tr4u2 Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 I want to replace my 4 seats with some bucket type preferably with a head rest option,note i will be fitting a roll bar and a five point harness. Having tried (and bought)a number of seats i thought would fit but did not, i am at a loss as to what to buy. prefer fabric rather than leather or vinyl So any idea's what will fit regards Adrian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted August 19, 2009 Report Share Posted August 19, 2009 I can recommend most highly Mazda MX5 seats, fabric-covered and with headrest. I went to Sicily and back in Roy Macgregor's TR4 in 2007, with ambient temperatures frequently 37 degrees and up to 450 miles in a day. We got very hot, but even at our ages (we were both over 65 even then), we needed only plenty of fluid and a shower to restore us to normality, ready for the evening meal. Never any backache. Roy had fitted a roll-over bar and 4-point harness, and a footrest for me (short legs!). Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PaulAnderson Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 Log onto the Google search engine and do a search by entering "MX5" site:http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums to look for past entries such as this MX5 example or use "bucket" or "Ridgard" or whatever you like to see if someone has discussed it before. You'll find MX5 entries such as http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums/index....showtopic=17563 or http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums/index....showtopic=17178 I find that the search page appearance changes to outline view and I need to select standard view by the drop down options menu box on the right hand side While on the subject, has anyone tried SLK seats? I've been offered some and they seem to be quite low (my main requirement) though I'm not so sure on their appearance. Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MikeF Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 Log onto the Google search engine and do a search by entering "MX5" site:http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums to look for past entries such as this MX5 example or use "bucket" or "Ridgard" or whatever you like to see if someone has discussed it before. You'll find MX5 entries such as http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums/index....showtopic=17563 or http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums/index....showtopic=17178 I find that the search page appearance changes to outline view and I need to select standard view by the drop down options menu box on the right hand side While on the subject, has anyone tried SLK seats? I've been offered some and they seem to be quite low (my main requirement) though I'm not so sure on their appearance. Paul I think the width might be more of a concern than the height Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
88V8 Posted August 29, 2009 Report Share Posted August 29, 2009 (edited) ... has anyone tried SLK seats? I've been offered some and they seem to be quite low (my main requirement) though I'm not so sure on their appearance. I think the width might be more of a concern than the height I think the width of the squab will be a problem where it fouls the trans tunnel, and the width of the back against the B post. Even the MX5 seat is a bit wider than the original TR at that point. MX5 below, in a TR6 which of course has the same internal dims. Other colours are available Ivor Edited August 29, 2009 by 88V8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PaulAnderson Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 (edited) I think the width of the squab will be a problem where it fouls the trans tunnel, and the width of the back against the B post.Even the MX5 seat is a bit wider than the original TR at that point. MX5 below, in a TR6 which of course has the same internal dims. Other colours are available Ivor I had similar thoughts but do not yet have the actual dimensions from the seller. On the matter of colour, I'd asked a couple of trimmers if they could retrim some MX5 seats (like yours with the separate head rests) in midnight blue with white piping to match the rest of my interior trim. Getting the mdinight blue coloured leather seemed to be a problem. I did contact John Skinner (who originally supplied my trim kit) and while they could probably do it (a long way away from me, not they normal work and possilbly expensive) gettign a supply of this colour seems to be a problem. Does anyone know if there any suppliers of coloured leather I could search for? I know that you can buy dye from http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/ but don't know how well they last. Paul Edited August 30, 2009 by PaulAnderson Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 May not look "original", but fabric is much more pleasant to sit on than either leather or vynide, especially in hot weather. It's almost impossible to sit down on a leather/vynide seat that has got well cooked by the sun, and after a couple of hours at ambient temperature above 30 degrees C, you'll be ringing wet all down your back and under your backside. In 2005, I travelled some 4000 miles to/from Sicily in Roy Macgregor's TR4 in ambient temperatures of 37 C a great deal of the time - we were so glad we were sitting on fabric-covered MX5 seats! Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
