I think I reached the on of my rope with the Miata, now that there isn't anything really wrong with it...
It boils down to me just not being able to comfortable fit in it with the race seats mounted as far back as they'll go. Heck, I fit better into the CRX than I fit in the Miata. Short of lengthening the car by about an inch or shortening my legs by the same amount, I just won't fit comfortably, period.
So, despite all the cool parts on the shelf, it looks like it's car shopping time again...
Any chance the pedals can be modified to give you a bit more room? Especially if everything else about the car is fine.
I don't know, but my guess is not without major surgery, which I'm trying to avoid.
This car is too nice to turn into an Exocet donor but this does have me wondering if the cabin part of the Exocet is longer than a stock Miata.
How tall are you? What seat are you trying to fit? How are you mounting it?
Sent you an email also.
Sigh my ass...it's just a good way to rationalize the purchase of another car. 
I'm pretty sure the cabin IS longer in an Exocet, but the shape of the side rail means the side of the seat may hit before you're all the way back. I'm sure Warren can give dimensions.
The pedals can be unbolted. So "major surgery" may not be a big deal, just a bit of cutting and welding on a part that can be replaced if things don't work out. It would be worth looking in to - we've got enough pedals on the shelf if you want some to play with.
seat bolted directly to the floor, smaller steering wheel. seat foam ectomy
amg_rx7 wrote: How tall are you? What seat are you trying to fit? How are you mounting it? Sent you an email also.
Details in the email reply. I'm 5'11" but with fairly long legs. Seats are "mail order Bride" VIOS IIIs on Bride sliders and they're all the way back until they hit the SFI padding on the roll bar directly behind my head.
Sorry to hear that. I am 5' 10" and I feel like I am at my comfort limit. I have to have the top down to autocross because can't wear a helmet with the top up. My son is 6' 2" and doesn't like even riding in it as the passenger side seems even more cramped than the drivers side. They just aren't made for taller/larger people.
captdownshift wrote: seat bolted directly to the floor, smaller steering wheel. seat foam ectomy
Not going to help because the problem is an awkward and uncomfortable knee angle even with the seats all the way back. I'm just about sitting low enough, just not far enough back.
1"?
I guess I just look past it when I've been in my car after other people have moved the seat, and in order to back out on track as quickly as possible, I just leave the seat where it is.
Me thinks you're bored and just want something else.
Is the seat hitting the roll bar but not the rear bulkhead? I see cars like that in our local Miata club.I've actually boltewd a seat base into my NB but without the seat back attached to see if I could simply add a back foam to the rear bulkhead. This wouldn't work with a roll bar I suspect.
BoxheadTim wrote:amg_rx7 wrote: How tall are you? What seat are you trying to fit? How are you mounting it? Sent you an email also.Details in the email reply. I'm 5'11" but with fairly long legs. Seats are "mail order Bride" VIOS IIIs on Bride sliders and they're all the way back until they hit the SFI padding on the roll bar directly behind my head.
So, is it more an interference problem with the seats and the rollbar?
Perhaps your seats have too much layback?
(6'2" miata driver here, but I don't have a cage to fit under)
z31maniac wrote: 1"? I guess I just look past it when I've been in my car after other people have moved the seat, and in order to back out on track as quickly as possible, I just leave the seat where it is. Me thinks you're bored and just want something else.
No, I'm uncomfortable in the car and want something else that I'm more comfortable in 
.
Part of the problem is that the missing inch here of interior length is resulting in awkward knee angles for both legs. I've got iffy knees anyway (one of the reasons I had to go from a regular road bike to a Harley Road Sofa) and with the current setup I can drive the car for about 45 minutes before I have to stop, get out of the car and walk around to prevent my knees from locking up completely. That's rather awkward when the second closest track is four hours away.
DeadSkunk wrote: Is the seat hitting the roll bar but not the rear bulkhead? I see cars like that in our local Miata club.
