Hey Folks,

I don't have enough headroom in my RX-8, and I have the GT package with the power seats. I'm just about ready to sell the car because of this, but I'd like to explore every option first.

It occured to me that the manual seats might be lower than the power seats. Does anyone know if this is true? If so, then is it possible to replace the power seats with manual ones? I would gladly give up leather and power seats for an additional inch of headroom.

Also, are there any after-market seats available for the RX-8 which might be lower?

Thanks for your help.

 

Bride makes a series of race/ reclining buckets called Low Max.

 

Look at this thead and my posts in it.
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-interior-audio-electronics-24/anyone-modify-lower-drivers-seat-43784/

Funny you you post this today, tonight I will try and install the Kirkey for the first time. I will reply if that seat works out better than the AXE-II. The Kirkey setup will be much cheaper than the Low Max.

 

I would go down to the local dealership and try a car with the moonroof but having cloth interior. I too have heard that the stock manual seats can go lower than the power seats.

You may be able to solve things by picking up some used stock cloth seats in the buy/sell section of this forum.

 

If you do go to a dealership, you may want to sit on both sides (passenger and driver).
The passenger seat in cloth is not height adjustable and may ride lower than the drivers seat. If so, you may be able to swap out the drivers seat with a passenger seat from a country with right hand drivers. Good luck.

 

But your post states that you LOST headroom. Have you come up with an arrangement that GAINS headroom yet?

 

Not to be a jerk, but didn't you sit in the car before you bought it?

 

Hope to find out tonight, the lost headroom was with the AXE-II seat, I have not tired the Kirkey yet. But the Kirkey is MUCH lower than the AXE-II and "should" work out.

 

Unfortunately I test drove a model that didn't have a sunroof. Damn! It never occurred to me that the sunroof would take up so much space.

 

Well my two year old was in a good mood so I got a chance to test fit the Kirkey race seat in my 8. The reason I did this was for extra headroom when wearing a helmet at the track. With the stock leather seat (GT Package) I have to both recline and move the seat back further than I would if I did not have to wear a helmet. This is do to being both short and having a long torso. The end result with the Kirkey is just over an extra inch of headroom, which works great for me and a much better driving position. The only thing that is worse is climbing in over the side supports built into that seat. So for about $300 or less if your good with EBay you can pick up a Kirkey light weight aluminum seat & cover, a custom RX-8 seat bracket from Wedge Engineering & a pair of universal slide rails for the seat. I am going to the track this weekend so hopefully this will one less thing to think about while driving.

 

You might want to read thru this thread for some more info -

https://www.rx8club.com/purchasing-financing-insurance-56/package-sport-t-gt-question-60539/

Zoom, Zoom!