mx5cartalk.com

I think I've figured out why I'm getting so many back problems, a lot of it is probably stemming from the total lack of support from my tan leather, NA seats - they're terrible.

So, looking for a couple of options - can people comment on any of these?

1) Re-build / Re-bolster the seat adding extra lumbar support and firming up the 'wings' etc.

2) Fitting an aftermarket, new seat and trimming in tan leather (will need two)

3) Fitting seats from, say a WRX or similar and re-trimming these

I'd like to go the first route, does anyone know of a decent person to go to on the North Shore to have this service performed? I'm not afraid of spending a bit of cash to get it right.

Any help appreciated.

Cheers - Mike

QwikMX5 wrote:I had my seats retrimmed in bone/tan leather, but I also had them re-bolster the wings for more lateral support. Really makes a difference around corners. Only problem is that damn lumbar support. I don't think it will look too good with a great big cushion sticking out of the base of the upright section of the seat.

Given the option, I would look at alternatives from more luxururious models that had more cushioning and support as standard. From there, you could trim and fit them. This also means you could purchase a worn seat quite cheaply and spend more on fine-tuning where you want the cushioning to be beefed up.

Just my 2c

Thanks Qwick, when, where and approx how much, do you recall?

Cheers - Mike

Hi Mike,

I'm looking into the whole seat issue in detail s I have discovered my leather seats have extra padding that cause me to sit much higher in the car than std NB8B seats. Will be over at Mania tomorrow to look at some alternatives. I note that there is an NA for sale on eBay with S2000 seats fitted - don't know what would be involved but might be worth calling the guy and asking? There are a few aftermarket seats that fit, but comfort depends on your size and body shape as much as the seat, so you really need to sit in any prospective replacement first and try it out. Will keep you posted on my findings.

Hi Mike,

Have you tried the simple solution?

This is not an original idea of mine, picked it up here on the forums, and has solved the problem for me.

I used a high density piece of closed cell foam, cut and tried a few before I found just what did it for my back.

I also belt in a little tight, and lock the inertia reel so I don't move around so much. In combination, works for me. Drove from the Gold Coast to Ballarat . . . back was good.

Worth a try?

Thanks Rex - I'll give that a shot in the first instance. I'd still like to have the lower seat re-bolstered, as the foam has compressed so much that they're just not supporting my heft 80Kgs well.

Although, seeing those pics, I may be able to pretty much take the seat apart and do it myself.

I'll shoot up to Clark Rubber and grab some foam then!

Cheers -Mike

Your welcome Mike . . . let us know how it goes for you.

That trick worked for me in my NA.

When I added seat heaters to my NB I tried adding some extra foam for added lumbar support but for some reason I could never get it in quite the right place on the drivers seat. It worked first time on the passengers seat though.

If your leather is in good condition it's not that hard to take the leather facings off and repair the foam underneath. You are a bit limited in how much extra side bolstering you can add though due to tight fit required by the leather seat facings. But adding extra foam to the seat squab is quite straight forward. The Mazda foam is only average quality and deteriorates fairly quickly in the high wear parts of the seat.

A tip for reassembly is to use small cable ties rather than the metal \"hog ties\" Mazda used. This makes the job a whole lot easier. It's also easier to cut the internal hog ties off with side cutters than to try to prise them open.

Ah NA seats......what a pain in the arse as I discovered in my first 5.

Garry's advices is right.

Another trick is to install a pump up bladder in the lumber area. That way you can adjust it on the move to give the desired support. A lot of the after market seats have this.
This will fix the back problem but not the sore arse. That is a product of aged hardening Mazda leather facings. Time for a retrim. Sorry.
You should be able to get a quality full retrim with leather front, sides and back for around the $1,000 - $1,100 mark (total) to do both seats.