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Hello all, I have tried to explore threads on the subject and see a mixed bag. I am 6' 7" and about 285, big guy in general. I have owned C3's, C4's and most recently at 60th 427 Vert. I am considering a C2 for the nostalgia and maybe a 66 since it is the same age as me. None of the cars have been what I call comfortable, but all we drivable and all were better than the current C7 with regard to fit. I have heard the C2 is better than the C3 for room, which is hard to believe, but having never sat in one, I don't have any data. How is it compared to the 4 or 6? I am not looking for a collector car, just a solid driver, so any other advice is welcome in my search. Prefer a convertible and due to long legs may need to look at (dare I say it) automatics.
Thanks for your assistance. Seems to be hard to find one close to me to try on for size, and hate to drive a couple of hours for not reason.
Dave, I'm 6'6, 210. My 64 coupe is a manual transmission and if I were any bigger, I dont think the manual would be possible. The clutch pedal is too high....especially with the arm rest and window crank on the inside of the door.
Something I have done is remove the factory seats, and replace them with aftermarket pieces mounted directly to the floor. That gained me a little over an inch of head room without loosing any leg room. That being said, the seats are very narrow....I dont imagine anyone much wider then myself being particularly comfortable in them.
Wish I was closer to you, I'd be happy to let you sit in my car and see what you think.
Dave, I'm 6'6, 210. My 64 coupe is a manual transmission and if I were any bigger, I dont think the manual would be possible. The clutch pedal is too high....especially with the arm rest and window crank on the inside of the door.
Something I have done is remove the factory seats, and replace them with aftermarket pieces mounted directly to the floor. That gained me a little over an inch of head room without loosing any leg room. That being said, the seats are very narrow....I dont imagine anyone much wider then myself being particularly comfortable in them.
Wish I was closer to you, I'd be happy to let you sit in my car and see what you think.
Good luck!
Thanks for the input, I know this is going to come down to finding a car and trying it, but narrow is also an issue.
I agree with sitting and driving in a C-2 before you take the plunge. I have more leg room in my 68 then my 66. My son is 5' 18" and is not comfortable in either car. Forget about shifting, his size 15 shoe mashes the clutch and brake at the same time. He drives a C-5 automatic with no problem. Jerry
Dave,
I am 6'4" and about 250 with a '65 4 speed convertible and a 2011 GS coupe with AT. The C6 is definitely more comfortable and I would not hesitate to drive it across country. 33 years ago when I bought my C2 I did drive it across country, although now I am not sure I would take that long of a trip in it. You need to sit in different cars to get the feel as your sitting height and leg length will be different than other drivers and each car can be unique. Also, there are multiple options (seats/seat cushions/interior body mods to lower seats/etc.) that have been discussed here on the forum for making adjustments to the car for a better fit. If a C2 is what you want, do not shy away until you have investigated all of the options for fitting into one.
Eric
I'm 6'4'', I installed a tilt column which helps very much on the in/out. And you can get plenty of room if you drive it in the up position but it is a bit awkward.
Tried a smaller diameter steering wheel but that was a mistake, knees hit it in a big way.
I added power brakes which allowed me to drastically lower the brake pedal , again in an effort to keep the top of my knee away from the steering wheel.
And I changed the geometry on the clutch pedal, again lowering closer to the floor looking for knee clearance.
I fit pretty good know but I'll tell you what, I have short legs for a tall guy [30 inch inseam] I don't know how you are going to fit without a drastic rebuild of the front seat, which absolutely can be done.
I have wonder if your head will pop up above the windshield?
I thought somebody was actually making a modified seat?
"...I thought somebody was actually making a modified seat?..."
Al Knoch offers the seat foam with an option for concave bottom foam, which should buy a little room. I have no actual experience with the item, though.
I am 6ft4" ('long body') . I took the firewall driver side 2.5 inches more forward, cut/changed the clutch pedal to have it deeper/lower, took the seat sliders off, mounted the seat frame directly to the floor, and I moulded a dummy headliner in fibreglass to gain an extra 1/2" headroom. I drive with the original steering wheel, and I sit as comfortable as in my day to day BMW. Not the slightest 'knee hits the dash' problem when clutching. The problem : its a lot of work to get there.
Last edited by alexandervdr; 06-27-2019 at 07:21 AM.
I am 6'4" and fit well enough I can be comfortable to drive up to 3 hours in my '65 and still be able to walk at the end of the trip. Head room is pretty tight in my coupe for me so you might have a problem. If you had worn down cushions (buns....the seat that is!) you might get by. But try one out first. An automatic might be a good way to go to avoid all the clutch and steering wheel contact issues. Good luck!
I am 6 ft 5 and I drive a 65 coupe and a 65 convertible. Both are 5 speeds. I had trouble clutching until I got a smaller steering wheel. The smaller wheel works great for me. I have not modified the seats and I have adaquate headroom in both cars. My coupe is a custom restomod. I built it to fit my body. I pushed the footwell out so that the fire wall is flat, not slanted. That adds about 4 inches at the bottom. I modified the clutch and brake pedals to drop them about 2 inches. I removed the parking brake handle from below the dash to add more room for my right knee. I installed a tilt steering wheel and I have cruise control so I can relax on longer trips.
The coupe is very comfortable. The convertible is OK for shorter trips. I only notice the pain after the passion wears off.....about an hour.
The bottom line is you will be fine with enough passion to last the trip.
I'm 6 4" 230 lbs the trouble that I have is the dam clutch pedal, I solved that with a smaller steering wheel. I think it's a 14" and my long legs don't hit the wheel any more. But at 6 7" probably 36" inseam or better he might be better off with a slush box instead of gears.
My 2 cents Tom
I'm 6 4" 230 lbs the trouble that I have is the dam clutch pedal, I solved that with a smaller steering wheel. I think it's a 14" and my long legs don't hit the wheel any more. But at 6 7" probably 36" inseam or better he might be better off with a slush box instead of gears.
My 2 cents Tom
My experience with a smaller steering wheel were not so good. They have a less deep dish compared to the original, so the rim goes indeed closer to the dash , but lower to the seat too cause the steering column is tilted downwards. Overall, it was easier for me to get in/out the car and drive with the original wheel (and provided all the other mods I did as described earlier)
I have heard the C2 is better than the C3 for room, which is hard to believe, but having never sat in one, I don't have any data. How is it compared to the 4 or 6? I am not looking for a collector car, just a solid driver, so any other advice is welcome in my search. Prefer a convertible and due to long legs may need to look at (dare I say it) automatics.
Thanks for your assistance. Seems to be hard to find one close to me to try on for size, and hate to drive a couple of hours for not reason.
You are just too big. The reason that the C2 is better for room than the C3 is the seats. The C2 seats are flat across and you sit on them. You sit into C3 seats. I have the optional sport seats on my C4, and while light years better than the '70, you also sit into them rather than on them. I had a '70 and hated those seats. They really killed my back compared to the '64. The C4 also locates the door panels further from the driver than the C3 giving more room in those areas.
06-26-2019, 11:06 AM
Too tall for C2?
The reason that the C2 is better for room than the C3 is the seats. The C2 seats are flat across and you sit on them. You sit into C3 seats. I have the optional sport seats on my C4, and while light years better than the '70, you also sit into them rather than on them. I had a '70 and hated those seats. They really killed my back compared to the '64. The C4 also locates the door panels further from the driver than the C3 giving more room in those areas.