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Seats in the Spirit R

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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 10:03 PM
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Seats in the Spirit R

I read that Recaro specially made them for the Spirit R and that they are carbon fiber buckets.

I assume that I cannot buy the seats anywhere unless I find a wrecked spirit r or an idiot selling the seats out of their spirit r. I also assume that either of those options would require me to bend over without any lube.

Is there a seat that will fit into the rx7 that is similar to the look and quality of these seats besides the red Recaros that people pull out of integras?
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 10:14 PM
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Thumbs up

you mean these ?

PM FDNewbie, I believe he can get ahold of these suckers.

I have looked around, and Recaro makes the Profil SPG which looks similar in style but only comes in black (about $900 each). They also make the pole position, which is available in a red velour (at $650 each) but they don't look as good as the Profil SPG in my opinion, not as streamlined. The prices listed above are just for the seats, figure $100 more for brackets, and then you have to use stock FD seat rails for sliders.
Attached Thumbnails Seats in the Spirit R-mazda-rx7-spirit-r-bancos-g.jpg  
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 10:16 PM
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a few more pics.
Attached Thumbnails Seats in the Spirit R-srseat3.jpg   Seats in the Spirit R-rx7-spirit-r5.jpg   Seats in the Spirit R-rx7-spirit-r10.jpg  
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 10:16 PM
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LOL at the lube comment. And I believe you are exactly right. I cannot remember exactly, but I do believe you can get MazdaSpeed seats for the FD which are similar in "fancyness" to the Spirit R....and they are some crazy thing like $2000+ a pair.

Last edited by AMRAAM4; Apr 19, 2006 at 10:19 PM.
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 10:17 PM
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Originally Posted by AMRAAM4
LOL at the lube comment. And I believe you are exactly right. I cannot remember exactly, but I do believe you can get MazdaSpeed seats for the FD which are similar in "fancyness" to the Spirit R....and they are some crazy thing like $2000+ a pair.
Bob, I have ridden in genuine mazdaspeed seats and in my opinion they are not nearly as nice as the spirit Rs. of course, the spirit Rs will run you almost $4k for a used set.......
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 10:20 PM
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Originally Posted by GoodfellaFD3S
Bob, I have ridden in genuine mazdaspeed seats and in my opinion they are not nearly as nice as the spirit Rs. of course, the spirit Rs will run you almost $4k for a used set.......
My *** hurts just thinking about that.

But thanks...now I have a Recaro seats idea for my interior after seeing those and the pricing. Just wondering what a wedge job and/or PITA install is.
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 10:36 PM
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Originally Posted by AMRAAM4
My *** hurts just thinking about that.

But thanks...now I have a Recaro seats idea for my interior after seeing those and the pricing. Just wondering what a wedge job and/or PITA install is.
Which seats are you referring to? the spirit Rs bolt right in, of course. I believe the profils will fit pretty easily, but I seem to recall reading that the pole positions will fit, but just barely.
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 10:42 PM
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Talking about these Rich?
Even these are a pain in the *** to mount and fit!
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 10:50 PM
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Getting in and out of the car is a PITA with the seat I have (Momo that was in the car when I bought it). Wonder how it is with these seats.
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 11:01 PM
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http://store.yahoo.com/works-power/recarorzseat.html
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 11:03 PM
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Hm, now I know the RZs came in both red and black, so how can one tell the difference between the red RZ seats and the spirit R seats? perhaps they are one and the same?
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 11:04 PM
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Yummy!
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 11:06 PM
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Originally Posted by AMRAAM4
My *** hurts just thinking about that.

