MrVonWolfi

HI All, the first paragraph is background info, skip it if you want to get to the meat of the post....

This is my first post here. I owned an 87 FC TII for years, it never saw the inside of a shop, (Idid a lot of work on it myself) and, I got 234k out of the original motor before blowing a seal. Before it blew, I bought a RED 93 FD from a dealer, which is now the car in question It's not that I'm the kind to only post when I need help, its just that even though I've felt compelled to chime in on some earlier threads, I havent because A) Either the knowledge of modding the FD on this forum far outweighs my own knowledge, or B) Because my car is close to stock, I have no clue as to the real world ramifications of giving advice on products I've heard about but never used. That said, This is my first post, and YES I'm going to ask for help. However, if this post is answered the way it was intended, then it could be helpfull to us all in the future

So, heres some background and my question, Please dont post unless you have read this part::
I want to replace my FD seats, especially the drivers side. Yes I know there a plenty of posts on this, please dont tell me to go search them, I've read EVERY one. Here is how my question is different:

A) I'm not interested in rebuilt or new stock seats, I cant believe that none of you have posted about the problem I'm having.

In both my T2, AND my FD, the stock seats were in pretty good shape, but they both had a design flaw atleast for a person of my body shape (5 9' 185 lbs 34-36 waist, muscular larger than normal legs for waist size) on BOTH there is a solid frame bar built into the tunnel side/gas pedal side leg bolster that, when my leg is engageing the gas pedal, the bottom of my thigh HAS to press down on, causing eventually severe discomfort in my back, and an unatural streching of the tendons in my right leg groin and thigh area. In the T-2, I eventually found some manually adjustable GXL stock seats that where awesome, the bolsters on the sides were smaller, and it sat lower, and even though the bolster frame bar was still there, because of these differences (and the awesome manual adjusters), it didnt seem to cause as much of a problem. So, now I have an FD but GUESS WHAT? after a few thousand miles of driving, I begin to have the same right leg problems, and after some examination of the stock leather seats, suprise suprise, I find a simular solid frame bar in the right leg bolster....AAAAUUUGHHH!!!!

Ive looked at a few aftermarket seats, and most dont seem to have a solid frame bar in the bolsters, if anything they have wire frames which is very encouraging, making me think that the seat engineers at Mazda where a bunch of knuckle heads

So now, I'm looking for seats that have the following qualifications:

COMFORT: this is most important, large leg bolsters seem to be causing me the most problems, Ive considered the Mazda speed seats, but I am kind of wary if they might be designed like other Mazda seats Ive had (see background above)

DIRECTLY BOLT IN: I work more than full time, and dont feel real good about custom mounts, they may not be safe and creating them myself may be a huge headache (and time consuming), having someone else make them may take quite a bit of time, and may not be safe either.

DO THEY 'REALLY' FIT? After some research, I'm leaning towards several different Corbeau seats, since they have direct bolt in brackets with sliders. The problem is, I dont want indentations in my door panels or damage to my interior trim (not as important as comfort, but a definite consideration, It seems that every Corbeau review here, regardless of model mentions either that the gas pedal side bolster gets pushed towards your right leg (bad for me if you read the rest of my post) or that the side or shoulder bolster will push against the door panel, causing an 'indentation' This is not encouraging, I wanna keep my baby lookin good! (and I'm trying to preserve its long term collectors value)

COST Even though I will shell out some bucks, I think anything over 600-700 a seat is too much for me, I really like the Bride seats, and have some experience in other cars with them, (thier awesome!) but cant see myself spending 2500+ for a pair of seats and brackets, Hell for that price I might as well buy a second 'beater' car to drive and let the FD sit most of the time- and whats the point in that?

