jknight

My wife is hot for an S2000,but she's just 5'1" and can barely see over the dash. Too bad, says local dealer. Is there a solution? She'll buy a Mazdaspeed Miata before she'll sit on some crappy cushion.

sobamaS2k

how far away is she from comfortable in it? You could always raise the seat up with some spacers if you are only talking a little off.

jknight

a inch would do it, maybe even less. dealer sez liability issues prevent them from doing anything. can you suggest a source for spacers? or advice on doing it. my local turner shop just folded.

sobamaS2k

Sure, Home Depot/Lowes/Ace Hardware

All you need is either a number of washers or a cut to fit bushing like piece of solid metal, and probably some longer bolts.

I understand a dealer not wanting the liability, but this should be a pretty easily overcome distance, I've heard and read of a number of people lowering or raising the seats in the S.

As an aside....my wife is 5'1" as well and while she has basically refuses to drive my car, she was able to just fine when she tried just by the seat adjustments so I can't see your wife being too far off from comfortable with just a little adjustment.

Travis

jknight

travis,
thanks very much.
We're gonna kick some tires tomorrow.

Jake_W

Something to think about:

I remember seeing this on Horsepower TV or Trucks or one of those shows.When you put a rolllbar in a car it won't pass tech (autocross or drag race) if the carpet's between the rollbar mounting plate and the unibody of the vehicle, reason being that the gap (where the carpet is) creates a place where flex can occur and the bolt holding the bar in could (COULD) shear off in an accident.

I'd think if you were going to make this kind of mod to your seat, you'd want to think the same way and be sure you use a solid piece of metal as a spacer, if you determine your wife needs one. The washers could allow that same kind of shear in a bad accident, and you want your seat to stay where it belongs if things go wrong on the road. If it were me, I'd get something milled out of steel and weld it to the floor pan under the carpet. Better safe than sorry, especially where your wife's concerned.

Edit- Guaranteed those are the "liability issues" your dealer is talking about.

minako

That's odd... I am too short for a 4th gen Prelude but I fit fine in a S2000... and I'm only 4'11.75" (almost 5 feet! almost!!)

I don't have visibility issues at all... if I want to see the end of the hood, though, I do have to sit up a little straighter. Other than that, visibility is just fine.