[Rhody]

I went through old posts and collected what I felt were some of the best on this subject of being a tall guy and finding a cobra. Below are the posts with the source and the year. I thought this would be helpful to all of the other tall guys out there who share my problem and passion for a cobra. As a 6'8", 245 lb guy who wants to find the right cobra, there are several things I have taken to heart. 1) I need to take my time and not rush this decision. More than half the fun is being on the hunt for the right vehicle. 2) Finding the right builder who has a proven track record with tall drivers and is not giving me a line of bullsh** simply to sell me a vehicle. Are they willing to go the extra mile to make it work for me? 3) Sit in the vehicle and then sit in it again and again and again and consider every conceivable angle of my body in that car before considering a commitment. 4) Hoping to find other tall cobra drivers who would be willing to let me sit in their vehicle and discuss what they did to make it a success. 5) Not compromising! If Bob Evans at 7'1" can have a stock wheelbase 289FIA then I CAN get a stock Cobra that fits me great. 6) Learning from other people's mistakes and successes and recognizing that at the end of the day I only have myself to blame if I make the wrong decision.

Tall guys in cobra: Reno Steve, July 2016:

I realize this is a old thread but I can add to the confusion about height vs cobras !! I am 6 ' 6 " and always wanted a 427 cobra ( always ) ! Living in Lake Forest ca. I was 8 min from superformance headquarters , stopped in one day . I sat in different cars from gt 40s , not a chance !, to daytonas almost but not quite. After buying a superformance ( with the dropped foot box )with a 482 ci shelby engine I was determined. Then Ashton , lance Standers son said he could help. Removing the seat rail didn't help so he had a plan. Removing the carpeting and floor pan he cut off the seat bolting tabs at the top of the tube frame and welded them to the bottom . Fabricated a new aluminum floor pan , sealed all the seams and modified the seat bottom hoop . Bolted the seat as far back with a slight tilt back . Carpet reinstalled and badabing I am driving my beautiful Cobra in Reno now with room to move my knees and a little extra . Looking straight out the middle of the wind screen , level with my wife next to me Totally impressed with Superformance cars fit ,finish and employees . It's no wonder Carroll Shelby choice them to build all the Shelby continuation cars. So my long inseam brothers , you have a way to your dream !!


WBulk 2009:

Pacific Roadster builds a car for bigger guys. I believe it is still a 90" Wheel base.
Pacific Roadster, cobra kit, Wide Body,Cobra Replica,Kit Car,Hot Rod - YouTube

*I have been researching this subject for months and have been evaluating the measurements companies have given me. I found that one key area not discussed is the various brands height of their bodies. I don't like setting high in the car and looking close to or through the top windshield bar. The measurement for comparison I have been using is from the center top rear cowl deck down to the main floor. I finally caught on to this by riding in a friends Kirkham at the track and I had plenty of room at 6'2" and 240 lbs. I was setting far lower in his car than mine. Mine measured 24" and the Kirkham is 26 1/4". The Kirkham body was a copy of their original Shelby Cobra that I have seen several times.

I also had a conversation with one of the old time cobra builders a couple of weeks ago and was told there are low, medium and high bodies. Many manufacturers don't know this. The Kirkham body is higher and you can see it through the nose and down the sides. I think it's the best looking body.

I am looking for my next project and was discussing this with a friend that has a new FFR Mark IV. He is 6' 4" and fits fine in his car. I asked how could this be, I tired setting in one in 2009 and couldn't get my knee under the dash. It seems they have made a lot of changes to the car. I asked my friend to take the cowl height measurement and it was 26 1/2" with carpet and pad, so figure about 27".

There are a few other critical measurements to check. One is from the floor to the bottom of the dash, another is from the front footbox firewall to the rear wall where the floor meets it. The width of the footbox at the pedal is important and the width for the seat, from tunnel to door. It sure would be nice if these were posted on the manufacturers websites.

Confirm measurements given to you as one manufacturer claimed two inches more in a critical area than a friend measured for me on his car that was just purchased from that company. The measurements don't lie and beware of gimmics to make you fit. Remember the car may fit you fine but if you ever sell it, it may not fit the taller market.

This being said it is one element of what makes up a good car. You may have one car that has all the room you need but the quality may not as good as one that has a little less room. I am looking at FFR again.

