Sparco Sprint 5 in an NB (a few pics)

[Alex]

well my new seat is in

the good
- Cheapish
- Bolstering
- Can support 4, 5 and 6 point harnesses
- Seating position lower than stock (great if your tall or for helmet clearance on track)
- Higher back than stock (supports your head if your tall)
- Light
- Looks cool
- Can retain full forward/back motion when using stock rails

the bad
- Harder to get into
- Might attract more cops (very visible)
- Harder to move around in (checking blind spots)
- Lower seating position (positive as well but not when reversing, can't see over boot lid anymore)
- Harder to install on stock rails than the original Sprint (but it can be done like mine is)
- It's soo buckety that most seat covers will not cover the bolstering when seated

For me the shoulder bolstering is great and so is the sides (for leg support) but there is a bit too much room around my waist (maybe I need to put on some weight) but it's still alot better than stock
looks great too







so I don't use up everyone's bandwidth in this thread here is a link with detailed fitment pictures CLICKY
edit: link fixed

[Ajay]

very sexxxy!..

ill have to post pics of my ones in the NA when i get my second one on Monday

[sliq]

i'm tempted to get a sparco... but the back is fixed

[ASE05]

Hmmmmm, maybe there is a small difference between the NB8C and the NB8A!!??

I've just tried to fit mine with no luck. I've used the OEM holes at the front of the rails and re-drilled the rears to suit. I've then bolted the rails to the Sparco. All good so far.....

The rear bolt holes from the rail to the body of the car are lining up but alas, the front is out by ~1.5cm. The lil' locating pins on the rail that are supposed to locate the seat to the body go in one side but currently no chance on the other.

I've tried to look at the old thread with detailed instructions but comes up with dead database stuff?

Can someone chime in a lemme know what I'm missing?

[philz]

here's the link
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=32692&hilit=sparco+sprint

[ASE05]

here's the link
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=32692&hilit=sparco+sprint

yeah, I know about that one but there is a clicky at the bottom of those pics in this thread that's DEAD

This one: http://www.mx5cartalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=29598

[zawrilla]

i'm tempted to get a sparco... but the back is fixed

How much reclining do you possibly do in an Mx5 Michael??
That's why I thought these seats were perfect for it, compared to say a car with a back seat and some room to lean back.


The seat looks great Alex. I see the dodgy day encouraged you to get one . Now it's time for the others there to get it. Liam.. Michael, I'm looking at you two.

[Alex]

The seat looks great Alex. I see the dodgy day encouraged you to get one . Now it's time for the others there to get it. Liam.. Michael, I'm looking at you two.

I actually had it before the dodgy day but it keeps on coming out then I never get around to putting it back in, maybe over the next few weeks.

Also here is the link to the big thread.
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=29598

[zawrilla]

The seat looks great Alex. I see the dodgy day encouraged you to get one . Now it's time for the others there to get it. Liam.. Michael, I'm looking at you two.

I actually had it before the dodgy day but it keeps on coming out then I never get around to putting it back in, maybe over the next few weeks.

Also here is the link to the big thread.
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=29598

My bad.. I didn't realise the initial date of the thread..just saw that it was recently updated

[ASE05]

OK, I'm still in the dark here;

yep the rails had to be modified, both rails need to have a hole drilled to line up with the bottom mounts, then the rail on the transmission tunnel side needed some grinding done and one of the bolts did as well

My problem seems to be at the front of the seat. I've drilled the holes out of the rails at the rear as per your pics and it works a treat.

The front of the rails are the ones not lining up.

Just while I'm typing this I thought I'd check something on the seat. On the Sparco site it suggest the "lower fixing points" should be (front to back) 10.67" x (Side to side) 13.58" or 27.10cm x 34.49cm. The spacing on mine is 34.49cm(actually about 34.3cm) for the rear mounts(side to side) but the front mount(side to side) is only 33.7cm!! It should be a rectangle but mine's outta whack! Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

EDIT: fron to back mounts are out as well

[ASE05]

Well the seat was well out Just got a refund from Revolution Racegear so I'm happy but no seat for track day 22/09/08.

[Alex]

Well the seat was well out Just got a refund from Revolution Racegear so I'm happy but no seat for track day 22/09/08.

well that's a bit different, I wonder how they managed that it seems to be a very solid seat.
I guess it's a good thing for others to note if their's don't fit as well

[Caffeine]

I'm thinking of one for the future, but it's low on my priority list at the moment (may need a new engine, depending on how the inspection of my wobbly crank pulley turns out!)

[timk]

The problem I've got now is that the Sparco Sprint V has side mounts as well as bottom mounts, and these additional side mounting points are fouling on the OEM bolt spacers welded to the vertical seatbelt plate on the LHS rail (my NA didn't have this plate as the seatbelt was mounted on the transmission tunnel). Did you guys just mill/grind the two spacers off?

Yep this is a problem with the sprint V's
see my thread regarding modification of the rails, ended up having to grind them down a bit

Cool; it's good to know you got it to work this way! I thought I was being a pioneer!

Do you know how you can get the two halves of the rail to come apart? I'd like to pull it apart so I can paint it after the modification but I can't figure out what the slider catches on.

Cheers

[Alex]

I don't think I ever managed to get them apart, looking at the photo's the upper half has an indent in it about halfway through, I think this fouls on the rivet type things on the ends stopping it.

Legality, well I think they are ADR approved, either way everything needs a certificate to be "legal".