Seats / Tilt Steering Column

[hogster]

I picked up a set of SAAS Vortek seats a while back and have now learned the hard way they are too wide, and I think, too tall.

Do MX5 seats sit down fairly low. By the look of it I am going to need to sit as close to the floor as possible to clear the steering wheel with my legs.

If you run MX5 seats, do yousimply pass your harness straps around either side of the headrest?? or is there more to it.

Anyone know where I can get some MX5 seats now??

Hogster.

[hogster]

I was going to ask if anyone is using adjustable steering columns and what from........so now I am

How hard to fit up

Thanks again

Hogster

[400TT]

MX5 seats are one of the slimest(base height) I've seen with sliding rails. They also have a very slim back so you can get the seat back further. In our first Cobra(DRB) we recessed the seat rails into the floor to lower the seat further, but that was with a Cobra replica seat. The next Cobra with MX5 seat, didn't need the seat lowered, but needed to modify the rear wall to get the seat to slide back far enough for my tall brother.

My brother raced with a Harness using MX5 seat for a couple of years. The headrest section is narrow enough that harness still sits on your shoulders. It's not ideal though as the harness can sit a little wide on your shoulders if your shoulders are narrow.

The best sources for MX5 seats were Jap Importers & MX5 clubs.

To help with fitment, you will probably find that the passenger seat will fit the drivers side better and vice versa. That's due to tilt handle etc.

Tilt columns, a few guys are using the later columns e.g. BA Falcon etc. to get tilt. What factory column is your kit setup for, assuming it has all the mounts for one already.

[hogster]

My kit is a King Cobra, made by Dave King in QLD. It is 2 inches wider than a standard kit, to fit a standard Ford Diff.

It also uses an XF steering column that is shortened so much that the first uni-joint is inside the firewall (changes the shaft angle so no requirement for a collapsing wheel)

Lengthways I think there is heapes of room, but the Vortek seats (SAAS) are too tall and basically crush my legs up against the steering wheel. Thats why I am looking at a tilt column. Better seats may solve the crisis.

[Baz]

Hi Hogster,

I am building an R.M.C at the moment and recently purchased two MX5 seats which are in pretty good condition. I scored them from a Jap Wrecker at $595 for the pair. They fit the R.M.C. perfectly with the added bonus of having facilities for built in speakers incorporated into the headrest construction. These can be readily accessed as the Mazda seat covers zip off.

Baz.

[stephen low]

Hogster

Just be wary of the old comment, they'll fit easy, as kits aint kits, unless the comment is coming from someone building the same kit as you.

I say this as the MX5 seats I got, on the basis of club advice, have now been narrowed 50mm to give me some adjustability in my GForce kit. I don't think I had too many options anyway, but it would have been good to know in advance as my $600 seats ended up costing $1000 in total!

Craig's comment about them being slim through the back is a good example of not enough info. Yes they are quite slim up above the seat area but it is through the pivot area where they aren't that much smaller than other seats around. This might not be a problem for you and it sounds like they will be far shallower in height which is what you seem to be after.

If needed I can measure the total height from underside of the rails to top of seat cushion at the front to give you an idea of their depth near the steering wheel. Let me know.

In fact this area of the seat is the limiting factor as to how far I can push my seats back. I have also remodelled the cockpit fibreglass behind the seat in this region to gain more room to slide the seat back, and I also later plan to put my seat belt retractors into the boot. These foul at the lower rear of the seat but are a larger unit anyway.

These seats are certainly some of the smallest production seats around and very light but the kits will pose limits. If your kit is 50mm wider you might have far more width to get a seat into which would be a bonus.

You will find with an adjustable column that generally once it set it will most likely stay in that location. Best option I have seen was an early corolla column?, I think, that with the push of a button angled the steering wheel and combi switches upwards as one unit by quite an angle.

Once in the seat I think you just pulled down on the wheel to lock into the first available locked location. I think you could then choose from another two or three positions to match available room / gut / other bodily part limitations! This is on Martin Govett's car down here in Vic.

How much Martin uses this feature I have no idea but as said earlier my adjustable column is essentially fixed for my driving needs, and I just work my way into the car around such obstacles.

Cheers

[400TT]

I'm really surprised that the G-Force is that narrow in the seat area. Must have a nice big tunnel.

Did you have to narrow the seat to get it to slide far enough forward for a short driver or something. In a lot of kits, as the seat as it slides forward the available room gets less.

MX5 seats should drop into most Cobra's without modification. But with the move towards wider engines and larger gearboxs, tunnels are getting bigger and will cause more problems. So even newer versions of the same kit, could cause problems. MX5 seats without modification may not even fit current model Harrisons for example.

MX5 seats had the slimest backs of any production seats we could find, that was our main problem, getting enough length to fit my brother into the car. As it was we had to cut the rear cockpit wall. The MX5 seat now stop against the rolled body edge at the rear of the cockpit.

If an MX5 seat doesn't fit, you could try for something smaller. Maybe Lotus Elise seat might drop in, but we couldn't find one to measure. RX7 seats are also small and have recesses for harnesses built-in, but are wider than MX5.

As with everything, you would certainly get measurements first and try to verify fitment before purchase.

2 inches wider may not guarantee fitment, but you certainly have width on your side.

[stephen low]

Craig

Mx5 seats would fit but not adjust enough backwards. Needed to get max length for my wife's longer legs and I had to get a seat that was adjustable to suit two different seating positions.

The GF floor isn't flat so to achieve fitment meant the seat sits higher than the small std fixed cobra buckets I think GF use. This too affected room.

So Hogster if you have more width this will give you some room to manouvre the seat to get best adjustability. A lot of std seats are around 500mm wide including some of the plastic clutter on the side, the Mx5 are 480 or 460mm from memory.

You need to decide if you want adjustability or are happy with fixed. Fixed will give you a lot more options including even Mx5 with the adjustable sections welded hence gaining further side room.

I looked at several s/h recaros and these can be modestly slim but pricey but comfortable too.

Look at seats from a potential remodelling retrimming viewpoint and you might find some cheap options that will fit and which would be good reworked. It's amazing what trimmers can do these days!

Cheers

[hogster]

Thanks for all the advice,

The Vortek seats are about 22inches wide or nearly 560mm. They almost fit, and since posting yesterday I have a buyer for them here anyway.

Found a really nice pair of black MX5 seats at MX5Mania at a reasonable price so its all good at the moment.

Assuming the are 480mm wide I should have heaps of room. The tunnel in my kit is square so I should be able to run the seats nearly the full length of the track. I am 6ft tall. The guy who builds this kit and drives one is 6'5".

The issue is the height of the seat. I will wait till my new seats arrive and see how the steering wheel clearance issue pans out.

Out of interest, MX5 Mania usually have seats in stock and sell a pair a week to Cobra builders.

Thanks again
Hogster

[mtv]

Hello Hogster, Whatever your choice is don't listen to SLOWLY there should be only ONE seating position and that is to suit your legs and backside MTV

[stephen low]

MTV

I had to have two to be able to get to buy the beast!!!

If I put in heaps of castor, between that and the manual clutch maybe I'll become the only driver???

Good to keep the other half interested.