Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Technical questions and answers about the Mazda Bongo

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PJ_Bristol
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by PJ_Bristol » Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:22 pm

Thanks Willow, would love to know more of what you find.

Rita, do you think I should go back to the drawing board?
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Doone
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by Doone » Wed Nov 25, 2020 5:26 pm

Lots of people have fitted MX5 seats. There are posts about it on Facebook Bongo groups and on Instagram. They all say they're more comfy, but I can't see any mention of leg room.

For example, Ian Harris wrote: "So todays little job was to change the front seats for Mazda MX5 seats.
Took me about 3 hrs...
The passenger seat is nice and easy you just need to swap one of the runners over (the one where the bolt hole is bent down) The wire that connects the seat sliders needs to be shortened but i did that just by pulling a bit extra through - bolts that hold the runners to seat are 12mm, bolts to the van are 14mm.
The drivers side is a bit trickier as the door side runner is too far out by about an inch. I cut a couple of tabs off the bongo seats that had the captive nut in for the seat runners drilled holes in the tab, that allowed me to bolt the runner to the captive nut in the tab and the hole then bolts to the captive nut that is in the seat base.
I also needed to swap over the seat belt catch as the mx5 seat didnt have the wiring for the seat belt light on the dash. (seat belt catch is held on with a 17mm nut) again the wire for the runner adjustment needs to be shortened.
The seats are firmer and wrap around you being a sports seat, seating is a bit higher but its good :)
... my mx5 seats didn’t have any lead for the seat belt light, I ended up taking the whole seatbelt catch assembly (wire and all) off the bongo seat and replacing the mx5 one with it... (iirc it’s a 17mm socket)"

And this from Rob Harris (5' 10 1/2"), when asked if the seats extra height makes any difference "...getting in involves a bit more of a disco move but not enough to be an issue. Once in, its Devine. Extra height actually makes the right foot on accelerator more comfy for me, long journey will be the true telling factor though."

And this from 'winnie bongo' on Instagram (scroll across to see more of his photos):
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBa_butpwWh ... h6tx7vci5a
Allan's closed. We recommend PGS (Plymouth Garage Services) or Mayflower Auto Services in Plymouth.
rita
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by rita » Wed Nov 25, 2020 7:48 pm

PJ_Bristol wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:22 pm Thanks Willow, would love to know more of what you find.

Rita, do you think I should go back to the drawing board?



You might be better with Doctor Who's phone number :lol:
PJ_Bristol
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by PJ_Bristol » Wed Nov 25, 2020 10:10 pm

Thanks Doone, really helpful detail.

It sounds to me like Rob is saying he gets extra legroom, in that it is more comfy on long journeys, no?

I notice you have a garage, would you consider modifiying the runners so the standard seat slides back farther?

Rita :lol:
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Doone
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by Doone » Thu Nov 26, 2020 2:19 pm

That modification would affect the original design of your Bongo. We've not been asked to do that specific job before. We're certainly capable of it. :) But its a grey area for garage insurance, like modifying seatbelt mountings. So we choose not to do it. But I expect one of the Bongo conversion businesses would, because their insurance would be specifically tailored to cover them for altering the structure.
Allan's closed. We recommend PGS (Plymouth Garage Services) or Mayflower Auto Services in Plymouth.
willow2u
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by willow2u » Thu Nov 26, 2020 9:09 pm

Had a look at the runners I think if the angled ends were chopped and another runner was welded on with about 10mm spacers I think it would work, if I was faced with the same problem that’s what I’d do
8EC2AC34-1E29-4189-BA91-F47756A8548D.jpeg
578D1166-4237-4285-9848-3A8C5424021C.jpeg
1C6EECBF-4141-4BC3-A43B-94956D84C2EC.jpeg
PJ_Bristol
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by PJ_Bristol » Fri Nov 27, 2020 8:56 pm

Doone wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 2:19 pm That modification would affect the original design of your Bongo. We've not been asked to do that specific job before. We're certainly capable of it. :) But its a grey area for garage insurance, like modifying seatbelt mountings. So we choose not to do it. But I expect one of the Bongo conversion businesses would, because their insurance would be specifically tailored to cover them for altering the structure.
Thank you mate, thats mega helpful info. Do you have any converters you would recommend near Bristol?
PJ_Bristol
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by PJ_Bristol » Fri Nov 27, 2020 9:04 pm

willow2u wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 9:09 pm Had a look at the runners I think if the angled ends were chopped and another runner was welded on with about 10mm spacers I think it would work, if I was faced with the same problem that’s what I’d do 8EC2AC34-1E29-4189-BA91-F47756A8548D.jpeg578D1166-4237-4285-9848-3A8C5424021C.jpeg1C6EECBF-4141-4BC3-A43B-94956D84C2EC.jpeg
Thanks Willow. Am i right in thinking the the left of the photo is the front of the seat, looking from undernearneth. Then you are saying to cut the angled runner bit on the right of the pic.
Are you then saying to effectively extend that runner by welding something on the end? or another runner on top?

Don't worry if it hard to explain, as you may have guessed I cant weld so I won't be doing it myself! Although if there is anyone in Bristol who could do it, I could pass on your idea

Also Happy FRIDAY!
Bob
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by Bob » Fri Nov 27, 2020 10:15 pm

Don't know anyone local, but New Dawn Conversions, West Mids, do the swivel seats, and are very well thought of here, and Celtic Conversions, Caerphilly, are well known and liked.

Ed was a regular on here for a long time. :wink:
willow2u
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by willow2u » Fri Nov 27, 2020 11:54 pm

In the photos where you see the small connecting wire linking the 2 runners that is the front,chop of the front and rear mounting holes off then weld another pair of runners to those with 10mm spacers in between as a sandwich then you will have the range of the normal runners x same again I think it will raise the seat about 25 to 30mm higher
Winnie-bongo
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by Winnie-bongo » Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:11 am

Here is a comparison picture of the MX5 seats and Bongo seats, as you can see your knees are lifted higher by them.
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sotal
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by sotal » Sun Jun 13, 2021 8:09 pm

I thought that leg room would be an issue for me. We have a mid kitchen which is right behind the drivers seat so it presses against the kitchen. I'm not even sure it goes all the way back because of the kitchen.

I'm 6'3" and it does feel like I want to move the seat back another click but to be honest it has been fine. We've had it for about 6 or 7 years now and I've done journeys up to 5 hours long without any bother. (With only one stop for a few minutes to fill up as the tank isn't big enough to do 5 hours in one go!)

I think the fact that it is auto helps.
PJ_Bristol
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Re: Gaining more legroom in the drivers seat

Post by PJ_Bristol » Mon Jul 19, 2021 8:28 am

Hi guys,
I have been driving mine since December and I have to say I've got used to it. I'm lucky to have the luxury of cruise control which allows to stretch my legs now and again.

Thanks for the photo of the mx5 seat, my concern with it is getting my knees under the steering wheel. I have fairly chunky legs and it's already a bit of a squeeze!
Peter
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