littlejim Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 With the MX5 seats, do you have to do much customising to the runners to fit them? (Iggorance is not bliss in this case.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 I am pretty certain the fitting of runners for MX5 seats has been covered in previous threads - I suggest a search. Roy told me it was quite simple - but farmers are very handy at fitting almost anything! Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magoo Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 [Hi There is a past thread from earlier this year headed MX5 Seats, experiences in fitting. You should find it interesting Good luck, my MX5 seats are great, have transformed the driving experience John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pampa Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 MX5 seats are one of the few seats that will fit the narrow space in TR's.Use early model ones as I've been told later ones are a bit wider. Agree with Ianc cloth fabric is very comfortable in summer,and after riding in my sons MX5 with leather covering found I was sliding around in corners which dosn't happen with cloth. Aproblem to watch is if you have a rollbar fitted and are tall check your travel. The high back hits the bar and limits travel,I am medium hight and am just comfortable at full limit,passenger side is OK due to deeper footwell. My seats have the built in headrests but unfortunatly dont have the built in speakers that some of the seats here in OZ have. Mounting is pretty easy,use MX5 slides,straighten the turned down ends,sit a seat in place on packers to test for comfortable hight and tilt then use square tube and flat plate drilled to match the original TR mounting holes and bolt mx runners to these(I used 25mm tube for the front and 50mmx4/5mm flat for the rear. Best 400 bucks I spent on the car. Pampa TR4a Quote Link to post Share on other sites
88V8 Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 With the MX5 seats, do you have to do much customising to the runners to fit them? Carl at TR Trader does adaptors which pick up the original TR floor fixings. Ivor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MikeF Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 Carl at TR Trader does adaptors which pick up the original TR floor fixings. Ivor I used an adaptor kit , which was OK and saved a lot of time, ( just measure up drill holes, remeasure and redrill), but I find the seats a little too high. Were I doing it again I would jsut use some square section tube. Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
88V8 Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 (edited) I used an adaptor kit , which was OK and saved a lot of time, ( just measure up drill holes, remeasure and redrill), but I find the seats a little too high. Were I doing it again I would jsut use some square section tube. They are about 1-2" higher in the squab, depending how decrepit your original seats are. I'm 6' and the odd inch does put one's head rather in the wind blast. Also, one has to peer under the screen top to see road signs, lights, etc. If I were less tall it wouldn't matter. It's OK, I'm not going to condemn them for that, but the height is not ideal. Ivor Edited September 1, 2009 by 88V8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
monty Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 I want to replace my 4 seats with some bucket type preferably with a head rest option,note i will be fitting a roll bar and a five point harness. Having tried (and bought)a number of seats i thought would fit but did not, i am at a loss as to what to buy. prefer fabric rather than leather or vinyl So any idea's what will fit regards Adrian Hi Adrian, Spent the whole of this summer trying to do similar in regard to seats & finally after much frustration & lack of interest from several 'Triumph specialists' in wanting to take my money I have finally installed 2 Cobra Classic CS seats & cannot tell you how pleased I am with them! Could not get anybody to supply Shadow Blue material to match my interior so settled for navy blue & they look good despite not matching. I had 2 simple brackets made that screw to the base of the new seats using existing bolt holes & thence bolt to the original floor/seat runners. Please note though that my car has a Surrey top so space would be very tight with these seats if you have a full convertible top. Mine fit a treat! Regards, Monty. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tr4u2 Posted September 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Hi Adrian,Spent the whole of this summer trying to do similar in regard to seats & finally after much frustration & lack of interest from several 'Triumph specialists' in wanting to take my money I have finally installed 2 Cobra Classic CS seats & cannot tell you how pleased I am with them! Could not get anybody to supply Shadow Blue material to match my interior so settled for navy blue & they look good despite not matching. I had 2 simple brackets made that screw to the base of the new seats using existing bolt holes & thence bolt to the original floor/seat runners. Please note though that my car has a Surrey top so space would be very tight with these seats if you have a full convertible top. Mine fit a treat! Regards, Monty. thanks for reply,i have seen these recently its nice to know they fit regards adrian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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