Hi:

We just bought a 2013 R58 JCW. My wife is having a problem adjusting the head restraint to a comfortable position (they are forcing her head too far forward). Has anyone come up with a solution for this or have suggestions re: after market replacements?

I haven't been able to find anything in the forums (or elsewhere).

Thanks in advance. gary

 

I'm 5'3" and have the same problem, it was causing me actual physical pain. I had to reverse the headrest completely. Lay the seat back a bit, use a sharp tool to press in a hole somewhere (can't remember where exactly), and press the two movable buttons toward the metal rods, then pull the headset out completely and flip it around, then just push back in.

 

Thanks Kimerator. A similar thought had occurred to me, but then decide the raising and lowering notches wouldn't be in the same place.

gary

 

You reverse the driver's headrest to clear your helmet otherwise your chin is tucked into your throat. Old racer's trick.

ISAMIN

 

Thanks ISAMIN.

Will try this week. I'm in Manhattan with the little one parked in a garage, so it is a PITA to get her out to do anything. Plus don't get me started about life in Coumo land roads.

gary

 

its a conspiracy against short people, almost all new cars have the most ridiculously canted headrests. I simply remove mine. (When I travel for work I take tools along so I can pull the headrest from the rental car, no kidding )

Unfortunately I think there can never be an aftermarket fix for liability reasons.

 

Short people should go to walmart auto section and look in the gimmick section for the "comfort clip" (???) for your seat belt to make adjustments so it won't strangle you because the headrest is jamming your neck into your throat. Now you can crank your seat to its highest level. Next project is machining billet aluminum pedal blocks that will allow heel and toe interactions and other foolish behavior.

ISAMIN

 

You guys who complain about the headrests must be used to driving a UPS truck. Our cars are a far fetch from being exotics but they enjoy one of the benefits the exotics have and that is they're made to enjoy a more 'laid back' style of driving. Pull the seat forward perhaps a notch or two and recline the back of the seat a notch or two and you will find the head rests no longer are a problem. It might be strange at first but it won't take long to like it.

 

Thanks whaap and gjxj. It is the opposite issue for my wife (5' 11"). I think the diversity of bodies across drivers means that the more flexibility in positioning the better. The adjustments in the R58 steering wheel help. I do wish they had included a lumbar support.

gary

 

reclining the seat doesn't do squat for the angle between the seat back and the head rest.

I must say the mini is far from the worst (almost tolerable ). Worst ever was a VW passat, I literally had to lean all the way to the side to put my head next to the head rest. That one was a bugger to remove too, almost took a hack saw to it..

 

No, it doesn't do squat for the angle (which would never change) between the seat back and the head rest but it does do squat for the distance between the head rest and your head which I understand is the problem.

 

This problem is more common than I knew (was driving a '93 Toyota Camry before I bought this R58) according to this brief 2011 Forbes article: Headrests At The Top Of Car Seat Problems - http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorze.../#3b3772e04ad5

Regardless, reversing the headrest offers my wife no support so looking for a better solution. The attach a pillow styles all seem rather cheap. I may try buying a cylinder of foam to fit the space an provide support with the headrest reversed - then get a local leather shop to cover it and attached some straps that can be tied behind the headrests posts to hold it in place.

One other option that someone here may know the answer to is replacement. Would a Gen 1 headrest (e.g., http://www.ebay.com/itm/02-03-04-05-06-Mini-Cooper-Front-Driver-Passenger-Headrest-Leather-Black-12H566-/291589910392?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368
use the same metal rods, the same distance apart? Alternatively, has anyone seen a good aftermarket solution?

TIA gary

 

You are right. I am 5' 11" and I never had a problem to adjust the driver seat to a comfortable position in my Coupe (height, recline and headrest).

It is not a good idea to remove the headrest and install backward. If you are in a collision, it can make matters worse and your insurance company will investigate why you have been injured.

The seats are always the priority when I buy a new car and a far more important matter than look and performance. I am definitely not a Recaro seat fan.