C3 Legroom
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
C3 Legroom
Happy Father's Day!
I'm considering getting a Corvette and have a question for you taller owners. Is there any year of C3's that offer more leg room for long legged guys? I'm 6'4'' and test drove a '71 but it was tight and my knees were high up. Are the later C3's roomier?
Thanks!
Mark
I'm considering getting a Corvette and have a question for you taller owners. Is there any year of C3's that offer more leg room for long legged guys? I'm 6'4'' and test drove a '71 but it was tight and my knees were high up. Are the later C3's roomier?
Thanks!
Mark
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,672
Likes: 6
From: Nevada City California
Mark,
Have the same problem in my two '71's. Have also owned three '70's, two '72's and have the same problem in '68 & '69 as well. I finally broke down and bought a '02 model just for the leg room.
Have the same problem in my two '71's. Have also owned three '70's, two '72's and have the same problem in '68 & '69 as well. I finally broke down and bought a '02 model just for the leg room.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
Happy Father's Day!
I'm considering getting a Corvette and have a question for you taller owners. Is there any year of C3's that offer more leg room for long legged guys? I'm 6'4'' and test drove a '71 but it was tight and my knees were high up. Are the later C3's roomier?
Thanks!
Mark
I'm considering getting a Corvette and have a question for you taller owners. Is there any year of C3's that offer more leg room for long legged guys? I'm 6'4'' and test drove a '71 but it was tight and my knees were high up. Are the later C3's roomier?
Thanks!
Mark
Rick B.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 345
Likes: 0
From: Sebago Lake Maine
St. Jude Donor '09
I have a '78 and an '80. In '79 they redesigned the seats, (actually starting with the '78 Pace Car). Both have the tilt / telescope. The '80 doe's feel a little roomier. The seat pan seems to set deeper or closer to the floor and the back may be tilted back a little more. I just feel a little farther back in the 80 that the 78. Glass T-tops give you a tiny bit more head room also.
Find someone with a Pace car or '79- '82 just to try sitting in.
Find someone with a Pace car or '79- '82 just to try sitting in.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,345
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne Australia
I woudln't count on it. All C3's use the same birdcage so the seats can only go so far back. Perhaps there were some changes to the footwell when the metal floor pans came into play but I don't think there would be significant increases in leg room. Perhaps other tall drivers will chime in with some suggestions. I'm only 5'7" on a good day so I fit fine. Your particular build will be a factor also if you are that tall. Sounds like you have long legs. A Vette with a tilt/tele wheel would give you more room for your knees and the wheel can be moved closer to the dash. You will probably still feel like you're driving a go-kart though.
Rick B.
Rick B.
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Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
I have a '78 and an '80. In '79 they redesigned the seats, (actually starting with the '78 Pace Car). Both have the tilt / telescope. The '80 doe's feel a little roomier. The seat pan seems to set deeper or closer to the floor and the back may be tilted back a little more. I just feel a little farther back in the 80 that the 78. Glass T-tops give you a tiny bit more head room also.
Find someone with a Pace car or '79- '82 just to try sitting in.
Find someone with a Pace car or '79- '82 just to try sitting in.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
6'5" here, height in backbone due to extra vertabra in lo back, with arthritis showing up 24 years ago, it's no better....
I lowered the seat in my '72, by taking off the rear mounting tabs worth about 1.5" used the old seat foam when recovering seats, removed the seat belt cover and some seat springs....I set LO in the car now....
then the addition of the TT wheel, i'ts a 78+ wheel/column assy, smaller diameter wheel and so moved it back 3/4 inch off the firewall to relax my arms a bit...
I cut a wide U cut from just below the steering column height on either side of the firewall/footwell, and across the bottom, forced the plastic forward about 3" and glassed it in again...
so then I heated/bent the gas pedal some 3" lower/forward, and then did the brake pedal the same way, cut the lever had a buddy weld it....
that pulled my legs off the steering wheel and gave lots of extra room, the elimination of that floor mounted dimmer and using it on the turn sign lever with the later shark column got rid of another silly bulge in the flooring too, room for my size 13 feet,.....also it used to be a stickshift car, automatic now, with the giveaway stick shift small brake pedal.....
I lowered the seat in my '72, by taking off the rear mounting tabs worth about 1.5" used the old seat foam when recovering seats, removed the seat belt cover and some seat springs....I set LO in the car now....
then the addition of the TT wheel, i'ts a 78+ wheel/column assy, smaller diameter wheel and so moved it back 3/4 inch off the firewall to relax my arms a bit...
I cut a wide U cut from just below the steering column height on either side of the firewall/footwell, and across the bottom, forced the plastic forward about 3" and glassed it in again...
so then I heated/bent the gas pedal some 3" lower/forward, and then did the brake pedal the same way, cut the lever had a buddy weld it....
that pulled my legs off the steering wheel and gave lots of extra room, the elimination of that floor mounted dimmer and using it on the turn sign lever with the later shark column got rid of another silly bulge in the flooring too, room for my size 13 feet,.....also it used to be a stickshift car, automatic now, with the giveaway stick shift small brake pedal.....
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
I have a 71' vert and a 78' coupe. I'm only 5'8" and I have the seat as far back as it will go in the 71' (it hits the deck lid). The 78' has more room in all directions. What ever you decide on, make sure it has a tilt/tele wheel as that makes a big difference.
Gary
Gary
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: Covington VA
I am 6'5" about 250 lbs and I have a '79. The legroom is adequete for me, but if I were any taller it would be a problem. I think the later style seats help, I have sat in one of the earlier cars and they do not seem as roomy to me. Tilt/telescopic steering column is a must, and mine is an automatic. The footwells are small enought that i do not think I could comfortably drive a 4 speed in one of these.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Okay, so I got to try on a couple of cars at Bloomington Gold. I sat in an '81 and an '03. They both were actually a good fit and much better than the split window that I tried on a couple of weeks ago. Thanks for the help everyone!
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,581
Likes: 28
From: Spring, Texas
I'm 6' 2" and can confirm that a tilt wheel does help. My prior Vette (71 coupe) had it, my current 72 LT-1 vert does not. Leg room in all C3's is about the same from the factory.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 289
Likes: 1
From: Valley Springs SD
I have a 77 and I'm 6'6" (38" inseam - so long legs) I could "fit" in mine ok but the turn signal forced my knee into the door panel. I shortend the turn signal as much as I could and that gave me the necessary room to allow my leg to move around a bit. Other than that, that was the only issue I had in being able to fit in my 77.
