Mk3 seats in a Mk2.5
Discussion
A while ago I bought a pair of heated leather Mk3 seats to try fitting in my car. I got them for a very good price so I figured if I couldn't make them fit I could still sell them at a profit so I couldn't loose out 
I bodged the drivers seat into the car on the Mk3 runners a couple of weeks ago but finally fitted it into my car properly at the weekend. I bolted some steel plates to the floor bolt holes and bolted the seat to them so without removing the floor bumps and bolting directly to the floor they are about as low as they will get. It's handy because the seat belt stalk on the Mk3 is bolted directly to the seat rather than on the runner like it is on the Mk2 so I don't have to fabricate anything for that
Here's a few pictures:
They are wider than Mk1/2 seats but they do fit quite well.
There is space at the shoulders...
And behind the seat...
And I even have plenty of leg/knee space!
I find them to be very comfortable, more so than the Mk2.5 seats as they have better lumbar support and much better lateral support in the base and at the shoulders. I'm going to adjust the fitting very slightly but it's pretty much right now. In fact as they are more comfortable than the Elise seats and offer pretty much as much support I might even sell on the Elise seats too... undecided.
The passenger seat might get fitted at the weekend and I'll be fitting that one on runners - probably the Mk3 runners as I don't think the Mk2 runners will be too narrow.
I bodged the drivers seat into the car on the Mk3 runners a couple of weeks ago but finally fitted it into my car properly at the weekend. I bolted some steel plates to the floor bolt holes and bolted the seat to them so without removing the floor bumps and bolting directly to the floor they are about as low as they will get. It's handy because the seat belt stalk on the Mk3 is bolted directly to the seat rather than on the runner like it is on the Mk2 so I don't have to fabricate anything for that
Here's a few pictures:
They are wider than Mk1/2 seats but they do fit quite well.
There is space at the shoulders...
And behind the seat...
And I even have plenty of leg/knee space!
I find them to be very comfortable, more so than the Mk2.5 seats as they have better lumbar support and much better lateral support in the base and at the shoulders. I'm going to adjust the fitting very slightly but it's pretty much right now. In fact as they are more comfortable than the Elise seats and offer pretty much as much support I might even sell on the Elise seats too... undecided.
The passenger seat might get fitted at the weekend and I'll be fitting that one on runners - probably the Mk3 runners as I don't think the Mk2 runners will be too narrow.
Edited by MX-5 Lazza on Tuesday 17th May 20:02
MX-5 Lazza said:
A while ago I bought a pair of heated leather Mk3 seats to try fitting in my car. I got them for a very good price so I figured if I couldn't make them fit I could still sell them at a profit so I couldn't loose out
I bodged the drivers seat into the car on the Mk3 runners a couple of weeks ago but finally fitted it into my car properly at the weekend. I bolted some steel plates to the floor bolt holes and bolted the seat to them so without removing the floor bumps and bolting directly to the floor they are about as low as they will get. It's handy because the seat belt stalk on the Mk3 is bolted directly to the seat rather than on the runner like it is on the Mk2 so I don't have to fabricate anything for that
Here's a few pictures:
They are wider than Mk1/2 seats but they do fit quite well.
There is space at the shoulders...
And behind the seat...
And I even have plenty of leg/knee space!
I find them to be very comfortable, more so than the Mk2.5 seats as they have better lumbar support and much better lateral support in the base and at the shoulders. I'm going to adjust the fitting very slightly but it's pretty much right now. In fact as they are more comfortable than the Elise seats and offer pretty much as much support I might even sell on the Elise seats too... undecided.
The passenger seat might get fitted at the weekend and I'll be fitting that one on runners - probably the Mk3 runners as I don't think the Mk2 runners will be too narrow.
Nice job!I bodged the drivers seat into the car on the Mk3 runners a couple of weeks ago but finally fitted it into my car properly at the weekend. I bolted some steel plates to the floor bolt holes and bolted the seat to them so without removing the floor bumps and bolting directly to the floor they are about as low as they will get. It's handy because the seat belt stalk on the Mk3 is bolted directly to the seat rather than on the runner like it is on the Mk2 so I don't have to fabricate anything for that
Here's a few pictures:
They are wider than Mk1/2 seats but they do fit quite well.
There is space at the shoulders...
And behind the seat...
And I even have plenty of leg/knee space!
I find them to be very comfortable, more so than the Mk2.5 seats as they have better lumbar support and much better lateral support in the base and at the shoulders. I'm going to adjust the fitting very slightly but it's pretty much right now. In fact as they are more comfortable than the Elise seats and offer pretty much as much support I might even sell on the Elise seats too... undecided.
