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TR4 Seating.....


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Hi All,

 

There seem to have been a number of other threads on seats, but not that really covered the questions I had.......

 

My TR4 came with a pair of Moss-supplied replacement leather seats, very nice they are too, with the exception that they do not offer the legroom I need - the previous owner was considerably shorter than me! I'm only 6ft but my left leg catches the lower dash every time I'm using the clutch so something has to change.

 

I know that the usual option is to fit Mk1 or 2 mx5 jobs - can anyone explain what is different about fitting in a 4 rather than a 4A/5/6, most things I've read seem to mention 'extra' work but not really explain what that entails.

Given some of the high prices, I'm thinking about black cloth rather than leather.

 

My car is a 62, so would, I think, originally have had type1/2 seats.... So Another option I was considering was wheat her to look for a pair of those because from the pictures I have seem the shape of the backrest is more 'rounded' so I suspect would allow the back of the seat to extend beyond the rear wheel arch (which is what seems to be stopping my existing seat from moving far enough back)

 

So.... After all that, do the early seats allow greater seat travel? I'm guessing that anything would be an improvement on my current situation, Early mx5'should be ok - but do the high-back ones allow enough room to fold the hood frame? (no Surrey here) and how are they more awkward to fit in a 4 than later cars?

 

Any thoughts/comments?...... Andy

Edited by AndyR100
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Andy

 

I have fitted MX5 seats from NC series car (around 2000 onwards) to my 65 TR4. I had brackets made up from a template I made and had to lift the outside rear of each seat about 25mm to give clearance of the hood frame. I have to fold the seats forward to erect the frame but am happy with that. Car is not here at present but happy to send you photos when I get it back if you pm me your email

 

Alternatively happy to sell you the original seats - vinyl is acceptable, foam needs replacement

 

Graze

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With the opposite problem in a 4A, I took the advice of some genius on this forum, and made a couple of steel strips that bolted to the floor via the seat runner holes. the seat runners bolted to the strips but a couple of inches further forward. Next owner can take them out.

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I have MX5 tombstone seats in my 62 TR4 (also kept the originals)

With the seat pushed all the way back I can depress the clutch and straighten my leg and cant reach to fully depress the pedal

Im 5' 10" with what I consider a normally proportioned body!!

The bottom / back of the seat hits the inertia reel of the seat belt before it hits the arch - I guess it would go back still further if the reel wasn't there (in the corner)

The angle of the backrest doesn't make much difference to how far back you can push the seat because its the base of the seat that hits the arch and this will happen at any angle.

With the original seats all the way back I seem to remember I could only just reach the pedal

I used TR Trader tall person brackets and modified them slightly to move the seat closer to the tunnel to get it more central with the steering wheel. This is ok but if you wanted to push the seat all the way forward there comes a point when the squab is tight is against the tunnel

MX5 seats are never going to clear the arch at the base of the seat - I cant remember if the originals did or not - if they did then there is a another 3" to play with before you hit the bulkhead - although your going to need arms like an orangotang (?) to reach the steering wheel at this point

Hope this helps

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As I mentioned in a previous thread on this very subject I have a long body and short legs. Have a look at these pictures of my solution.

DSC00945_zpsmsdv33xi.jpg

DSC00943_zpsjg2xifh8.jpg

DSC00942_zpsu0n2ptok.jpg

DSC00941_zpsnibrseid.jpg

THE best improvement I have ever done to my car. I was very lucky to find a set in red leather its a great match to my matador red trim.

 

Plenty of fore and aft movement, back tilt and I'm now looking out of the windscreen instead of the top of the rail.

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Thanks for the thoughts so far..... I saw the different TRE pre-made brackets, the comments on their website that a TR4 needs some extra fettling than the later cars was one of the reasons I was hoping for personal experiences.

 

If my logic of the earlier seats having more backwards movement is wrong, short of remodelling the inner arch, I'll certainly need to change from what I have now.

 

...... Andy

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Andy

I don't see why the job on a TR4 is any more difficult (or easy) than on a TR4A - you need to straighten out the MX5 runners - easy if you have a vice. Is the difference on a 4 that you have to beat the seat pan to stop it dragging - not that I found this necessary

Still cant confirm if the original seats clear the arch at the base - Im sure someone else can............

post-11328-0-35697100-1444579461_thumb.jpg

post-11328-0-50845500-1444579488_thumb.jpg

post-11328-0-50859600-1444579513_thumb.jpg

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Sorry, my mistake.... I meant to say TR Trader brackets, not TRE!

 

Thanks for the photographs, perhaps with much thinner seat backs there is more room available anyway, even if the rear arch isn't actually cleared.