I'll have to check but I'm pretty sure it's very close to hitting the bulkhead. It's not hitting it yet because of the aforementioned SFI padding, but then again I'm not driving on the track with a piece of DOM tubing directly behind my melon with nothing to separate the helmet from the steel tubing.
Apexcarver wrote: So, is it more an interference problem with the seats and the rollbar? Perhaps your seats have too much layback? (6'2" miata driver here, but I don't have a cage to fit under)
The seat is pretty level with an upright seating position. I don't like to drive in a gangsta lean, not that I'd have the space for that anyway.
I guess I could try to pop up the back one notch but that would make me both sit higher (problem #1) and possibly tilt the seat forward (problem #2...).
I am just trying to figure out what your position must be, you cannot have that much longer of an inseam than I do, and my seat (factory with bottom foamectomy) is not all the way back on the tracks.
That said, I can not comfortably fit under my hardtop while wearing my helmet. (I have a cobra monaco to put in, but haven't yet as its my DD)
Tim, if you were to put in a racing seat, like a Kirkey, would you have enough room to stretch your legs out? I once used a fiberglass racing seat in a car and it was painful todrive the three hours to the track. I bought a junkyard seat and used the foam and upholstery from it to make removable cushions for the racing seat. I was comfortable driving to the track and would remove them once there to gain headroom with my helmet on.
Bride VIOS III are racing seats, I just currently have the cheaper copy seats mounted in the car, not the original FIA approved one. I actually was planning to buy the "real one" if I can make me fit the car.
The seats are comfortable enough to drive to Laguna Seca (that's about 5-6h driving) if it wasn't for the knee angle issue and the only way to resolve that is either move all the pedals and the dead pedal forwards or the seat further back. But even without the rollbar and padding place it doesn't go quite far enough back anyway to be really comfortable. The OEM seats aren't much better, plus I can't use them anyway as I have Schroth harnesses in the car.
What size inseam/length are your pants?
That's an odd issue you have but fitting a tall guy in a streetable Miata isn't easy. I never really got comfortable in the car in street trim. In full Spec Miata race trim, I fit pretty comfortably at my 5'9" w/ 32" inseam stature.
If it comes to changing cars, FC RX7, Porsche 944 is a good low cost option as is the early Boxster and E30/36.
Not all racing seats are the same. A Bride VIOS III looks like a thick, plushy seat. A Kirkey is a pretty minimalist seat. You might easily gain 1" switching to a Kirkey. With a pad and cover I find the Kirkeys plenty comfy for 2+ hour racing stints but that's a personal judgement call obviously.
If someone had one you could borrow that would be ideal. But even if you have to buy it maybe you could recover most of your investment selling it on eBay if it didn't work out.
BoxheadTim wrote: The seats are comfortable enough to drive to Laguna Seca (that's about 5-6h driving) if it wasn't for the knee angle issue and the only way to resolve that is either move all the pedals and the dead pedal forwards or the seat further back.
I'm guessing the knee angle is due to the leg clearance below the steering wheel? What about adding a spacer to bring the wheel closer or raising the column a little bit?
Combining wheel position options with moving the seat forward a little and then angling it back (or if it's hinged, raising the front of the seat bottom) can sometimes provide a longer reach for the stems. It also lowers your head and makes the roof clearance for a helmet less claustrophobic.
In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:
The problem is that because I can't get the seat further back, I have my legs at an awkward angle that leads to the knee cap putting a fair amount of pressure onto the joint and the nerves behind the knee cap. If I can hold the legs at a "flatter" angle Ilike I can in the Evo and the CRX) that's not an issue, but it is in the Miata.
The steering wheel is in the right place as I sit now. I'm not sure moving it closer towards me is going to fix the issue, but I would have to do that if I'd angle the seat back. Maybe I'll give that a try and see if it improves anything even if I have to replace the wheel.
Can you tilt the front of the seat up? I'm taller than you and that helped me.
That being said, I eventually sold both of my Miatas for the same reason.
So, are you looking for advice about how to fit in your Miata or what your next project should be?
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