The passenger seat might get fitted at the weekend and I'll be fitting that one on runners - probably the Mk3 runners as I don't think the Mk2 runners will be too narrow.
Edited by MX-5 Lazza on Tuesday 17th May 20:02
I'm getting tired of my Elise seats... ISTR you being relatively tall? how's head/leg room with the MK3 seats?
Richyvrlimited said:
Nice job!
I'm getting tired of my Elise seats... ISTR you being relatively tall? how's head/leg room with the MK3 seats?
I'm 6' 2" which is why I couldn't live with the Mk2.5 seats.I'm getting tired of my Elise seats... ISTR you being relatively tall? how's head/leg room with the MK3 seats?
With the Mk3 seats I seem to be sitting as low as I was with the Elise seats though I did have them on the runners. I might actually keep the Elise seats and find a way to attach them to the floor like I have with the Mk3 seats to sit me even lower for track days. Leg room with the Mk3 seats isn't quite as good as it was with the Elise seats but with them back as far as I could fit them without them touching anything they are just about right for me.
Which Elise seats do you have? S2 seats are a lot more comfortable and a touch narrower in the base than S1 seats. I think VX220 sets are the same as S2 seats. I actually found mine to be pretty comfortable and the main reason I wanted to try the Mk3 seats is so I could wire in the passenger seat occupancy sensor to get rid of the airbag warning lights and get the airbags working again.
MX-5 Lazza said:
I'm 6' 2" which is why I couldn't live with the Mk2.5 seats.
With the Mk3 seats I seem to be sitting as low as I was with the Elise seats though I did have them on the runners. I might actually keep the Elise seats and find a way to attach them to the floor like I have with the Mk3 seats to sit me even lower for track days. Leg room with the Mk3 seats isn't quite as good as it was with the Elise seats but with them back as far as I could fit them without them touching anything they are just about right for me.
Which Elise seats do you have? S2 seats are a lot more comfortable and a touch narrower in the base than S1 seats. I think VX220 sets are the same as S2 seats. I actually found mine to be pretty comfortable and the main reason I wanted to try the Mk3 seats is so I could wire in the passenger seat occupancy sensor to get rid of the airbag warning lights and get the airbags working again.
Mine are S1 seats, I bought them with brackets to attach to stock rails already made, but they're too tilted back IMO, I'm used to the driving position now, but because they're so tilted back legroom is really effected, I'm 5'11" and I feel a bit cramped at the leg. Head is at a comfortable height though.With the Mk3 seats I seem to be sitting as low as I was with the Elise seats though I did have them on the runners. I might actually keep the Elise seats and find a way to attach them to the floor like I have with the Mk3 seats to sit me even lower for track days. Leg room with the Mk3 seats isn't quite as good as it was with the Elise seats but with them back as far as I could fit them without them touching anything they are just about right for me.
Which Elise seats do you have? S2 seats are a lot more comfortable and a touch narrower in the base than S1 seats. I think VX220 sets are the same as S2 seats. I actually found mine to be pretty comfortable and the main reason I wanted to try the Mk3 seats is so I could wire in the passenger seat occupancy sensor to get rid of the airbag warning lights and get the airbags working again.
Man those MK3 seats look comfy...
Have you got any pictures of how you bolted them to the floor? I'm very very tempted to attempt this.
I mounted my S2 seats to be more upright than the old B&Q chair-leg fitting. Added to that, S2 seats are a lottle more upright. I also mounted them as far back on the runners as I could get them so I can push them all the way back to the bulkhead behind the seat so my feet are 6" from the pedals!!!
I'll take a picture of the mounting when I get a chance, probably this weekend. It's about as simple as it could be! I'll probably improve it at some point as with sharper bends I can probably get 1/2" lower again.
I'll take a picture of the mounting when I get a chance, probably this weekend. It's about as simple as it could be! I'll probably improve it at some point as with sharper bends I can probably get 1/2" lower again.
As both seats are now fitted it's time I posted some more pictures on here.
The pax seat was a bit more difficult than the drivers side as the pax seat well is narrower. I had to mount it about 15mm higher than the drivers side due to lumps on the side of the transmission tunnel. At some point I'll tale a better look, lifting the carpet to see if there is anything that can be done to make both seats lower. They are both fine as they are but lower is always nice as I'm 6'2"
No pictures of the mounting but here are some pictures of the seats fitted:
The pax seat was a bit more difficult than the drivers side as the pax seat well is narrower. I had to mount it about 15mm higher than the drivers side due to lumps on the side of the transmission tunnel. At some point I'll tale a better look, lifting the carpet to see if there is anything that can be done to make both seats lower. They are both fine as they are but lower is always nice as I'm 6'2"
No pictures of the mounting but here are some pictures of the seats fitted:
LukeBird said:
Out of interest, was it possible to wire up the heated seats?
