Tall guy looking at SPFs - I've got questions

DrivinWest · #1 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 01:09 PM

Hey all,

I'm 6'4", 205lbs, with a 36" inseam...

I just had the pleasure of sitting in two gorgeous Superformance machines. The first car was a standard config as far as I understand and I didn't fit very well; I actually looked over the windshield! The second had the "big man" seat which was a big improvement. I saw through the windscreen but my knees hit the dash. I was able to actuate the pedals, but this was less than ideal. It did seem that there was a bit more room for the seat to go back though it was definitely at the end of its tracks.

I'm leaning very heavily towards a SPF, but I want to be comfortable in the car. What have you tall guys done to squeeze into your SPF? It seems that bolting the seat in and tilting it back helps some. Any other tricks?

This thread is some help.

RedBarchetta · #2 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 01:14 PM

I'm 6'3", 205lbs, 36" inseam. So you have me by one inch!

What I did was remove the adjustable seat rails and fabbed a bracket from flat steel stock (EDIT: The floor board bolt holes on the adjustable brackets do not line-up with where they mount to the bottom of the seat. Hence, you have to fab a flat bracket to allow for this adjustment...no big deal). Then bolted the seat directly to the floor and as far back as I could, with a slight rake upward (higher in the front, using washers as shims). The rake will give you more leg room. Also, if you can live without the wood steering wheel you can add a three-spoke leather-wrapped one that is one inch smaller in diameter. That helps, too.

These cars (Cobras in general) are tight any which way you look at it, but the above mods in an SPF make the car very drivable and a lot of fun. Check out my gallery and I think there is one pic of me in there barreling down the freeway. You can see I'm in there quite comfortably.

-Dean

DrivinWest · #3 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedBarchetta

I'm 6'3", 205lbs, 36" inseam. So you have me by one inch!

Darn my long torso!

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedBarchetta

What I did was remove the adjustable seat rails and fabbed a bracket from flat steel stock...

That's very promising. I'd love to find a car that's been modified like yours and see how I fit. I really want to stick with a 90" wheelbase if at all possible. I did sit in a 92" Backdraft, and while the legroom was a bit better than the SPF, my feet were more cramped in the BDR.

RANDY CARTER · #4 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 02:24 PM

I had a similar problem and the dealer removed some of the padding from the front of the bottom seat cushion. Still plenty of padding to be comfortable and it definitely helped with the leg room.

DrivinWest · #5 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 03:43 PM

Yeah, I had thought about removing some padding as well so I'm glad to hear that it works. I hear the seat from the FFR Challenge Car offers a lot more room but surely at the expense of comfort. It might be something worth considering...

patrickt · #6 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 03:55 PM

DrivinWest -- I'm the same size as you, just a few pounds lighter.

I don't have an SPF, but what I had done has me looking squarely through the middle of the windshield. I had the seat bolted directly to the floor; it is "lightly padded;" moved as far back as it will go; the pedals are moved forward thanks to a special larger clutch master cylinder (slight additional pressure, not much); a 15 inch Moto-Lita tilted slightly upward. ERAs and SPFs are similar -- you can make it work if you want to. Here's a shot of me driving away:

DrivinWest · #7 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 03:59 PM

Patrick,

Are you ready to sell!? That looks great. I'm heartened to see that it is possible, if a bit of work. I'd have a vertebra removed before giving up the dream of owning a cobra!

patrickt · #8 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrivinWest

Patrick,

Are you ready to sell!?

Uhh, the car? No. But I will you sell you my secretary (who is the blonde sitting in the passenger seat).

Caveat Emptor, though.

FUNFER2 · #9 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 04:38 PM

I have a "Lone Star Classics" Cobra.
94" wheel base, stretched all in the cock pit. Check out my photo's.

Got the Bug · #10 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 07:27 PM

DrivinWest,

I'm 6' 2" and about 200 lbs. My set-up is the same as Dean's. Seat rails removed, with the seat bolted to the floor as far back as possible. I also opted for the leather steering wheel. I still have just about 1/2" to spare between my knee and the dash.

Hopefully you can find an SPF with seat rails removed to see how you fit.

PANAVIA · #11 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 07:42 PM

You can also have your upholstery guy tune the padding thickness of the bottom and back of the seat for an extra few mm.

in addition, I did the same trick s Doug with a minor mod. --

the rear of the seat was bolted directly to the floor. --

the Front has a 1.25" spacer for the bolt to raise the front of the seat up and support your legs and tilt you back.