NO 'SKINNY GUY' SHOULDER BOLSTERS I dont mind shoulder bolsters, but most seats that Ive sat in that had them were just to narrow for me, I used to work out quite a bit and naturally have a somewhat barrel chest, (43-44 in chest size) example: the Corbeau A4 looked like the seat for me, the 'bottom' of the seat met all the qualifications as remarked ealier, very comfy, small leg bolsters, etc, BUT the shoulder Bolsters made me feel like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, I couldnt sit back in them, the bolsters pushed my shoulders so far foward that I felt like I was constantly making a 'Hans & FRans' (0f snl fame- 'we want to PUMP u up!) pose...... I called Corbeau directly, they do not make another seat with the same bottom but with a different top (even though they do this with other models) I asked about about the Corbeau GTS II (which looks comfy and doesnt have shoulder bolsters) but they told me it would be an extremy tight fit, (which I translated as: Say goodbye to your undamaged door panels) AND they recommended having them shave an inch off the entire bottom of the seat for steering wheel clearance, which really doesnt encourage a purchase on my part.

RECLINE OPTION I prefer a recline option, and I think anyone who drives any long distances, or commutes in thier FD could relate, if there is a really great 'fixed seat out there that fits my qualifications, I might consider it, but I just dont think most would be good for long term driving, plus the gas pedal side leg bolsters on most fixed seats are quite pronounced, and comfort in this area is why I'm replacing my seats....

So, My intention here is to create a thread for people that want direct bolt in seat options, that wont damage the car.....much

Please dont post about seats that you need to make brackets for, or seats that crush your door panel, this would just be a regurgitation of old posts. SEats that cost more than 1600-1700 a pair w/ brackets I'm also not interested in.

I believe if the posters stick to my guidelines, this post could be a reference post for viewers in the future who want a no BS post about Seats that go in easily, are comfortable, that dont damage the interior terribly, and address the right leg frame bar comfort issue that Ive been having

As soon as I decide on seats and install them, I will give a full right-up on them referencing all associated problems and advantages, lets make this a consise evaluation on 'Practical seats"

Thanks in advance for all responses, this is a great forum, I appreciate all the time and effort the creators and members have put into this forum and posts!!!!!

rotorsownyou7

I would like to know this also, as I ahave been searching all day and have seen no real answers for cheap.

scotty305

iTrader: (2)

To be honest, I think you're going to have a hard time finding an off-the-shelf solution to this. Most RX-7 people stick with stock seats, and the tight cabin makes it difficult to fit most aftermarket seats, even the 'skinny shoulders' ones. Most FD owners seem to spend most of their efforts in the engine bay.


You might be able to find an American-made racing seat that fits in a Miata. I'm not sure if they have the same seat mounting points, but the cabin size constraints should be similar. Flyin' Miata has a great tech sheet here:
http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/seats.asp

Kirkey is a name that I've heard a few times:
www.kirkeyracing.com

I've used a set of Cobra seats in the past, but they were a bit narrow around the shoulders. Your mileage may vary.
http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/seats.asp


Another option would be to find a good motorsports fabricator, someone who makes their own custom seats. Look for sandrail / dunebuggy people, or sports-replica race shops. From a quick google search, I came across http://www.baldspotsports.com/ , who makes custom seats for IRL, Champ cars, and NASCAR, among others.


Good luck,
-s-

MrVonWolfi

Hey Scotty, thanks for the links, funny, I google plenty and didnt see those Miata seats, there may be an option there though

Also to both you and rotorsownu7, have either of you experienced the 'right side bolster bar discomfort" that I mentioned? just curious, I've never seen a post about it, but have a hard time believing this is an issue exclusive to me...lol

Anyway keep them posts comin!!! I'm sure I'm not the only one interested in the answers to my 'specific' seat questions........

scotty305

iTrader: (2)

I've noticed the 'skinny shoulder' discomfort in aftermarket seats.. I think it's mostly from a lack of support for people with lean, muscular backs that are concave between the shoulder blades. I've sat in Recaro "Sport" seats, and they had extra material between the shoulder blades. They were very comfy. http://www.proamauto.com/recarosport2.gif The stock seats are pretty decent in this department, I don't feel like I'm hunching my back.


At 5'8, 140lbs, I don't think my legs are big enough to have the same problems with the lower bolsters. I'm built more like a runner than a football player. It might be possible to modify your seats; I remember that someone from the Impreza club had extra bolstering material added to their seats by an auto upholstery shop. You might be able to remove some from yours.


