Gary Coleman. Danny DeVito. Emanual Lewis. Wee Man.
Until yesterday, these were the only four people that could drive our Project Miata comfortably.
Personally I've been complaining about the Miata's seating position since I drove a pre-production Miata back in 1989. The seat angle is all wrong (kinda dumps you into the footwell) and the seat is just mounted too high. Combine that with a steering column with no tilt and I've always wondered why Mazda wanted you to sit on a Miata and not in a Miata.
Until yesterday I thought the only solution to this is an aftermarket seat. I was wrong. Dan Edmunds had another solution. "Pull the seat foam out," he said. "I did it to one of my Miata race cars about 20 years ago."
So I did.
Yesterday I pulled out the Miata's driver's seat and went for it. I peeled off its seat bottom upholstory as much as possible, stuck a hand in there and began tearing. What I found was very dense foam more than two inches thick. More platform than padding. I even had to use a steak knife to cut some of it out.
When I was done, nearly all of it lay on my driveway, but only sections from under the driver's butt. I left the side bolsters and the thigh support alone. The entire process took about two hours, and I did loose more than a little knuckle skin (blood everywhere), but the results were worth it.
I'd still like the seat to be about a half inch even lower, but now the top of the steering wheel isn't covering the top of the gauges, and you no longer feel like you're sitting on top of the car.
Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief
stovebolter says:
05:51 PM, 03/14/11
I've come to appreciate being 5'9" (it was tough growing up - my brother is 6'3"). While I might not reach everything on the upper shelves at the store, I fit in absolutely every vehicle I've ever driven from big trucks to little convertibles, and I fit well. No seat modifications necessary.
robert4380 says:
06:41 PM, 03/14/11
So what's the seat feel like now? Are you just sitting on a piece of leather stretched over metal support bars? That can't be too comfortable.
prndlol says:
08:08 PM, 03/14/11
^^^
What robert4380 asked...
actualsize says:
09:57 PM, 03/14/11
When I did it to my car, 20 years ago (gulp), I left a little foam in, but not much. I raced it that way for several years with no backside complaints whatsoever. My seat is cloth, and the covering looks a little loose, but it still sits just fine. Also, dropping the cushion effectively makes the side bolsters taller, too, so you get more lateral support for free.
That said, I have not yet sat myself in this seat. I took a little out of the seat back, too, but Scott left that alone for now. A little adjusting may be in the offing. For now, Scott at least is pleased that the seat is going in the right direction for zero money.
hank39 says:
05:45 AM, 03/15/11
"and I did loose more than a little knuckle skin..."
It's lose...not "loose."
viss1 says:
08:10 AM, 03/15/11
I modded the seat of my street-driven '94 Miata about 10K miles ago, and if anything it's MORE comfortable than before. There's still enough padding to cushion bumps, and the improvement in seating position and geometry makes a huge difference.
In addition to improving seating position, removing foam also gives you more prominent bolstering, which is oddly kind of weak in stock seats.
rilam36 says:
08:19 AM, 03/15/11
I'm with Dan. I had a '94 (cloth interior) and removed all but an inch on the bottom. Also removed a sizeable chunk from the lumbar area. I feel like the improved position actually made it more comfortable. The "added" bolsters fit my narrow frame much better and I bought myself an extra inch of leg room as well. The greatest benifit was not having to crane my neck as far trying to see the streetlights under the windshield header. If a seat isn't in the budget, this mod is a must in my mind.
bonzjr says:
08:48 AM, 03/15/11
A common mod for 1st gen Miatas. Most people like the results.
On a side note: with foam in or out, I'm pretty sure Gary Coleman still can not drive your Miata comfortably. Unless something has changed he's still dead.
stovt001 says:
11:11 PM, 03/15/11
You definitely sit IN NCs. I always laugh when someone goes to sit in the passenger seat for the first time and falls a half a foot further than they anticipated.