R3 bolster -clutch pedal mod???
 

I test drove an R3 earlier today, and even though the torque was lacking, as expected, the handling was unreal. Just perfect, and I have owned/driven several high performance sports car, but none handled better than the R3.

I am short, so I had a problem with my tricep hitting the bolster on the Recardo seat when shifting into 2nd or 4th. After I returned the car to the dealer I messed around with the seating position and found that if I moved the seat back a couple of inches, I could shift with minimum bolster interference, but I could not depress the clutch fully. I could apply full brakes and throttle.

In talking with the sales manager (a true gear head), he said he could probably have the clutch pedal extended (an adjustable extension, no less) by a "mobility" company. Those are the firms that modify cars for handicapped and other special needs. BTW, he was even shorter than I am, so there was no stigma.

What are your thoughts on a clutch pedal mod?

We weren't even negotiating yet, but he popped out a price of $28, 500, which seems good, at first glance.

Any and all comment are appreciated on the clutch mod, bolster interference, and price.

Thanks,

EB

$28,500 for an R3 is quite good, provided it's a new car. I'm assuming it's last year's model... even then, nothing noteworthy has changed year over year.

I'm not sure on the mod without knowing how how it would impact drive-ability. You might want to think about how it would impact resale, too.

my friend, who is on the forums now, got his R3 with 7k miles for 20,200 after taxes and all the other BS. there is so much u can do with 8k dollars less. he can get a way better price than that.

The car is a 2010 model with 83 miles on it, 35 of which were mine today. Without the pedal mod or some mod to the bolster I'll have to pass on the car. It would be a shame, as it handles the twisties wonderfully, and the brake and throttle pedals are perfectly spaced for heel/toe down shifts.

EB

i'll trade u my 09 GT seats for ur r3 recaro seats. lol. no worries about hitting the side bolster. :)

I believe the clutch pedal is adjustable, though I haven't looked in the manual to see how it's done. I'd say look into it before you buy any sort of extension thing.

I'm short, but it sounds like you may be shorter than me. I have the same problem with my arm and the shifter. I was a little worried about it at first, but I got used it and it's no longer a problem. It's a little awkward I guess, but I don't even think about it anymore. I also have to stretch my leg nearly all the way to depress the clutch.


28,500 seems pretty good for a 2010, especially considering Mazda isn't offering any cash back. That's probably close to, if not below invoice. Is that OTD?

I got my 2009 R3 brand new with 400 miles for about 27,850 OTD with barely any negotiating, but that was with a big incentive and in mid December.

I'm 5'6", just for information, and the sales manager was about 5"3" to 5'4"... I actually felt tall!

The $28,500 was not OTD, just his comment of what the ball pack for the car would be. He also hinted that he expected an additional $1,000 in incentive money from Mazda in July, which would make the price $27,500. He also said he was almost certain the clutch pedal was not adjustable, therefore his suggestion of modifying it.

I'll definitely check out if the pedal is adjustable. A quick e-mail to Mazda should hopefully get me an answer (if Mazda's USA tech people are better than the average).

EB

Damn! Impressive buying.

EB

I'm 5'6-5'7 ish and I dont have problem shifting...
you can consider some seat cushion to boost up your seat height so you sit higher. shame that they didnt add height adjustment for the Recaros.
I paid 22k for an 09 with 6k miles on the clock at the beginning of this year.

Just swap the seats out. The R3's Recaros just aren't a good fit for some people.

if hes gonna do that why not just buy the sport version?

Because he obviously likes the other improvements the R3 offers?

bumper, wheels, and stupidly hard dampers?:fingersx:
bth, I think the seats are the best part for the R3. you sitting so low it feels like you driving a race car, tho Ive never driven a race car.

1st dibs on the seats :)

..as to the clutch pedal mod, same problem, I found it very uncomfortable to adjust the seat correctly and then not reach the pedal (5'8"). So here's my solution I put on 6 yrs ago and is working fine to this very day when I took these pictures. The pedal is curved and needs a curved block to extend it and hold it securely. I used the center portion of a rubber sanding block cut to size...the curve fits the pedal perfectly. For some reason (too long ago to remember) I used two toggle bolts to hold the assembly together. It looks a bit ugly in the pics, but it is really invisible.

A huge, gotta do it ergonomic improvement if your left leg is feeling too short lol :D:

have you been rocking some ghetto style driving the 8?:fingersx:

Apparently it is just height adjustable (http://www.rx8blog.com/mazda-rx8-interesting-facts/). I don't know if that will help at all.

I presume the issue here is that when you move the seat far enough forward to facilitate full clutch pedal depression that you are so close that the Recaro seat bolster interferes with the shifter actuation?

The Recaro seats are nice (not to me, but I do understand the appeal), as is the stiffer suspension and 19" rims, but I wouldn't give up on an RX-8 just to have an R3. Get a GT and you should be fine. With the money saved you can add stiffer shocks and 19" rims later.

In the OP's case, sounds like, in mine it was my right leg getting cramped from being too close to the acclerater pedal when the seat was positioned to allow complete clutch depression with the left.

^ I'm only 5'-8" myself these days (ol' age shrinkage?), but at least I have what should have been Burt Reynold's legs (and he has what should have been my torso) so no leg-reach issues. ;) I can understand the too close accelerator fatigue tho'.

Again to the OP - don't give up on the exeptionally well handling RX-8 just for some fancy-schmancy seats. There's a solution out there for you.

The solution is absurdly easy, and I feel like a fool for not thinking of it right away. I just Googled "car pedal extension" and came up with all sorts of solutions. Most very simple bolt on mods.

I'm not just interested in the R3 for the seats, but they are nice. I do compete in auto-x often, and track my cars quite a bit. I drove P-cars from 1984 until nearly 3 years ago, and am now in a leased BMW Z4M Coupe, so the R3 appeals to me as an out of the box street, track, and auto-x car. I still have to wrap my head around the torque issue. I also prefer not to go aftermarket for mods, as that can change my competition class, therefore the R3.

Thanks for all of the input. Much appreciated.

EB

a turbo will change all your power problems.

It will also change my auto-x class hugely, but I may be able to live with that. Can the current rotary engine/clutch/gear box/differential handle a turbo's increased torque? Are there any proven good installations, and would I need an intercooler? Finally, would the stock cooling system be able to handle the increased power, or would I need to add capacity?

I suppose I should use "search" for more details. A rotary is completely new to me, and I am used to having torque immediately available to me, so I would have to train myself to drive differently,

A BTW, on my test drive, the pedals, and gear box were perfect for heel/toe rev matching... just perfect. I did have to have custom pedals made for my Z4M Coupe to accomplish the same thing.

EB