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Getting fit for a Miata: details on my adventure in trying to pass Broomstick
Hey, y'all, just thought I would share my progress in moving towards passing a broomstick test in my NA Miata.
A little about me, I am only 6' (okay 5' 11.5") and I weight 225 lbs (but I weighed 250 lbs when this adventure started). I, apparently have a freakishly long mid-section, I wear like 28"/29" inseam pants, despite my height. It's kind of become a well known fact that I have this ridiculous Torso amongst my friends and family. Which leads me to the problem.
I don't fit in a stock Miata, whatsoever.
Yes, I can drive a stock miata, but my hair touches the roof when up, the mirror/sun visors/windshield frame block my view of the road considerably. I realize this is not a unique problem to have as it's a small convertible. But I have been told a dozen times "My friend who is 6'7" fits in a Miata just fine!" and "Just do a foamectomy!" Uh, yeah, no. Here is a picture of me sitting in the stock Miata seat with my helmet on, my car has a Hard Dog Sport rollbar.
I think Moti of Blackbird Fabworx said it best "wow, you're going to need a lot more than just a simple bolt on"
Step 0: Assess my options, since I already had a rollbar, and most rollbars on the market have a similar height because of soft top/hard top fitment considerations it seemed like lowering the seat was my best option. I considered doing a foamectomy but it seemed clear from what I had read that it wasn't going to give me the clearance I needed (a good half a foot or more...)
Step 1: Ultrashield TDR Rally Sport aluminum buckets mounted on the TDR "low" brackets. I jumped straight in and got to cutting out the rear humps so I could mount the seat as low as possible. It certainly helped and it was nice to be able to see out of the windshield for a change. Another downside of having such a tall sitting height, looking out the back through my double diagonal roll bar, I could mostly only see the ground right behind my car in the rear view mirror. Also worth noting, at this point I CANNOT sit in the car with the top up an my helmet on so it isn't just bad camera work, I really am still way too tall. Cost of this stage: $550 (seat, bracket, DIY install).
Stage 2: Okay, time for desperate measures, I know spec racers recently were allowed to drop their seat pan for to make some headroom. Call around and get hooked up with Kontrolle Engineering in nearby Rancho Cordova (I am in Sacramento). Clint and Dave assess my situation and agree that a drop pan is necessary. Clint does an amazing custom pan that keeps the frame rail intact and angles down towards the rear of the car so that I don't catch debris with the front of the pan, barely clears my high flow cat by a few MM. Cost of this stage: $1000.
I can finally fit under the soft top with a helmet on! Hurray...but still not technically passing broomstick.
Stage 3: Last ditch effort. time for an ultra tall roll-bar. So, Clint at Kontrolle measures my helmeted head in my current set up to figure out how much higher I need to go. Builds one of their standard roll-bars to see if it adds enough additional room. It does not, he estimates that we need another 1.5" to make it work, except that rules out any chance of any hardtop AND we need to remove the rear bar of the soft top for it to be able to go up and down. So he builds the taller bar and test fits it on the car with the rear support removed.
It works, Clint says the top fits snugly over the new bar, and the rear bar acts as the support for the soft top when up. That's all we know, it's off being powdercoated now, so I should know by the end of the week if it was all worthwhile or not. Cost of this stage: $525
One thing I found was that the best location as far as height is concerned is not all the way back. I’m actually up close to the wheel and it buys me a bit more. There’s also some to be gained in position in the seat. A molded insert is on the todo list for this spring.
The Ultrashield seat should have been bolted directly to the floorpan instead of using the TDR brackets.
I started out with an ultra-tall rollbar with no roof.
When the floor pan drop became legal for SM and Advanced Autosports started selling their parts, I had the floor pan drop installed and had a custom rollbar fabricated that allowed the seats to be far back and tilted and retain the use of a hardtop.
The Ultrashield seat should have been bolted directly to the floorpan instead of using the TDR brackets.
I started out with an ultra-tall rollbar with no roof.
When the floor pan drop became legal for SM and Advanced Autosports started selling their parts, I had the floor pan drop installed and had a custom rollbar fabricated that allowed the seats to be far back and tilted and retain the use of a hardtop.
sounds like you've been through the same gamut at me. The rail only adds maybe a 1/4 inch of height. It definitely wouldn't have made much difference and it makes moving the seat around a bit easier and gives it a bit more leanback.
btw I am sure I have seen your original roll bar in my Google searches for "tall miata rollbar".
One thing I found was that the best location as far as height is concerned is not all the way back. I’m actually up close to the wheel and it buys me a bit more. There’s also some to be gained in position in the seat. A molded insert is on the todo list for this spring.
6’5”, no butt fat.
I am definitely not all the way back either, my legs really are pretty short which is probably the only blessing in this whole situation.
