What's your driving position?

[blykins]

OK...in my recent posts, I've been sharing my excitement of trying to get my seats and pedals in the right arrangement for the most comfortable driving.

What I would like to know is....what's a standard of comfort for a Cobra?

For instance, do you sit straight with a straight shot at the pedals....legs straight...not touching the steering wheel?

Or...

Do you sit with your right leg turned so that your knee doesn't hit the steering wheel....thus leaving your right foot on its side?

With the setup I have now, my left leg is straight. My right leg is turned to the side with my knee resting against the tranny tunnel....leaving my right foot on its side to find the gas pedal.

Please give me more insight.

[blykins]

Does this look familiar?

[blykins]

And this? This is my Moto-Lita replica....heheh....it can be moved slightly everything is just positioned temporarily for experimental purposes....

[Edbo]

WOW!!

I never thought all that much about anatomy and stuff.

In an FFR you just do it however you can. And hope you don't get cramps.


Ed

[Ron61]

blykins,

I guess it would depend on your car and how much room you have. I usually have my left leg leaning against the side of the car and my foot close to the clutch but not on it unless I am getting ready to shift. My right leg doesn't hit my steering wheel and I have it more or less straight most of the time. But a taller or larger person than me would have to move their leg to the right toward the transmission tunnel in my car to keep from hitting the steering wheel. I had my seats cut and adjusted for me and they work well, but a few of my friends who have driven the car say it is to close or to far to the pedals depending on their build. That is a question that can and most likely will bring many answers. Most importantly though is how do you feel in the car and are you comfortable. I have driven mine over 100 miles a few times and I can tell you right now I would not want to start out across country in it. But stopping at each rest stop I come to is a great help.

Ron

[wilf leek]

I am lucky in that my make of car is roomy to begin with, and I also had the footboxes extended by 1 1/2".

At 6'3" and 236lbs I need the room. But the best thing I ever did was to replace the 14 or 15" wooden rimmed wheel with a 13" std Moto-lita (pics in gallery). It makes for a much easier ingress/exit, and for a more relaxed driving position on long runs. 200 mile run is quite comfy for me. Only my seemingly ever-decreasing bladder capacity forces me to stop.

[bmalone]

TMI, sir.

Darn, you went to a 13" wheel. All this time I have been debating changing the 15" to a 14", and you go right to the 13". Wow. I just never wanted to do it because I thought it would look funny. I should have changed it.

My driving posture is hunched forward (head sticks up above winshield and visor). Left knee area rests against door, right leg sideways with toes pointing to the right (to clear under the steering wheel).

This required some getting used to initially, especially from a braking standpoint. I use the ball of my right foot to brake, but it approaches the pedal on an angle in order to keep my leg from hitting the steering wheel. But this is OK because it makes blipping the gas pedal at the same time fairly easy.

The things that stick with me the most about all this:
-the car is fairly comfortable to drive, even on long trips.
-you can get used to nearly any driving position after time.
-I maybe should have changed to a 14" wheel a long time ago.

[flipper35]

My driving is about like Bill's, except I slouch more than hunch and have the smaller steering wheel.

[wilf leek]

Bill - I guess the other thing I should have mentioned is that I have a relatively low-geared rack (3.5 turns lock to lock), and the steering geometry on my car is very well thought out. Makes the effort to turn that dinky little steering wheel easy.

[Okiesnake]

I like to be on top!

[Bruce Edwards]

Well when I climb in and move the tilt wheel to a place that is most confortable placing my feet with the right slighly bent for the go pedal and left leg bent back to a slight angle. As far as head position it is up looking at the sky on take off with eyes straning to see over the top of the windshield for traffic and slowly down toward the front of the car as the neck muscles start to overcome the g-forces. At cruising speed big dumb smile that is expanded when some bozo pulls up along side and tries to "Gun" his rice burner.
I kind of figured this was the standard Cobra positioning when in the drivers seat.

[KobraKarl]

The " Cobra slouch"

Seat all the way back,slump down a bit , left side of left foot rides clutch( heavy return spring keeps t/o off the PP) ,left knee against door hinge, right foot...Bill Malone style....for ball/toe throttle braking.

KK

[blykins]

Thanks for all your input...Like I said it's been a long time since I've been in a complete snake...and I've done a lot of customizing to my SV to get it more original....just making sure that I wasn't too far from the norm. I mentioned before that I was 5'6"...and I was having to do the Bill Malone thing...but it seems like most of you guys do too. Just to check out the position, I jumped in my Stang...I do the Bill Malone thing in there too....

So Bill, did you ever dream that you would get a driving position named after you?

[kountzecobra]

Your description has made you famous Bill. My position is cramped, slumping, but smiling.

[Edley Rondinone]

Legs are definitely bent, 6'3" frame is definitely slouched, (which keeps the hat on the head!); left foot rests on a carpeted upright bulkhead when off the clutch, but the Gas foot seems to be square on the loud pedal. Will verify this evening.....might even take the car for a spin!!!!

[maxrpm]

I thought this was gonna be about golf!

[bmalone]

Originally posted by kountzecobra


Your description has made you famous Bill. My position is cramped, slumping, but smiling.

Turk, was the one who pointed it out. I never noticed it myself.

[STG]

As you can see in my photograph of Bill Malone in his Contemporary, he does not appear to be hunched over or leaning forward.

That happens only AFTER he steps on the gas. I know - he gave me a ride at SAAC 27.[IMG] [/IMG]