Interesting that there may not be much difference to fit meant in the models..... that could have cheered me up :)

 

....... Andy

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My car is a 62 TR4. I flattened the bases of my seats with a wooden mallet. Easy job, not pretty but it doesnt have to be, and its only because I wanted to mount the seats to be as low as possible.

 

I dont think there is anything different between a 4 or 4A install.

 

Are you saying you need the seat to go back between the tunnel and the back wheel arch? You must have long legs if you do! :blink:

 

Nick

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Hi Nick,

Looking at more photographs and reflecting on other comments I suspect the source of my problem is that the current seats have a relatively thick backrest and also very straight across.... So my body doesn't get as far back as it would if the seat backs were thinner.

I don't think I'm a particularly weird shape, Mrs R has never been overly concerned with being seen with me in daylight!

As you say, actually getting anything that will actually slide back past the wheel arch isn't going to be easy.

 

From your photogaphs, does your drivers seat go further back than shown?

 

Bit of a shame to change the existing seats, they are actually rather nice, but that seems to be the best proposition.

Whatever I change to I'll try and remember to take some photographs as I fit them in case they are useful to others in the future.

 

....... Andy

Edited by AndyR100
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Andy

 

Ive just put my seat right back and it measures 40" from the bottom front of the seatback upright to the brake pedal.

 

With the seat right back there was about another 2" behind the seat ie I could have made the brackets differently and used those 2".

 

However there is no way the seat would go between the tunnel and the wheelarch. No chance.

 

So I would say 42" is maximum.

 

And I doubt there is a slimmer, easily available seat around.

 

Nick

Edited by AlfredHitchcock
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Hi Nick, that measurement is great, I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere before.... will check against mine and will know exactly how much extra I'll get, thank you!

 

Cheers, Andy

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I have MK2 MX seats fitted (separate head rest type) and using the brackets from the Technicalities CD (Much stronger than the TR Trader ones) I have 41 1/2" from brake pedal and at 6` 4" I dont have any problem with room. The Moss classic seats are very thick in the depth of not only the squab but the back as well which is why you dont have the leg room.

Stuart.

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Hi All,

 

thanks to everyone for all their thoughts and comments and especially to Nick, Niall and Stuart for taking the measurements form their cars - i think that settles it.

 

When pushed back as far as they will go, my Moss seats give 38" from the brake pedal to the internal angle of the seat back/base.

 

Hopefully this will be of help to others who may have a similar problem.

 

cheers, andy

Edited by AndyR100
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Hi All,

 

thanks to everyone for all their thoughts and comments and especially to Nick, Niall and Stuart for taking the measurements form their cars - i think that settles it.

 

When pushed back as far as they will go, my Moss seats give 38" from the brake pedal to the internal angle of the seat back/base.

 

Hopefully this will be of help to others who may have a similar problem.

 

cheers, andy

Are they touching the wheel arch when in that position as if they are then that shows how much thicker the seat is.

Stuart.

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Hi Stuart,

 

Yep, the seatback is butted right up against the wheel arch, so we know my current seats are a good 3" thicker - I'm looking ahead to some less cramped driving :)

 

...... Andy

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I do really notice the difference when driving a standard seat equipped car, most of our members down here have gone to MX seats anyway.

Stuart.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just to close the circle on this one.....

 

I decided to get in touch with Paul Bishop (nice chap, although his place is a little awkward to find!) about some MX5 seats; he was able to supply me with some black ones, trimmed with white piping, separate headrest with Mk1 runners relatively quickly.

 

Decided to get the TR Trader 'tall driver' brackets, had a chat with Carl who was helpful, explaining that the brackets should be OK but if the floor pan has had some work in the past there could be some extra drilling to be done - nothing unexpected.

 

Of the four n/s mountings the rear one next to the tunnel has the captive (or, in my case, free) nut rather inconveniently between the floor and the chassis rail..... however it is possible to get in there..... just :) all the others on the car, n/s and o/s, were all accessible.

 

I found that the front brackets lined up OK, but the rear ones needs some new holes drilling - and then a little extra elongation for good measure!

On my car the drivers side needed to shuffle a little further towards the tunnel in order to get the full range of backward travel - there wasn't enough meat on the brackets, I decided not to drill new holes in the floor-pan, instead opening out the mounting holes in the seat runner fixings (the ones you need to bend straight) did the trick.

 

I now have a good 2.5-3" more legroom, and, because the seatbacks narrow quickly, I am still able to get a good range of 'recline' as well - happy days :)

 

Hopefully, the attached photographs of the mounting are useful for others

 

Thanks for all the pointers from the forum, and my dad for providing extra hands when needed!

 

......... Andy

 

post-13122-0-05668900-1447008480_thumb.jpgpost-13122-0-46134200-1447008479_thumb.jpg

Edited by AndyR100
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