OT: How to modify driver seat position for long legs

[Benneke]

I just bought a 2001 Honda Civic LX and I'm wondering if its possible to extend/modify the seat rails so I can slide the seat farther back to accommodate my very long legs. I'm 6'3" with a 36" inseam my legs cramp up on long drives. If its not possible to modify the sliding seat rails, would it make sense to buy a new driver seat that can be moved further back?

[sales guy]

it's not just length but the nose of the seat being raised a bit. Without that, you can get serious cramping. And yes, I drive a ton for work. Like out to Vegas, Monterey or SLC just this year.

My van has a seat that the front tilts up and it helps cradle the muscles constantly being stressed.

But yes, you can extend the rails. I did it on a car ages ago. I am 6'3 and 36" inseam. A coach work guy can do it for you. Look for a guy who does that work and you should be solid.

[Ken Robb]

On SOME cars it's pretty easy to move the standard rails back but others have too much stuff mounted under the seat and/or the floor is very irregular. Recaro and other companies make race and sport seats and mounting systems that can be installed in most cars but that gets expensive.

One thing to remember is what effect moving the seat beyond the range Honda engineers planned for: will seat belts and airbags work to protect a driver in the new position?

[sitzmark]

Don't know the CX specifically, but have seen seats repositioned using steel flat bar. Two flat bar rods are drilled to match stock seat rail mounting points in floor pan, then the bar drilled to allow seat rails to be mounted farther back than holes in floor pan. Obviously the flat bar needs to extend behind the rear stock mounting point to give you the setback distance needed. Depending on the CX specific track the rear fastening may be complex. The flat rail needs to be secured to the stock mount, but also cannot interfere with fore/aft seat adjustment.

You should consider the engineering of this modification carefully, since it involves your safety in the event of a collision - especially if it involves restraint belt mounting.