My fiance is configured such that when sitting in the front passenger seat, her head hits the hard part of the rotor emblem in the headrest. For a long trip we're making next week, we need a solution for this.

Some kind of pillow or foam pad on the seat would probably work, but it would be nice to have a more permanent solution for this that looked better than a pillow. Perhaps there will eventually be an aftermarket something that clips onto the rotor, but does anyone have any clever ideas in the meantime?

Maybe changing the tilt of the chair could help a little?

Get some egg crate foam padding and cut it to the shape of the rotor and stick it in. An ugly, but effective solution.

Any type of foam or cushion would work, egg crate foam just seems like the most viable solution.

Get new fiance. Keep car.



Just kiddin!! Maybe!!

Or perhaps have her simply lean her head onto your lap while you drive . . . problem solved :)

Very Good.. :D :p :D :p :D :D :p

Originally posted by JerryR
My fiance is configured such that when sitting in the front passenger seat, her head hits the hard part of the rotor emblem in the headrest. For a long trip we're making next week, we need a solution for this.


JerryR, hope you don't mind me of asking but how tall is your fiance ? I'm just curious since my girlfriend is rather petite herself. Just wondering if I'll run into the same problem that you are having.

Originally posted by JerryR
Perhaps there will eventually be an aftermarket something that clips onto the rotor, but does anyone have any clever ideas in the meantime?

i'll work on that as soon as my car gets here(this week sometime!) and as soon as i patent it i will sell you one! see me in a month or so;)

Originally posted by RotoRooter
Or perhaps have her simply lean her head onto your lap while you drive . . . problem solved :)
YukYukYukYuk!
Sounds good to me.

How about having her sit on a small cushion?

I didn't noticed when checking out the car but isn't the headrest adjustable?

pretty sure its one peice
________
Desperate Housewives Forums (http://www.tv-gossip.com/desperate-housewives/)

The seat back is one piece, yes.

What!? No 200$ rotary shaped pillow accessory? Come on Mazda....get on it.

;)

My fiance is configured such that when sitting in the front passenger seat, her head hits the hard part of the rotor emblem in the headrest. Configure? LOL, you must be an engineer. :D

lmao... engineer hahahahhhah; takes one to know one... that or go to a school with a bunch of em........ miserable SOBS

im engineer in training myself, lol ; can you say PAIN?

If anything just have her sit in the backseat.

I noticed this when while riding in the passenger seat (while my wife drove). I had the seat leaned back so I could look out the sunroof at the stars. Anyway depending on the angle of the seat it changed where my head hit. Normally its above but as I leaned the seat back I slid down a little and my head centered the rotor hole.

That said I might suggest seeing if different angle will work. The suggestion of a cusion under to sit on sounds better than a cover for the hole.

Hope it helps.

After doing some more research, it seems the back of her head touches the seat just at the apex of the rotor, so there is really no support below that and the seat ends up bouncing her head at the slightest provocation.

brothervoodoo: I don't think changing the seat angle will help. At least not without putting her at an awkward angle. Pity the passenger seat doesn't have a height-adjust like the driver seat.

Donny Boy, RotoRooter: she was amused by your suggestions, although I think she had to look me in the eye to make sure I wasn't seriously considering the fiance trade-in option.

Smoker: she's between 5'2" and 5'3".

Zoom44: how much? :)

TJRX8: that will probably be the temporary solution.

Toadman: you got me, but I sort of used that wording intentionally. I'm just surprised it took so many responses before someone commented on it! :)

Superfan: she ain't having none of that.

jtdwab: is it comfortable with your head centered on the rotor?

-Jerry

reading this thread has made me think of a larger concern...

Head rests are designed to cushion the head in the event of an accident.

If an automobile is involved in a head on collision, the occupants will accelerate forward until the seat belt tensioner stops the acceleration, at which point the occupant is flung back against the seat.

What's more alarming is when a automobile is hit from behind. I would imagine the acceleartion of the occupant's head rearward towards the headrest would be much greater.

In either scenario, if the head strikes the plastic piece within the headrest, chances are it would incur much larger injuries than a normally cushioned head rest.

Don't mean to alarm you JerryR, but if I had someone I cared about in the passenger seat in your situation, this would certainly be a worrying point.

I smell redesign flaw...

perhaps reclining forward isn't the answer as it will put her in an uncomfortable "configuration";) , how bout reclining back more? yea, she'll be almost lying down but maybe her head will go under the rotor symbol as opposed to trying to get her head above it

So what happens if you get hit from behind? Your head impacts the rotor... ouch

RotaryStalker

Originally posted by chikai
Head rests are designed to cushion the head in the event of an accident.
[snip]
In either scenario, if the head strikes the plastic piece within the headrest, chances are it would incur much larger injuries than a normally cushioned head rest.I don't believe this to be a serious problem. The plastic insert is (a) very lightweight plastic, and (b) attached to the seat material rather than the rigid seat frame. I don't believe any injuries will result from its presence.

Tell you what, if you think it might be a problem, try banging your head against it and let us know how it feels. :) My guess is that it will move back in the seat and your head will be cushioned by the padded material around the hole.

