Any Local Mx5 Mk2 Owners - Sutton Coldfield

[Dr.IsR]

Hey Folks

I’m based in Sutton Coldfield. I am hoping to find any local mk2 mx5 owners who are taller (5ft 11+) and have made adjustments to their seating position (foamectomy/ bucket seats/ floor mounted seats/ smaller steering wheel etc)



I would be most indebted to anyone willing to show me their car & setup.

[l354uge]

Hello, im in hinckley and have done a few things to accommodate my height (6'2") in a mk2, what do you need to know/see?

[Dr.IsR]

Hi there

Thanks for your reply. I’m 6ft1, I’ve test driven a couple of mk2.5 sport mx5’s and just found I’m sitting too high and my thighs are up against the steering wheel.

I still really want an mx5, currently searching for a mk2.5 sport for track days. I’m definitely going to have to find a way of lowering my seating position to get my thighs off the wheel and to lower my head below a roll bar.

Just wondering what you’ve done to accommodate your height... if you’ve changed the seat, which seat have you fitted/ which seat brackets /if you’ve done a humpectomy / welded seat to floor etc.

[l354uge]

So it being a track day car helps off the bat. You can ditch the standard steering wheel. Get a nice aftermarket one and fit a spacer or deep boss. This brought the wheel closer to me and allowed it to clear my knees.

At first I did a foamsectomy but the support of the seat was poor, now I run a sparco rev with 6 point harnesses and side mounts. (harnesses are attached to tr lane roll bar.

I now feel low enough and knees aren't touching steering wheel.
I know of people who have removed the mounting tabs on the floor or have tubbed the floor completely to get lower, but I haven't needed too yet.

Let me know if you need to know anything else about this or tracking an mx5 etc

[Mr MXT]

I’m 6’1 with a Lionel Jr the mk2 track car.

I’ve swapped the steering wheel for something smaller and fitted corbeau buckets bolted directly through the floor. I did have to remove the humps in floor that the seat rails bolted to, but this was a fairly easy job as they are just spot welded on.

I’m as low and far back as possible now, my mate who’s 6’2 often shares it, but I think that’s the limit!

[griffdude]

I track a MK2.5 & a dished steering wheel+Sparco Sprint seat combination works fine.

[Dr.IsR]

l354uge said:

So it being a track day car helps off the bat. You can ditch the standard steering wheel. Get a nice aftermarket one and fit a spacer or deep boss. This brought the wheel closer to me and allowed it to clear my knees.

At first I did a foamsectomy but the support of the seat was poor, now I run a sparco rev with 6 point harnesses and side mounts. (harnesses are attached to tr lane roll bar.

I now feel low enough and knees aren't touching steering wheel.
I know of people who have removed the mounting tabs on the floor or have tubbed the floor completely to get lower, but I haven't needed too yet.

Let me know if you need to know anything else about this or tracking an mx5 etc

Thanks for your reply
With the sparco seats side mounted, is your head below the roll bar when wearing a helmet?

Edited by Dr.IsR on Friday 19th June 14:00

[Dr.IsR]

Mr MXT said:

I’m 6’1 with a Lionel Jr the mk2 track car.

I’ve swapped the steering wheel for something smaller and fitted corbeau buckets bolted directly through the floor. I did have to remove the humps in floor that the seat rails bolted to, but this was a fairly easy job as they are just spot welded on.

I’m as low and far back as possible now, my mate who’s 6’2 often shares it, but I think that’s the limit!

That sounds good. Did you also remove the box on the floor beneath the front of the stock seat, or just the rear humps?
Some say if you remove rear humps only any seat installed will be tilted backwards because the back will be lower then the front.

Also did you need to reinforce the floor before bolting the seats directly?

[l354uge]

Dr.IsR said:

Thanks for your reply
With the sparco seats side mounted, is your head below the roll bar when wearing a helmet?

Edited by Dr.IsR on Friday 19th June 14:00

It's very close. Looking at this angle I need to make my seat lower

[Mr MXT]

Dr.IsR said:

Mr MXT said:

I’m 6’1 with a Lionel Jr the mk2 track car.

I’ve swapped the steering wheel for something smaller and fitted corbeau buckets bolted directly through the floor. I did have to remove the humps in floor that the seat rails bolted to, but this was a fairly easy job as they are just spot welded on.

I’m as low and far back as possible now, my mate who’s 6’2 often shares it, but I think that’s the limit!

That sounds good. Did you also remove the box on the floor beneath the front of the stock seat, or just the rear humps?
Some say if you remove rear humps only any seat installed will be tilted backwards because the back will be lower then the front.

Also did you need to reinforce the floor before bolting the seats directly?

Just the rear humps. The seat is far back enough that it completely clears the front box and stays level. I wouldn’t cut the front box out anyway, it looks important,

Ive not reinforced the floor, just some 2mm thick steel plates on the underside so the bolts can’t pull through. Sufficiently strapped in with a harness, in a crash it should be the harness taking the load.

[Dr.IsR]

l354uge said:

It's very close. Looking at this angle I need to make my seat lower

Awesome, you’ve been most helpful!

[Dr.IsR]

Mr MXT said:

Just the rear humps. The seat is far back enough that it completely clears the front box and stays level. I wouldn’t cut the front box out anyway, it looks important,

Ive not reinforced the floor, just some 2mm thick steel plates on the underside so the bolts can’t pull through. Sufficiently strapped in with a harness, in a crash it should be the harness taking the load.

That front box was one of my main worries. So I’m extremely glad to hear that it’s possible to mount the seat completely behind it. I agree that front floor box sounds structural, don’t want to mess with it.

Could you pm me more details of the seat you use and the tools I’ll need to remove the rear floor humps and bolt it to the floor?

[Mr MXT]

It’s a corbeau bucket.

You can either drill out the spot welds or angle grind it. I’d take a grinder to it if I was doing it again.

[Dr.IsR]

Do you know the model name for the corbeau bucket seat? I’ve heard only some of them fit in the mx5.

Lastly, did you need to use or fabricate any kind of bracket to bolt the seats to the floor?
Can’t find any videos of seats being bolted directly to the floor, so just trying to picture how it’s done.

Thanks again

Edited by Dr.IsR on Saturday 20th June 17:59

Edited by Dr.IsR on Saturday 20th June 18:38