As usual, I'm a little too tall for myND. I knew that when I bought it and have been researching seat lowering options for the OEM seats for a little while. So far, it looks like there are three options that I found.
- Aurora/Blackbird Fabworx lowered rails. These are fairly expensive and do require modification of the plastic surround for the seat base, but work with both the regular and Recaro seats. Drop is about 1.125"
- Paco Motorsports - these are fixed-ish (adjustable with some tools) if I read the description correctly. Drop is about 1.2". Cheapest of the lot.
- Jass Performance seat lowering rails. Drop is up to 1.9 inches and they retain a sliding mechanism. main downside seems to be that I cannot find someone in the US who stocks them so I have to order them from the UK. Also at the fairly expensive end, but allows for fine tuning of the seat height. These also work with the Recaro seats.
Am I missing any other options?
Mr_Asa
MegaDork
10/20/24 10:06 p.m.
Home grown? Universal seat rails, sheet metal brackets?
I know a couple folks have done it. Claim 1-1/8ish" drop?
I used the Paco rails, made a big difference for seat comfort for my long-torso 6ft self. Installation was a bit of a bear; seems like a simple job but you need a whole assortment of wrenches and contortionist acts to tighten up the bolts. Moving the seats after installation can be done, but again it's a bit of a headache. Removing them and re-installing the factory sliders was a nightmare, mostly because I couldn't remember how things went together. Take lots of pictures.
I'd go with the Aurora ones over Paco. I haven't seen the Jass.
I bought the Aurora kit 2 weeks after buying my ND brand new, because even at only 6'0, your rear-view mirror shouldn't be a forward blind spot. Really well-thought-out kit, easy install, and keeping the seat slider function is huge. But you also have to modify (grind or cut) the metal seat frame permanently. Kinda nerve-racking on brand new white leather seats, but it was so worth it. If Mazda had let me check a $500 "tall person option" box, I would have. The Aurora kit was the next best thing. 5/5 highly recommend.
Snrub
Dork
10/22/24 9:56 a.m.
The small size is obviously an appeal for the ND. The existence of aftermarket options does beg the question why Mazda didn't make a little more headroom a possibility. It is a safety issue with different seat angles, etc?
Average north American males are 5'10-11". Lots of folks are say 6'2" or would just appreciate more headroom. Lots of shorter people appreciate having extra space above their heads just because they like it.
