Racing seats

I'm going to be looking into replacing the drivers seat in my 91 Miata in the near future (prolly after the first of the year) and I already have a 5 point harness installed and I'm wanting to know if any of you guys happen to know of a good seat that wont break the bank. I would like to get a seat that has the holes for the lap belts and sub-belt. They pretty much all come with the holes for the torso belts so that's kind of a given I suppose. The factory seats are in good condition seeing as they are 22 years old (car was made in Sept of 90) but they do not have the support I want. Any suggestions?

Also, if I were to get a seat mount that lowers the height of the driver in the car, how much modification will be needed to the transmission tunnel? I'm 5' 8" and there really isnt that much space from the top of my head to the roof and the roll bar, let alone with having a helmet on...

I got some of those fake Bride seats for Tom Celica and I'm really happy with them. Mind are fixed back, but there are a fair few options available and they sure are cheap. Mine have the slots for all the belts.

There wouldn't be any modification needed to the trans tunnel AFAIK. I had a Sparco Speed seat (or something like that) in my old Miata and I really liked it. No slot for a sub belt though.

I have a Corbeau that I love... Actually, a set of them. Bought 'em out of a junkyard for $50 for the pair....

fast_eddie_72 wrote: I got some of those fake Bride seats for Tom Celica and I'm really happy with them. Mind are fixed back, but there are a fair few options available and they sure are cheap. Mine have the slots for all the belts.

I'm gonna be going for a fixed back seat. I like the one piece over the reclining ones. Besides, there isnt much room to be had for any reclining of any sort in a Miata.

thatsnowinnebago wrote: There wouldn't be any modification needed to the trans tunnel AFAIK. I had a Sparco Speed seat (or something like that) in my old Miata and I really liked it. No slot for a sub belt though.

The seat mount that I want from the team I'm backed by under team support, 5X Racing, states that MAJOR modification will be needed to the trans tunnel for that seat mount.

anjaloveshervw wrote:

I have a Corbeau that I love... Actually, a set of them. Bought 'em out of a junkyard for $50 for the pair....

That's a hell of a steal!

I recommend sitting in any seat before you buy it, I once bought a pair and was very unhappy with the fit. Sure they were real Brides, and I am not a small guy so the tiny Brides made for small Japanese dudes did not fit my body AT ALL.

Also look for one with some type of reinforcement on the part of the bolster you will be sliding over while getting in and out. I had a base Corbeau without any type of patch right there and it took all of 3 months to create a hole.

I am in a similar position right now, I will probably buy used seats...

miataman86 wrote:

thatsnowinnebago wrote: There wouldn't be any modification needed to the trans tunnel AFAIK. I had a Sparco Speed seat (or something like that) in my old Miata and I really liked it. No slot for a sub belt though.

The seat mount that I want from the team I'm backed by under team support, 5X Racing, states that MAJOR modification will be needed to the trans tunnel for that seat mount.

Depends how wide the seat is.

I have a fake bride in my Miata (Sonic VS3) and I didn't modify the trans tunnel at all. It isn't significantly lower than the stock seat though unless you remove the bottom cushion.

Mine is the narrowest and just barely interferes with the door panel, any wider and something would need clearancing.

miataman86 wrote:

thatsnowinnebago wrote: There wouldn't be any modification needed to the trans tunnel AFAIK. I had a Sparco Speed seat (or something like that) in my old Miata and I really liked it. No slot for a sub belt though.

The seat mount that I want from the team I'm backed by under team support, 5X Racing, states that MAJOR modification will be needed to the trans tunnel for that seat mount.

I'm using Corbeau Forza's with the Corbeau custom sliders. (Got the sliders from racing-seats-usa.com).

To get the driver seat where I wanted took some time with a sledge on the trans tunnel, no biggie. There is PLENTY of room between the tunnel and the trans...........it's like they knew people would be swapping in bigger stuff.

Without the foam in the seats, I'm a good 4" under my Hard Dog Hard Core without a helmet. Been driving it to work and around as well. Not a bad seat for the money (I bought mine used at 50% off), but I wouldn't mind paying $500 for a pair of new seats either.

Doesn't Kirkey make a Miata seat? Maybe not comfortable for those all day rides, although I find the aluminum seats quite OK.

Why, look here: http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/seats.php

I have a 17" Ultra Shield Spec Miata seat in the Jensenator and we have a 19" version in the LeMons car. Nice race seats, but not sure I'd want to use them in a street car.

Someone is looking for a Miata seat? What about this one (cheep, cheep):

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/200x-classifieds/aerodesign-notus-carbonkevlar-seat-w-miata-rail-adapters/54632/page1/

And yeah, I'm the one selling it.

Check out Summit. The catch is the seat cover costs almost as much as the seat itself, but it's still a decent deal. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/KIR-47300/

There are a few Sparcos that are pretty popular. Corbeaus have a tendency to sit you just about as high as a stock seat in my opinion unless you modify the bottom cushion.

Modification level to the tunnel depends on the seat and the mount. There's no absolute answer to that. If 5X says their mounts require major modification then it's probably fair to assume that their mounts will require major modification.

Sparco Evo in the MX5 cup car. Pretty comfy for a couple of hours

miataman86 wrote: The seat mount that I want from the team I'm backed by under team support, 5X Racing, states that MAJOR modification will be needed to the trans tunnel for that seat mount.

Uhhhh, what? My Sparco Sprints fit just fine, although the seat just barely touches the door on the driver's side. Pretty sure the Sprint V also has accommodations for a sub belt. They retain body heat like a mofo, and you need to be skinny (33"+ waist need not apply), but they're comfy enough for a 3-4 hour drive

I'm not that big of a guy (5'8" 175 lbs 33" waist) and Im gonnna look into getting the Sparco Sprint 5 seat after the holidays are over and if it can fit 33" waists, then I'm good to go. The AWR mounts on 5X's site have two versions, one that's normal fitting and the other one allows the seat to be mounted lower via cutting out the rear seat bump stands and the mount sits right in line with the mounting holes nice and flush. I'm going to consider getting that one that allows for lower mounting.