NC 3.5 Driver's seat

**Hi

Has anyone experience of fitting an alternative seat to the standard item?

I’m 6,1" and need the full length of travel plus I need to keep the ability to use a back and forward sliding mechanism.

The standard seat has insufficient lumbar support for my particular back shape and although I’ve completed a significant number of long road trips previously in the car old age and infirmity have finally caught up with me.

An alternative possibility is to have the standard seat re-built if any one knows a specialist, ideally within 50 mile radius for north east Derbyshire/Sheffield, I’d be grateful for contact details.

Cheers

Chris

**

Hi Chris, I did this to mine and improved the comfort enormously! :+1: worth a look and won’t cost you more than a tenner! :nerd_face:

Barrie

Hi Chris.
Peak auto trims on Abercrombie Street, Tupton Chesterfield are very good, definitely worth a call.

Thanks **Barrie, might give that a go, **did you slide it underneath the top skin of the seat??

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Thanks and welcome to the community. I live in Dronfield so will give Peak Auto trims a visit.
Chris

I sympathise, I’m 6’2.5 and took a while to get comfy in my mk3.5 but a combination of things worked.

-Jass performance lowering brackets will set the rear of the seat down by 2” which was too much for me so I spaced them back up by about 0.75” to get a comfy angle.
-cut down the left foot rest to about half the height really helped move the left foot under the steering wheel
-removed the leather covers and inserted an extra 0.5” of memory foam in the back and the base. This gives you more support and stops the base bolsters squeezing your hip bones at the back of the base which gets uncomfortable on a long drive. It also compensates for the poor quality hard leather Mazda used which doesn’t give at all on your ■■■

  • I did try the pump up bolster in the lumber area but removed it when I used the memory foam.

All three things made a big difference, but individually they weren’t as effective as the sun of the parts!

Hopefully this will help :+1:

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Yes, either side at the back are zippers. Undo and slide between the spring and the foam. You will need a piece of stiff card to go directly between spring and bladder so it doesn’t deform around the springs on he seat back. Once installed, zip back up and pump up to whatever setting you need. :+1:

Barrie

Thanks Barrie, much appreciated

Thanks very much Carl, you fitted the memory foam in the base as well? You are certainly right about the hard leather.
Chris

Yes in the base as well, it made a big difference to how hard the seat bottom felt

Could you let me know where you bought the memory foam from please? everywhere I’ve looked it appears to start at 1" thick

I’ve looked and it probably isn’t memory foam, it may well be just normal upholstery foam (either medium or high density) from eBay. Still does the same job :+1:

Thanks Carl, not sure if my previous message got through. On hols and reception variable…

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I am fortunate in being comfortable enough for long journeys but just wish there was more under-knee support. I find this a failing with a lot of Japanese cars for some reason. You find that it’s your right heel that is taking the weight instead of your whole leg.

Hi Carl
Further to your previous comments could you possibly send me a photo of the cut down footrest please? I have sourced the foam and found the zips!
Cheers
Chris 07990659800

No problem, pics sent on WhatsApp

Thanks very much Carl, the photos are excellent