J-Mo-15

I see. Well thats ok as i wont be using it for racing, Just a weekend driver. I know i fit in a non-sunroof model with an inch of head room if i have the seat all the way back. So right now im relying completely on a Bride Low Max seat and rail to give me a little more headroom in either of the rx7 models.

Bob H

iTrader: (10)

Ok, I'll update this with pictures this weekend. I went ahead and bought the Bride Stradia Low Max seat,(the Stradia is just like the Gias, but with a lower front "side").

My car is a 94 touring,(sunroof). This is with base model seats,(the "carbon look"). The seats installed are the Bride Stradia sport, Lo Max model w/sliding rail.
The Bride "sport" seat,(FRP and steel hinges), is about 4.5 lbs more than a stock seat. The regular Bride seat should be the lighter than the stock seat. 32.5lbs vs 37lbs.

Here's the measurements:

Quick refresher on stock,(and this is for the apple-apple comparison in this car):

35 1/2" from seat cushion to directly behind the sunroof. Same as my other FD

Bride Stradia measurement: 36 1/4"
Bride Stradia w/cushion removed,(track event): 37 1/4.

So net gain of 3/4" w/cushion, 1 1/4" w/o cushion.

So to extrapolate, if I didn't have a sunroof, you can add approx 1 1/2"

Max headroom w/Bride Lo Max seat and no sunroof:

38 3/4" for a gain of 3 1/4" of a stock setup w/sunroof.

I have pictures of exactly how different the seat bottom and rails are - its not quite as we think. Those won't be up till later and then I'll fill in how it sits, how close to the door, relative comfort and size measurements.
I have a 33-34" waist and I just fit. If you are any wider than that - don't go with this seat. More to follow this weekend.
-Bob

89t295k

This sounds like a good reason to go to seven stock...."hey man can i sit in your car"

I too am looking 4 a replacement to the stock fd/sunroof seat.

In my fc I added some room in the stock seat by removing the springs so I
sit lower...wonder if the fd seats are the same way...only had my fd for 2 days.

My seat is trashed so I'm going to go have some fun with it-let you know.

Bob H

iTrader: (10)

Ok, pictures and info.
Quick review - just installed the Bride Low Max seats in my 94. This will help quantify how much more room it has vs. the stock seats.
First, its not a "wide" seat and if your much over a 34" waist, you won't fit comfortably. I'm 6'1" and 180,(185cm, 80kg) w/athletic build. The seat fits great but snug. Wide waist or stomach and you'll have issues. The sides near your legs do hold your legs in, but make spreading your legs wider difficult,(for comfort on a long trip).
I currently drive my car 75 mi a day to work and its fine. However, getting in and out is similar to a bucket type seat - you have to work at it to get in and out. I bought the "Stradia" model vs. the "Gias" model to help with getting in and out,(lower front sides).

The big draw to the Bride Low Max seat is the lowest possible seating position. With the other aftermarket seats, the best you can do is to have the bottom of the seat even with the seat rails. With the LoMax setup, the center of the seat sits below the side mounting points. But does that mean it will sit BELOW the rails? The answer is NO if your using sliding rails. Actually, the bottom of the Bride seat sits ~1cm or 1/4 inch higher than the stock seat. The big difference is the stock seat has a MUCH larger cushion and you can't cut it down to even compare.
As I said above, the net increase in headroom vs. a stock seat is 3/4" with a cushion or 1 1/4" w/o the cushion. So just under 2cm to just over 3cm increase.
The last question is clearance on the side of the seat. I have the seat pretty far back - and it just touches the door. So unless your tall enough to require the seat all the way back,(which is further back than the stock seat by just a little), you should be fine. I have a 35-36" inseam, (90cm).
Ok, pictures!

spandy

iTrader: (1)

Could a guy with a sunroof'd fd, take the headliner out, remove the motor and everything to do with the sunroof, seal the sunroof shut with maybe some silicone so one it could be put back to stock and also to prevent leaks, and then install a non-sunroof headliner to gain the inch or so that way?

I was going to take my headliner out and see whats up there, but didn't know if someone had already tried this.

dhays

iTrader: (1)

Now that you are selling the Bride Lowmax Stradia, what are you looking to buy next?

89t295k

Ahhh, just weld the sunroof shut then cut two holes in roof and duct tape two plexiglass boobie domes on top......u'll have plenty of head room.
gotta get the high speed nascar duct tape though, that wal-mart stuff won't hold past 60mph---I found that out the hard way lol.

Bob H

iTrader: (10)

What next? Not 100% sure. I had a response to you back when you posted this, but it dumped and I didn't come back again.
Right now I cut out the cushion on the stock seat - giving me about the same headroom difference. But I think long term I'll be looking at something like a Sparco Roadster - which doesn't do more than the stradia I have now, but is more comfortable for daily work w/the shorter sides. I will also be removing my sunroof and grafting a non-sunroof top on - bascially converting it to a non-sunroof car. Other than that, we'll see. The Bride seat is great - but it just isn't what I want for a daily driver - too much work for my old bones getting in and out. If I were 20, it would be great.
-Bob

dhays

iTrader: (1)

I'd love to find someone that has a Memory Fab S68 that I could try sitting in. It supposedly sits very, very low. Like you, at 50 getting in an out of the FD can be a chore.

chemicool

iTrader: (1)

Have you guys ever taken out the seat and sat in the car? It's super roomy!! I too am 6'2" and if I tilt the seat back I can fit pretty good but then I am kind of far back from the steering wheel. Looking at Sparcos too.

Bob H

iTrader: (10)

I periodically get questions on this thread - so I don't see one aspect in all these updates. I ended up settling on stock seats with the bottom cushion cut down. That took me to a 'net' lower seat almost even the Lo-Max, but not the pain of trying to get in w/the high front leg restraint/sides, (which didn't work for me for long term driving and at the time I was driving 45 min each way to work and back).
My butt isn't that large, so that is a factor if you are "larger" in the backside, since the metal/fiberglass sides start to become a factor for cushioning. Bottom line if you modify a stock seat, pay attention to how much cushion is over the fiberglass bottom beyond the middle near the rails - I had virtually none and had to add some back in.
I ended up getting a non-sunroof car as my final solution as I couldn't make the sunroof work. That build thread is here for those interested, (yes, it was a v8 swap, so know in advance).
https://www.norotors.com/index.php?topic=348.0

speedjunkie

iTrader: (3)

It's amazing how low the stock seat really sits. I removed foam from mine too, leaving about 1/2" just to cover the seat bottom. That was my lowest seating position also, even lower than racing seats bolted straight to the floor. And my butt is also skinny enough to fit all the way down. However, the foam on the sides starts to hurt the sides of my thigh/butt area after about 30 minutes or so. I had also removed the foam in the lean to try to sink into that more too and those side bolsters would start hurting my ribs.

I just finished modifying Kirkey Road Race seats. I cut the butt out of them and fiberglassed pockets to drop between the rails like the stock seats, and I sit super low in these also. I mounted them to the stock rails so they still slide, they just don't have the lean function anymore. They're not perfect, but the best solution I've found so far.