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Thread: Increase headroom?

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date:  Sep 2021

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    Increase headroom?

    Hey, everyone!

    I've read a couple of posts here about tall people/ headroom. And also a few ideas to increase headroom—for instance by removing seat tracks or using a custom, lower seat cushion.

    My problem is actually that I'm used to driving pretty close to the steering wheel, and with the back of the seat straight.

    I know the solution for me could be to shut up and recline the seat, but are there any options besides those 2 I mentioned above that I can look into, to seat the way I'm used to and increase headroom as much as possible?

    For instance, from what I understand the chassis or seat assembly is on an incline, so that as you get closer to the steering wheel the seats gets higher: perhaps I could change that incline somehow (if that's even true)..?

    Any help appreciated.

  2. #2
    Senior Member vwdmc16's Avatar
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    Removing the sliders is the easiest option, you will gain 1.2" of room, you will need to drill new holes in the floor and add larger washers under the car to prevent them pulling through.
    The lower seat frame is very simple too, there are no springs, just a large rubber pad that supports the molded foam cushion. you could removed the rubber support and even trim down the bottom of the foam with a turkey carving knife. The Seat cover will not fit as tight with out some reworking but with all three mods I bet you could lower your butt more than 2 inches.

    Modifying the floor would be a big job, requiring fiberglass cutting and fabrication. Not much could be done before your bum becomes the lowest part of the car and a hazard on speed bumps if you car is lowered any.

    Im 6 foot 4" like JZD, I do recline my seat alot, much more than I would for any performance driving but I still fit in comfortably. Lowering seats is a big thing in the Mazda Miata world for people tall like myself. Many of the performance street cars and race car Miatas Ive built over the years required many or all of the aforementioned lowering methods with exception of the the fiberglass as those cars are steel. Ive cut out and lowered the floors 2" with all new sheet metal on dozens of Miatas to fit big race seats and keep the driver under the roll bar.

    Id take out the driver seat and sit on the floor as a test to see how much room you gain. Then unbolt the slider and sit the seat on the floor, see how that feels.

  3. #3
    Junior Member
    Join Date:  Sep 2021

    Location:  Wroclaw, Poland

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    Thanks, Wolff! That's helpful.

    I'll try with those and hopefully I'll be OK. If not I guess I'll just have to get used to sitting a different way.

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date:  Jun 2016

    Location:  Austin MN

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    I don't know if this is worth bringing up but there is a little over a .25 of inch of space between the headliner and the door skin. The reason I think it might not be worth anything is the headliner would need to be modified and your line of sight.


    Just saying kind of thing.

    Dave B.

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