But thanks...now I have a Recaro seats idea for my interior after seeing those and the pricing. Just wondering what a wedge job and/or PITA install is.
the pole positions are offered in a black velour and blue velour, either of which would like nice with your paint
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 11:12 PM
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Herblenny has a pair. I know because I matched his whole interior trim to the back of those seats. Yes Kevlar, should be coming around soon. Hopefully he will chime in with his experience on them.
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 11:15 PM
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Originally Posted by GoodfellaFD3S
Yummy!
Woah, I just noticed that the center console is totally different in the Spirit R. The tranny cover in the 93 goes all the way back and meets the bins. That just caught me off guard a little. Anyone else notice that?
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 11:16 PM
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Originally Posted by GoodfellaFD3S
Hm, now I know the RZs came in both red and black, so how can one tell the difference between the red RZ seats and the spirit R seats? perhaps they are one and the same?

Rich,

I think I read somewhere (reputable) that the RZ and Spirit R seats were the same seats. Ramy probably knows for sure, though.

BTW: Thanks for the ride, it was a blast.

Joe
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 11:23 PM
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this type of seat was used by mazda as far back as 95 - so be careful when looking for 2nd hand seats. Only the later version was available in red - earlier are all black.

there's a set of two used seats available on yahoo auctions at the moment, not in perfect condition though: http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r23171879

last time I priced a single seat from mazda... it was, iirc, well over US$2000 (including rails).
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 11:24 PM
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...and the spirit-r (type A) is essentially an RZ with a few individualized differences

seats are the same
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 11:41 PM
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They are the same Rich. I have a black recaro RZ seat. Ramy found my passenger seat which should be arriving soon hopefully. Here are some nasty pics that I took in the garage. Sorry for the quality.





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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 11:52 PM
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I have a set that I bought from Ramy. Red Spirit R seats (some reason its missing the stock seatbelt clips).

I recently put them on my MB FD for the DGRR 2006 event. They are pain in the *** to get in and out. Seats are OK. Its not uncomfortable but at the same time, its not supportive either. Not sure if it was worth the money.. except its Spirit R.

Also, I can't move the seats that far back.


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Old Apr 20, 2006 | 12:09 AM
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See I have noticed that cool, definately doesn't mean comfortable!! All expensive seats seem to be that way, check some sparcos? I need more padding and that is half the reason why I somehow fit my Rally R buckets in there. Way comfortable and no play.
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Old Apr 20, 2006 | 12:51 AM
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Originally Posted by herblenny
I have a set that I bought from Ramy. Red Spirit R seats (some reason its missing the stock seatbelt clips).

I recently put them on my MB FD for the DGRR 2006 event. They are pain in the *** to get in and out. Seats are OK. Its not uncomfortable but at the same time, its not supportive either. Not sure if it was worth the money.. except its Spirit R.

Also, I can't move the seats that far back.

WOW...that's the first negative I have heard! Frankly, I'm glad that there isn't universal praise for the seats! It gives more people info on the pro's and con's.

Herb, do you have the reclining rails? Also, what do you mean when you say you can't move the seats far back?

Also, what makes them lack support?
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Old Apr 20, 2006 | 03:55 AM
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I was paged, and I came...

Originally Posted by GoodfellaFD3S
PM FDNewbie, I believe he can get ahold of these suckers.
Thanks for the plug Rich. I'll pay you later

Lupercal_CATS, if you want a set, PM me...but I hope you have deep pockets...

Originally Posted by GoodfellaFD3S
Bob, I have ridden in genuine mazdaspeed seats and in my opinion they are not nearly as nice as the spirit Rs. of course, the spirit Rs will run you almost $4k for a used set.......
Absolutely. And there are a cpl of Mazdaspeed seats to choose from, some are only about $800some a seat. Dunno which one you speak of that's "comparable" to the OEM Recaros tho.

Originally Posted by GoodfellaFD3S
Which seats are you referring to? the spirit Rs bolt right in, of course. I believe the profils will fit pretty easily, but I seem to recall reading that the pole positions will fit, but just barely.
Bottom line is, our car is VERY cramped inside (not really w/ the stock seats, but cramped for other seats to fit). Recaro specially designed these seats for the FD, and as such, they're virtually the only drop-in Recaro seats you can get.

