How well do you fit in your car?

The tech article about the seat movement is something I'm going to save for one of the winter projects on the '55. Even when my weight is down...I don't like having my legs folded up. This is a stock car and I don't mind doing things to make it fit better.
Weight is coming off. No good can come from carrying an extra 60lbs around - it wears you out before you even get the real work done. And I do look like Magilla Gorilla in that thing too!

Thanks for all the stories and info!

 

I put different seats and runners in my '56 sedan delivery and a tilt wheel to get some belly room. Had to shed a fair amount of weight to allow the '38 to accomodate me. Took 3 sets of seats to get a decent fit and even now the leg room and foot position on the gas pedal is ackward and uncomfortable on long drives. Considering installing cruise control to allow wiggling my right ankle from time to time to get the kinks out.

I believe I read that the average American male is about 2.5" taller today than he was before WWII. I can believe it when I sat in the original bench seat in the '38 which had no adjustment.

 

I'm 6'3, 290 and I fit in both my channeled '27 Roadster and '51 Chevy surprisingly comfortably. People look at me funny when i get out of the '27 wondering how in the hell i fit in there, but for me, it was all about pedel position. Leg room was more of a problem than gut room for me, but I have it worked out to where its not too bad. Have driven it 5+ hours before. My ass hurts more than anything else. The '51 is like driving a big Laz-E-Boy for me compared to the '27.

The '27 does have a small steering wheel though...but my knees do stick above the doorline. The '51 has original column and wheel, and am quite surprised that the wheel is not sitting in my gut.

My size has killed my dreams of a chopped Model A coupe or pickup though. Sad for me as its my favorite car.

 

Hahahaha. Funny image!!



Yep i think there a defining moment when you realise you are too porky and you've just had yours.

I had my defining moment earlier this year and have lost over 35 pounds. If i can do it, anyone can.

Good luck and don't touch that car!!!

 

Sometimes you have to build the car around you. I'm 5'10" or so and a bone stock '31 A pickup was too tight for me to be comfortable, I could drive one if I had to, but I wouldn't want to go on a trip in it. And that was basically on bare springs, the padding was shot. For a while we had a '31 Plymouth tudor that had been cut into a pickup and that one would have been just fine, the doors were about 6 inches longer.

A 60s GM tilt column and a later, smaller steering wheel, or one of the aftermarket ones, should do what you need. I have a '67 Riviera tilt here and from the looks one of those would look like it belongs in a 55-57 if it was painted to match. Or they make those aftermarket too, there's probably a kit made to bolt right in if you want to go that route.

 

Im 6'4" and a little husky. My '55 had a smaller wheel on it and I fit just fine. Steering wheel mod is the easiest way to go.

 

Now try to fit into a fed designed for someone 5-6 and 150 when you are 5-11 and 210 man it sucks.......

 

I'm 6'1" 230lbs and I fit well in my stock-wheeled 53 Chevy 210. I even fit in my OT 72 MGB. I fit, but getting out is a different story.

You know what you need to do, and you're not alone in that department.

Good luck with it!

~ Carl

 

Good thread. At 6'4" I have been wondering if I could fit into a 30's Chevy pickup. I know I could fold up into my T Touring as a teen but that was a few decades ago and it had unlimited head room. Looking for a new project and I was worried I would not be able to fit into the earlier smaller truck cabs.

Thanks,

--louis

 

5'10" 250 lbs. Have to fold up to get in my 5 wdo with 3"chop and 6" channel but worth it when I do!!! (have an old tilt column) peace

 

I'm 5'6" and 155......just sayin'

The same question has been asked on the VTCI forum regarding Tbirds.
Some have solved the problem by drilling new holes in the floor(and reinforcing it underneath) for the Drivers Seat and going with a smaller Steering Wheel.
When I first got my Tbird,I was amazed at how "tight" it was even for a short guy like me
I have the seat all the way back and when I drove it,my knees were still slightly bent...

 

best thing i ever did in my life was loose 130 lbs. , dont miss the her a bit and the truck sure is quieter , lmao , and talk about a health improvement , but in all reality , make you fit your happy , then make the car match you both be smiling on down the road !

 

I'm a fat guy. I have a few problems with the steering wheel being too low usually. Getting the seat lower helps, but, doesn't help with the angle at which your feet meet the pedals. I just swapped the steering wheel on my 64 c10 with the one out of a 64 Chevy II. Just a little bit smaller, and much dressier.

 

funny thread...Im 6'2 .. (the curse) , no ones mentioned the dreaded BIG FEET! I like driving BEAR foot so I can , at best , feel my way around .
wearing shoes is like Ronald Mc Donald .

...Maybe I need bigger pedals!

Also theres the Bastid mark left on the roof lining , NO its NOT hair dye , its work and stress . How tall guys can survive a roof chop I dont know.
I see some rods slam the seat on the floor*.

 

I'm 6'2' and 275lb. Size 13wide boots. It is very difficult for me to drive my Parent's stock Model A. I get my legs all tangled with the shifter. There is no room up front, but several feet of leg room in the rear! (4dr Town Sedan)

It is also a tight fit for me in my 66 F100. The big steering wheel and extra long steering column give me a constant "belly rub'!

 

I'm only 5' 7" @ 200 lbs. and I still hit my head (ouch!) on the convertible top when trying to get in my car..