Another thing that could be causing your problem is the angle of the seat bottom. You can sometimes adjust this by adding washers to the mounting brackets. I haven't seen the mounting brackets on the FD, so it might not work for this particular car.

-s-

MrVonWolfi

Hmmm, the angle trick with washers might not be a bad idea, I just had the seats out (I actually switched the 'tops' of the seats which took some slight modding, hopeing that the bottoms were simular and keeping the 'tops' of the seats on the original sides thus maintaining the seat adjusters on the proper sides, and getting a less worn bottom on the drivers side) It wouldnt work between the floor and bracket due to the angle differences at the attachment points, but it might be more do-able between the bracket and seat....

Unfortunately this would probably still be a problem, atleast for me, due to the fact that that support bar in the bolster would still be there. Check it out if you have the stock seats, It just numbs my mind (and my leg lol) that, on the stock seats, if you push hard enough on the right side driver side leg bolster, you can feel a big, higher than seat level, unflexible frame bar, that contacts the right leg while accessing the gas pedal....

the Flying Miata link is interesting though, now all I have to figure out is....will any seat that fits in a miata fit in an FD? if this is the case then we might be onto something....I noticed there were some corbeau's listed there, and according to corbeau theve got FD brackets ready to go..... Ive kinda overlooked the GT7's http://www.corbeau.com/products/gt7/gt7.shtml because they have padding on the seat that angles up from back to front, which can contribute to the same 'angle discomfort' but maybe they would work....

I'm currently looking for the best place near me to sit in various corbeaus, Speed Merchant in San Jose had the A4 that I tried, and the Forza, but I'd like to find some big rod or rice shop somewhere that has a bunch of different ones you can sit in. seems like shops that not only sell but that actually stock seats, around here are extremly rare, cant say I blame them, they probably dont sell a ton of seats, and they take up alot of floor space, which is mucho bux around here....Anyway I'll be updating what I can find out about them (the GT7's) this Week. Also I was considering the CR-1's but they have the shoulders, does anyone know if they are as narrow in the shoulder fitment as the A4's? and with the CR-1's some FD owners (on these forums) are reporting rubbing both light and extreme and not at all on the doors.....can anyone who owns the CR-1's AND the post 2003 corbeau brackets confirm how much rubbing and fitment issues theyve had, this goes for any one with the GT-7 seats AND the post 2993 corbeau seat brackets?????

MrVonWolfi

OK, so to share some info for the less experienced around here, many of you are already familiar w/ Corksport, whats interesting about thier site however is that they list/ sell several Corbeau seats as specifically fitting the FD. Very interesting since they list the CR-1, and yet from what I've heard doesnt always fit, and yet it's listed. I'm thinking about calling them, and finding out if they've test fitted the seats, and if they take responsibility if the seats dont fit. Sure they dont make the seats, but they shouldnt be advertising these seats as fits for the FD unless they actually fit- That would be false advertising.....I think I will call them and find out the deal, legally however I believe they would be responsible if any of these seats theyre advertising dont fit (they might wanna update thier site to protect themselves if they dont guarantee fit....), I'll have to take a closer look at thier disclaimer....heres the link to thier seats for the FD: http://corksport.com/tab0.4/store/ca...-interior.html

MrVonWolfi

for whatever reason, the link directly to the seats keeps abbreviating itself regardless of the parse option in this forum, so you will need to go to the link above, navigate to 93 rx7, interior, then choose seats....you will see all the seats they claim to fit in the FD

fritts

iTrader: (5)

I have the A4's and have wide shoulders but will have to deal with the shoulder bolsters. These seats are about the largest seats I could see even fitting in an FD. They come extremely close to touching the door. They touch the tunnel and the seat itself is too high with the sliders. I have removed the sliders on mine and welded in steel flat stock to mount the seat directly to the rails. I also have worked on the tunnel to get the seat as close to the tunnel as possible without rubbing that way it doesn't hit the door. If the A4's fit like this I seriously doubt the CR-1's will fit. On the side bolsters the CR-1's have a larger leg width I'm sure would probably run into the doors as the seat comes around you up front. Also the seat area is longer. Even if they do fit they will not just bolt in without some adjustment. If I did it again I would make my own brackets as this is the only way to get the placement where you want it. I don't think there is an easy way to buy seats when it comes to this car. They are either expensive and fit or aren't and need to be modified.

dclin

iTrader: (4)

I recall the stock seats being uncomfortable for me as well, with my back aching after a longer then normal stint. Interestingly, I'm 5'9" with a 44" chest as well. Now that I think about it though, I think my pain had more to do with the angle of the seat portion - wish I had thought of the spacer trick.

Honestly, some Mazdaspeeds would likely fullfill most of your requirements the best. I don't recall them being too affordable though.

MrVonWolfi

Well I didnt have time to call around today, but more info will be forth coming. To Fritts: Thats some usefull info, the A4 has a very narrow base (18.5 in) so if it has fitment problems, well, then most any seat will. We kinda already knew that, but your statement pretty much confirms it in my mind.....

To dclin: With every passing day the mazda speed seats are seeming more attractive, especially if they fit in the Fd anything like the stock seats......

Can anybody who has the Mazdaspeed seats test something for me?
This is what to do: Press firmly (possibly very firmly) down on the leg bolsters. Is there a solid unflexible frame bar underneath the padding in the bolsters? (please make sure if your answer is no)

If there isnt, then I may very well spend a few extra bucks and pick some up, I'd love to have seats that fit really well, I'd imagine Mazdaspeeds would, PLEASE, anyone who has these Mazdaspeed seats: Do they bolt to the stock rails? Do they have the same adjustability as the stock seats? (bieng as theyre made for Mazda?)

Anyway, even if I go the Mazda speed direction, I'm shooting to make this post a usefull one in the future. Would the Administrators have any problem with me makng a bunch of links to past relevant posts in this one, so we can have an updated 'Practical' guide to seat info on this forum? how about you readers? have you seen it all before, and are tired of seat discussions, or would you guys appreciate it if I tried to piece together relevant info from this forum into this post to kinda make a guide for seats that fit in the FD fairly well? This discussion is far from over, Im just talkin about long term, Let me know if you think I should bother, but dont let that stop you from continue posting here, we need as much info as possible!!!!!!

neofreak

No, they have their own rails, and there are custom mounts for each car (I have the mounts for Miata, FC, and FD.)

Yes, they have the same adjustability, front/back tilt forward/back.

MrVonWolfi

Neo, do you know if these seats have the frame bars in the mid section of the leg bolsters like the stock seats? Bye the way, thanks for chimeing in, Ive seen plenty of posts by you about the mazdaspeed seats, I was hoping you would comment..... I think I'm going to have to call Corksport and see if the brackets are included, I didnt see them listed.....Also I forgot to mention, I actually used to be a Mazda Salesman here locally, maybe my buddies at the dealer parts shop could hook me up with a deal on the seats and brackets, I cant believe I didnt think of this one before

projectx605

where can you buy the mazda speed seats, I'm 6'2" and i have berly an inch of head room to spare and i need a solution if I ever want to track it beacuse i could never fit with a helmet

USCmatt

They fit, I have them in my FD. It doesnt sound like they would work for you though. If you are 5'9 with a 34-36 inch waist, and a 44" chest it would be too tight of a fit for you. You wouldnt have the seat as far back as it could go, being 5'9, so it would touch the door but it wouldnt be enough to prevent the seat from reclining or closing the door.

I am 6'1 195lbs 33-34inch waist, and a 42" chest. These seats fit perfect for someone my size since i have the seat slid all the way back, which puts the shoulder bolsters behind the door. But when i first started sitting in the seats, I remember commenting "I'm glad I'm not any wider"

As far as the rumors of them not fitting....even with the doors closed, I can recline the seats and slide forward or backward on the rails. Its not effortless since some areas of the seat touch the sides of the car and the center section, but please dont say the seats wont fit if you are just going on its measurements. In my opinion, the seats rubbing a little isnt that big of a deal since I dont let anyone else drive the car and hardly ever have to move the seat, even to get in the rear bins which i can still do with the seat slid all the way back. The whole rubbing deal is way overrated.

So if you call corksport or corbeau and ask them if the CR-1's fit without any modification and they say "yes" , they are right.

neofreak

I sold my previous set, I haven't sat in them for a few years now. The rails are part of the seat, but you have to buy the mounts seperately (listed as rails on corksport's site)

I have a new pair of Mazdaspeed Type-F seats that are due very soon. I'll let you know when they arrive.

As far as I know, you cannot get them through US dealers, I tried several years ago and it's not in the system. (Nor can you get them through Mazdacomp) though I haven't checked since back then.

David Beale

I too have problems with the right leg circulation being cut off by the seat bolster (I think) - the pain began after about an hour. I had a local auto upholster shop cut down the right side bottom bolster and that helped a bit - the pain now begins after 3 hours. I think a flat seat bottom would be the ticket - the car is so narrow you don't need to be held in place by side bolsters - there is no where to slide to!

The RX-8 seats have a flat bottom, but they will not fit in an RX-7 without extensive modification - they are several inches wider than our seats, I'm just comparing them to emphasize a flat bottom seat is fine in a hard cornering car.

I'm 6', also large chest. For me it's the thigh dia. - I'm "stocky" with 23" circ. thighs. Due to my height, my seats aren't all the way back but close!

My car is a "base" with cloth seats. I'm beginning to think all the stock seats used the same frame, just with different covers, based on comments from other posters in other threads. There appear to be three different covers, base ("slippery" nylon covers), R1 ("sticky" cloth covers), and touring with leather seating surfaces and fake leather bolsters. There also appear to be three colours, black, tan, and red!

MrVonWolfi

Hi all,


So the seat search goes on! To USCMatt- I definetely wont claim in this thread that the CR-1 seats wont fit, but I will also not dismiss the comments that they could damage your door panels,so when i end up amassing a post with all the seats in different catagories, I will have them listed in a catogory something like: 'Bolt-in seats that either lack full movement or rub on interior' which at this point, most seats that fit already fall into this catagory as well......

To scotty305: I did the washer trick!!! (for those of you unaware of the 'washer trick' I found a way to lift the back base of the seats to make the front to back angle of the seats less steep) AND, i was able to do it between floor and bracket, not seat and bracket! this is what you will need to do if you want to do this: Go to a LOCAL hardware store, DONT go to Home Depot (they dont usually carry a good assortment of metric nuts and bolts in my experience) this is what you you will need to purchasefor EACH seat you want to alter:

2x 2-2 1/2inch long 10mm 1.25 pitch bolts
6x Hex nuts for the above bolts
4x metal washers
2x metal lock washers (optional)

Instructions:

Loosen substancially the front bracket anchor bolts.

REMOVE the back bracket anchor bolts

Undo the tunnel anchor bolt

With a washer on the new bolts, lift the back of the seat (while still in the car) approx 3 inches and hold/prop up at this height. Place the new bolt and washer through the whole in bracket that anchors it to the floor

Under the bracket, thread 3 hex nuts onto the new bolt (this creates the raising of the back of the seat)

under the three nuts, place another washer, and rebolt to the floor.

DONT FORGET to retighten the front bracket bolts!

Voila! your seat now has an angle 3/4 -1 inch less steep than it did before!

Please note that it will be hard to reattch the tunnel mount, and if you do you may not be able to adjust the seat properly, the fix would be to somehow drill out the prefitted bolt on this mount, and make it longer as well, but I havent done this.

Results: The seat IS more Comfortable, I had already been looki8ng at less angled seats, and this seems to back-up the theory that this angle contributes to the discomfort of the stock seats. However it is far from fully comfortable, an even steeper angle seems that it would be more comfortable, but, because the seats on the backside are now essentially sitting on posts, this seems to be a less safe alternative, and it would be fairly hard to find longer 10mm bolts w/ a 1.25 pitch locally.

Conclusion: A good solid improvement for those having comfort problems with the angle of the base on the stock seats, But, not a fix for the discomfort caused by the frame bolster bars, the search continues....

On another note, I picked up a copy of the mag TPR (tuner performance reports) with a 24 page spread on the FD! the feature car had JIC seats, which were also listed in the report as one of the few seats that fits in an FD! they look simular to the Corbeau Cr-1 , and I'd imagine would have simular fit and comfort issues, Does anyone have any experience with these JIC c-type seats?