Originally Posted by quicksilver_rx7
http://store.yahoo.com/works-power/recarorzseat.html
Do NOT deal w/ that guy. I bought a pair of seats from him a while back...not only did he rob me blind, but he "lost" the seat rails Of course, immediately after, he stopped responding to my emails and phone calls. Thankfully, my credit card company LOVES me, so I simply had 'em straight up PULL the money from his bank account, hostile takeover style LOL. So stay AWAY from that guy is my advice to you.

Originally Posted by quicksilver_rx7
Rich,

I think I read somewhere (reputable) that the RZ and Spirit R seats were the same seats. Ramy probably knows for sure, though.

BTW: Thanks for the ride, it was a blast.

Joe
A) You got a ride in Rich's FD?! When?!?! I'm jealous!

B) The seats are NOT the same. They have very minor differences throughout the years, such as width, rails, slits for racing harness (the crotch and side slits), etc etc. They're all VERY minor differences, but differences that exist nonetheless. I only noticed them after I went through a few sets - and I've been through quite a few

Originally Posted by DaiOni
this type of seat was used by mazda as far back as 95 - so be careful when looking for 2nd hand seats. Only the later version was available in red - earlier are all black.
Actually, these seats were used in some very late FC's in Japan. Yes, you read that right. That's why you'll see a good number of these seats coming w/ FC brackets. Also, the black RZ's extend up to '98 IIRC. I got a few sets from '97s. But in general, they later models (RZ, RS, Spirit R) were red. There's no real difference between the seats other than the colors though. I usually just refer to the blacks as RZs and the reds as Spirit R's for simplicity's sake.

Originally Posted by RX7 RAGE
Ramy found my passenger seat which should be arriving soon hopefully.
Gene, I know I know...it's on the way

Originally Posted by herblenny
I have a set that I bought from Ramy. Red Spirit R seats (some reason its missing the stock seatbelt clips).
Don't remind me... grrrr.

I recently put them on my MB FD for the DGRR 2006 event. They are pain in the *** to get in and out. Seats are OK. Its not uncomfortable but at the same time, its not supportive either. Not sure if it was worth the money.. except its Spirit R.

Also, I can't move the seats that far back.
Originally Posted by 7racer
WOW...that's the first negative I have heard! Frankly, I'm glad that there isn't universal praise for the seats! It gives more people info on the pro's and con's.

Herb, do you have the reclining rails? Also, what do you mean when you say you can't move the seats far back?

Also, what makes them lack support?
7racer, Phil's right, but here's the problem. Ppl become disillusioned by the idea of a "Spirit R" and expect it to be some Cosmo luxury FD. It's not. The Spirit R was supposed to be the pinnacle of Mazda's FD production line. And the Recaros are hardcore racing seats. They're not sports seats, they're not performance seats...they're straight up RACING seats. They're designed to hold you place and not let you move. End of story. And they do that VERY well (which is why they're so friggin snug). I personally think they're comfy if you get them positioned well (which means you fabricate your own brackets if you're tall) b/c they're designed for apparently smaller Asian guys (Rich, gosh, you'll fit perfectly I'm just messin man... I got nuttin but love ) So they're serious seats. No reclining back, the material is actually flame-retardant (very expensive), etc etc. I found the seats to be supportive, but then again, I didn't sit in them for THAT long. Nothing as long as Phil's Dragon run...but I'd imagine I'd have the same complaints Phil has. I think we're about the same height.

So it depends on what preconceived notion you come with. 99% of the ppl that have these seats do NOT drive their car often, so the seats don't see much use. As such, ppl don't complain about ride comfort etc... that's just the nature of it. So again, it depends on what you're looking for.

Jason, yea I noticed the difference in the center console and tranny tunnel a while back

Whew.
~Ramy

Last edited by FDNewbie; Apr 20, 2006 at 04:00 AM.
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Old Apr 20, 2006 | 05:39 AM
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The center console in my '01 is the same....
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Old Apr 20, 2006 | 05:54 AM
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I wish I could afford nice seats. They all look wonderful
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