 

Thats why I always suggest using different seats or getting yours reworked to fit you better... The 58 Im building for my pops fits him decent fits me tight being 6'3 and him being 5'10 so thats part of this stuff... build your ride for yourself and to fit you... if your a lil soggy around the mid then work to drop 30 or 40 lbs ... its what Im doing... problem is when your jacket size is 54" cause your shoulders are wide and the upper body is larger than normal ... a 20s Model T is out of the question already.. and 30s your riding shoulder to shoulder... accept a ride for what it is... dont bitch about it and if you dont like how the steering feels on you change the wheel, change the seats.. etc.

 

I have spinal injuries and both shoulders have been replaced so my OT '91 Mustang GT ragtop project sits and I am building a turbo 4 ranger for DD until my '53 chev pickup is done, I have to have a slide in seat, no climbing up or scrunching down. I had a friend build a nice '32 3 window over 5 years working nights and weekends living on beer and pizza, at end of project he had no room to lift legs for clutch and brake pedals, it was funny to everyone but him (grin).

 

the best thing you can do for yourself is lose some weight. We all get into those points in our lives were we put on weight. i am 5'2 and when i started college i was literally a stick at 112lbs. I was probably unhealthy at that weight. I am now 157lbs and i consider myself quite healthy. Im have some flab, i'm not the poster girl anymore hahaha. But i'm never sick and i consider myself pretty close to my healthy weight. Being overweight is not a good thing and it will shave years of your life. I know there's plenty of people preaching that to you right now. My advice to you is to make some healthier eating choices and start walking and doing 1/2 hour workouts everyday. It will change your life, change your shape, and allow you to fit in your car again.

 

I am about the same height but a few pounds lighter than you and was really uncomfortable in my 56 until I chopped 2" out of the seat risers and raised the front of the seat by a few degrees. I also added an Ididit tilt column and fiddled around with the angle it came through the floor boards until it was exactly as I wanted it.

Great until I came to sell it as the only person that felt comfortable was a guy who was pretty much my body double...

It is not difficult to make it fit you, just takes a bit of thought. Good to hear that you have achieved one of your life ambitions, how about some pictures?

P.

 

I have the same problem, I'm 6'3" and weigh around 260. I have a lowered 60 T-Birb,the top if the seat cushion is 17" off the ground, I crawl in and then the steering wheel rubs my leg and I've moved the seat back 3". My other car is a 1930 Ford pickup with a custom built seat, lower cushion is thinner, I can get in and out of it fairly well but my legs are almost rubbing the bottom of the steering wheel.

 

You think you have problems getting in/out of your hot rod? Check this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=tC_70GxMxNI

 

27 roadster. my 6'6" friend trying a fit. 7" added to firewall and 7" added behind doors. wheelbase 113". i am 6'2" 300 +. built to fit me.

 

My chopped '49 Ford had been built by a guy who was 6"2". His solution was to take the sliders off of the seat, cut the rear legs off (so it tilted back) and bolt it to the floor where he wanted. Fine and dandy, but I'm 5'5" and could barely touch the pedals, so I unbolted the seat, drilled new holes and moved the seat forward. It was still uncomfortable since the seat was tilted back but at least I could drive it.

 

He can get laid on roof vs. rear seat!

 

I'm old and had back surgery, got degenerating discs, so comfort and safety are top of my list. People were much smaller when these cars were built, tended to exercise more and smoking was popular so weight was not the problem it is today. The concept of the correct driving position is radically different nowadays too - most people do not drive with the steering wheel two inches from their chest and their arms almost doubled up at the elbow.

On my Willys coupe rebuild, unrecessed the firewall to its stock configuration for legroom, spent $$$ on the best ergonomic seats you can buy, put in all the creature comforts and now it fits like a glove. If you're over 6' 4" you are going to have a tough time in one of these if you drive more than 1320 ft at a a time. Stock parcel shelf is in the car and I can actually see out of the side window, rather than having my head in a total blind spot as most Willys coupes have when they cut 8 inches out of the firewall and move the seat back the same amount by removing the parcel shelf. Got rid of the blown engine with bigass blower pulleys, moved the drivetrain 3-1/2 inches forward and am putting in a normally aspirated engine, relocated the radiator mount so everything would fit with the stock firewall back in the car. Now I will be able to drive this car all day long in total comfort. Function sure beats form for me and ergonomics were the primary consideration - above everything else. I need a car I can live with - not an exercise in masochism every time I get in it....

 

My car would be a pain regardless of size, but I'm not sure if I could even get in if I was larger! I'm 6' and 185, and with suicide doors and the driver's seat nearly in the backseat it's cramped getting in, and a little tight once I'm in there!
I'd love a little more leg room, but with engine setback it's not possible. But it's such a fun ride I live with less than pefect seating.

 

I'm 6'0" tall (200 lbs) and test drove a '65 C-10 the other day, and it was tight! My knees felt like they were sticking straight up in the air. Seat was all the way back....

 

When I was in college I drove mostly little Brit cars. I remember fitting fine in a variety of MG Midgets, old TA/TC's, and my tiny little J2. But looking at photos of me then, I think I was a couple of inches shorter and a whole bunch lighter.

Nowadays, at 5'11" and 200 lbs, I can get into a Midget or Bugeye, but getting OUT is a challenge! Fortunately, the Deuce fits just fine!

 

I have a 28 roadster pickup and I'm 6' 240lbs and it is damn tight actually I am a contorsionist (sp) trying to get into the damn thing but I love to drive it