Blue interior, black leather? UPDATE: Elise Seats in aw11

[brawr]

Got a little project up my sleeve, but I can't really work out if it'll look right or not - wondered if you lot could lend a hand.
I'm basically after some new seats for my mk1, as I sit far too high in it (6'2") and get neck-ache on long trips from having to tilt my head to the left (into the raised sunroof recess!).

Have any of you put the (black) leather seats in a blue interior? Just want an idea of whether/how much they clash. Photos would be terrific. Looking at some black leather seats (not mr2 ones) at the mo - and there's scope to put a few dark blue highlights on them to tie them in a bit... Just wanted a vague idea though. Could always go for a full black interior transplant I suppose, but I quite like the blue

Thanks,
Adam.

[LimeyMk1]

I think it'll be fine, I have a black bucket seat in my mk1 and the odd bit of black interior trim and it looks fine.

I think Jinxy had black leather seats in his mica blue T-top, but I'm not sure if the rest of the trim was blue. I guess if it clashed I'd have noticed.

[jb007]

Im getting some black leather seats in a couple of weeks and black door cards. I also plan to change the centre section (covering fuel fuel tank and where gear change is) to black and the stereo/heater surround. The rest of the dash forward wil be blue. My gear knob is a silver ball and steering wheel is silver and black leather. It will look great if you do it tastefully.

If you do a search for Lotus Esprits and Ferraris from the 80's you will see a few blue and black color combinations that work well.

Also the mark 1 TT had blue and black dash option too.

Jon

[brawr]

Thanks guys, think I'm going ahead with it then if the deal I've got with the seats goes through
It's something a bit different, not sure if it's been done in the aw11 world before...
I'll post up some pics when I've sorted it

[Kateg28]

Jinxy's interior is all leather but the seats have been retrimmed with royal blue piping. Not in your face but very tasteful (in my opinion and girls are good with colours )

Am surprised you are having problems. My ex husband is 6ft 3 and we toured Europe in our first one in 1991 (or thereabouts).

And we really toured it (with a tent ) - including Denmark, Czech, Germany (east and West then!), Italy, Austria, Belgium and others that I have forgotten.

[brawr]

I must have a longer torso or something I guess, haha. I'd probably be fine if it was a t-bar too, it's just that with the centralised sunroof I have to sit with my head tilted.
I'm potentially using mine for a similar trip this summer, 2 weeks around Europe's best motoring roads/circuits/the 'ring, so need to make sure I'm comfortable...

[jb007]

Hi Adam, which circuits do you plan on visiting? I was planning a trip down to the south of france but finances have halted me!

Out of interest, which seats are you thinking of fitting, can I see?

Jon

[brawr]

I'm planning a bit of tourism and a motorsport/driving road pilgrimage, something like this:
Calais -> LeMans -> South coast -> Monte Carlo -> Pisa -> Rome -> Italian East Coast -> Modena -> Stelvio Pass (swiss alps) -> Stuttgart -> Nurburgring -> Spa-Francorchamps -> Calais

Excited

I've just bought the seats, should have them next week, so I suppose I can let the cat out of the bag early...




A pair of S1 elise seats, pretty popular mod in the mx5 scene. Not the most obvious 'comfort' seats though, I know, haha. Chose them though due to the fact that there should basically be no distance between bumcheek and floor, freeing up the headroom I'm after.
If they turn out a bit hard I can always pad them out under the leather with a bit more foam, but they're a good start. That said, I've spent several long stints in unpadded GRP buckets in kit cars without feeling uncomfortable, so should be ok

I'll get some photos up when I get them in...
Adam

[jb007]

Lovely seats, I loved them when I tried my friends Elise. Not the softest yes your right, but good support and they look ace. Do you plan to bolt them straight to the floor then? Or you do you need seat adjustment so your going to make up some new runners or mod the current ones?

Sounds like an ace trip, would love to do the same one day. My plan this year was just a casual drive down the west coast of france, along the south, hit up Nice and then monaco then back up to paris and home.

Do you plan to get a run on the 'ring and spa too?? Immense

Jon

[brawr]

Going to have a go at modding the mr2 runners to fit the seats I think
Definitely want to spend a day at the ring, including a few laps, not sure about Spa yet, need to look in to it... but I don't see why not

[Clarky_X]

I personally don't like the blue interior anyway, but I have black leatherette seat covers and black door cards, black carpet and black steering wheel and centre console transmission box. but the dash and head lining is blue with a black golvebox cover. Not really to my taste, I'd rather have black all round. But that's just me. I can put photo if you like.

[brawr]

Totally forgot I'd posted this here, have some photos:

Materials:
2x elise seats (duh)
6mm steel bar for cross braces
4mm steel sheet for vertical sidemounts.
Bolts, nuts, spacers, washers
Several angle grinder discs :-[
Sticky metal gun
etc etc.

PICS!


^Just placed in.

^front support bar joining rails

^trusty dirty block of wood to aid with height alignment!

^You can see attachment points here, the threaded studs on the front will go through the transverse support bar, the side holes...

^...will bolt to these.

^Thick steel = angle grinder abuse ;D

^ Sidemount plates on.

^Line them up.


^Tadaa! Bar across back for more support too.

^Drivers side was much more complex, had to pull the seat apart to get the runners off properly

^Poor thing

Started rushing at this point to get it done before we had to go home, so no photos until we finished the drivers side. It's much the same anyway...






Drivers side sits lower than passenger side, different runner design from factory. I'm not complaining!

[Clarky_X]

They look the absolute nuts. Look like they sit right on the floor. Proper racing car style so your legs are straight out in front of you.

How comfortable are they? Looks like there is no padding, plus what's it like really driving with the seat that low?

I am 6 ft and the Mk1a seats in my Mk1b sit too high. Higher than my previous Mk1b was when I had it with original seats.

I bought some Mk3 seats for £40 on eBay ages ago, I am going to fit them over the next week using the instructions from Jimi Lawson. I hope they sit a lot lower than the Mk1a seats as I do need them to be lower to get a better driving position.

At least they will have better side bolster around hips and hopefully thighs.

[brawr]

I love them to bits, it's absolutely transformed the car. They do sit right on the floor, I've gone from having my head smushed into the roof to having the ability to drive in a helmet with a couple of inches spare, which is nice.
Not much padding, no, but the angle I've got them at seems to help keep me at a good posture - I've not worked up too many aches and pains in them yet, even over relatively long distances.
Driving experience is great, I get a better feel of the road, better view of the clocks, and feel more in control and planted than before. I'm 6'2" by the way, shorter passengers need a cushion to see out of the windows
I smile every time I climb down into them now

Good luck with the mk3 seats, I was looking at doing the same until I got onto the idea of these. From what I've heard they do offer more height adjustability than standard. £40 is a steal!
Pics when you're done please

[PW@Woodsport]

Nice work, Mk1 seats weigh an absolute ton, and those look spot on in there

[loudandproud205]

Ive just bought some elise seats but they have base mounts from what i can see so far.

i plan to fit them in my mk2, but then i dont want to sit to low as am only 5 foot 2

[Charged]

look great but I wouldn't want to sit on them on our roads for more than half an hour, good for trackdays though!

[mrfil13]

Very nice, think I saw this on another forum somewhere but never got to the pictures of then in.

I would like the mk3 seats but the previous owner spent alot getting the leather seats refurbished.

[ikarl]

same seats as were in my vx220...... don't be fooled into thinking these aren't comfortable, 2,200 miles over 4days to the 'ring....felt fine after it

good mod

[Shadeh]

those seats look mint m8