First step in Miata-dom!

A little time spent with a buffer will have your paint looking like mine. The red bounces back, but it takes some work to remove the nasty oxidation.

Get some high-density roll-bar padding - your head will thank you.

None of my previous cars have had paint that was worth detailing, this will new uncharted territory for me!

As for the bar, it's padded already, my issue is that my head comes up higher than my headrest...
In effect, the bar has become my headrest.
I figure, taller seat mounted low - likely bolted to the floor, I'm not worried about fore and aft adjustability - should just about do it.

SnowMongoose wrote: None of my previous cars have had paint that was worth detailing, this will new uncharted territory for me! As for the bar, it's padded already, my issue is that my head comes up higher than my headrest... In effect, the bar has become my headrest. I figure, taller seat mounted low - likely bolted to the floor, I'm not worried about fore and aft adjustability - should just about do it.

Before you spend a bunch of money on seats, try the "Foamectomy" on the seats to see if it gives you enough clearance. I did the driver's seat on mine in about an hour and a half and, provided my mom doesn't find out my dad and I used her electric bread knife grungy car seat foam, cost exactly $0.00. I think there's a how to in the Miata.net garage section. If not, post back on here and I'll give you the run down.

You may still end up wanting aftermarket seats, but you'll be safer in the mean time and you may just find the "seat money" can be spent on other stuff. It allows you to sink deeper into the seat and (opinion) actually makes the seat more comfortable. Most importantly, it gives you 3/4 to full inch of additional headroom. Its completely reversible if you don't like it if you don't maul the seat foam too badly making your cuts. And if you just finished a rollbar, its an absolute snap on the difficulty scale by comparison.

I'm 6'4 with a 36 inch waist. I was able to "Foamectomy" my was to quite a comfortable seating position. My head is still a little close to the roll bar if I am ver read ended in the car.

The seat has already been foamectomied, I'm simply long in the torso.
Bonus points for my hips pinching in the seat, I think my width there costs me some head room ...
from my small amount of experience in the passenger side, non-foamectomied seat, the drivers side is LESS comfortable for having been cut.
(there is as much pressure on the sides of my hips as there is on my cheeks, raising the doubt that I'm getting the full effect of the foam loss, as the non-modified seat puts all the pressure on previously mentioned cheeks)
I think my next steps will be to pull the cover off my seat and look at reshaping/cutting out more foam, along with seeing about ditching the rails and bolting directly to the floor.

If you're doing a foamectomy, don't just make one slash and put the seat back together. Shape it. I pull off the seat covers, then reassemble the seat. Shave some foam, do a test sit. Then shave a bit more. Don't neglect the back of the seat either - to get the most comfort, I usually get into the shoulder area as well as the lumber area to some extent. When you're done, you should have a seat that feels as if it's been custom-molded to your body. Which is exactly what you have. Here's one seat partway through before I cut the shoulder bits out.

Thanks for the tips!
Someday I'll have a day off and be able to yank the seat and try some trimming.

In the mean time, trying to decide between FM springs/shocks vs VMaxx coilovers... sounds like neither is a bad choice, and would certainly be quite an improvement over stock springs on blown stock shocks.
(and for what it's worth, other than the part where I sometimes feel like I'm being shaken to death over rough road, I'm mostly ok with how she drives currently)

Mine is sitting on the V-MAXXs and I'm pretty happy with them.

Foamectomy helps a ton too, I'm 6'2" and daily mine with a rollbar without head contact.

A Corbeau FX1 and Sparco harness just came to me by the grace of craigslist, so the seat tinkering became noticeably less imperative.
(while my next order with FM just gained a harness bar)

Leaving heavily towards the fancier Vmaxx setup, it being back ordered merely gives me time to be responsible and buy holiday presents for others first :p

Placed an order with FM for a harness bar (stupid lack of planning ahead), butterfly brace, and Vmaxx extreme coilovers....
now that I'm waiting for the backordered coilovers, I'm starting to have second thoughts.

Specifically in the bang-for-buck department, but also in the 'could conceivably take months before my parts get to me' category.
(Bonus, very minor points for missing the FM bday sale by a couple days, ordered on the 8th, sale was on the 10th)

Anyone have experience with anything similar?

I have the normal VMaxx coilovers (non-adjustable softer rate) and I'm pretty happy with them so far given the street/track use. They have about 600 street miles and 300 track miles.

