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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Tall guys and Miatas?

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March 20, 2009 2:34 p.m. SVreX UberDork

OK, so my wife's '91 Miata is certainly a fun little car to drive. And, while I find I have plenty of leg room, I have a different kind of problem.

The windscreen is too short, and I find myself ducking to see under the visor/ top of the windscreen frame.

Never thought of myself as particularly tall (a little under 6'), but maybe it's all from the waist up (32" inseam).

I enjoy driving her car now and then, but couldn't do it every day.

Is the relationship between the seat bottom height and the top of the windscreen different in later generations?

Anyone else notice this??
March 20, 2009 2:36 p.m. John Brown MegaDork

Preface: Tell the wife you are going to "Clean out the Carbon and will be gone for three hours with her Miata"

1: Remove the seat

2: Remove the lower seat cover

3: Remove 1/2 the thickness of the center seak cushion with a long blade disposable razor knife

4: Reinstall

5: Drive with clear vision
March 20, 2009 2:40 p.m. jrw1621 HalfDork

i notice the same in my '90 but I accept it (6'1" 33" inseam.) Many people take off the driver's side visor in order to gain that slight little bit of view.

The removal is so popular that Moss sells a blank to cover the hole. http://www.miatamania.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=74529

John
March 20, 2009 2:42 p.m. peter New Reader

it's very easy to cut some foam out of the seat bottom to sink a bit lower into the seat. it's also very easy to remove the visors, for us tall guys they only seem to get in the way.

i'm 6', 32" inseam in a 94 Miata. you get used to it, it's no big deal. Part of the reason I drive with the top down so much is it's much easier to look OVER the windshield header than under it.

it's all in your head. there have got to be hundreds of guys over 6' driving and enjoying Miatas out there. just search miata.net, it comes up all the time.
March 20, 2009 2:42 p.m. SVreX UberDork

John Brown wrote:

...5: Drive with clear vision and a spring in your butt

Fixed it.
March 20, 2009 2:44 p.m. John Brown MegaDork

SVreX wrote:

John Brown wrote:

...5: Drive with clear vision and a spring in your butt

Fixed it.

Nope, you could remove ALL the foam and never hit a spring. There is a swiss cheese panel under the lower cushion.
March 20, 2009 2:45 p.m. Keith UberDork

No need to buy a blank, just pull the visor downwards and pop it out of the plastic bit. There's about a 3/8" hole left, and unless you're obsessive you'll never notice it again.

The seat modification is called a "foamectomy" by a lot of people. Simple and effective. You can go a lot further with foam carving, I've done a fair bit of surgery to various Miata seats to make them work better, including also reshaping the back a bit for extra lateral support. A serrated bread knife is the tool of choice.

http://flyinmiata.com/projects/LS1/index.php?UID=86
March 20, 2009 2:46 p.m. SVreX UberDork

peter wrote:

it's all in your head. there have got to be hundreds of guys over 6' driving and enjoying Miatas out there. just search miata.net, it comes up all the time.

If they were enjoying it, why would it come up all the time?

I've got plenty of cars that are enjoyable. I'm OK allowing my wife to enjoy this car without listening to me whine. Just wondering if anyone else noticed.
March 20, 2009 2:47 p.m. John Brown MegaDork

SVreX wrote:

peter wrote:

it's all in your head. there have got to be hundreds of guys over 6' driving and enjoying Miatas out there AFTER THE RECTOMECTOMY. just search miata.net, it comes up all the time.

If they were enjoying it, why would it come up all the time?

I've got plenty of cars that are enjoyable. I'm OK allowing my wife to enjoy this car without listening to me whine. Just wondering if anyone else noticed.

Edited for giggles
March 20, 2009 2:49 p.m. DILYSI Dave UltimaDork

I've driven one miata that fit me. It had a race seat mounted directly to the floor. No sliders, no nothing. It also had a small momo wheel. Those two changes opened up a ton of room in the miata.
March 20, 2009 2:57 p.m. Keith UberDork

SVreX wrote:

peter wrote:

it's all in your head. there have got to be hundreds of guys over 6' driving and enjoying Miatas out there. just search miata.net, it comes up all the time.

If they were enjoying it, why would it come up all the time?

I've got plenty of cars that are enjoyable. I'm OK allowing my wife to enjoy this car without listening to me whine. Just wondering if anyone else noticed.

Seems like you're trying to come up with reasons why you don't want to drive it. It's a common question (I'm 5'10" with little stumpy Scottish legs and the upper body of someone who's 6'2") and it's easily solved.

To answer the original questions: - yes, others have noticed, and have dealt with it in various ways - no, all of the 1990-05 cars have approximately the same seat cushion height and the windshield height never changed.

