bacek

if were gonna keep iot oem mazda.... best stock mazda seats are the RZ or spirit R seats (i prefer RZ cuz spirit r only comes in red)

Tessai

Miata seats do fit, a local buddy put a set in his TII. However, they actually sit quite a bit higher than the stock seats (my head touched the roof in his non-sunroof equipped TII, while I fit just dandy in my sunroof-equipped GXL, with helmet even).

I'd love to fit RX8 seats in mine.

Sideways7

iTrader: (7)

The most comfortable stock seats I can recall riding in were in my 89 Mustang. It had inflatable lumbar support, good side bolstering, and it even had an extendable leg rest that came out the front.

arghx

iTrader: (3)

supportive and comfortable are not always going to coincide

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

Part of it's drivetrain since they're AWD. After that, think a stock Neon is like 3200. :P Better safety numbers through mass!

My5ABaby

iTrader: (7)

Sorry, I can't justify 1000lb's more than my FC for AWD...

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

+1. To me, the answer to a VR4 is swap the engine into an FWD car, use the existing FWD transmission and save about 600 lbs, with a 270 hp FWD car. Like FWD cars have traction problems anyway. :P That's the goal for the Neon in my signature too... someday, way in the future, an SRT4 motor on the SXT drivetrain. First, the Turbo II swap in the RX7 though.

bacek

why not just buy a srt4 in the first place?

tehyll be cheap enough in a few years

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

Same reason I listed above, actually. AWD adds 400-800 lbs to the car, and FWD cars don't suffer from traction problems anyway, so what's the point? The SRT4 engine bolts right up to the SXT tranny with new mounts, and from what I understand you can even piggyback the stock computer without having to install the new one. Would you rather have a 3000 lb car with 220 hp? Or a 2600 lb car with 220 hp?

Waaaaait.... you're one of those people who think the best way to add power to an NA Rx7 is to sell it and buy a TII, aren't you?

Roen

iTrader: (2)

torque-steer and understeer are much more prevalent in a FWD than a AWD. Plus, AWD is much more useful in snow and other loose traction surfaces, plus corner acceleration traction is unparalleled in an AWD. Those are the benefits I see at least.

Like Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear said, "If you want a car that goes left when you keep the steering wheel straight, this is the car to buy." referring to a turbo Vauxhall FWD car that made 250 bhp and torque-steered like a ****.

Case in point: Lancer Evolution's are 3200-3300 lbs. But they are one of the best cornering machines money can buy, and it's due to its Active Center Differential and AWD systems.

Sideways7

iTrader: (7)

I guess you've never driven a powerful FWD car, then. My stock 626 with 170 hp had some pretty major torque steer one it. As stated, once you entered a turn and accellerated, you didn't have to touch the steering wheel to keep turning. I can't even imagine what it would be like on a high power car like a modded srt-4. There's a reason SCC is calling it the successor to the muscle cars - its cheap, fast, and great until you have to turn.
Also, there is something to the "sell it and buy a TII" thing. You just can't get the power some people look for out of a NA.
Damn, this has gotten off topic.

Roen

iTrader: (2)

bridgeport........p-port.........haha, but for all practicality the TII is the way to go for power. Remember, power isn't everything for a lot of forms of racing.

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

I agree, way off topic, but since we're here. I've driven some fairly powerful FWD cars, and like I said, they DON'T suffer from traction problems. If they did, you wouldn't torque steer, you'd break that tire loose, wouldn't you? Most torque steer problems come from unequal drive-shaft lengths and/or lack of a limited slip differential (well, transaxle). As for loose surfaces and icy roads, you ever consider it might be because they're SO HEAVY?! I know a guy in Wisconsin who owns a Jeep Wrangler that he likes to off-road, has a winch and big tires and everything. But he has a Geo Metro that he drives whenever it snows or ices. You know why? Like he said "4WD doesn't keep you on the road any better, it just makes it easier to get out once you've slid off." Besides that, we're not talking about a rally car, we're talking about a street car with 220 hp on tap that (unfortunately) will probably never take a corner faster than 50 due to traffic or red lights or stop signs. If I were building a rally car, it might be different, but then again, it might not

I'll give AWD one thing, it reacts MORE PREDICTABLY in a corner than a RWD car. That doesn't mean better, that just means easier. Preaching the benefits of AWD is lost on me, because I don't care. An AWD car is easy for any guy to jump in and drive. If you know what you're doing driving RWD or FWD cars, and are capable of tuning one properly, AWD doesn't have enough to offer to offset the additional cost and weight. Yes, Mitsubishi's version of ATTESSA might be a nice alternative to learning to drive properly in the first place, if their engines didn't take themselves apart after 50,000 miles of hard driving, they might have something there.

Also, as you've pointed out, the SRT-4 doesn't corner well anyway, and it IS AWD. So why don't you think a decently tuned FWD would be better?

If you view your argument, what you're saying is that a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo is a better car than an FD Rx7, which I don't believe either.

arghx

iTrader: (3)

I've helped my friend with his VR4. I know a lot about them. You can do a TT swap on a nonturbo 3000GT for 2 or 3 grand. It's easy. The extra weight isn't really from the AWD (although that adds a lot), it's from the 96lb driver seat, factory disc changer, 6 speakers, rear seats, factory chrome wheels, clutch assist, power everything (including moving spoiler and front air dam), etc etc. We did major weight reduction on his car and it is now 3300lbs approximately and makes 600 to the wheels with two Evo III big 16 G turbos. 2nd Gen (94+) motors and drivetrains can handle about 600 to the wheels reliably before they start breaking **** (although you should change the rod bearings at some point).

A FWD 3000GT with a turbo swap can't hook up from a roll. The best part about my friend's car is that it can catch traction from a roll like Supras and Rx-7s can't (on street tires anyway). He can cut a 1.7 60 foot on shitty sumitomo Z rated tires and he won't spin on the highway. I've got another friend with a 250whp turbo Integra and it's useless in 1st and most of 2nd gear, while my friend's VR4 never spins on the highway even when he hits 25psi on 110 race gas. An SRT4 is FWD people, and it comes with a nice LSD from the factory, which is why it will hook up better than my friend's Integra, but FWD has very serious traction problems when you make big power (300+).

In short: ditch all the bullshit that the 3000GT comes with EXCEPT THE AWD.

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

My first thought is that your friends all need to practice their throttle and clutch work, there's no reason a car should be useless through 2 gears. You might remind them that a gas pedal isn't an on/off switch.

Besides, the SXT comes with almost everything the SRT4 has, other than the bored out engine, the foot taller spoiler, and the AWD (yes, it's AWD!!!) drivetrain, and the SRT4 weighs 400 lbs more than the SXT. You're talking about doing major weight reduction to hit 3300 lbs. I'm talking about no weight reduction and maybe getting 2700 lbs for the bigger engine. I don't know much about 3000GTs (other than they weigh almost as much as a Ford Explorer ) but Eclipses take themselves apart pretty regular, and I've heard a lot of reports of (stock) Evolutions going back to the dealer because of engine problems, (and the dealer says "oh, you must be racing it, that voids the warranty") Mitsubishi has improved their engine reliability quite a bit in the last few years, but an STI is still the way to go, if you want a monster AWD car.

I reiterate, an SRT4 is NOT FWD, do a search on the internet, ask your local Dodge dealer, it's not an option, they are ALL AWD from the factory.

Icemark

Thread closed... way way off topic. This thread was about seats for the FC, not about FWD cars.