gvincent Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 Hi everyone, this is my first post here but just bought a 280Z and super excited! Anyway, I have been doing some research and from what I know, only seats 17" or less fit without doing any modification. I was hunting through google and found this thread on a miata forum... http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/what-race-seat-for-the-miata/5514/page1/ The second poster informs OP that there is only 17" of clearance for aftermarket seats much like the 280Z. However if you scroll down to roughly the 10th poster, he installed a Cobra Monaco S seat in his miata without much modifying other than making a custom bracket. I did a little research on this seat and it says its width at the base is 19.5". Dont know if this seat would work, but if the miata has supposedly the same room as our 280Z then technically wouldn't this seat work? Thanks, Mike SO 17" at the base Hmmm. I measure mine at a good safe 18" and could get 18.5 maybe without tunnel bashing. anybody know how much we gain with a tunnel bash? 19.5 maybe? a lot of seats say 20.5 but don't exactly say where they measured, most likely the top of the seat? then you have the recliner mechanism to figure in also I suppose. What's a good safe width for shoulder wings without having door closing problems on the door or arm rest? Keep up the good postings! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padam07 Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 (edited) SO 17" at the base Hmmm. I measure mine at a good safe 18" and could get 18.5 maybe without tunnel bashing. anybody know how much we gain with a tunnel bash? 19.5 maybe? a lot of seats say 20.5 but don't exactly say where they measured, most likely the top of the seat? then you have the recliner mechanism to figure in also I suppose. What's a good safe width for shoulder wings without having door closing problems on the door or arm rest? Keep up the good postings! Greg I will mesasure my car this Sunday. If you look at my pictures earlier in this thread you will see that I cut out the hump instead of bashing it in. In all honesty I didn't even think of bashing it in at all. I went straight for the cut off wheel. Looking back at how much time I have into it, I probably should have just bashed it in. Here is an updated picture of the floor after I sprayed on the lizard skin. Edited February 15, 2013 by padam07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeboyx Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Any chance the z31 seats will fit th 280z? They sure look comfy.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dudeboy Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 (edited) Finally, got the seats re-install tedious but not difficult. I am 6 ft. and weigh 200 lbs, I am wide in the shoulders. I have the Corbeau Forza seats, which are narrower than the Forza II. Second I did not utilize the sliders recommend by Corbeau for a Datsun 280z. I had the initial 280z sliders, and I modified the front to bolt in the stock location and I never like the seat height when I was driving the car before I started the engine swap. So, I have Corbeau Forza fixed back seats, the universal 2.5 inch sliders, Highest grade 5/16- 3 inch nuts, bolts, washers. I removed front stock mounting location on the passenger side, on the driver side I removed the front and rear stock mounting locations. The angle grinder with a 4.5 inch metal cutting blade to cut through the mounts easily. Made three cuts across the top, and then across width wise. Put grinder blade back on and clean the edges. I took the “BFH†sledge hammer to the catalytic converter hump on the driver’s side. I welded in 5/16x2x 13 or 14 inches thick steel to the floor for the driver side. I only welded in a piece on the front location on the passenger’s side. I got in at like my seat height now ( Not driving yet !!!!) What would I do different? 1. Remove the passenger rear stock mounting location. I did not realize how much of a difference it made in the tilt/height. 2. If you use the seat sliders that are made for a 280z, cut all the stock mounts out and maybe use boxed 2 inch height x 13 to 14 inch wide steel welded in the stock location. It possibly would give you strength and a neutral seat height. 3. Do all the seat stuff if possible, before you install carpet. I had to pull the carpet out and find seat locations, bolt in, remove seats, lay down carpet and cut X’s in the carpet to stick bolts through, put the seats back in ! This was the most tedious part. *****IF you are bolting seats to the floor and welding on the passenger side, the fuel lines are on the passenger side****I upgraded my fuel lines and I measured twice before I drilled on the passenger side. My dad, all 76 years old was working the angle grinder !! http://forums.hybridz.org/gallery/album/1218-dudeboy-ls1-z/ A created a album with some of the photos that may detail what I did not write clearly. Edited March 10, 2013 by Dudeboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuoWing Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 I went the S2000 seat route for mine. Still haven't put the passenger seat in, but the way I made the bracket for the driver's seat it just misses the cat hump, but sits a little high. My plan is to eventually try and remake the brackets to lower the seat a bit and if need be, just beat in the hump enough to make it clear. The S2000 seats, at least to me, are really nice and have a really good look. I had a guy who's redoing an old 911 asking me about my seat because he liked how good it looked for the car. He was considering putting S2K seats in his 911. