Race / Aftermarket seats
 

I was wondering how many people in here have aftermarket seats? I am in the market for some 5 point harness race seats and am having trouble narrowing down my options. Opinions on brands? Post your guys setup!

Sorry. I am using stock seats with Katskin covers.

great thread though as the options for fitment can be limited.

Here is a list i have had saved for a while now for seats that will fit in a miata if anyone would find it useful. Was just wondering if anyone had any personal preference/experience.

Flyin' Miata : Miata seats

I have basic Corbeau Forzas. I made brackets for them that bolt to the factory mounting holes without the sliders so there is no adjustment. They are as far back as possible and they fit me (6'1") perfectly. Plus, I sit substantially lower.

They are a snug fit in the car.

I find them to be at least as comfortable as the factory seats. I did a 5 hour drive last fall without issue. Note that I did yank the harnesses as they were a PITA and I daily my car for a couple months each year. I'm now using the factory seat belts with these seats.

https://www.v8miata.net/members/case...g-1127-712.jpg

https://www.v8miata.net/members/case...g-1131-693.jpg

https://www.v8miata.net/members/case...g-1128-692.jpg

Thanks for the info! those were on my lists as well as the sparco speed. How do you like your steering wheel?

I'm very happy with that too. Its slightly smaller (350mm I think) than the factory wheel and it works well with my manual rack.

REALLY NICE SET UP CASEY!!! Were going to see you in Atlanta right?? ;)

A4s in mine. This is the car I took them out of.
http://i60.tinypic.com/212wgpl.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/hu4kjt.jpg
And in mine.
http://i58.tinypic.com/jt0ty1.jpg
http://i59.tinypic.com/29qoccp.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/1z1th60.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/21l0uvp.jpg
http://i59.tinypic.com/wa5278.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/2095xcw.jpg

They sit too high even with no tracks and with the rear floor mounts cut out.
http://i60.tinypic.com/11b22jb.jpg

BUT they are 4917 times more comfortable than the 95 M seats were and I would never go back!

BTW I have used the Corbeau FX1 and if your butt will fit in it I highly recommend the FX1 pro for the Miata. You will need a quick release wheel to get in and out but I really enjoyed that seat in my F bodies and if I could fit in it would be running it in my Miata too.

Awesome thanks Jim, how was the seating height in the FX1s? I'm 6'2 so just wanna be sure I'm not looking at the top of the A-pillars. Also have the same question for the A4s you're running.

I agree, good thread for this site.

Casey, how much lower do those Forzas put you compared to stock? I plan on running a hardtop so looking for low seat setup.

Sorry I don't have an actual measurement for you but I can tell you that I sit significantly lower with the Forzas than I did in my factory seats with a foamectomy. It also helps that mine are bolted directly to the factory mounting locations without any brackets. It makes it fun to watch people under 6' tall try to drive the car.

My Forzas also have a removable cushion that must buy you at least another 1/2". They are still reasonably comfortable without that cushion but I probably wouldn't want to do a 5 hour drive.

Right on, Im 6' and think that would be a nearly perfect setup for me.

Thanks

No brackets? How?

Sorry, I meant sliders. I made flat brackets out of steel stock.

I have a set of seats by Cypher Racing in my RX-7 that look good, are pretty comfy and are considerably cheaper than the big name guys (Corbeau, etc). They are a couple of steps up in quality from the usual e-bay tuner seats and they sell specific rails for a bunch of cars. Mine are a synthetic suede that looks nice and is pretty grippy. I have a 1st gen RX-7, so the interior is at least as tight at the Miata. They should fit pretty well.

Any idea which model seat you have for reference?

I've them for a while, so my memory is a little foggy, but I am pretty sure they are CPA 1019's.

