Miata seat(s) 50% done

fiatmonkey

fiatmonkey

Tim Hoover
Hi,

I got really tired of my shot X driver seat and decided to get a pair of miata seat. I picked up a pair from Ty last weekend.

I went ahead and did the driver's seat. Here are some pics (WARNING - high level of "cheese" factor so please don't laugh!!).

Here are some before's (not exactly as these are pics of the passenger seat and the drivers seat was in worse condition):

IMG_5317.jpg

IMG_5319.jpg


Here is how the drivers seat looks after (I did say high on the cheese factor so be kind):

IMG_5316.jpg


I will post pics of the bars I made to fit the seats to the rails soon. And more here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/fiatmonkeyman/MiataSeatsMod#


-FM
 
Last edited:
Interesting

So how do you like them in the X?
Do you sit higher than before? How is legroom?

You cut the pan off. What about the foam? Did you leave that as is?
Is the foam now resting on the X floorboard?

My wife has an early Miata and I did the mod of cutting out the part of the foam that sits inside the pan (that you cut off). This lowers the butt in the seat and gives a little more side support.
That's why I am interested.
 
Nice work Tim

You did a real nice job on "painting" that inner seat panel.

BTW... I didn't know that Duplicolor had a paint bomb that would spray the Abarth logo. ;)
 
JimD said:
...
BTW... I didn't know that Duplicolor had a paint bomb that would spray the Abarth logo. ;)
Click to expand...
You have to look REALLY hard for it ;)


The abarth patch is alla Chris Obert. Got a pair from him while at the Fiat grand opening event last weekend in Fremont. (reminds me I have some pics to post for that...)

Thanks folks.
 
Ulix said:
So how do you like them in the X?
Do you sit higher than before? How is legroom?

You cut the pan off. What about the foam? Did you leave that as is?
Is the foam now resting on the X floorboard?

My wife has an early Miata and I did the mod of cutting out the part of the foam that sits inside the pan (that you cut off). This lowers the butt in the seat and gives a little more side support.
That's why I am interested.
Click to expand...

Still working on fitment and I found that I did not cut out enough of the pan so still binding some. I work on it some more when time permits and let you with pics.

Here is the pan:

IMG_5269.jpg

before

Copy%20of%20IMG_5309.jpg


after. I added an aluminum sheet beneath where the pan was and I DID cut out the foam.
 
Ulix said:
So how do you like them in the X?
Do you sit higher than before? How is legroom?
Click to expand...

For comparison,

On mine, I lowered the DS seat belt mount to allow the Miata seat to travel as far back as possible. Legroom is the same as with the Fiat seat.

IMG_7355.jpg


I only removed the sheet metal & did not trim the foam. Mine does not drag on the floor.
 
Good job with the seats, much cleaner looking. Just curious as to how well does this stuff work on vinyl? Is it a dye That penetrates or a paint sits on top?
 
OK, i want them back!

Not really but there are far more things to get done on the 74 then to worry about the seats.

I wasn't sure where i was going with the door cards but now, Thanks Timmy for the Duplicolor application.

As i have said before, the current 74 seats are going into the Dallara wannabe (they are suppppeeerrr nice) but i will need to put probably Miata seats back into the 74. Hense the 2 tone grey/black 86 seats will be for sale. Cheap.
 
I've been painting vinyl

for 40 years. My first was a set of Bugeye seats from white to black. Over time (month or two) the black would wear off (not flake or peel) at the hinge joints. A couple of seconds with the spray fixed it. I NEVER put the top up, so the seats were always exposed to the sun. My current favorite brand is S.E.M. You can also buy vinyl paint in the color of your choice at an auto paint store in cans & shoot it with your spray gun. I learned this about 40 years ago, too -- when a body man said "what did you think? They get a seat from a junkyard & shoot it to match."

I have used vinyl spray on metal also - it gives a nice satin finish. I have only painted fabric once. I did not get nearly the results shown in this thread, but then again, it was an old pickup with red seats that were pretty well worn.

All I can say is a can is cheap enough to try out on some scrap & see if you like the results. I've been happy with it.

-- Mike
 
Search the archives for my interior resto thread I posted last fall. As an update to that thread, the panels and pass seat are wearing quite well, the driver seat I just did (different paint brand) isnt doing as well. Its not flaking but wearing in 2 places. I think it could be due to the fact that there were cracks there that I filled with vinyl repair. Its my DD so it gets alot of use
 
Got around today to fix the fitment of the seat belt bits

Like others, I also had an issue with the driver's side seat belt "hump" impeding the fitment of the seat. I elected to mod the seat rather than monkey with the location of the seat belt re-tractor. I figured it would be safer.

So I trimmed some of the metal bracket that holds the upper portion to the lower 1/2 of the seat:

photo%25252810%252529.JPG


Then trimmed the plastic cover:

photo%2525289%252529.JPG


Fits with the seat all the way back and reclined. I figured I would be driving this car pretty 100% of the time so the seat will probably never move up.

photo%2525288%252529.JPG
 
fiatmonkey said:
Like others, I also had an issue with the driver's side seat belt "hump" impeding the fitment of the seat. I elected to mod the seat rather than monkey with the location of the seat belt re-tractor. I figured it would be safer.
Click to expand...

Nice work, however I doubt compromising the structural integrity of the seat back support is safer!

Switching the seats, DS for PS was easy- and no mods to seat frame required.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top