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85 RX7 Rear Seats

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Old Aug 12, 2011 | 09:25 PM
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MI 85 RX7 Rear Seats

Hello everyone,

I have seen some good information about how some 85 RX7s sold in America came to have rear seats. Mine has these, and I'm pretty sure they came from Canada. I'm also pretty sure they're not after market as the fabric is the same as what was used on the front seats.

I'm not really big on having them there...I almost would rather have the bins. My question is this: does anyone know if the rear seats have any particular resale value? They seem fairly rare, but I'm not sure about demand. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks,
Matt
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Old Aug 12, 2011 | 09:36 PM
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Originally Posted by ophelious
Hello everyone,

I have seen some good information about how some 85 RX7s sold in America came to have rear seats. Mine has these, and I'm pretty sure they came from Canada. I'm also pretty sure they're not after market as the fabric is the same as what was used on the front seats.

I'm not really big on having them there...I almost would rather have the bins. My question is this: does anyone know if the rear seats have any particular resale value? They seem fairly rare, but I'm not sure about demand. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks,
Matt
I've seen a lot of first gens, and I've yet to see a set of rear seats. Not sure of the actual production numbers or if they even were a US market option. I have a feeling if you wanted the rear bins, someone would gladly trade you for the seats. We love rare options, even if they're utterly useless

Got a pic? I'd like to see what they look like.
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Old Aug 12, 2011 | 09:46 PM
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Nope pretty sure they were not an option.

You'll see rear seats at Seventock and we have a guy locally but they are JDM cars

Ophelious wanna trade for bins out of an 85 GS?
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Old Aug 13, 2011 | 11:36 AM
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Thanks for the responses. If I can figure out how to get them out I'll put up a post to trade them or sell them but I'll have to check the forum rules, etc. It seems like such things have to go in a particular section and as a newbie I don't want to get myself in trouble. I'm not sure if I'd want to do a straight trade for bins, though, as I get the impression that the seats are much harder to come by.

From what I understand the 2+2 option was available in Canada, and Michigan's pretty fertile for cross border traffic. The car was originally purchased in Michigan, not Canada, but like I said, the seats are made of the same fabric/design/color as the the front ones so I am fairly certain they are from Mazda. Maybe someone at the dealership went over to Canada and picked some up for sale locally? Maybe the lady who originally owned it drove up to Canada and had them put in?

At any rate, I can see why she did it. I've had my 6 year old daughter back there and she fits fine. They're designed almost like a donut and the middle is deeper than the sides so a kid kind of sits lower than you'd think. I've tried it back there with her booster seat and her head hits the ceiling, but back then they didn't care about booster seats and such. My impression is that an elementary age kid could fit back there fine, a middle schooler would be stuffed, and a high school kid would be better off stuffed under the hatch : )

I have heard people say that in the overseas market the 2+2 option was more popular, but since sales weren't as large in places like Australia they're aren't as many anyway. I'll try to take a picture of them today and put them up if anyone is interested in seeing them. Then, if I can figure out how they are attached (they're a pull-**** type thing at the front that allows the seats to flip forward and go "flat" but I'm just not sure how the seats themselves are hooked down) I'll trade them for parts or sell them if anyone is interested. Again, as this is not the official forum for such discussions I am more interested in knowing if anyone has a sense of what they would be worth in terms of just getting a good trade out of them.

Thanks everybody!
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Old Aug 15, 2011 | 03:59 PM
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We all got the rear seats in Australia and we all wish we got the bins instead....they are WAY more useful.

As you said, they are pretty much useless except for small children and the odd piece of shopping.

There is usually a bolt on each side at the lower front section of the bottom of the seat, that holds the bottom section in...check near where the seat meets the carpet....there are 2 bolts in total and they are each in the middle of where the person sits, ie in the middle of each side.

Sometimes instead of bolts its a clip system and you need to push the bottom of the lower seat section rear-ward where it meets the floor, to release the hook/clip...then the bottom seat section should just lift out.

Once the bottom section is removed the rear/back of the seat section can be easliy unbolted as it's bolts are hidden by the bottom section.

Confusing I know...I can try take some pics of mine later today if need be.

Cam...
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Old Aug 15, 2011 | 04:50 PM
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Then there's us lucky US-spec SA folk that got neither seats nor bins... Just a galvanized steel bulkhead covered with carpet.

Fixable, though...

I've often wondered; perhaps the whole purpose of the bulkhead was to limit cargo capacity? After all, the net allowed payload on these cars was tiny.
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Old Aug 15, 2011 | 06:02 PM
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Originally Posted by WAS:12A
We all got the rear seats in Australia and we all wish we got the bins instead....they are WAY more useful.