Yes I don't think I'll be able to wire in the seat occupancy sensor though. The Mk2.5 seat sensor is 3-wire whereas the Mk3 seat sensor is 2 wire. I don't suppose you have access to wiring diagrams for both cars do you?
So a bit of a nightmare few weeks, having lost my job, but I got a bill through ebay so I thought I'd better go get the seats. Picked up yesterday, they are really nice. As Lazza says - They are much more snug than previous seats, particularly more so than the Mk2 seats I have.
They fit, just, into the space, with some of the plastic trim removed. there really easy to dissasembly, I've got the base out so its just a frame. Theres a couple of ways I reckon they could fit, but to get them really nice and low I think its going to have to be without adjustment, oh well.
Lazza - I'd be interested to see how you mounted them, got any pics of what you made up?
They fit, just, into the space, with some of the plastic trim removed. there really easy to dissasembly, I've got the base out so its just a frame. Theres a couple of ways I reckon they could fit, but to get them really nice and low I think its going to have to be without adjustment, oh well.
Lazza - I'd be interested to see how you mounted them, got any pics of what you made up?
I need to pull mine apart again some time so I can replace washers, paint stuff up and cover up what I can but this is what my drivers side looks like at the moment:
Floor plates (18" x 3" 3mm thick):
Seat bolts:
So...
The floor plates are bent on the ends to match the angles of the existing floor bolt holes.
The front mount is a box section bolted to the floor plates. I have a slot cut in the ends of this so I can get to the nuts from the front. Idiot. On the passenger side I showed more intelligence and just did 2 short sections of box (2" long maybe) and bolted them down through the holes in the ends
Bolts are then put through the front seat mount holes and a couple of nuts and washers are used to finely adjust the angle of the base. I adjusted it so that my legs are in contact with the base all the way to the front of the seat, partly to make the most of the seat heaters but mostly for comfort.
At the rear I have put a bolt through from under the floor plate. Again, if I'd planned it better I'd have drilled & tapped the hole so it wouldn't need the nut on top to hold it in place.
The seat then fits onto the bolts at the rear and access to the nuts on top is easy through the base of the seats. If you've already taken them apart you will see what I mean.
As there is no adjustment it was then a matter of getting the balance between the correct recline, getting them back as far as I could get away with and adjusting the base angle to be just right.
It took me ages to come up with this but now it's done it's actually a very simple solution - and those are usually the best ones
Floor plates (18" x 3" 3mm thick):
Seat bolts:
So...
The floor plates are bent on the ends to match the angles of the existing floor bolt holes.
The front mount is a box section bolted to the floor plates. I have a slot cut in the ends of this so I can get to the nuts from the front. Idiot. On the passenger side I showed more intelligence and just did 2 short sections of box (2" long maybe) and bolted them down through the holes in the ends
Bolts are then put through the front seat mount holes and a couple of nuts and washers are used to finely adjust the angle of the base. I adjusted it so that my legs are in contact with the base all the way to the front of the seat, partly to make the most of the seat heaters but mostly for comfort.
At the rear I have put a bolt through from under the floor plate. Again, if I'd planned it better I'd have drilled & tapped the hole so it wouldn't need the nut on top to hold it in place.
The seat then fits onto the bolts at the rear and access to the nuts on top is easy through the base of the seats. If you've already taken them apart you will see what I mean.
As there is no adjustment it was then a matter of getting the balance between the correct recline, getting them back as far as I could get away with and adjusting the base angle to be just right.
It took me ages to come up with this but now it's done it's actually a very simple solution - and those are usually the best ones
Finally had some time to my hands today...
I took the photos you sent me Lazza (cheers!) and had a rough go at copying...
However I have now worked out how to mount the Mk3 seats from the Mk2 runners - without an increase in height. Took an awful lot of cutting, drilling and milling, but works really well.
So once I've got them painted and bolted in I'll have a Mk3 seat, sitting lower than the Mk2 seat, on factory sliders. Bish bash bosh.
Pics will follow.
I took the photos you sent me Lazza (cheers!) and had a rough go at copying...
However I have now worked out how to mount the Mk3 seats from the Mk2 runners - without an increase in height. Took an awful lot of cutting, drilling and milling, but works really well.
So once I've got them painted and bolted in I'll have a Mk3 seat, sitting lower than the Mk2 seat, on factory sliders. Bish bash bosh.
Pics will follow.
Gassing Station | Mazda MX5/Roadster/Miata | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff