+2 1969 front seats

[mikealdren]

Time to resurrect an old thread.

I've finally got round to building my Zetec +2 and the Boxster seats, although very good are heavy and a tight fit.

The options on threads such as Fiat X1/9, XJS and MGB are no longer so readily available and expensive in their own right (or knackered). I've looked at MX5 seats but the only dimensions I can find online are for tombstone seats and, at 515mm, they are the same width as the Porsche seats.

Can someone with MX5 seats fitted confirm the width please and also whether the cushion is much higher at the front.

thanks
Mike

[NYK]

Time to resurrect an old thread.

I've finally got round to building my Zetec +2 and the Boxster seats, although very good are heavy and a tight fit.

The options on threads such as Fiat X1/9, XJS and MGB are no longer so readily available and expensive in their own right (or knackered). I've looked at MX5 seats but the only dimensions I can find online are for tombstone seats and, at 515mm, they are the same width as the Porsche seats.

Can someone with MX5 seats fitted confirm the width please and also whether the cushion is much higher at the front.

thanks
Mike

I’m fitting the first generation MX5 seats, just recently got them back from the trimmers. They are 20” at the widest point on the seat base. I’ve slightly modified the MX5 mounts and they don’t seem to be high at the front, they’re fine and very comfortable.

[vstibbard]

I think the MX5 seats pictured fit in well and could pass for an OEM seat!!

[mikealdren]

Hi NYK,
can you give us some more details of how you fitted them please?
thanks
Mike

[The Veg]

How do the MX5 seats affect the headroom?

[mini90]

I have found lotus early models very similar new seats for my 69' morris cooper :
the headrests are optionnal



supplier is bbclassics:
http://www.bbclassics.co.uk/universal-b ... lassic.htm

this model is not shown on their website but they advise it on ebay several time
I contact them directly and they sold to me a pair +postage cost to france for approx 450 pound

[elanfan1]

Time to resurrect an old thread.

I've finally got round to building my Zetec +2 and the Boxster seats, although very good are heavy and a tight fit.

The options on threads such as Fiat X1/9, XJS and MGB are no longer so readily available and expensive in their own right (or knackered). I've looked at MX5 seats but the only dimensions I can find online are for tombstone seats and, at 515mm, they are the same width as the Porsche seats.

Can someone with MX5 seats fitted confirm the width please and also whether the cushion is much higher at the front.

thanks
Mike

I’m fitting the first generation MX5 seats, just recently got them back from the trimmers. They are 20” at the widest point on the seat base. I’ve slightly modified the MX5 mounts and they don’t seem to be high at the front, they’re fine and very comfortable.

The attachment CC9109BB-2485-413A-8927-34FFD562430F.jpeg is no longer available

The attachment 1C0779E7-14F7-4233-AA47-095F467D5B49.jpeg is no longer available

Am I the only one to wonder about the gun in the background of that photo. If you were in Kentucky it might not be a surprise but Kent? What is it?

6495C0E6-8F92-4498-B695-16FB901CF531.jpeg (21.96 KiB) Viewed 555 times

[NYK]

It’s a Bren gun and it goes in here.....

[NYK]

Hi NYK,
can you give us some more details of how you fitted them please?
thanks
Mike

Hi Mike, some not very good photos below. I removed the standard MX5 runners, four bolts to the underside of the seat and two to the side, the two side ones will not be used once the seat belt mount is removed. Having removed the runners I used an angle grinder to remove the bracket that anchors the seat belt, you clearly don’t need this for the Plus 2. I think I had to drill out some rivets but it was all fairly obvious and not difficult to do. I then modified the runners to fit the Lotus floor bobbins. The rear two bolts now go through a cross member I welded between the two runners. Re-attach the runners to the seat and tack the cross member in place, then unbolt the runners again and weld up. This cross member is drilled for the two rear mounting bolts, the holes are very close to the runners, but there is just enough room to get the bolts in.
The standard Mazda front mounting holes have the wrong spacing, so I cut out a small section and welded in two small plates. It’s also worth slightly adjusting the angle of the front mount before you weld in the new sections. Once welded, the front mounting holes can be drilled.
I found that I needed to fit a couple spacers under the rear mounting cross member (I turned up a couple of 15mm aluminium spaces but you could just used a load of big penny washers). These spacers were necessary as without raising the back a bit, the runners would dig into the carpet when you slide the seat back.
I’m 6 foot, and with a modest amount of rake on the seat, headroom is fine.

[mikealdren]

Thanks, that's just what I need. I'll take the runners off my MX5 seats and have a play!

Mike

[trw99]

The Bren gun was a marvellous platoon machine gun in it's day. Easy to fire and accurate. Of course the modern belt-fed machine guns proved more versatile in a number of roles.

However, the Bren found renewed life in the 60s-80s as the L4 when it was re-barrelled to use the NATO 7.62mm ammunition. We used them for winter warfare as the section machine gun for use whilst on skis. They were less susceptible to freezing up and easier to carry and shoot than the GPMG.

Tim

[The Veg]

I’m 6 foot, and with a modest amount of rake on the seat, headroom is fine.

I'm a few inches taller. Less headroom or about the same?

[NYK]

I’m 6 foot, and with a modest amount of rake on the seat, headroom is fine.

I'm a few inches taller. Less headroom or about the same?

I never sat in the car with the Lotus seats as I bought it as a restoration project so can’t directly compare. Looking at the two seats I would not say that the MX5 seat sits obviously higher. If it helps I can try to get a photo from footwell looking towards the seat with a ruler showing height of the front of the seat.

[Donels]

Has anyone tried to fit MGF seats in a +2? They look like they could be made to fit. Mk1 MX5 seats are now getting scarce but there seems to a relatively good supply of MGF seats.

[HCA]

My fronts are back today, ready to fit...