MrVonWolfi

Heres a link to the JIC seats, I forgot to add that, http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/sale/JIC/Interior/Seats

Anybody have any experience with them fitting in thier FD?

RX7 RAGE

iTrader: (22)

MrVonWolfi

Nice Pics Rage!! those look Awesome!!!! But, not to be a downer, How do they fit? do they recline and adjust back to front? will the doorside bolsters look like wrinkled laundrey after a year of use (due to them bieng smashed by the door panel) hehehehe I have to admit they look freeken great, but tryin to nail down how all these sits fit, not just how they look (which as I said they look bad@zz!!! )

scotty305

iTrader: (2)

MrVonWolfi, I'm glad to hear the washer trick helped you. It's funny that you raised the rear of the seat, because I raised the front of mine (in my Subaru, not my RX-7).


Have you looked closely at the Kirkey seats yet? Their 'intermediate road race' seat sells for $250 bare (you'd need to have it upholstered), or you can add a cloth cover for $150. You would still need rails for it though.
http://www.kirkeyracing.com/images/s...47000shopd.gif

-s-

Sharmack

I don't know if this information will actually help you or not but, I have had some experience with aftermarket seats and of the ones I have checked out and actually put in an FD this is what I have come up with.

RECARO SPG (US Spec)- Fits ok with Nielex seat bracket however the shoulder bolsters do rub the door a bit. Good for a person of small stature. Do not use rails that allow forward and rearward movement (IE Bride Rails) They will make the seat bolt in the car but it will be sitting wayyy to high.

RECARO SRD (US Spec) - Older Model Discountinued but still can be found on e-bay and stuff - Really Nice seat but just will not fit in an FD No Way No How. If someone out there has Done it and made it work my hat's off to you. I couldn't get it to work. Maybe the Newer RECARO Speeds would work (If they are narrower than the SRD)

Bride REVS - Older Model Don't know if you can still get them or not. They fit the best out of any of the Reclinable seats I have tried thus far. The Side bolster just brushes the inside of the door panel, Plenty of clearance in the Shoulder Bolster area. This seat does require modification with the turning reclining mechanism however, not really a big deal. Just taking the inside **** off and shaving the metal bar down a bit that controls the reclining of the back support. I think some of the guys with SPARCO seats have to do this too. I have a 36" waist and I am about 5'9" and I like the the way this seat felt.

Bride Brix- Older model replaced by the Brix II, Nice seat probally ideal for someone with a 32"-34" waist. Dosent fit in the FD well at all The side leg Bolsters Hit the Door Bad, and the Shoulder Bolsters do as well. If you were bound and determined you could probally make this seat work, but it still would not be an ideal seat for this car. In actuality it looks like it might fit similar to those JIC seats that are pictured. Those look great in the picture but, it imay be different when you see them in person. I don't know though maybe the JIC's are smaller than the Bride Brix.

When the time comes I have decided to to just go with a non reclinable Bride like the Vios Low max. Those seem like the only ones that would work practically, I don't think I would miss the reclining that much. Also, bear in mind that unless the seat is equipped with a pull lever to recline rather than a turn ****, chances are you probally would be hard pressed tp get your hand back there to recline it without opening the door anyway.

Hope someone finds this information useful.

Thanks

California Dreaming

Sharmack, good information. I'm sure almost everyone will agree that finding seats that are comfortable, affordable, and don't require modification is damn near impossible. I am currently working on installing these seats:



I did a test fit a few days ago and the seats were a bit high and they rubbed when the door closed like most universal generic seats. Since I'm 6' I had to shave down a bit of the foam on the bottom of the seat. That fixed the height problem and actually made the seat more comfortable. But I came to the conclusion that I will have to just live with the seats rubbing the door panal.

MrVonWolfi

I just wanted to thank all you guys for chiming in on this post, I've been pretty busy lately, so havent posted on this thread, I still havent purchased seats yet, but will add info about them when I pick some up- Great info though guys!! thanks again!!