Cobra Suzuka Seat in NA/NB. Wide Side Mounts?

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skeeler
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Cobra Suzuka Seat in NA/NB. Wide Side Mounts?

Post by skeeler »

Hello.

I have a second-hand Cobra Suzuka S seat that I'd like to mount in my NA. I bought Brian Goodwin's seat rail and Sparco sliders and side mounts. I'd like to be able to use the sliders, because I want to have codrivers in the car, and I'm a very unusual height.

The problem is that the Cobra seat is very wide---about 390 mm rear, 405 mm front---and the side mounts won't reach far enough under the seats to mount either to the sliders or the rail. It seems like the simplest solution would be to use some side mounts whose horizontal flanges are about 2 or 3 cm wider than the Sparco mount's flanges are. Unfortunately, it looks, from internet photos, like all brands of side mounts are close to the same width.

Can anyone recommend a source for wider side mounts or suggest another way for me to solve this problem?

Thank you for your attention.
2009, STR & DD. 1995, HPDE. 2004 MSM, sold. 2010 Mazda3, hers.
Brian
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Re: Cobra Suzuka Seat in NA/NB. Wide Side Mounts?

Post by Brian »

Can you get the seat in the car? My concern in particular is the shoulders of the seat may need some grind down under the cover to not be in constant contact with the door. Have you test fit the seat in there with your factory seat removed? Give it a try and let me know. IF you have a local fabrication shop have them make a custom rail for you if the seat will fit. I have that same seat here in BOTH widths....and we have an NA shell currently (that has no door panels). If you tell me the seat will fit, and you don't have a local shop to make it, we can likely do up a rail for you but expect to pay at least double what we charge for our 'mass produced' rails... but we could do it. I should also note we are backed up on our regular rails...so we would also be a wait...whereas a local shop might knock that out for you this week.
Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
www.good-win-racing.com
skeeler
Posts: 282
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:31 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Re: Cobra Suzuka Seat in NA/NB. Wide Side Mounts?

Post by skeeler »

Brian,

Thanks for your reply.

The previous owner of the car had this seat mounted (on both sides), so it should fit. He was much taller than I, and he had the seat attached, via some hand-bent steel traps to some similarly fabricated rails. I'd like to move the seat much further forward while also mounting it with better-made parts. I'd also like to use sliders on the drivers side, as I mentioned.

Sadly, the car is at a shop right now, having some work done that I couldn't manage myself. I should get it back in a week or two. I'll test fit then, and I may contact you about your custom rails then.

Thanks again.
2009, STR & DD. 1995, HPDE. 2004 MSM, sold. 2010 Mazda3, hers.
Brian
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Re: Cobra Suzuka Seat in NA/NB. Wide Side Mounts?

Post by Brian »

On my 99 Miata even the Sparco RoadsterSport (narrow seat) was a tight fit with stock shoulders. I had to fit it with the shoulders into the notch between body and end of the door. Thus, in moving forward you might have less clearance.
Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
www.good-win-racing.com
skeeler
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Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Re: Cobra Suzuka Seat in NA/NB. Wide Side Mounts?

Post by skeeler »

Brian,

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll look closely at the clearance.

I also have a Cobra Racer Pro seat---the one designed to replace Elise/Exige seats---that I'm planning to mount in my STR NC2. It's quite a bit narrower at the top than the Suzuka S and a bit narrower at the base, but is still too wide for the NA/NB rails. I'll test fit it as well.
2009, STR & DD. 1995, HPDE. 2004 MSM, sold. 2010 Mazda3, hers.
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