What's going on here? I removed the seats from Project Miata over the weekend to gain some headroom.
No, here the cabin is drying after I made another attempt at removing the smell that Jacquot mentioned the other day. Out came the seats (easy, five bolts each) and at the suggestion of a commenter, I carefully poured detergent-y water in and went to work with a brush, then shop-vac'ed it up.
It's better. Not 100% gone, but better.
While I was in there, I started daydreaming about having a driver's seat that's not blown to pieces like the stock one. More thoughts after the jump.
Having actual lateral support would be great. Same with a lower seating position. We'll want something that can accept a five- or six-point harness, too, for track work. And sliders are a must, since so many people drive it. Bonus: a single-piece shell seat will be much lighter (not to mention safer) than the floppy stock seat.
However, this combination is a tough nut to crack in a Miata -- the stock seat is actually quite low, so sliders on an aftermarket seat usually means a higher seating position than stock, even with a seat that uses side mounts. And a Miata's sill-to-trans tunnel dimension is narrow, which creates conflict with the various wings and protuberances of aftermarket seats.
I don't have a solution for this yet. I'm all ears, though...
In the meantime, I've really been enjoying the new suspension. There's enormous grip on tap and a precision at the limit that the stock suspenders couldn't hope to provide. You might have guessed this much. However, despite the big increase in roll stiffness and lower ride height, the car's ride quality is actually compliant -- better than the tired stock suspension in many ways. Less bumpstop-ridin' nonsense. Far quicker reflexes.
FCM's damping lets the suspension breathe nicely -- I put a few hundred miles on the car over the weekend and never felt like I was being abused.
In fact, there's very little to complain about at all. This setup is completely daily-driver- / spouse-friendly. In short, a lot of capability has been added without disrupting the Miata's fundamental sweetness. I'm liking it. A lot.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 176,035 miles.
knitbeanie says:
12:29 PM, 05/17/10
steal mr. takashi's elise seats.
no seriously, they are about the only reasonable option for these cars that actually add any benefit.
nsx603 says:
12:33 PM, 05/17/10
I think the only seats that might fit in there would be "Bride" from Japan on their lo-max rails, its worth taking a look. Also, any chance there is a good shop that does interiors? They are able to build up the stock seat to add "wings" to the sides, make it more supportive, and fix the rattles and looseness of the stock seat frame, worth taking a look for that "sleeper" effect, might also be cheaper...
mlevere1992 says:
12:35 PM, 05/17/10
If you really want to get rid of the smell, replace the carpet. That is the only way to do it. It probably has mold in it from a time that the top was left down in the rain or the windows weren't up.
Jason Kavanagh replied to comment from knitbeanie
12:37 PM, 05/17/10
Two problems with the Elise seats: no provision for 5/6-pt harnesses, and they're horrendously uncomfortable.
jriz says:
12:53 PM, 05/17/10
^^ My numb lower back after driving in the Mark Mobile can attest to that.
roadburner says:
01:08 PM, 05/17/10
Stick a couple of fabric softener dryer sheets under the seats; sometimes that will eliminate a nasty odor.
zcalvert says:
01:15 PM, 05/17/10
so the Miata has the exact same issues that make it such a nuisance to replace vette seats with something decent?
aznraptor says:
01:16 PM, 05/17/10
+1 to the idea of bride seats with LoMax rails
dragonzsoul says:
01:31 PM, 05/17/10
Wow, no love for Sparco! I have a Sparco Sprint seat in my Miata, and it's wonderfully supportive! No issues with fitment, and it's on stock rails.
ikagan says:
02:12 PM, 05/17/10
Jason, what is the F/R ride height (center of the wheel to the fender lip)?
+1 on replacing the carpet to get rid of the smell (ask me how I know...).
felonious says:
02:50 PM, 05/17/10
I can't imagine with all the aftermarket support that Miatas have, that nobody has solved the seat issue you're experiencing.
http://tinyurl.com/2chfggq
anilpunjabi1 says:
03:46 PM, 05/17/10
You know how auto makers are so big into using CAD - why don't you CAD seats in from other manufacturrs - what about making a contest for people to photoshop in good seats - or you guys coudl photoshop in seats from current and past long termers :)
hurls65 says:
04:32 PM, 05/17/10
You USED to be able to buy new OEM foam for the seat bottoms... unfortunately that option appears to no longer be available. If you're planning on racing it, then no matter...
For a street-driven car the seats were actually pretty nice, and you could put a decent set of leather re-covers on them for not too much.
But I think once the foam on the bottom bolsters is gone, it's gone and you can't easily build it back up.
inlinesix says:
08:59 PM, 05/17/10
About the seat: I think Corbeau Forza with Corbeau slider drops the driver by 1/2". I've only used Bride so far but the Forza should also fit a 5-point.
tip_m says:
12:10 AM, 05/18/10
06+ elise seats are probax which are supposedly more comfortable and provide more blood circulation. I personally have no issues with comfort with the 05 Elise seats in my Miata. Plus the tan leather matches the interior almost perfectly. Exige seats have harness slots but they're significantly more expensive than Elise ones.
That being said, for track day use you're much better off with real racing seats. Kirkey Intermediate or Deluxe Road Race seats fits in a Miata just fine and they're very comfortable.
Car has a nice stance now.! Glad you're enjoying the FCM coilovers - mine are supposed to arrive in two weeks and can't wait to install them..
smilespeed3 says:
07:21 AM, 05/18/10
I have an Ultrashield Rally in my NB - a bit of a pain to get into but its pretty comfortable once you're in.
I've also test fitted a Forza, and the FX1 Pro. Heard the axispowerracing seat is the best of the bunch but I doubt you guys want to drop that kind of coin on a new seat.
czubaka says:
06:22 PM, 05/29/10
I've been pondering the seat question for a loooong time. Right now, the Cobra Racer 7 (subesports carries it) looks like the best option (5 & 6pt harness ready). It's designed for the elise/exige, so it should fit, but pricey at $700 ea! Memoryfab (website getting upgraded) has their own S58 and S68 seats which I've seen in a few miatas on line. They also sell some low-mounting position seat rails specific to the miata.
halmcgee says:
08:38 AM, 05/30/10
Here is what I did for mine.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/halmcgee/sets/72157604070392356/
Even using the stock sliders, the thinner seat cushion definitely dropped me lower in the car.
jkavanagh says:
11:13 AM, 05/30/10
czubaka, yeah I've been eyeing the Racer 7 and Imola. Both of those meet all of our requirements, though the Imola might require some massaging of the trans tunnel. I'm pretty sure the Racer 7 would be a slam-dunk fitment to the Miata. To the various sized editors here, well that's another question.