In reply to Somebeach :
It's the "Tall" Version of the Hard Dog single Diagonal. So the tallest bar that'll still fit underneath the soft top.
I'm about 6' tall, but I'm all torso, I probably have the torso of someone around 6'4". I don't fit well in many cars because of this...
It looks like you still have the sliders and mounts on your stock seat. I think you can get lower with an aftermarket seat like the Ultrashield. I used this mount with an Ultrashield Rally seat and got way lower. I didn't measure because I wasn't that close to being too tall anyway. https://trackdogracing.com/Seat_Rails.aspx
In reply to NermalSnert :
I do still have the sliders/mounts on the seat. But the seat pan dips down below the sliders while the Track Dog/Ultrashield is level. Also the stack height of the sliders is about an half inch?
I just don't see how I'm going to gain a whole lot more space in the car here without doing some cutting, which I refuse to do.
Try taking the seat all the way out and sitting on the floor. Add maybe 1 inch to that to get an idea of Ultrashield bolted directly to the floor?
docwyte said:In reply to Somebeach :
It's the "Tall" Version of the Hard Dog single Diagonal. So the tallest bar that'll still fit underneath the soft top.
I'm going to translate this to "Hard Dog Hard Core" 
The Miata seat puts you a lot lower than people on the internet give it credit for. That seat pan and the slider design put you down below what's often attainable with a more universal setup. If you can't get low enough by sitting on the pan, it's going to be really really hard to get any lower without cutting.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Shiznit!!! That’s what I thought.
So this will not be a viable track/auto-x car for me then. Unless there are rollbar extensions made? I know Brey-Krause makes one for the Boxster...
So decision now is keep it as a street car or sell it.
Any of you guys want it? I’ll sell it to a GRM’r for what I have into it...
Woa. Wait. I'm curious, are you still too high sitting on the bare floor?
In reply to NermalSnert :
I haven't pulled the seat out to check. With no seat cushion in it, I'm basically on the floor right now. I'm not going to gain 2"+ sitting on the floor. An Ultrashield with the track dog mount isn't going to be any lower than the stock seat with no cushion. So I either have to cut of the rear seat pedestal mounts or install a drop floor.
I'll figure out how much it costs to do a drop floor and go from there
Actually, Hard Dog has made one or two "Transformer" bars for the NA/NB. We offer them as a regular option for the NC, but drop Tom at Hard Dog a line. It's not so much a rollbar extension as a main hoop that can be swapped in and out.
I hope you get it resolved. :)
I'll buy you out of it if you want to cut bait and run. I still want a track car since I don't want to cut up Betty for a proper cage/rollbar seup. I promise to be out on the track a lot with it :) PM if you are interested. I'm in your area a couple days a week.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Just got off the phone with Hard Dog. They make a completely separate bar that's taller, that won't fit underneath a soft top. No extensions.
So again, a compromise I'm reluctant to do. I've called the local race shop and left them a message asking them how much it'd cost to install a drop floor on the drivers side. I'm not keen on that but it's either that or I sell the car. Right now its probably still the cheapest thing to do and get a fun little track car.
So, I dunno. If someone wants it, I'll sell it as is. If not, I'll pursue the drop floor...
Not sure about installation costs, but here's a kit for the drop floor:
Advanced Autosport Spec Miata floor drop plate
There's a midway point between the drop floor and no mods. You can pull the rear seat mounts non-destructively by drilling out the spot welds, then bolt the back of the sliders to the floor. Makes a nice difference and you can weld the mounts back in easily.
Keith Tanner said:There's a midway point between the drop floor and no mods. You can pull the rear seat mounts non-destructively by drilling out the spot welds, then bolt the back of the sliders to the floor. Makes a nice difference and you can weld the mounts back in easily.
I've heard of that option. Does that work for stock seats? (Sorry I'm a little late to the thread.)
I need to do a foamectomy on my NB, but I might also need to take out the rear mount.
It does work for stock seats. One nice side effect is that the seat rises as it goes forward, so smaller drivers may still fit.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Thanks! I'm definitely going to have to try that.
No roll bar on my daily NB currently, but it's got a hard top solid mounted and the room for my head is tight. (You know how you're taller in the morning when you first wake up? I can attest to the fact because I have more room in the car on the way home from work than in the mornings on the way there!) Was thinking about race seat, but if I put in a race seat I'd probably also want a quick release wheel for ease of access, etc, then harnesses, and for a daily that's just not the best idea. Plus I like the NB 3-spoke wheel.
Here’s where I am space wise with my helmet on. Stock seat, no bottom foam.
race shop got back to me, $1200 to install a drop floor and racing seat. So $2000 by the time I get a seat and harness.
This discussion has been valuable for me. I have an '01 Miata LS that my next level of enjoyment was going to be taking it autocrossing. I now know if the racing organization requires a rollbar, getting a roll bar in it is not going to be economically feasible. Thanks to all for the discussion here.
For autocross, roll bars are not required unless you're in a truly bonkers class.
Decision made to sell the car. I just don't fit in it. To make me fit would require cutting a hole in the floor of the car and it's just too nice of a car to do that to it.
bmw88rider and I have struck a deal and I'm paying it forward. I'm selling him the car with everything that I got for what I have into it. I'm sure I could've sold the car for thousands more to a member of the general public but that just didn't feel right.
The guy I bought the car from wanted it to go to a GRM enthusiast and priced it aggressively. I want to stay true to his desires, so it was an easy choice to make.
And I'm so excited to have it. It'll be my 5th miata and 3rd 94 (R converted to a SSC race car, C Package, and now M) Toss in a MSM and Atomic Betty and I've had a lot of flavors of Miata. I'll be picking her up next weekend. It'll see it's most miles in years next Sunday when I drive it home.
This will see a lot of track time. I have been itching to get something to get back out on track and this is perfect. I'll be taking it out to High Plains, PPIR, and Pueblo often.
In reply to bmw88rider :
I'm really bummed out with the way this turned out. The car is a low mileage, well maintained, nicely modded cream puff. I was looking forward to using it to bomb to work, date nights and track/auto-x.
While it may be the "Answer" on this board, its clearly not the answer for me, as I simply don't fit in it without cutting a gapping hole in the floor board. My friend pointed out to me that the car isn't rare and probably won't appreciate like say, an air cooled 911. That logically it made the most sense to simply spend the $1200 to drop the floor and make it fit me.
However I just can't do that to this car. It somehow seems, well, wrong. The car too nice to do that to it!
Oddly enough, this showed up today, which I'd planned on using in the miata. I could mount it in my 911 but doubt I will. I'll put it in my basement and use it in my next track car...
You clearly need a Boxster to rag around a track.
In reply to Dammit :
The thought has crossed my mind but a decent Boxster S is still pretty strong money. One that costs less probably hasn't had the IMS/RMS/Clutch done and that's a $3k+ job.
I'll start looking and if one falls into my lap, I'll get it. Otherwise I'll just use the 911
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