Skip to main content

Closed23 replies

Installing Miata/MX-5 seat in a Pan based Speedster

DaveOBrienDaveOBrien
I have disliked the 914 seats in my Speedster from day one. They look great, matching dark brown leather and all but they are uncomfortable and the headrests doesn't quite work.

As you might know the pan based Speedster requires very narrow seats and only a few kind of seats just bolt in. I know of Vintage Speedster seats, 914 seats, Miata seats along with some dune buggy and racing seats. My reasons for using the Miata seats are availability and how much they resemble the 70's era Porsche seats. I really wanted the European version of the Miata seats called the MX-5 but they are unobtainable in the States. I settled for Miata style seats with integral headrests similar to the 911 seats. The #3 pic is similar to my seats.

I kept my eyes open and found a set of beige leather Miata seats in good condition from my local Craig's list for $300.00. The seats came with slider assembly's. Date of the seats are late 90's or early 00's.

Just got around to starting the install today. Removed the passenger side 914 seat first. Just 4 bolts through the bottom of the pan and sealed with silicon. The seat belts were attached to the seat not the floor. Might have to rethink the seat mounting and stiffen it up a bit with fender washers at least and independent through bolts for seat belt mounting. It does not seem very strong or secure as is.

After removing the 914 seat I placed the Miata seat in position and it is a tight fit. The door sill on one side and tunnel on the other make for a snug fit but it works. I will have to decide if I want to re drill new wider mounting bolts for the Miata seats or rig up a bracket. Here is a link to fitting Miata seats in a Fiat Spyder. http://home.comcast.net/~cvetters3/miata_seats.htm

Well more to come with pictures. Please add your experiences in fitting seats to your pan based Speedsters.

Cheers
Dave
1959 Intermeccanica(Convertible D)
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

DaveOBrienDaveOBrien
I have disliked the 914 seats in my Speedster from day one. They look great, matching dark brown leather and all but they are uncomfortable and the headrests doesn't quite work.

As you might know the pan based Speedster requires very narrow seats and only a few kind of seats just bolt in. I know of Vintage Speedster seats, 914 seats, Miata seats along with some dune buggy and racing seats. My reasons for using the Miata seats are availability and how much they resemble the 70's era Porsche seats. I really wanted the European version of the Miata seats called the MX-5 but they are unobtainable in the States. I settled for Miata style seats with integral headrests similar to the 911 seats. The #3 pic is similar to my seats.

I kept my eyes open and found a set of beige leather Miata seats in good condition from my local Craig's list for $300.00. The seats came with slider assembly's. Date of the seats are late 90's or early 00's.

Just got around to starting the install today. Removed the passenger side 914 seat first. Just 4 bolts through the bottom of the pan and sealed with silicon. The seat belts were attached to the seat not the floor. Might have to rethink the seat mounting and stiffen it up a bit with fender washers at least and independent through bolts for seat belt mounting. It does not seem very strong or secure as is.

After removing the 914 seat I placed the Miata seat in position and it is a tight fit. The door sill on one side and tunnel on the other make for a snug fit but it works. I will have to decide if I want to re drill new wider mounting bolts for the Miata seats or rig up a bracket. Here is a link to fitting Miata seats in a Fiat Spyder. http://home.comcast.net/~cvetters3/miata_seats.htm

Well more to come with pictures. Please add your experiences in fitting seats to your pan based Speedsters.

Cheers
Dave

Attachments

Hide
Images (1)
  • 01 Miata seats
GerGer
Pics as promised

Frame is made from 1" square stock, 3mm wall.

3/4" at front and 1 3/4" at back. Mounting holes in Mazda seats are not quite in line front to back on one side.....

Frame will bolt thro the legs, thro the pan and thro 2 50x6 mm spreader plates that run the width of the pan using M12 8.8 bolts and nylocks


Seat bolts to the frame using existing slider mounts, maintaining full operational adjustment.....So that my wife will be able to drive it !

Cheers
Gerry


Attachments

Hide
Images (3)
  • CIMG0186 _Small_
  • CIMG0190 _Small_
  • CIMG0191 _Small_
J JohnWeyand
I have a pair of Miata seats at the upholstery shop now awaiting new covers. However, to give them more of the Speedster look I removed the upholstery at the headrest and cut the frame at the apex of the seat back (at the base of the headrest) and welded in a reinforcement and reshaped the seat to be similar to the Speedster bucket. They fit (barely) into the SoB (Streetbeast) body which has the 2x4 frame which I suppose is the same as the CMC. They may sit just an inch or so taller than the buckets. Trouble is, like all such custom shops, they are really slow and promises are like bubbles in champagne (overly abundant and worthless). Mine will install with the Miata sliders in place bolted to the floor.
DaveOBrienDaveOBrien
Gordon,

Had to do the taxes today so no progress.

The sliders are attached with the bent ends like in the website link.

The top of the new seat appears level with the top of sill + about an inch I'd guess. But they seem like the same height as the 914 seats and I will get some pictures posted hopefully tomorrow.

Still deciding on how to mount the tracks but I'm pretty sure I will bolt through the pan like IM mounted the 914 seats back in 92.

Gerry, your work looks great, keep sending pics and comments please.

Are you going to bend the slider ends straight? Looks like they still have the bend in one of your pictures.

You can adjust the seat cushions to raise and lower seating as you say.

