRacing
(Post 1202324)
Why not get a reclining seat then? |
Custom aluminum seat? Thick padding for the street, remove it for the track to get low?
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Originally Posted by aidandj
(Post 1202350)
Custom aluminum seat? Thick padding for the street, remove it for the track to get low?
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Originally Posted by Ryan_G
(Post 1202327)
Because they are bulky, heavy, usually cannot get you low enough, and require a BFH to install. Not a huge step up from my stock seats really so not worth the money. I would be willing to put a proper back brace on a fixed back to increase the rigidity if necessary but no one makes them which kind of blows my mind. The one company that made a good looking replica couldn't even keep them on the shelf. Every single batch sold out quickly. Granted they were a small operation but you would think at least one other company that distributes state side would make something similar. There are plenty of non FIA certified fixed back seats being made.
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Originally Posted by asmasm
(Post 1202367)
A kirkey pro street drag
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Less than "max" length of the legs (36" inseam start to get complicated) and a taller torso/longer arms? Spacer for the steering wheel (or a dished one) and tilt the seat back bit to lower the head.
I use a OMP ARS (which have relative low sides) with the rear of the side brackets on the floor (no humps) and the front up on the crossmember. 6'2.5" and 34" inseam and I have no problem having my helmet inside my cage. I have about 4" between the seat and the rear bulkhead at the floor level (longer legs and you will have less). About 1" can be found by adjusting the pedals a bit (to prevent lifting the left leg that high). You never know until you try with yourself in your car, but why should you do things the easy way :D. |
My Kirkey is bolted to the floor (6'1", 32" inseam) and tilted back so the rearmost angle of the seat bottom is flat with the floor. I use a 1" steering wheel spacer in addition to a QR and the Momo adapter.
Sitting in Ryan's stock MSM passenger seat feels like I am sitting up "on" the car rather than down in the car. It feels very vulnerable and insecure. My helmet sticks up 3 inches above the bar in his passenger seat so I can't ride with him. |
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I'm going to BSCI on Friday to have a demo with their foam seats. might be something worth considering for those with aluminum seats looking to make them more comfortable.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422994288 |
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Relevant to my interests.
6'4", 33" waist, 36.5" inseam. Hardtop with HDHCDDHTomgbbq roll bar AND door bars. Foamectomy'd the crap out of stock seats and they get me very close, but provide almost no lateral support. Looking for fixed back track-oriented seat, with lower side bolsters. The Cobra Imola S seems to fit my criteria (left most in picture) Same upper as the popular Suzuka, but with tapered side bolsters. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422997799 They run about $800, and I would imagine I'd need to fab some sort of direct-to-floorpan mounting solution. Haven't seen one mounted in Miata. Thoughts? |
Originally Posted by Chooofoojoo
(Post 1202606)
Relevant to my interests.
6'4", 33" waist, 36.5" inseam. Hardtop with HDHCDDHTomgbbq roll bar AND door bars. Foamectomy'd the crap out of stock seats and they get me very close, but provide almost no lateral support. Looking for fixed back track-oriented seat, with lower side bolsters. The Cobra Imola S seems to fit my criteria (left most in picture) Same upper as the popular Suzuka, but with tapered side bolsters. They run about $800, and I would imagine I'd need to fab some sort of direct-to-floorpan mounting solution. Haven't seen one mounted in Miata. Thoughts? |
Originally Posted by OGRacing
(Post 1202278)
your 100% right. we have had quite a few people install the omp style. it's a squeeze into a miata but it can be done. this will aso give you the provisions for a 5/6 point harness.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422910153 |
Originally Posted by ZOOMNBY
(Post 1202008)
Are there any mounts that will accommodate for sliders so as to permit more than one person to use the car without having to unbolt, readjust, and re-bolt race seats?
They're a compromise seat, not a full race seat, but have the 5 point harness holes; not really a DD seat. They look a little pricey, but you get the mounting bracket, sliders and all the hardware. If you total up an Evo II w/ brackets and sliders, it's about the same. For me it was bolt in, fits the Miata, and I can fit in it (275lbs). |
Originally Posted by Dunning Kruger Affect
(Post 1202269)
This post is just straight up something awful.
It sounds like poured foam would be the best way to do it so the seat wouldn't be terrible. I'll have to do some googling on it later. |
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Originally Posted by halfpint
(Post 1202687)
I don't see this seat on the website. Link please?
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1423149532 Frame: tubular steel. Fixing points: M8 lower 345x270 mm (type Y). 3 seat belt openings. • Precision reclining mechanism and quick-tilting mechanism to facilitate rear seat access. • Upholstered in a textured fabric "A-tex Evo", abrasion resistant, comfortable in hot or cold conditions, thickness: 3 mm Comply with European Directive 96/37/EC. |
Originally Posted by Larimer
(Post 1203060)
:)
It sounds like poured foam would be the best way to do it so the seat wouldn't be terrible. I'll have to do some googling on it later. |
This would be amazing. Please do this. :)
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I also have the Marrad seat.
It is more comfortable than my foamectomied stock seat, by far, with the cushions in. It gets me under my hard dog m2 sport (hard top compatible bar) easily when the cushions are out. I'm 6'2, 34" inseam. I have no cons to report after having had this seat for a year. For a dual-purpose, dual-driver compatible seat, it is the one. |
Originally Posted by Mobius
(Post 1203546)
I also have the Marrad seat.
It is more comfortable than my foamectomied stock seat, by far, with the cushions in. It gets me under my hard dog m2 sport (hard top compatible bar) easily when the cushions are out. I'm 6'2, 34" inseam. I have no cons to report after having had this seat for a year. For a dual-purpose, dual-driver compatible seat, it is the one. |
? My shoulder straps go over my shoulders where they are supposed to. Do you have a neck like a running back, or no neck at all or something? How far apart do they have to be for you?
The seat is patterned after the Recaro SPG, I believe, upsized a bit. I cannot fit into an SPG as the shoulder slots are too low for my manly frame. Low = compression of spine under impact load == very bad. Too wide and you risk slipping between the straps under impact load. |
I wasn't there and I haven't sat in one of these. I would have called bullshit except HMS does a lot of safety equipment installs.
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