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What the RX8 really need...

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Old Oct 9, 2003 | 10:39 AM
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Angry What the RX8 really need...

Is a proper bucket seat!!!! Darn, the standard seat does not give you enough support during cornering. Right turn is not as bad since the center tunnel is quiet close to the seat for extra support. Left cornering is very very bad, my hips is always touching the door and my shoulder almost touches the side windows.
The other way round for the passanger. I really need a pair of bucket seat. I am only 180cm and 68kg, btw. My driver seat right thigh padding is already noticably softer than the left one, since I have to sit on it when I get thrown to one side.
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Old Oct 9, 2003 | 10:43 PM
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Re: What the RX8 really need...

Originally posted by Winning
Is a proper bucket seat!!!! Darn, the standard seat does not give you enough support during cornering. Right turn is not as bad since the center tunnel is quiet close to the seat for extra support. Left cornering is very very bad, my hips is always touching the door and my shoulder almost touches the side windows.
The other way round for the passanger. I really need a pair of bucket seat. I am only 180cm and 68kg, btw. My driver seat right thigh padding is already noticably softer than the left one, since I have to sit on it when I get thrown to one side.
There's your problem - you dimensions! 178cm plus 100kg and you're as snug as!!!

Really though, the seats could be better, but the majority of people would feel restricted by a proper racing seat. Have a look into having an upholstery mob adjusting and re-trimming the seat before you swap them though - I for one wouldn't like to lose the rotors in the seat backs!

You'd probably be fine with increased side bolsters in the seat back and base ... are you suffering hip or shoulder movement most?

If you're really serious, you could go for a race harness!

Kev.
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Old Oct 10, 2003 | 07:29 AM
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186cm and 120kg. No problems. Just the weight penalty :o
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Old Oct 12, 2003 | 11:08 PM
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You'd be happier with the seats that were in the concept at the the 2001 Sydney motor show...

I snuck a sit in one (had to bribe the salesguy) and DIDN'T fit!!!

I'm 190cm and 84kg but have nice big childbearing hips... my butt was simply too wide for the seat - have the same problem in the 200sx when I test drove it a few years back.

Problem with the concept seats were, they were concept only and had the seat belts integrated with the seat... and dfefinitely won't be for sale.

Has anyone on the board (global) stuck some racing seats in?? I had a lot of trouble finding race seats that fitted the MX-5 so ended up giving up and strapping myself in with a 4 point harness instead.
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Old Oct 13, 2003 | 01:49 AM
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Get yourself some recaro's... You might be able 2 get some cheap from Integra's or RX7 SP's

This shall fix your problem...

Another way is 2 get a harness but MOST are ugly and you might have a hard time finding anchorage points
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Old Nov 3, 2003 | 06:53 AM
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Regular cruising indeed is fine in the darling seats that come stock, but for "driving" per se I would gladly pay for a full racing harnes config, if I could get one that didn't instantly upgrade the cars to "******" factor from zero to eleven!

I've had a couple of "stop on a dime" moments in the last two weeks, and the seat belt that usually is so light and comfortable was not bad but the second DCS controlled shuddering to a halt etc had the belt pinching my upper chest, while trying to avoid some morn who thought it was ok to walk out in front of moving car traffic.

note: actually, for Sydney siders - the corner next to the Westpac bank at the top end of Willaby Street in crows nest is a real hazard - locals live with the beleif that an invisible predestrian crossing gives them some god given safety net *** right to walk in front of fast moving RX8's, busses and ute's laden with full scape bricks!

I'd be keen to swap thoughts about putting something a little more substantial into an RX8 stock than the single belt if anyone has done anything that would pass a "tosser" test..

Cheers,

Dez
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Old Nov 3, 2003 | 03:58 PM
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Just keep an eye on that crossing at Crows Nest... I'm often one of those pedestrians! (when I'm not in my car )
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Old Nov 5, 2003 | 01:03 PM
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The rx8 needs proper drivers i cannot believe the guys in the USA they seem to be having all sorts of problems with their gear changing i suppose its hard to count up to six let alone remember what gear you are in and wether to **** up a gear or down .
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Old Nov 5, 2003 | 01:17 PM
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Originally posted by Lock & Load
The rx8 needs proper drivers i cannot believe the guys in the USA they seem to be having all sorts of problems with their gear changing i suppose its hard to count up to six let alone remember what gear you are in and wether to **** up a gear or down .
It may be a mechanical problem that is causing the difficulty with shifting. I know that it was in my case and after the clutch was replaced gear selection became effortless.
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Old Nov 5, 2003 | 01:22 PM
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speed racer

YEAH i suppose i may have been a tad harsh but luckily my car shifts as smooth as , however if youre not at the right rpm it lets you know , it may be a combination of both some faulty clucth or gears and some not so good drivers.
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Old Nov 5, 2003 | 01:27 PM
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Lock & Load,
I couldn't agree with you more, this car really prefers it if you rev match when you shift.
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Old Nov 5, 2003 | 02:03 PM
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speed racer

Checked out your borla system it looks awesome .

I would change my exhaust but i will try and get twin pipes on the rx8 similar to BMW X5 love the look .

The guy who wants to do the exhaust wants to use my car as the mule for his system , he wants to chop up the originall exhaust and find its strenghts and weaknesses and then improve on tha t , he needs car for aproximately one week for testing .

Chiptorque also wants to upgrade the ecu in a similar set up to canzoomers .

Depending on how much extra power they can get me i may give them my car as a mule , they just finished a 350z nissan and increased its power by 60kw the car is awesome.
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Old Nov 5, 2003 | 02:34 PM
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Lock & Load,
Thanks, I'm happy with the Borla setup. Did you get a chance to view my video clip of the exhaust?