Get your wife a 2006+. You sit much lower in them.
March 20, 2009 3:53 p.m. Slyp_Dawg New Reader

I haven't sat in any miatas except either an '08 or a '09 (not entirely sure which it was), but at 5'11" and a 34" inseam (6'0" with my converse on, 6'1" if you count the hair ) I had no visibility problems. granted, if I grow the projected 4" that my docs say I will, I might have issues in the Miata, but probably more in the legroom department than anything else. there's always the foam surgery on the seats if I'm looking through the windshield frame, and unless my knees are in constant contact with the steering column with the seat back as far as it'll go, I still shouldn't have many/any issues.
March 20, 2009 6:17 p.m. kreb Dork

I wonder - I'm setting up my '90 for e-stock auto-x and I don't think that they allow race seats. Can one remove the sliders and bolt the Miata seat directly to the floor? Also, I imagine that a little foam removal will provide a snugger fit if you take it easy on the side bolsters.
March 20, 2009 6:25 p.m. Keith UberDork

kreb, start with the foam. I'm sure you could bolt the seat directly to the floor if you wanted, although I'm not sure how much it would gain you. It's still a much thicker seat than your usual race setup.
March 20, 2009 6:38 p.m. AgentReaver New Reader

6'3" here and while cramped it is such an enjoyable car there is no reason I would NOT own one. Other than I'm broke atm... But that Mazdaspeed MX-5 was sooo fun. Peeking over the windsheild to see exactly where the tires are hitting. Mmm mmm mmm. lol

Anyways, buy a nice aftermarket seat and get a slim low mount rail or mount it to the floor. An upgrade and you'll fit more comfortably.

From Miata.net:

What aftermarket seats fit the Miata without modification? The Miata has a very narrow seat tunnel and should area. The key to fitting aftermarket seats is the width of the seat and the shoulders. The tunnel can support a 19.5" width and the shoulder area can support about just under 20". (YMMV, always measure.). Seats reported to fit are: Sparco Rev, Sparco Racing, Momo T-Frame, Corbeau ForzaI , Cobra Sebring, MazdaSpeed, OMP (?),

The problem with most aftermarket seats is they they are intended for racing and will not have the ability to recline. The deap seat well also makes it difficult to get in and out. Mazdaspeed sells a reclining seat but they are about $1300/pair.We have heard of someone using the 1st gen Integra seats with success. We personally like the Miata seat for daily driving - especially with the addtion of an aftermarket lumbar support or a towel stuffed behind the cushion.

Anybody got any that use existing holes?

Many manufacturers have generic brackets you can adapt.

Is it practical to put the seat in for events and then out again for daily use?

Yes, it is only 4 bolts to take the seat out.

Are they at all adjustable?

If they are adjustable then they are not race seats. True race seats are not allowed to have a recline function. The addition of the OEM sliders does give you some fore/aft movement but it is more limited then the factory adjustment since the seat are typically rigid at the thigh area.
March 20, 2009 9:23 p.m. Buzz Killington New Reader

i agree that there is a big mental difference between top up/top down in the miata. i feel much more comfortable in a hardtop coupe than in the miata w/ the top up, even though visibility is basically the same. even the suspension seems rougher when the top is up. definitely not the same car.

SVreX wrote:

John Brown wrote:

...5: Drive with clear vision and a spring in your butt

Fixed it.

actually, no.

i'm the same height as you (6', 32" inseam), and the foamectomy was the perfect answer for me. i had the same issue as you, and cutting out some of the foam made no difference in seat comfort (actually improved it a bit...i'm in the seat rather than on it; my '91 is on 550/350lb springs), but made a huge difference in visibility with the top up.

as an added bonus, you can sculpt the foam to better fit you. and if you remove the first layer of rear foam in the seat back (i cut some out but left some as lumbar support), you get added legroom and the seat holds you almost like a race seat without the ingress/egress issues.
March 21, 2009 2:46 a.m. thatsnowinnebago HalfDork

you can just pull out a section of foam from the rear of the seat, no need to cut anything. Unzip the cover and you'll see what I'm talking about.
March 21, 2009 9:25 a.m. racerdave600 Reader

I do a foamectomy on all of my Miatas, it makes them much more enjoyable, and I'm only 5'9". You can take several inches out. I use a combination of an electric knife, to get the general shape, and then use a hack saw blade to shape like I want it by pulling it across the foam, much the same way you would do modeling clay. It works very well and you have a seat in the end that feels like a factory one, only a lot lower and incidently, more comfortable as well. The factory foam simply has too much bounce to it, and to me at least, with the foam mod the car rides a lot smoother.

I've had people over 6 feet ride in my Miatas and they are always amazed if they've spent time in a stock one. For a sports car, Miatas drive more like a mini van with the stock foam, the mod is well worth it in my opinion. Give it a try, you can aways pick up a trashed seat at a junk yard to get the bottom foam if you want to put it back to stock for whatever reason.
March 23, 2009 9:15 a.m. longhorndude New Reader

see im 6'1" and my upper body seems to fit fine in my miata, my problem is leg room with the wheel cause i have a difficult time trying to learn how to heel toe that car with the wheel in the way...
March 23, 2009 9:30 a.m. John Brown MegaDork

Foghorn, you need to do the seat back foamectomy. I replaced mine with a piece of one of those memory foam bed toppers (about 1/2" thick) and it kept my spine pretty comfy.
March 23, 2009 5:45 p.m. longhorndude New Reader

works pretty well then??
March 23, 2009 5:47 p.m. John Brown MegaDork

6'3" 285lbs and I sat the same way you do. Once the seats went backward it added 2-3" of legroom.
March 23, 2009 5:50 p.m. longhorndude New Reader

oh wow, ill considered that one
March 23, 2009 6:18 p.m. Carson HalfDork

My problem is that I am tall and really skinny 6' 32" inseam and maybe 130lbs. If I trim any foam out of the seat the lap belt will be full of slack. It hits that nylon knot that holds the buckle in place when the belt is not in use.

As far as the mattress memory foam topper, talk to Keith about a the foam he used for his Targa car. If you plan on driving your car for more than an hour that may be the way to go.
March 23, 2009 6:21 p.m. John Brown MegaDork

That's carny skinny there kid

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