Sell / part out the miata or try to make it better?
 

Give me some reasons.

It's just not comfortable to drive because I'm tall.

I've pondered the Lotus Probax seats... if they're really a solution. I've got no problem spending a few hundred bucks to make this car nice to drive.
Lotus Elise seats in a Miata — RevLimiter.net

Ideally i want to lower my ass 3 inches at least. Or something. Stock seat has foam removed but there's still a lot of space between me and the floor.

revlimiter's blog suggests he dropped below the bar but based on the slider design, there may be even more room to go down. (that IS what she said)

OTHERWISE....

I strip the car down to stock and maybe see if the 2876 will mate well with a bmw M20 motor.

Weird idea:

Build a custom rollbar that's 3-4 inches taller than the standard hard dog hard core offering and build a custom hardtop to fit over it. I'm ok with losing the droptop feature as long as the car is once again fun to drive.

Are race buckets an option? Is slider-delete an option?

the car is a daily driver. ingress/egress is important to me. and my lady.

sliders are maybe candidates for removal, but only if i need to.

How tall are you?

I'm 6' and have the 99 seats in my NA. They seem to be a tiny bit lower then the stock NA seats (and don't seem to be that comfortable) but I would still love to be much lower and have been looking for new seats.

I thought about the probax seats but they don't have the harness passthrough and I kind of wanted that in my new seats.

I've also been looking for some Mazdaspeed Miata seats as I love how tall the head rest is on them but they are not cheap and I could get real seats for the for that price.

My Corbeau on Sparco rails was VERY low.

New Boxster seats bolted to floor aren't quite as low, but lower than stock. Seating position makes a HUGE difference in our cars. I first mounted the Porsche seat with it's 3-way adjustable base, and hated how high and how close to the wheel I was, even when adjusted full-back and full-down.

I would try and fix your ergonomics issue before letting it go.

I've been fapping to this seat lately. Need to stop by OG racing to see if they have on I can sit in and throw in the miata to see how it fits.

Sparco Chrono Sport Seat.
http://www.diseno-art.com/images_3/S...rono_Sport.jpg

Brakets and stuff I should be able to make myself

There was a thread on CR about lotus seats and a few people showed before and after pics of stock and lotus seats. IIRC a few got them 3" or so lower

I'm 6 feet tall with a long torso.

there's no way I'm putting a race seat in a daily driver. especially at twice the cost of used elise seats. I want MORE comfortable/useable for daily driving.

1. Find OEM seat that fits and is to your liking.
2. Bolt to floor.
3. ???
4. Profit


I wish mine were adjustable on rails, but even the Sparco rails would have added another inch to the height, and I would have had to channel them (about 2" too wide) and didn't want to get them welded up.

That Sparco Chrono ISN"T a race seat. Notice the lack of holes on the side for lap belts. It's much like the lotus seat but with a little more padding and the shoulder bolsters. See if you can find one at a speed shop in your area. Might be a good alternative to the Lotus seats.

Long torso w/ average legs are a tough fit for lots of cars. I'd hate to see you give up on the Miata. Your input and participation on the forum is too important around here! :makeout:

Sparco Roadster seats are very comfortable/livable. I'm 6'1" around 200lbs and they fit me perfect. I can pass a broom stick test in my car if needed. Also I have the sparco brackets so my car is as far back and as far down as it can go. the downside is I can't use the stock seat belt anymore because the seat and roll bar are in the way. I don't drive the car that often so I never put forth any effort to make a solution for it.

CRAZY, CRAZY Idea.. What if you modified the floor in your miata to sink the seat down? How is your ground clearance...

REMEMBER - This is a CRAZY idea, but very doable...

If you are tall and narrow, you will like the fit of the Lotus seats. They're also pretty.

I'm willing to give the lotus seats the college try.

Plus if they dont work out, I can sell them here to one of youse guys.

Why not bolt the stock seat to the floor? Or did you say it wasn't comfortable enough. Worth a shot, 8 bolts later and you could at least test the fit with it just sitting on the floor. Get an unmolested bottom amd it'd be even more comfortable.