As you said, they are pretty much useless except for small children and the odd piece of shopping.

There is usually a bolt on each side at the lower front section of the bottom of the seat, that holds the bottom section in...check near where the seat meets the carpet....there are 2 bolts in total and they are each in the middle of where the person sits, ie in the middle of each side.

Sometimes instead of bolts its a clip system and you need to push the bottom of the lower seat section rear-ward where it meets the floor, to release the hook/clip...then the bottom seat section should just lift out.

Once the bottom section is removed the rear/back of the seat section can be easliy unbolted as it's bolts are hidden by the bottom section.

Confusing I know...I can try take some pics of mine later today if need be.

Cam...



Ohhh pics may be helpful for install where there never was a seat (Perhaps start a new thread), I have a Series 3 seat that should at my house tomorrow. To my understanding there is bracing in the sunroof models of the US version that would need to be removed. Not sure which car I will be putting it in yet thou
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Old Aug 16, 2011 | 03:03 AM
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Originally Posted by DivinDriver
I've often wondered; perhaps the whole purpose of the bulkhead was to limit cargo capacity? After all, the net allowed payload on these cars was tiny.
That's because we shouldn't have any extra weight in the damn car at all! except maybe a quart of 20 / 50 weight oil.
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Old Aug 16, 2011 | 09:32 PM
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Just curious what color interior you have??
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Old Aug 16, 2011 | 11:42 PM
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Picked up some rear seats in nice condition, I'd love to get some detailed pics of what you do for seatbelts back there.
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Old Aug 16, 2011 | 11:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Jhereg
Picked up some rear seats in nice condition, I'd love to get some detailed pics of what you do for seatbelts back there.
does it match your interior??
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Old Aug 17, 2011 | 12:03 AM
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They do. Nice dark grey cloth ones.

https://www.rx7club.com/nw-sale-wanted-classifieds-209/1st-gen-rare-back-seat-%5Bgray-cloth%5D-959550/
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Old Aug 17, 2011 | 12:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Jhereg
They do. Nice dark grey cloth ones.

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=959550
score!!! What are the boot looking pieces for??

This arrived from England today, now time to start fabbin

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Old Aug 17, 2011 | 08:43 AM
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Hmmm. totally different than mine, and I see your belts underneath?
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Old Aug 17, 2011 | 11:14 AM
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actually they are a perfect match for my Series three and are super clean ... that was a strap wrapped around the two halfs as it was intended to be carried onto a flight and brought over but with the uprising in the UK it was shipped instead
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Old Aug 17, 2011 | 11:34 AM
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Thanks for those pictures...I can now see how the darn things are bolted down. Those are great looking seats. Mine look the same, but with little flecks of blue. In case anyone is wondering, the seat-belts for these things are bolted to the "bulkhead" and slipped through slots in the seats. They are just lap-belts, of course : )
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Old Aug 21, 2011 | 02:19 AM
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Sorry...I forgot about this thread!

I'll post up some pics of mine in a few days when I get some spare time and it stops raining!
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Old Sep 1, 2011 | 09:38 AM
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I ordered some lap belts off Ebay.
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Old Sep 8, 2011 | 06:31 PM
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a little off topic here but ophelious are you the owner of a black 7 that ive seen running around grand rapids
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Old Sep 9, 2011 | 11:52 AM
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No, sorry. I haven't seen a black one in a long time. I saw a charcoal gray one the other day out on the Beltline, but I haven't seen another first gen in ages. Mine is kind of a light blue color. Maybe you see more of them around here, but I hardly see any RX7s of any vintage.
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Old Sep 9, 2011 | 11:56 AM
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no kidding im in grand rapids also, im the only one with a teal/blue torquise colored one
there is three other guys i know who have first gen 7's
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Old Sep 11, 2011 | 05:07 AM
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We will be down at 131 Drag Strip running autocrosses today. You should stop by. We're raising money for the March of Dimes, so it's for a good cause too.


And Kyle, I saw a black 1st gen a couple of days ago on Cottonwood in Jenison... No idea who it was.





.
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Old Sep 12, 2011 | 05:25 PM
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yea the car looked ok and it was an older guy with like long gray hair i think, i see it on 44th all the time
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Old Sep 12, 2011 | 06:11 PM
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Sorry Kentetsu, we were with the in-laws that day. Sure it was a good time!
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Old Sep 13, 2011 | 04:49 PM
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Yes, it was.

We'll be in Muskegon at My Import Auto Center most of the day. Stop out if you get a chance, and I'll take you along on one of my runs if you want.

http://www.myautoevents.com/pls/mae/...event_id=11860
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