CPA1019 Black Cloth w/ Microsuede Insert & Red Stitching Cipher Auto Racing Seats - Pair [CPA1019FSDBK-R] - $399.00 : Cipher Auto!, Automotive Parts Accessories & Universal Racing Seats

If you notice they are 19" wide across the back. Most of the ebay tuner seats are 21-22" wide to fit fat Americans like me. I had to hunt around a lot to find ones that would fit in the RX-7.

I have Corbeau FX1s in my Miata. Can't comment on installation as they were installed by the PO, other than to say that they are nonadjustable once installed so you want to commit to spending the time finding the right set up for yourself. In my case, the PO was just enough taller than me that a full clutch depression can be a bit of a stretch for me. The wheel reach distance was pretty comfy though so I left as-is last summer (aka Life with Miata S.1).

The bottom line though is that they are supremely comfortable - I drove my Miata from Denver to Ottawa in three and half days last November and was amazed by just how comfy they were. Getting perched is a bit of an effort due to the high sides of the bottom cushion, but once you're in position, man, they are awesome.

I think the big key to comfort and grip in a non-adjustable seat will be finding the right width. I know the FX1s (and likely other Corbeaus) come in three width so, taking the time before you buy to make sure the fit is what you're looking for will be time well spent.

That ^^ is a really nice looking set up antonego! +1 to FX1s I liked them much better than the A4s and did many a days drive with my butt parked in one. I think they are easier to get in and out of than Forzas and if side mounted stiffer too.

I completely agree that the key is the right width. It pays to make the trip to a shop that has lots of seats and try them all. Just be careful of what will fit in the car. Of the 3 models of the FX1 only the pro will fit in a Miata with out a little to a lot of surgery.

Many thanks! I'd like to take the compliment but full credit for the set-up goes to Coloskydiver! :appl:
He spent a lot of time and effort dialling in the whole car to near perfection that I get to benefit from. (I say "near perfection" as the mods and tweaks I add will - ahem - make it completely perfect. Of course!).

I have seats from an SRT-4 Neon in mine. I bolted the Miata rails on so I have full adjustability. They have huge bolsters on the seat bottom and just below the shoulders. Seriously lock you in.Picked them up on Craigs List for $200. Measured tons of seats before I came across these. Took about 3 hours to figure out the seat rail switch on the first one and about 1/2 to do the second one.Thought I had some pics but if anybody really cares I can take some more.

6'2, 180......I have been using a Recaro Pole Position seat on a home made fixed bracket for a few years. I had to massage the trans tunnel a little, but the fitment really wasn't that difficult. I sit plenty low, even with a helmet, and can go even lower by removing the cushion that is velcro'd to the seat base if I wanted to. I have been on a couple of 2hr road trips and I have no complaints about the seat. The door closes without and issue, but the rear hard top latch is a bit difficult to get at due to the seats fixed position.

I noticed that this seat was not included on the FM site.

Also, My cousin runs Sparco Pro 2000s in his '91 on Sparco sliders(I believe), and a decent chunk of the outer shoulder bolsters had to be trimmed to clear the door panels.

Stock Rx7 R1 seat

sbwrench your Lucky to get those seat for 200$


https://www.v8miata.net/members/sebz...er-amp-748.jpg

Kirkey Seat
 

6' 2" 265. I pulled the stock seat to do the foamectomy. I then sat in the car with no seat. So much room! In the end I have a Kirkey racing seat (19800) I found on CL with a new cover. It's bolted right to the floor (rear 2 bolts only). I actually have the seat forward about 3" to get more tilt. I bought a seatbelt extender on Amazon and bolted it to the seat and use the stock belt. I also have the 5 point ready. You can see in the pic how far back it is compared to stock. I love how firm the lateral support is. It's nice to be securely behind the wheel as the LS3 motor tries to kill me.

Notice that I also replaced the door handle with a spring loaded recessed pull for more room between steering wheel and door. It helped a lot.

I also removed the dead pedal. I think I'm going to shorten it and replace. Then pull the pedals and "straighten" them so my clown feet can get to the gas w/o hitting the brake.

These big guy mods have worked well.