I don't detect any real love for your car in the first post, but if there is, I'd definitely try the seats first. I codrove a spec Miata that had a momo seat (lots of foam, cushy) on rails and the owner was 6' 2". I'm 6' and actually had the sliders up a couple of clicks. I think there's lots of headroom in a different seat.

Seats
 

Kirkey Racing bolted to the floor on 2 strips of 1" x 18" x 1/4" thick steel. I'm 6'3".:bigtu:

I'd buy them in a heart beat. I absolutely love those seats and have wanted a pair ever since I road in a Elise. They are very comfortable and supportive.

fwiw, i'm 6 feet tall as well.

In for 2876 on an M20 as this is what I want to do. I'm in the exact same boat you're in FWIW. I drove my buddy's E30 on a couple of long (4hr+) drives recently and it was amazing. Interior was dead quiet, no rattles or squeaks. My back didn't hurt when I got where I was going. I had plenty of leg room/headroom.

The only thing keeping me from selling the miata and turboing an E30 is the fact that E30 parts are getting really hard to come by. Axles for example are no longer made for that car. Also, how is the tranny/diff when it comes to lots of torque? They are also known for rod bearing failure.

I like the lotus seats and I think you will fit with them bolted to the floor. I do.

The stock seat might work but I think it still gives up some incheS to the lotus and if I have to fab shit, I might as well go all the way. Still, I could try it out. Seatbelt latch will be more work maybe.

there could be love again. it's not like it cheated on me or something.

I wouldn't make it an overkill car. it's 2800 lbs / 170 hp stock. just a little more on top of that for a daily would be phenomenal. I may do this even if I keep the miata.

Hustler has spoken.

I just figured you fell victim to the seven-year-itch.

I'd buy your hooptie.

Matt, take your driver's seat out and sit on the floor. If you're comfortable there, then there is a solution that will work for the car. Even if it's a badass custom fiberglass seat and custom upholstery, something will do the job.

Ooo I might try something like that

I have neglected to mention that if I sit any lower, the center console is getting ripped out.

As it is now, I can't shift into 2nd or 4th without elbowing my fiancee in the boob.

I'm glad to hear that someone else has that same problem.

I've got a foamectomy and i'm failing to see how this happens. You must have gorilla arms.

I need to see a shot of the bare breast to provide additional input in this thread.

I'm 6'2 and the foamectomy worked for me as well. Differently proportioned though, I suppose. Can you not recline your seat more? Obviously you've tried that.

Sounds almost like you need a 30deg reclined F16 seat. Then you can go all Top-Gun with a gold-tinted clear custom hardtop. Ejection seats ftw !

Edit: I agree with Hustler. I believe the "problem" may be more with the size of the aforementioned boob than your seating position and/or arms.

If you run the Elise seats and decide not to bolt to floor, what brackets were you going to use?

How much do you want to spend?
I've wanted to try one of the Bride low max seat like the Gias as I think it would fit. Should be plently low with the thinner seat cushion option, more comfortable than the standard seats and you get to keep it adjustable.
Downside $$$, of course still probably cheaper than an E30 project

i have a 6'4" arm span.

as a former coworker used to say: I can scratch the back of my knees without bending over.

Go with the Elise seat. Its not the most comfortable thing ever but for a daily drivable quasi-race seat, its a winrar. Local guy who's a good clip taller than myself (I'm roughly 5'11) sat fairly comfortably in his, before he sold it.

Or, if you do decide to move away from the awesomeness of the miata platform... Just get the Elise. :D

Sad to see you move away from the miata, though.

Decide on anything?

probably seats.

right after I find 800 bucks.

Wedding gift?

The probax elise seats are sweet, and do sit significantly lower than stock. You guys talk about about just buying them, I have a very hard time finding any for sale.

i'll put them on the registry right before "garage".

It would suck for the street but you could get a used Kirkey pretty cheap just to try out the concept. They are hard to get in and out of, but when you are in YOU ARE IN.

does it kick me in the nuts while I drive on public roads too? :)

I sat in some Lotus Elis seats at MSR-H and they are awesome! I would go with those, plus they hold their value.

