Seatbelt stalks

Technical Area Body, Interior & Styling
2

hi

i wonder if someone can give me some advice ive go a mk1 uk car and it has got leather seats the type with separate headrests but they are looking a bit tired so I’ve bought some mx5 cloth seats the typ with the headrest as part of the seat I think they are called tombstones I took one of my seats out on Sunday but couldn’t fit the new seats as the seatbelt on the original seats have the seatbelt stalk attached to the seat and the gearbox tunnel and I wondered what my options are any advice would be appreciated 

thanks 

3

Nick

There are two options as you have found.

Both our 1991 Eunos and 1997 MK1 have cloth seats with separate seatbelt posts bolted to the transmission tunnel.

I would contact the person you bought the seats from and ask for the seatbelt stalks and fixings.

Failing that they will be easy to find and cheap from another source.   

 

4

There are a number of options.

  1. Bizarrely old style stalks are thin on the ground from usual suppliers, unless you buy new from MX5parts.
  2. Swap the seat bases over. The seat base from your old seats will fit the new seat. You might not like the look.
  3. Swap the belly pans. You can transfer the steel seat pans from your old seats to the “new” ones. Its easy; did this last year. That way you can fit your original seatbelt latch as Mazda intended. You need to dissemble the seats at the hinge, then go around and remove the hog rings that attach the seat squab foam and cover to the base. I used cable ties to refit.





It also gives you a seat that offers better thigh support than the earlier seat. The crux to this job is undoing the small screw on the inboard hing of the seat. The screw is very soft, and you will need a JIS bit. Crack that, and the modification is a breeze.

Whether you have hardpoints to fit early stalks depends on the year of car. Behind the transmission tunnel carpet you will find a black plastic plug. This covers the redundant tapped hardpoint for the early stalks. On very late Mk1s, these are not tapped, so you need to get a UNF threaded nut welded on the floorpan.

5

We have stalks that bolt to tunnel if you do need them

6

WTF?

7

 I think that’s a record.  

Barrie

8

They have a lot of stalk’s then  

9

YEAH, MAYBE WE SHOULD START THREAD AS TO WHO OWN MOST DOUBLE POSTS…TRIPLE,…QUADRUPLE ETC

10

Yours would be septuplicate then? Not fair, you’d win hands down!  

Barrie

11

Robert - what you get for being away for a few days!

12

 

No price (as per forum rules), so must be free. I’ll have a pair.