There are also seat heaters that you can install.
see this link http://www.miata.net/garage/duetto_seat.html If your going to reupholster anyway.

Dave
GerGer
"Those would put my chin at the top of the windshield..."

I must be a shorta*s....I don't have the windshield on at the moment but they feel pretty low already! The side bolsters are much higher than the actual base, so your butt will be about the height of the cill panel...

I need some elevation above the pedals, any lower would just be plain uncomfortable for me. The older I get, the more this becomes important, (where's my pipe and comfy shoes...)

If it turns out that they are too low, I can easily drop 'em by up to 3/4" and lose some height when reupholstering.... :)


Dave,

I did straighten them out a little at the front, my buddy had his oxy kit over and we heated them up...I left enough clearance for the M12 bolthead to run up in the sliders..

Got both seats in and mounted last night, pretty pleased with the result..... Even got the wife out in the cold, dirty, dusty garage to sit in and make sure she could reach the pedals before finalising the seat position ! As it happens, the bodywork is the limiting factor when it comes to the position, the space gets narrower as the tunnel curves in..


Cheers
Gerry

BOKURIBOKURI
I think the angle iron was a inch and a quarter, they run perpendicular to the seat tracks, I just bent the end of the seat track to fit nicely over the angle iron at the front so they are easier to get to. The rear one is also a angle iron but flat ways. Not a hump like the front. The angle was thick enough so I just drilled and tapped in the treads, so no nuts required.

Attachments

Hide
Images (3)
  • seat front
  • seat rear
  • seat
DaveOBrienDaveOBrien
Got the Miata seats half way installed on Friday. Removed the passenger seat and pulled up the carpet and got started. Dry fit the seat to figure out mounting location. Filled the old holes with 5/16"x 3/4" long bolts and washers and will silicon the underside.

After getting Grade 8 x 5/16" bolts, washers and nuts and very careful layout of the mounting holes on the new seats in relation to the existing 914 mounting holes I drilled through the pan. Then I put the carpet back with slits cut at the new mounting locations. I installed the seat belt onto the back mounting bolts and wrenched it down. I had some furry help as you can see and as it got dark I was looking forward to Saturday and completing the drivers side seat!

Cheers
Dave

Ps: I did get more (larger)grade 8 washers on both sides of the mounting bolt. The seat in its standard position overhangs the mounting bolt by at least 6" so the ragged carpet is never seen.

Attachments

Hide
Images (2)
  • Halfway done SM
  • Grade 8 bolt more washers coming SM
DaveOBrienDaveOBrien
OK continuing,

This morning I removed the drivers seat and did the same thing on that side, drilling out for the through bolts, slit the carpet and bolted the seat up. Lilly and Paddy supervised my work and approved.
I got the chance to really vacuum the carpet and even found a little spare change. These seats fit but they are tight with the carpet, a little Vaseline would help. Its that tight. You could bang away at the side channel or use really thin carpet and wedge that baby in.

Before I put in the Miata seats I cleaned and conditioned them with Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner/Conditioner a really good leather product I use on all my leather.

With a little help from my wrench buddy's I got the work done in time for lunch with a 5 mile test drive included.
The test drive was fun, I got my seat adjustment correct and it worked great. By the time I finished lunch and started driving home it felt like the seats had always been installed. I got used to them real fast.
Time to clean the car for C&C SD tomorrow to show off the new seats.

Verdict: Chrissa my right seater and wrench buddy gives it a thumbs up as do I. Her impression is that it might seat higher (1/2" plus or minus) but is is way more comfortable and gives you neck support. If you look at the picture in the previous post it shows the new and old seats side by side and they look at the same level, it might be the firmness of the Miata seat cushion that lifts you a little higher. If the original speedster seats came with headrests and fit in my pan based IM I would change them but for now I am Done.

Dave

Attachments

Hide
Images (3)
  • Helpers1 SM
  • Lilly helping SM
  • Seats Done SM
DaveOBrienDaveOBrien
Hows it going Lane!

I was very concerned about the light tan and chocolate difference at first. If fact I obsessed over it for quite a while. I looked into leather paint but could not find a dark brown. So I decided to go for the two-tone to see how I liked it. It kind of brightens up the interior and blends with the carpet and painted portion of the dash.
I was pleasantly surprised actually. The carpet is light tan also and it all blends in nicely.
My fashion advisers also decided it was good. And their opnion is gold.

Dave

Post Content
Remove This Ad

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
Loading...
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×

Access to this requires a premium membership.

Supporting Member

Please help keep us running!

Supporting members have donated about $4.00 a month ($49.00 US per year) paid annually.

  • Priority support
  • Removal of inter-page (between thread) advertisements.
  • Access to Build Manuals
  • Access to Knowledge Base
  • Access to Supporting Members events.
  • Access to Leveraged Group Buying from site Merchants.

AUTO RENEW: You membership will auto-renew after 12 months. If you prefer not to auto-renew, you can cancel your premium membership at any time and it will remain in effect until the end of the 12 months. To cancel, sign in at SpeedsterOwners.com and navigate to: (Your User Name)  > Premium Membership.

PLEASE NOTE: Your credit card will receive a charge from CROWDSTACK PAY, the payment processor, not SpeedsterOwners.com.

$49.00 per 12 Months (plus tax if applicable)
×