I think I have them around 11.75" F 12.00" R, I'm not running quite as much rake as normally suggested, but the rear feels more planted for my current driving style/skill level. I also have the FM Sways, poly bushings throughout, FM framerail/butterfly, Hard Dog roll bar and Frog arms, so the car is pretty stiff. On 205/50 R888s on 15x8s.

The car is a BLAST! (A little whoring)

SnowMongoose wrote: Placed an order with FM for a harness bar (stupid lack of planning ahead), butterfly brace, and Vmaxx extreme coilovers.... now that I'm waiting for the backordered coilovers, I'm starting to have second thoughts. Specifically in the bang-for-buck department, but also in the 'could conceivably take months before my parts get to me' category. (Bonus, very minor points for missing the FM bday sale by a couple days, ordered on the 8th, sale was on the 10th) Anyone have experience with anything similar?

Hopefully it won't be months. They're in customs in the US. It all depends on what's going on there.

The sale was a surprise on purpose. Heck, we didn't even know we were having it until late on the 9th. Sorry you missed out.

the Miatas on this thread are making me ---| |---- this close to doing something rash and getting another one.

My self control is slowing waning

Do it!

Yes, DO IT!!!!

CarKid1989 wrote: the Miatas on this thread are making me ---| |---- this close to doing something rash and getting another one. My self control is slowing waning

Do it.

Keith Tanner wrote: If you're doing a foamectomy, don't just make one slash and put the seat back together. Shape it. I pull off the seat covers, then reassemble the seat. Shave some foam, do a test sit. Then shave a bit more. Don't neglect the back of the seat either - to get the most comfort, I usually get into the shoulder area as well as the lumber area to some extent. When you're done, you should have a seat that feels as if it's been custom-molded to your body. Which is exactly what you have. Here's one seat partway through before I cut the shoulder bits out.

Fantastic, succinct info. Thanks Keith. Googling "foamectomy" should take people directly to this post.

I really do like those konig flatouts Z31. My friend has them in black. He's running the R888s also

That's me holding on for dear life in the stock passenger seat trying not to hit my head on the rollbar constantly

Sadly I feel like I have two choices

Stick with 15x7.5width to be STS legal or go full monty with the 15x9

downsides being a lot fewer tires in 15x9 however. Not sure how much better contact patch you gain from 8 vs 7.5 width

Keith Tanner wrote:

SnowMongoose wrote: Placed an order with FM for a harness bar (stupid lack of planning ahead), butterfly brace, and Vmaxx extreme coilovers.... now that I'm waiting for the backordered coilovers, I'm starting to have second thoughts. Specifically in the bang-for-buck department, but also in the 'could conceivably take months before my parts get to me' category. (Bonus, very minor points for missing the FM bday sale by a couple days, ordered on the 8th, sale was on the 10th) Anyone have experience with anything similar?

Hopefully it won't be months. They're in customs in the US. It all depends on what's going on there. The sale was a surprise on purpose. Heck, we didn't even know we were having it until late on the 9th. Sorry you missed out.

Reply to my reply - the V-Maxx truck just pulled in. It's going to take a couple of weeks to clear the backlog of orders, but at least it's up to US now!

Keith beat me to it, woohoo!

Vmaxxes and Rails/Butterfly brace came thanks to brown santa today.
Harness bar should be arriving shortly.

Coilover install this weekend!

As long as I've got your attention, anyone have any miata specific thoughts on why I'm seeing just under 21mpg?
I hoss it some (much) of the time, but everything I've read suggests I should be seeing at least 25.
PO allegedly got everything they recommended at 120k...
exhaust leak or bad O2 sensor, mis-timed, question mark?

Good question, I'm interested as well, as I feel my '90 runs a bit rich and I've decided against going standalone at the moment.

Jaynen, they are great wheels for $99 each.

A bad O2 sensor will certainly hurt your gas mileage. So will excessive 6000 rpm top-down driving

CarKid1989 wrote: the Miatas on this thread are making me ---| |---- this close to doing something rash and getting another one. My self control is slowing waning

Come drive my Miata at a rallycross sometime. Then you will have absolutely no self control.

EvanB wrote:

CarKid1989 wrote: the Miatas on this thread are making me ---| |---- this close to doing something rash and getting another one. My self control is slowing waning

Come drive my Miata at a rallycross sometime. Then you will have absolutely no self control.

Your not helping hahah