what seats fit nb

[mhj]

im wondering what other cars have seats that might fit the mighty mixxy( nb)
i was speaking to a friendly fella that imports 2nd hand from japan and he suggested an rx8 seat...got me thinking
rx8...rx7...nc( are they comfy i wonder)
any thoughts and or preferably direct experience
enjoy

[Mr Morlock]

There is a recemt long thread on seats which should be easy to find. You really have to question what is wrong with the OE seats unless you are a regular track driver.

[Matty]

The OE seat is too high, that's what's wrong with it.

Most seats from other cars are too big to fit, or will sit you even higher.

You have to look at lightweights like the Lotus Elise to find ones that work (a few good threads on MX5nutz)

[philz]

rx8 seats don't fit at all, some guy in the US has tried it and looks very bulky in the mx5 interior, so it looks gay imo.

Go to here: http://clubroadster.net/forum/viewtopic ... hlight=rx8

Rx7 seats can fit, as they are similar interior design, again you'll need to make custom brackets.

Rx7 Spirit R seats will fit, but a pair of seats can fetch up to $4000 used.

OEM NB8A suck soo bad, and aren't comfortable at all, probably the easiest direct replacement are NB8B seats, with a tad more support.

The second option, if you want MORE support than OEM, but ease of fitment, ie/ bolt on seat rails [no custom rails]

You have a wide variety of aftermarket seats, it's all a matter of choosing the correct seat that doesn't have large side wings, correct height of the wings, and the width of the seat.

The problems you face choosing the seat are:
where the side wings will hit the door panel,
the width of the seat, which may hit the transmission tunnel
And finding the correct seat rails.

[bigdog]

very few replacement seats will get you any lower in the car unless you were thinking of an unpadded fibreglass shell. Our seats already sit very close to the floor (put your hand under to see how much room there is) and most aftermarket seats need adaptors to match the original rails. Bolting a seat direct to the floor will get you lower, but is not legal. What you can do is perform a foamectomy on the OEM seat. Instructions are on miata.net (the big forum). I have done this, as have Caffeine and others here, and it will definitely get you down lower without sacrificing too much comfort. My race seat is about an inch and a half lower, but I gave up trying to live with it on a daily basis and went back to OEM. Almost every production car seat I have looked at is more thickly padded than our OEM seats, so you won't improve things that way. Sparco Sprints, Velo (some models), and Cobra Monaco seats can be made to fit, but all are fixed back. Reclining aftermarket seats again all seem to be more heavily padded, so won't improve your fit in the car. The only ones that might work IMHO are Lotus Elise seats, but I don't know how you would go fitting them or buying them.

[wun911]

I think NC seat in NB would be nice but I havent seen it done yet.

[mhj]

There is a recemt long thread on seats which should be easy to find. You really have to question what is wrong with the OE seats unless you are a regular track driver.

nothing wrong with them...but can they be more right!?!?!?
i dont do the track thing but i do do the obsession
i read the thread you speak of and i do think the mazdaspeed seats are good...and i have sat in one at mx5mania...they are more comfy...but that decal down the centre...hmm..yet maybe....the f1 seats that are all single colour look better to me and are made of pseudo suede...they seem a good idea but none available.....guess i can wait..
second hand suits me cause my car is second hand too so they would thus match...($$$)
the nc seats are a distinct possability....but are they more comfy??
thanks for the responses
enjoy

[PUR157]

The logo down the middle is something for the Leather models...
If you get a suede one however there are no such troubles?

Here's one in NA form


If you've sat in one and you like it... I don't think there's any other choice
One can be had for about $500ish per seat

[mhj]

The logo down the middle is something for the Leather models...
If you get a suede one however there are no such troubles?

Here's one in NA form


If you've sat in one and you like it... I don't think there's any other choice
One can be had for about $500ish per seat

pleased to see it in a car
that is exactly what i want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
enjoy

[bigdog]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Mazdaspeed seats won't sit you any lower in the car will they? Certainly less travel rearwards as they are thicker in the backrest.

[PUR157]

From some accounts I have heard, they actually have the bum a little higher off the floor

Personally I haven't physically noticed this... but the top of the speedo and tacho seem to be abit more obscured (But to be honest I can't reallly remember how much of them I saw before I fit the seat though...)

I'm 175cm and aside from the aforementioned I still love them!

[Mr Morlock]

Bigdog's longer post was quite interesting. The MX5 is quite an exceptional package and in my view highly optimised. The seat engineers have very carefully made a seat to make the best of the already economical cabin and layout- dash height and windscreen height. The end result probably suits the not so tall drivers and those with a very large frame may feel cranped. One might easily underestimate how much work and adjustment goes into producing the OE seat. Trying to improve on it may very well end up with compromises in other aspects given the physical dimensions of the vehicle.

[marcusus]

With those Mazdaspeed seats, you definitely sit higher, although not by much. I can see a bit more of the bonnet in the Mazdaspeed seats I've got.

As for getting ones without the logo, they're a fair bit harder to find, and the price generally reflects this. Take into account the Aussie dollar against the Yen and you'll have to pay even more. That being said, having the Mazdaspeed logo down the seat isn't exactly a problem. You're generally sitting in the seat anyway. Besides, it starts growing on you after a while

Comfort wise, the Mazdaspeeds are such a step above the factory NB8A seats. I haven't had any increased difficulty getting in/out of the car. The only down side I've experienced with them (as mentioned in the other thread) is that I can't put the soft top up as easily as before from the driver's seat. I now need to prop myself up on the centre console to reach over the shoulder wings and grab the roof. A small price to pay.

If you do go down this path, just be aware that the seats were manufactured to fit all Mazdas, which means you'll need either the Mazda factory brackets or custom fabricated brackets to fit the seats to the rails. They don't make the Mazda factory brackets anymore either, so expect to have to get some made up (unless you get lucky).

[dbr]

I have read a few of these seat threads but still have a few of questions;
Is the NB8B (or later) seat better at sideways restraint than the NB8a?
Did any of the NB8B (or later) models come with light tan leather to match my Herritage NB8a?
Where can you buy the Mazdaspeed seat praised in this thread and is ther any identification of this seat among the Mazdaspeed range required?
I intend to use my car on the road mainly, but I do flop about while cornering.

[philz]

Did you want a recliner or fixed?

There is a white Mazdaspeed recliner seat on ebay, with mx5 rails I believe.