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richracing Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 I think neon srt4 seats need to be added to the list if they arent already. I sat in one for the first time the other day, and boy do they hold you in place lol. Plus they are inexpensive from what I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I was thinking of RX8 seats or 350z seats. I can get 1 of each(driver's) right now for $100. I've searched and I'm leaning towards the RX8 seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 (edited) Bought a set of leather and power(driver's only) RX8 seats for $250. I hope to get them installed soon. The hump is definitely gotta come out or be modified for them to work ! Any suggestions or anyone in Socal want to come give me a hand ? Edited April 2, 2013 by Daz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gvincent Posted April 6, 2013 Author Share Posted April 6, 2013 I think neon srt4 seats need to be added to the list if they arent already. I sat in one for the first time the other day, and boy do they hold you in place lol. Plus they are inexpensive from what I've seen. I would love to see pictures and a write up on the Neon SRT4 seats in a 280Z, any specific year Neon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richracing Posted April 6, 2013 Share Posted April 6, 2013 I'm not sure what years specifically, but all the SRT 4 models are the same. I found out that those seats are supposed to be designed like the Viper seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gvincent Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 I'm not sure what years specifically, but all the SRT 4 models are the same. I found out that those seats are supposed to be designed like the Viper seats. Thanks Rich, do you have or can you get any pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richracing Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 I actually do not have any seats at this time, and it will be some time before I get around to the interior portion of my build. I might end up with new Corbeau's anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nismosilvia Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Isuzu Impulse seats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gvincent Posted April 19, 2013 Author Share Posted April 19, 2013 Isuzu Impulse seats Can you show some pictures of the install and what year Isuzu Impulse? Thanks, Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dkyle Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I have a 77 280z and seats from an 89 Prelude. I'm looking at how I can install the seats, and it doesn't look easy at all. I wish JHM's pics included the brackets. It seems that I would have to remove the Prelude's right side (driver's seat) slider/mount entirely. Then use a flat iron piece that turns up at a 90 degree to mount it. The rear piece would have to include a bolt welded to it for the back hinge I removed when discarding the original. The rear mount would have to be mounted 2 inches higher to straighten out the slope of the 280z' floor mounts. And then there is the tunnel bashing (or cutting). ..and it does seem to be a tight fit all around. If anybody has done this, I would like to know how. Any pics of the mounts underneath? Any measurements, like how much to raise the rear of the seat, or how far to mount the 280z slider away from the Prelude's left side, outside mount? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelsonian Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Bostonzman, We demand some pics and or video! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dkyle Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 89 Honda Prelude seats in a 77 280z Removed the sliders and fabricated mounts for the 280z sliders to bolt on. As you can see.. The rear mount had to wrap around to provide the pivot for the seat back. I also had swap positions of the sliders. Worked out well.. Tight fit, but got it as low and as far back as possible. They make me seat about an inch or so higher. The stock seat belt feed out bracket is in the way, I will have discard it and use something else. Probably added 30 lbs to the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZT-R Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 My bride GIAS kevlars fit perfectly in my 240z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuoWing Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Bought a set of leather and power(driver's only) RX8 seats for $250. I hope to get them installed soon. The hump is definitely gotta come out or be modified for them to work ! Any suggestions or anyone in Socal want to come give me a hand ? I was sitting in my friend's RX-7 FC. Her car has the RX-8 seats swapped in them and I was thinking that these could make good seats for the Z. They seem to be about the same size as the S2K seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socorob Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 I sat in a Subaru BRZ the other day and they have narrow really nice seats. Unfortunately I didn't have a tape measure with me. Does anyone have one they can measure? They look like good candidates even though at this time they are probably impossible to find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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