MX5 Seats

[Magoo]

Hi all

Thought you might be interested in my experience in fitting MX5 seats.

Firstly I read the TR Register CD and it clearly describes the process and the brackets to be used.

At the same time I was reading the posts on the Forum.

Taking advice from the Forum I decided to buy a set of brackets from TR Trader instead of making my own as suggested on the CD.

Having received the runners belonging to the new seats I started to modify them in accordance with the CD by cutting off the ends and removing the studs. Just after I had one modified I received the seats and eventually the TR Trader brackets arrived. It quickly became obvious that the runners I had modified were too short.

Lesson 1, Either use the CD instructions and brackets or the TR Trader instructions and brackets (having remembered to ask Carl how to modify the MX5 runners-no instructions came with them!) With the CD instructions the runner ends are removed. With the TR instructions the ends are straightened and left on!

Anyway I welded new ends onto the runners and proceeded to use them with the TR Trader brackets.

 

I was taking out Corbeau Classis seats so there had been more holes bored in the floor to fit them. The TR Trader brackets matched the old holes for the origional Tr seats exactly but this put the MX5 seats too far forward and I could not get the full range towards the rear. Answer, another set of holes in the floor. Basically I put the brackets on to the seat, positioned it roughly inside the car, got someone to sit on the seat, fine tuned the position and then drilled four holes in the floor from the bottom.

 

Although It is suggested that the brackets are bolted to the floor directly through the carpet, I removed to carpet and felt, sealed the floor, bolted the brackets directly onto the floor and then laid the felt and carpet before refitting the seats onto the brackets.

 

The seats seem very comfortable. My head is close to but not touching the roof. It is great to be able to recline the seat. The fitting is tight but it works.

 

If I can upload the photos you can see what I have done. The seats have been recovered to match existing upholstry so will take time to 'settle'. I recon the new seats are about an inch higher(see photo). I am 5' 10" 14 stone and the new driving position is a little higher (than the corbeau seats) but I can get my knees comfortably under the full diameter steering wheel.

Hope this helps, Regards John

NB have a number of photos but cannot upload them. Says 'too big', do not know how to compress them!!

Anyone want Corbeau Classic seats in grey with dark blue piping?

[88V8]

Taking advice from the Forum I decided to buy a set of brackets from TR Trader instead of making my own as suggested on the CD.

Having received the runners belonging to the new seats I started to modify them in accordance with the CD by cutting off the ends and removing the studs. Just after I had one modified I received the seats and eventually the TR Trader brackets arrived. It quickly became obvious that the runners I had modified were too short.

Lesson 1, Either use the CD instructions and brackets or the TR Trader instructions and brackets (having remembered to ask Carl how to modify the MX5 runners-no instructions came with them!) With the CD instructions the runner ends are removed. With the TR instructions the ends are straightened and left on!Although It is suggested that the brackets are bolted to the floor directly through the carpet, I removed to carpet and felt, sealed the floor, bolted the brackets directly onto the floor and then laid the felt and carpet before refitting the seats onto the brackets.

 

The seats seem very comfortable. My head is close to but not touching the roof. It is great to be able to recline the seat. The fitting is tight but it works.

I recon the new seats are about an inch higher(see photo). I am 5' 10" 14 stone and the new driving position is a little higher (than the corbeau seats) but I can get my knees comfortably under the full diameter steering wheel.

I fitted MX5s in my 6 last year, with Carl's brackets.

I agree, they're about 1" higher (than the original seats). I'm 6' and I do have to peer under the screen a bit at traffic lights. Comfortable seats though, and better support than the originals.

The only fitting issue I had was on the driver's side where it was fiddly getting enough travel without hitting the foot of the B post at the back, or the side of the trans tunnel at the front. I had to redrill a couple of the holes in the brackets, I used the original captive holes in the floor.

 

Here's a pic of the brackets, and the seat runners (downloaded from Photobucket). The ends of the top bracket in the pic have been straightened, the bottom one hasn't.

 

 

Here's a runner end after I straightened it out. To straighten it, I had to cut away part of the web, you can just see the clean metal of the cut.

 

And here's how it was before straightening. Unfortunately this is the opposite 'side' to the previous pic which is a bit confusing, but you can see the web that has to be cut away. After cutting the web, I didn't weld in anything to replace it as I reckoned that it wouldn't bend in use, so far it hasn't.

Is this how you did it?

 

I think it's a very good idea to do as you have, and not trap the carpet under the seat runners. That way, when the carpet gets wet you can take it out to dry. Unfortunately, I did trap it so that's one thing I have to change.

 

Who recovered the seats for you?

 

Ivor

[TR NIALL]

The type of runners that Ivor is showing are from a later type mx5 as in mk2 maybe 98 on,the early mx5 92ish there is no web to cut and the runners are simpler to fit and in my opinion fit better,the reason i say this is that i have fitted both types and the early ones get my vote.

[Magoo]

Hi again

Yes, my seat runners are the same as Ivor's, later MX5 with separate adjustable headrest.

Instead of cutting the web as Ivor did, I cut a V into it, straightened the bottom and then put a tack weld to retain the strength.

I was lucky to pick the seats up locally. I discovered an retired upholsterer doing work locally from his garage who just happened to have a pair of MX5 seats. He recovered them to match the inside of the car.

Incidently the bracket shown on the runner is a seat belt bracket which sits up against the tunnel and is not seen. It, of course, should not be used for seat belt attachment unless the seats are securely mounted.

[88V8]

The type of runners that Ivor is showing are from a later type mx5 as in mk2 maybe 98 on,the early mx5 92ish there is no web to cut and the runners are simpler to fit and in my opinion fit better,the reason i say this is that i have fitted both types and the early ones get my vote.

Curses

 

I was told they were Mk1s (they have the separate headrest), but my knowledge of MX5 is limited to the fact that they exist. Yes, fiddling with the webs best avoided. I shall know better if there is a next time.

 

Ivor

[tthomson]

Hi Ivor,

 

I recently had my TR4A seats recovered in Leather (navy with white piping) by a woman in Northampton who has started to refurbish seats and interiors. She has a website, www.minismum.co.uk, and I was very pleased with both the pricing and the results. Her website explains a little about her. I found her very easy to do business with.

 

TT

 

 

I fitted MX5s in my 6 last year, with Carl's brackets.

I agree, they're about 1" higher (than the original seats). I'm 6' and I do have to peer under the screen a bit at traffic lights. Comfortable seats though, and better support than the originals.

The only fitting issue I had was on the driver's side where it was fiddly getting enough travel without hitting the foot of the B post at the back, or the side of the trans tunnel at the front. I had to redrill a couple of the holes in the brackets, I used the original captive holes in the floor.

 

Here's a pic of the brackets, and the seat runners (downloaded from Photobucket). The ends of the top bracket in the pic have been straightened, the bottom one hasn't.

 

 

Here's a runner end after I straightened it out. To straighten it, I had to cut away part of the web, you can just see the clean metal of the cut.

 

And here's how it was before straightening. Unfortunately this is the opposite 'side' to the previous pic which is a bit confusing, but you can see the web that has to be cut away. After cutting the web, I didn't weld in anything to replace it as I reckoned that it wouldn't bend in use, so far it hasn't.

Is this how you did it?

 

I think it's a very good idea to do as you have, and not trap the carpet under the seat runners. That way, when the carpet gets wet you can take it out to dry. Unfortunately, I did trap it so that's one thing I have to change.

 

Who recovered the seats for you?

 

Ivor