It might if the groin strap on the 5-pt harness is too tight :D
Seriously though I have driven a bit with mine on public roads and it is comfortable. The only thing that sucks is getting in and out. Actually, now that I think of it, unless you have a removable wheel you might not want to bother with the Kirkey. The side bolsters coming up from the bottom of the seat are really tall (it is a racing seat). Thus I gave up pretty quickly on trying to get in and out of it with the stock wheel. I installed a removable wheel soon after I installed the seat.

If the top is down, not too bad maybe. Top up, difficult to get in and out. Really it is not a good DD seat IMO.

http://www.kirkeyracing.com/images/T...GHT_Medium.JPG

I've ridden in a car with Kirkeys (Kirkies?!), and while they felt like a shoe, it was about like getting into one. Driving was great, but they are anything but practical.

The pro street drag seats are the way to go for a DD from Kirkey. Much easier to get in and out of. The car I sat in with them was pretty good getting in and out vs the Sparco Sprint and Momo Evo I've had in my car. Suprisingly comfortable too. The guy had these seats...

Kirkey pro street drags.

http://static.racingjunk.com/5/ui/3/...ree-Shippi.jpg

Those look much more feasible.

you guys WANT me to sell the car don't you.

quoted for posterity.

the elise seat is hardly a race seat and it's TOO MUCH of a race seat for me.

I'm trying to make the car easier to live with as a daily, not make it a bitch to get in and out of.

so while I appreciate the suggestions, there will never be an aluminum tub in this car while it's a daily driver.

find me some of this action from the lotus europa:

http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-conte...0/probax-3.jpg

If he leaves, can I be a mod?


J/K :giggle:

Thread back on track - NO RACE SEATS!!!

How are those Europa's any different functionally from an elise seat? Obviously they are beautiful but it looks like there is just as much bolstering.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3413/...6e328ecab2.jpg

http://www.jegs.com/images/photos/90...80-1606-61.jpg

$157 Procar seats

High-tech styling combines generous lateral support with the convenience of a recliner. Perfect for the street enthusiast and occasional weekend warrior. These performance seats have openings to accommodate 4-point racing harnesses. Available with vinyl or velour inserts in your favorite color.

Features:

* All-steel frame is TIG welded for strength and electrostatically coated. Hi-density injection-molded foam is used throughout for maximum comfort support and durability.
* Procar ''one-touch'' recline/backrest release provides a wide range of backrest positions, from fully upright to horizontal, including a forward release for easy access to rear seat area on 2-doors.
* All seats include sliders.
* Custom adapters available for most makes or models.

Scat 80-1606-61L Procar Sportsman Racing Seats

sell the miata and buy a buick? :laugh:

but who will stick up for the crazy liberals!?

btw, that "seat" doesn't fit a miata. way too wide. and wouldn't lower me at all. but otherwise... it might fit aforementioned buick.

I think they're similar. intended to be street car sport seats. probably only major difference is styling and the harness holes in the backrest.

http://www.threadbombing.com/data/media/57/cat-wut.jpg


????

Did you just suddenly grow a lot? Haven't you owned the car for a while?

i've only had it 9 years. but since moving to a place with winter, the top has been up a lot more. and i have a 15 mile commute instead of a 4 mile commute.

but mostly, I think I'm just getting old :fawk:

http://www.boostedmiata.com/gallery2...2/CR1_seat.JPG


http://www.wegscheid.net/toshare/too_tight.jpg

Though I do not think I am being very helpful that really is not my intent. Or iiissss iiitt??? :giggle:

What I was getting at (not very well) with the Kirkey idea is that if you want to try out a really low seat that would be a cheap way to do it. Kirkeys are cheap used, and you can turn around and sell it. The Intermediate race would probably make you suicidal, but that drag bucket could work. Anyway fuhgedaboutit.

Those Europa seats look fantastic.

/\ Was that really necessary?

edit: That was for you Braineack