Twobjshelbys 2009:

You really need to "try on" the one's you're interested in. Go to car shows and strike up conversations with Cobra owners. Most will let you sit in the driver's seat. Pay attention to how the steering wheel clears your lap when driving with right foot on the accelerator and when shifting, and also how your left leg clears the bottom of the instrument panel when depressing the clutch to shift, and "at rest" (I like to pull my foot back closer to the seat to relieve the muscle cramps). Unlike most cars there is very little foot room to be able to switch feet on the accelerator when on a long cruise. And there ain't no cruise control*

I found the Shelby CSX wheel was the only one that gave me the clearance due to the higher angle on the steering column. A SPF hit me on the thighs - the dealer's solution was to hard mount the seat to the floor removing the adjustment tracks. All of them are tight, just some tighter than others.

XLR8TR 2008:

If you are at the build stage, I've always thought John Chestnuts solution was the best I've seen: he runs the headers up and over the footbox. This gains you probably 5" in available room to extend the footboxes, since you dont have to leave room for the 4 exhaust pipes. I have pics but they are in .pdf's so I cant post them. John is a member on here, he could send to you.

Its of personal interest as I'm 6'7" and mine is a bit tight on legroom.

TKB 289 2007:
I faced the same issue when looking for a Cobra and I too am also 6'-4" tall. There are some good suggestions here, but you might want to step back and take a look at the problem from a different perspective.

For the moment, forget the your height and ask yourself a few questions?

- What kind of Cobra do you like … 427 or 289 ?

- Is having a 90" wheel base car important, or would longer wheel base Cobra be acceptable. Keep in mind the original cars have a 90" wheel base as do a number of replicas.

So let's say you want a 90" wheel base 427, next step would be to look on Cobra Country and see what's there, then home in on say two manufacturers. Once you have narrowed it down to that then dig deeper on those Cobras you really want.

Most likely the brand of Cobra you prefer can be modified to fit with some degree of comfort. Between the manufacturer, installers and members here on Club Cobra, they would have tips on how to modify the car. It also may depend on how much wiggling in and out you what to put up with. The modifications may not make things completely comfortable, just less miserable ...*

That being said, once you are in your car and reasonably comfortable, driving it is the best part !

For me the answer was an ERA 289 FIA with raised dash, slightly taller roll bar and pedals as far forward as possible.

Good luck in your search.

MREID 2008:

You can modify them to fit you, but your dimensions, as mentioned above, are important. I'm 6'4" and fit in my Kirkham just fine. Yes, it's like puting on a cheap suit, but once in and adjusted, it's comfortable. Most of my height is in my legs (36" inseam), but with the seat moved all the way back and bolted to the floor (no sliders), a dropped foot box and floor mounted pedals, I'm good. I stretch my left leg out to depress the clutch and my line of site is about 3" below the top of the windshield frame. My brother is also 6'4", but his height is more in his torso. His line of site is right at the windshielld frame and he has to stretch to fully depress the clutch. Us tall guys have to fine tune the car to fit us, but that means it is hard for others to drive. That works just fine for me!

CN GREEN 2006:

I'm close to 6'6" and 320 lbs with a size 16 shoe. I made some basic mods to my FFR MKIII and I fit fine. As Mark mentioned, like a glove, but it's comfortable. Basic mods are:

Kirkey Vintage seats. Mine are in a u-shaped bracket that tilts it ever so slightly forward, bolted to the floor. This adds 2" to both verticle and horizontal legroom. I also have Wilwood adjustable pedals, which add 2" more. EDIT: I called FFR and confirmed that adjustable Wilwood pedals are part of the MKIV kit now, not an aftermarket item as in my car. /EDIT I have a 350 HP BOSS 302 in my car and that allows me to use a inner footbox wall that is straight instead of bent. Also, for my big feet, I cut out the crash bar on the left side of the footbox. The FFR MKIV has a different radious on the bar now and If I had a MKIV I wouldn't have had to cut it out.

With these mods I can fit just fine, and didn't have to resort to a stretched wheelbase. As a matter of fact i fit better in my car than I did in a 96" wheelbase car I tried on at a get together once…

RON61, 2001:

You might talk to Enerson Motorsports who is on this club. I have seen cars they they built for guy's from 6'6" and over 350 pound on. So far they have made them all fit to the customers satisfaction. He is in Redding, Cal.which is in Northern Cal.