Originally posted by RotaryStalker
So what happens if you get hit from behind? Your head impacts the rotor... ouch

RotaryStalker

You'll become a true "Rotor Head"!

I believe the 8 does come with Active HeadRest right ? The the top of the head rest should come forward in case of emergency right ?

Originally posted by Smoker
I believe the 8 does come with Active HeadRest right ? The the top of the head rest should come forward in case of emergency right ? That's the first I've heard of that one. I know it has pretensioners and "jolt relievers" (or whatever the correct term is) built in to the seatbelts, but I'm not aware of any active safety devices built in to the seats except the side airbags.

Originally posted by JerryR
jtdwab: is it comfortable with your head centered on the rotor?

Jerry,

Not really, I moved so my head didn't rest in the rotor. One difference was that I was laying back with my head resting on the seat. When sitting up you aren't putting as much pressure on the back of your head.

The seats are designed to resemble a racing seat. However, I don't see too many people driving their 8's with helmets on...

The seats are approx 3-4 inches from the headrest in a slightly reclined position when I drive. This sucks!!! on a road trip (frequently btwn Detroit and Chicago) your neck gets tired. My previous car had adjustable head rests and ya just sit your head back and rode comfortably. I bought a little pillow and stuck it between the seat and my head and it works pretty good (might look like a flipping dork, but @ 1am who can notice).

I've been working on a slip cover type solution that would put a pillow over the rotory. If it comes out okay, I'll throw the instructions on the DIY thread.

BTW, reading some of these it could be a major concern. either you get a flipping concussion on top of the crash or the rotory breaks cutting the crap out of your head...

Or there is one other option. Get a taller girlfriend......

2.5 years - awesome. This must be the week for thread resurrections. Kudos (+10) to Daqious who has clearly been reading more than posting (and +1 for best color choice).

I would expect a small pillow like the airlines provide with an elastic strap sewed to it would work fine and be adjustable/removeable. Quite the simple craft (an old women's word for DIY) for a girlfriend, fiance' or daughter who wants their ride more comfortable.

My daughters are dancers so my 10-year-old rides in the front seat with her hair drawn up into a bun sometimes. Her height and seat angle allow the bun to fit neatly into the opening of the rotor. That'll change as she grows, but it was an amusing discovery when we bought the car a few weeks ago.

Just have her sit in the back. I have the same problem, my wife is 5'0" Someone needs to make a cool rotor pillow the sticks into there.

10-year-old can't sit in back - 8-year-old and 2-year-old are there (gotta love the RX-8 if you always travel with 3 chicks minimum). The oldest *likes* her bun fitting into the rotor hole so no problem so far.

However, the oldest two are clever girls - I'll have them look into pillow designs. If they can make something tasteful of good quality I'll post a prototype in the ForSale forum.

that's a great ideal. take em to the fabric shop.

Resurrected a thread from 7/03 but didn't see the solution here:

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=23691&highlight=pillow

Buy the thick sheets of foam (like for making chair cushions) from a fabric store like Joann's (they have one of those just about everywhere). measure the inside of the hole. Cut the foam just slightly larger than the hole, but not too much or it will look bunchy inside when you push it in. Cover the foam with some fabric. If your sewing skills are lacking you can get spray adhesive, just make sure it says it can be used with foam. Make sure you turn the raw edges of the fabric to the inside and stick it down. Otherwise it will fray and fall apart besides just looking bad. That should work. If you don't want to worry about the raw edges you can get some ultrasuede or leather-look vinyl to match the seat.

Or you could always make the same foam triangle a bit larger than the hole, maybe about double, and attach elastic to it so you can slip it over the back of the seat. That way, if it is bigger and around the seat you won't have the chance of it pushing out through the hole.

These should be relatively easy craft projects for you to do.

Others have complained to me about the rotor as well. :spank: It's too bad the guy that put together that rotor cover hasn't posted on here since July.

I mean the rotors look cool, but this shit breaches the line between looks and comfort.

I'm gonna make mine shaped like big ( . )( . )'s

I'm of the opinion that Mazda needs to equip BOTH front seats with height adjustment. LHD cars have it for the driver, RHD cars do - so seats for both sides exist with height adjustment. Yet it isn't even an option to have both equipped thus.

Yes, my gf has the same issue with the rotor ;)

I remember seeing a pillow type of thing that fitted into the rotor. Can't remember where.

Get her a helmet, but seriously the pillow is the only way to go.

I remember seeing a pillow type of thing that fitted into the rotor. Can't remember where.

Right here on this site. I did a search on "headrest pillow" and found the thread:

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=23691&highlight=headrest+pillow

Right here on this site. I did a search on "headrest pillow" and found the thread:

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=23691&highlight=headrest+pillow

Gee the same thread that I pointed to in post number 32 above. Sometimes it pays to read the thread and not just the last post.

I don't see what all the safety fuss was about back then, seriously, someone rear-ends you, you've got something WAY cooler than a rotor tattoo, like someone alluded to earlier, you would be a genuine rotor head. How sweet would that be.

Beach - I totally saw the same link twice and yelled at my computer for being messed up. Too late for me to be trolling around here.

Solution: mexican food....if your girlfriend keeps eating mexican food her ass will grow HENCE the rotor will not hit her head anymore... WIN-WIN situation