WildBill1965 · #12 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 08:19 PM

DrivinWest,
I'm 6'2" about 210# 34" inseam and Dennis Oltoff set my car up as he is tall not as much wt and I believe he moved the pedels in the foot box some turned the plate in the trans 180* as my long arms required the shifter forward a couple of inches. But call Dennis he knows these cars inside and out and all of the tricks (Oltoff Racing) also still have my sliders on the seat. Dennis has spacers for the seat also!

WildBill

dlampe · #13 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 09:23 PM

You might also consider swithing the seat to a Kirkey vintage racing seat. That will give you plenty of room and looks very period correct.

DrivinWest · #14 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 11:39 PM

You guys are loaded with great info. I'm headed to the Texas Cobra Club meet in March and plan on seeking out guys like myself to see what make they drive and what mods they've done. Hopefully that will help narrow the search.

Thanks!

Mdman352 · #15 (**permalink**) 01-23-2010, 07:46 AM

I think I have you all beat at 6'3" and 280#.

I have a Contemporary and had sold the seats. You need to get down on the floor but get the seat mounted/anchored to the frame, rather than to fiberglass. My seats were fabricated as was the entire interior by Steve Bell in Laytonsville, MD.
I had the header pipe closest to the driver moved to a "forward" position which gave me about 3" in the foot box which is HUGE for someone with size 14 shoes. In addition, moving the 3rd to 4th (?) shift rod on the transmission (toploader) gave me about 3"-4" at the thigh. It used to run along the side of the transmission but now goes over the top. The steering column was moved to the right and now I am in the middle of the windshield rather than looking over it. Nick Acton from Acton Customs did the interior structural mods.
I love driving the car now and do not hesitate to put 150-250 miles on it in a weekend. I put over 4000 miles on it in 7 months. I drive it. SAY IT!.

Hydramada · #16 (**permalink**) 01-24-2010, 03:24 PM

Look at the seat spacer listed in the "interior" section. I was amazed what a difference that spacer made to driver comfort.

Olthoff Seat Spacer

I would give Dennis Olthoff a call too. He has some pretty interesting mods for different people in his bag of tricks.

Night Enforcer · #17 (**permalink**) 01-24-2010, 10:53 PM

My son is 6'2'' 275 lbs. and he did as others have done and removed the seat rails and bolted the seat directly to the floor as far back as possible. He and I both use leather steering wheels which gains clearance between your knees/thighs and the wheel. It also makes getting into and out of the car much easier. I am 6' and 240 lbs and don't have a problem with the standard seat set up in my car. I don't think this was mentioned before, but when you try out the differnt cars, wear a pair of Piloti's or other racing shoe. My son and I both have wide feet and almost always drive our cars with racing shoes on. Even tennis shoes can be a problem and give you the feeling that you are not fitting or sitting in the car correctly.

Got the Bug · #18 (**permalink**) 01-24-2010, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Night Enforcer

My son is 6'2'' 275 lbs. and he did as others have done and removed the seat rails and bolted the seat directly to the floor as far back as possible. He and I both use leather steering wheels which gains clearance between your knees/thighs and the wheel. It also makes getting into and out of the car much easier. I am 6' and 240 lbs and don't have a problem with the standard seat set up in my car. I don't think this was mentioned before, but when you try out the differnt cars, wear a pair of Piloti's or other racing shoe. My son and I both have wide feet and almost always drive our cars with racing shoes on. Even tennis shoes can be a problem and give you the feeling that you are not fitting or sitting in the car correctly.

Agree with you about the right shoes. I wear a 13M and I can't drive my car with regular cross trainer tennis shoes. Plenty of room wearing racing shoes or narrow flat shoes like Puma's.

PANAVIA · #19 (**permalink**) 01-25-2010, 02:58 AM

look for "wrestling shoes"

--- Found a set (asics $35) on accident at a outlet store.

I was wearing them one day and someone asked if i was a wrestling coach...I said no, - I thought they were driving shoes, -

--she proceeded to tell me that they were otherwise and pointed out that is why the soles are so soft and griped so well.

I like them better than my pilotis as the asics soles are very thin grippy rubber and I can feel EXACTLY what is going on with the pedals and their feedback.

Like ninja tabbi shoes without split toe-and the 1986 geeky references.

----I am sure if you type wrestling shoes into amazon or zappos ==you will get the idea.

Steve

Steve

Steve

lovehamr · #20 (**permalink**) 01-25-2010, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrivinWest

You guys are loaded with great info. I'm headed to the Texas Cobra Club meet in March and plan on seeking out guys like myself to see what make they drive and what mods they've done. Hopefully that will help narrow the search.

Thanks!

That's a good idea. When I was searching for what I wanted, I tried on quite a few Cobras before ROUSHAC let me try on his BDR at London. That's why I now have a BDR.

Steve