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In the summer after a long day in a parking lot its like driving an oven, but this is off topic. Nice job on the seats and write up I might look in to that
Sure you could!
Unless these people are driving their cars around without the sunroof in them all the time, what difference would it make?
I think the only reference to the sunroof was that the seat couldnt be raised in a non-sunroof FB. Now Im not sure if I understand this completely, but I assume the only way to raise it is with the sunroof open?
But do you really need to raise it? Im sure if you kept the seat in the lowest position it wouldnt give you any trouble, and comparing a non-sunroof car to one with a sunroof thats closed my guess is that the non-sunroof car would have more headroom.
Now this is all speculation, but I cant see the sunroof car making any difference if the sunroof isnt open.
Id like to hear the opinion of people that are using the RX-8 seats though.
I forgot to mention, if the car has a glass sunroof installed that could make the difference. Since the Glass sunroof is only like 1/4" thick, you gain around 1.5" of headroom compared to the where the solid sunroof used to dip down. This might mean a small amount more clearance, but we really arent talking much.
If its coming down to mere inches for these seats to fit, I would say they arent worth it, the rotor is the only cool part. Are they way to big for the FB?
Ok, I'm bringing this back to life....... Has anyone come up with a better way of doing the RX8 seat install? I'm not saying that the write up was not a good way to do it... its just been awhile and maybe someone has come up with a new idea. I plan on doing this seat swap shortly.
I read on one thread about someone installing fd seats and making them so that the passenger seat is a rigid mount without slider to make the 2 seats sit evenly. I wonder if this might help with the Rx8 seats.
I never let anyone adjust my pass seat anyways because they might smash into my storage bin.
Well, as the guy who posted the original how-2 - I should follow up with the "didn't-really-work". These are damn heavy seat assy's - it the frames that are most of the weight. Both mine had the OEM welded-on Seat rails (ie, original to our RX7s) and these failed. The metal tangs that the bolts go thru to mount on the floor just wouldn't take the load and sheered. OEM rail mounts just too flimsy. So apologies if I have lead anyone astray.
The solution I came up with was to find (that is the trick) a set of after-market seat frame adapters, which are MUCH heavier gauge of steel and seem to easily cope with the -8 seats (theses are the _manual_ 8 seats, BTW, not the even-heavier electric ones). Happily most of the elaborate steel plates I originally fab'd onto the RX8 frames can be cut off, reducing the weight a bit.
BUT - because the RX8 seats are inherently WIDER than the '7s, you will still need some sort of support between the 8 frame and the 7 adapter - and I am still using a steel plate welded to the bottom of each side of the 8 seat rails to permit the 7 adapter to straddle and bolt on. I had to tap a threaded hole into these steel plates to bolt up the adapter. I will post some pics as I am just assembling them this weekend...
I will say, in spite of the initial grief - I LOVE THESE SEATS! They are comfy, look fab, and easily accommodate my 6'1" frame with a glass sunroof panel in place. Well worth the hassle, esp if you want to keep the mods limited to Mazda rotor-spec
I did them in my car. completely differant than the OP will post pics in next couple of weeks. drivers side power seat, pass side man. pass side sits close to stock hight. drivers side is very easy close to bolt in after modifying the rx8 mounts. pass side requires fabing new brackets but fully functional. I have not found seat weight to be a problem. seat width is a issue of proper placement.
Well, as the guy who posted the original how-2 - I should follow up with the "didn't-really-work". These are damn heavy seat assy's - it the frames that are most of the weight. Both mine had the OEM welded-on Seat rails (ie, original to our RX7s) and these failed. The metal tangs that the bolts go thru to mount on the floor just wouldn't take the load and sheered. OEM rail mounts just too flimsy. So apologies if I have lead anyone astray.
The solution I came up with was to find (that is the trick) a set of after-market seat frame adapters, which are MUCH heavier gauge of steel and seem to easily cope with the -8 seats (theses are the _manual_ 8 seats, BTW, not the even-heavier electric ones). Happily most of the elaborate steel plates I originally fab'd onto the RX8 frames can be cut off, reducing the weight a bit.
BUT - because the RX8 seats are inherently WIDER than the '7s, you will still need some sort of support between the 8 frame and the 7 adapter - and I am still using a steel plate welded to the bottom of each side of the 8 seat rails to permit the 7 adapter to straddle and bolt on. I had to tap a threaded hole into these steel plates to bolt up the adapter. I will post some pics as I am just assembling them this weekend...
I will say, in spite of the initial grief - I LOVE THESE SEATS! They are comfy, look fab, and easily accommodate my 6'1" frame with a glass sunroof panel in place. Well worth the hassle, esp if you want to keep the mods limited to Mazda rotor-spec
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
Thanks for the update!
Originally Posted by kuhlrx7
I did them in my car. completely differant than the OP will post pics in next couple of weeks. drivers side power seat, pass side man. pass side sits close to stock hight. drivers side is very easy close to bolt in after modifying the rx8 mounts. pass side requires fabing new brackets but fully functional. I have not found seat weight to be a problem. seat width is a issue of proper placement.
Whats wrong with heated seats in a RX7? Kim have you driven yours for long? The exhausts heats yours seats up real nice during the winter, our cars have built in heaters from the factory.
dont forget the built in leg warmer man, love that on a long trip in the winter time
thanks to some of your threads on installing rx8 seats I decided to do it..
I picked up my set for $100, the kid delivered them and gave me a set of 1st gen seats to boot.. hahah
not wanting to drop $140 a bracket I decided to grab a tape measure and design my own set.. working as a machinist and having also been thru welding school before machinist school, I was able to design in solidworks then cut on the flowjet.. guessed the angle of the tab bends at work and they happened to fit perfectly... the slots no as much but it was all guess work..
My brother inlaw owns a company that makes industrial mixing equipment so I picked up 2 20x20 chunks of 3/16th steel and made them, then welded them to the factory slides.. previous owner had cut off the factory tabs etc...
"
I havent cut the passenger side yet due to the weird mounting for the tabs.. I have redesigns a passenger side modifying the original file but I need to confirm some things first... before I cut it out...
Wow. Machinist... def gives you a Leg Up. Best of luck with the install. Would be nice with all the electric doo-dads, esp for what you paid.
Suspect the leather/deluxe seats must weigh even MORE. We gotta be careful when we (well, me) only have 100hp to move all this stuff around!
11-06-06, 06:48 PM