The 8 definitely needs a little more umph at the top end and hopefully I'll be one of the first to try out Canzoomer's fuel controller. I'll be looking forward to seeing the results of other tuners too. So keep us posted if you decide to volunteer your car to be a test mule.
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Old Nov 5, 2003 | 11:34 PM
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Originally posted by Hymee
186cm and 120kg. No problems. Just the weight penalty :o
You are just under the weight of being clincially OBESE!!! If you are 125kg then you are clinically OBESE

Measure by BMI = Weight in KG/ (Height in Meter) Square

SO HYMEE 120/1.86/1.86 = 34.68

Obesity BMI>35
Overweight 25-35

ME??? I thought I was fat - 82 kg/1.84cm I used to be 72kg when I was really fit riding my push bike
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Old Nov 6, 2003 | 12:20 AM
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Originally posted by takahashi
You are just under the weight of being clincially OBESE!!! If you are 125kg then you are clinically OBESE

Measure by BMI = Weight in KG/ (Height in Meter) Square

SO HYMEE 120/1.86/1.86 = 34.68

Obesity BMI>35
Overweight 25-35

ME??? I thought I was fat - 82 kg/1.84cm I used to be 72kg when I was really fit riding my push bike
At 1.84cm, 72kg is even light for a rider! You must be a little bigger that 3/4 of an inch - how on earth can you see over the bonnet of your 8???

(hey, aren't you a Doc? - Nurse, give him 24Kg of morphine!!!)

I'm 1.78m and when solid and cycling fit I'm ~84Kg, long body, short legs, big bones, etc (yeh ok, sloping forehead)

Though I'm carring 1.5 times the weight of my race bike in flubber at the moment
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Old Nov 6, 2003 | 12:35 AM
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Some of us are reasonably svelt - 175cm @ 73kg, BMI ~24. I want to be kind to the 8's suspension. And I ride a bike, but certainly not at any kind of race speed.
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Old Nov 6, 2003 | 01:01 AM
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I'll probably bring on the wrath of takahashi, but I don't hold with the simple BMI calc. It leaves far too many factors out. It should only be used as a VERY BROAD guide.

I think accurate body fat ratios are a good indicator + lots of common sense.

What do you think Arnie's BMI would be? (extreme example)
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Old Nov 6, 2003 | 01:04 AM
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Agree that..

My BMI is 24 if I am 1.84 M
I am 15% body fat at the moment - with the Tanita scale. I am going to the Alpine this Jan and training start this sunday. Had 2 weeks off after the awful ride at the Around the Bay
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Old Nov 6, 2003 | 04:27 AM
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Originally posted by takahashi
Agree that..

My BMI is 24 if I am 1.84 M
I am 15% body fat at the moment - with the Tanita scale. I am going to the Alpine this Jan and training start this sunday. Had 2 weeks off after the awful ride at the Around the Bay
Do you set the tanita to athelete mode or normal? I think the doc with mine says you'd need to be doing 10+ hours of INTENSIVE training to classify as athelete.

I'm afraid to get on mine at the moment. I think they'd say something like 25%
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Old Nov 6, 2003 | 06:28 AM
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No it is normal mode... athelete mode I personally think it is for people with <10% body fat.

10 hours a week or 10 hour per day... I think I am near that some weeks.

15% is fat!!!! I have a small tummy collection. No 6 pack what so ever. I am 32" waist though. I wish I can go to around 74kg mainly to get up the mountain. Carrying another 10kg for a 200KM ride of the Alpine Classic to go up Falls Creek then Mt. Buffalo is not a funny thing.

Thinking of that I should take a 1345kg thing up the Buffalo!!! D
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Old Nov 6, 2003 | 06:46 AM
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Digresion from the body fat sideline..

Has anyone actually replaced the original seats in a stock RX8 with a 3rd party's seats? Recaro or whatever?

I'm still rather keen to find out how to get something resembling a full harness into a stock RX8 for day to day driving [ well, let's say a little more than day to day * grin * ].

Entering a 90 degree corner from 104 km p/hr to 50 km p/hr doesn't really phase the RX8, but it does put the driver through some physical contortions that would probably be a hell of a lot more "doable" in a full harnes - or at least a better seat ( been there - done that - getting t-shirts printed ).

The standards seats are fantastic if you're in 2nd gear cruising the 50 km p/hr zones or on the open road under cruise control - but boy howdy, hit the breaks [ pinching seat belt ], experiment on drifting through courners [ be sure to hold on to the opposing edge like you're a skater boy or a surfer before tapping the heal toe action to step 'it' out ] or anything close to 'takin' a corner - well you get it..

As soon as I get dyno/telemetry access to the onboard systems, I get onto researching the whole seats thing..

Then I find a place to build a wind tunnel * grin * or mountable camera and wind streamers stuck to the exterior of the car..

++dez;
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Old Nov 6, 2003 | 07:05 AM
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I would like to think I'm under tall.
OK - I'm just a BFAC, not a LSP (work those out)
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Old Nov 6, 2003 | 07:06 AM
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And I'm glad to know I am officially NOT obese!
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Old Nov 6, 2003 | 08:04 AM
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Originally posted by Hymee
I would like to think I'm under tall.
OK - I'm just a BFAC, not a LSP (work those out)
Not BFOC? I'm not a little skinny ..... either!
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Old Nov 6, 2003 | 08:09 AM
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Big Fat Aussie C...

Little Skinny *****
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