Losing the butt fat is definitely part of it, I've noticed that my view of certain dashboards has gotten worse as I've gained weight over the years...
sounds like you've been through the same gamut at me. The rail only adds maybe a 1/4 inch of height. It definitely wouldn't have made much difference and it makes moving the seat around a bit easier and gives it a bit more leanback.
btw I am sure I have seen your original roll bar in my Google searches for "tall miata rollbar".
It was a long process to reach the current solution.
When/why do you move the seat around?
I suspect the actual drop by removing the rails is more than 1/4" (the metal strips themselves are like 1/8" thick, no?), but even then every bit helps.
It was a long process to reach the current solution.
When/why do you move the seat around?
I suspect the actual drop by removing the rails is more than 1/4" (the metal strips themselves are like 1/8" thick, no?), but even then every bit helps.
Just estimating based on the fact that I can't stick a finger between the seat and the floor, it's basically touching...
I guess my point is, that I'd still be in the same place as I am now either way.
I have a couple sets of holes in my seat in case I want to move it around, plus I can mount my narrower passenger seat in if someone else wants to drive.
Great illustration of how torso height maters when talking about fitting into a Miata's. I have two friends who are 6'7" and 6'8". The friend who is 6'8" fit in my car with the hardtop on with a sheetmetal seat bolted to brackets on the stock humps (though his knees were in the way). The one who is 6'7" doesn't fit because his inseam is 32 (same as me at 5'10"). Like you, he was better looking over the windshield header than under it.
Great illustration of how torso height maters when talking about fitting into a Miata's. I have two friends who are 6'7" and 6'8". The friend who is 6'8" fit in my car with the hardtop on with a sheetmetal seat bolted to brackets on the stock humps (though his knees were in the way). The one who is 6'7" doesn't fit because his inseam is 32 (same as me at 5'10"). Like you, he was better looking over the windshield header than under it.
Yep, for every story I hear of 6'6"+ people fitting in a miata, I hear a story from someone my height who can't fit...
My aluminum seat is bolted straight to the floor in the back.
Not all helmets are created equally. Some have more height in the crown area.
If you're able to save a quarter inch with the seat bracket and half an inch with a different profile helmet, three quarters of an inch is pretty substantial gain.
If you are young enough you could always join the Army and go airborne. It isn't uncommon for people coming out of jump school to be a half inch shorter than they went in.
My aluminum seat is bolted straight to the floor in the back.
Not all helmets are created equally. Some have more height in the crown area.
If you're able to save a quarter inch with the seat bracket and half an inch with a different profile helmet, three quarters of an inch is pretty substantial gain.
If you are young enough you could always join the Army and go airborne. It isn't uncommon for people coming out of jump school to be a half inch shorter than they went in.
I am 32? What's the cap hahaha
Yeah, I did inquire about helmets among my racecar friends but nobody could point me towards one that was definitely shorter, and there aren't a lot of places nearby to go try on helmets...Definitely something to consider, if I can find a helmet that is shorter, ill add it to the thread.
Yeah, my problem is that I was failing by multiple inches, even after lowered seats, and a lowered seat pan.
If you are young enough you could always join the Army and go airborne. It isn't uncommon for people coming out of jump school to be a half inch shorter than they went in.
I lost almost an inch after back surgery. They told me I would shrink, but an inch is pretty substantial for my age.
I do NOT recommend screwing up your back to fit under a roll bar...
i'm 6'3" and have my issues fitting into a Miata, so i feel your pain. If you are not racing in Spec/Super Miata, then you don't need hard top. If you don't plan to drive this in the rain, you can ditch soft top and go with Bikini top which can work with a taller roll-bar. They are made to order and you will provide measurements to them. It will not really save the interior from the rain, but will save you from the sun and will reduce wind.
i'm 6'3" and have my issues fitting into a Miata, so i feel your pain. If you are not racing in Spec/Super Miata, then you don't need hard top. If you don't plan to drive this in the rain, you can ditch soft top and go with Bikini top which can work with a taller roll-bar. They are made to order and you will provide measurements to them. It will not really save the interior from the rain, but will save you from the sun and will reduce wind.
Yeah, I'm glad we're managing to save the soft top for that reason. I don't mind driving top down at the track and I will enjoy having a top on cold mornings on the way there and hot afternoons on the way back.
My friend bought one of those bikini tops used, new they are pretty pricey.
Yeah, I'm glad we're managing to save the soft top for that reason. I don't mind driving top down at the track and I will enjoy having a top on cold mornings on the way there and hot afternoons on the way back.
My friend bought one of those bikini tops used, new they are pretty pricey.
Yeah, that was the biggest problem with my extra-tall rollbar. Driving home after a track day, the direct sunlight was incredibly fatiguing.
02-07-2018 | 06:13 PM
Getting fit for a Miata: details on my adventure in trying to pass Broomstick
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