leg room
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Pro
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 718
Likes: 43
just to update this a bit...
i'm 6-4, last night i went over to a friend who has an '82 vette and
sat in it.
i fit. i think i'm just used to a bit of a bend in my legs when driving...
it was the same was sitting in my old 88 mazda 323 and
my wife's 1st car was a '79 mazda RX-7...so i'm used to "cramped" quarters...and honestly the '82 corvette felt about the same.
my head was pretty close to the ceiling, but it was manageable.
i checked this out to see if the '78 that i'm going to look at on Saturday will "fit me". so i'm confident it will be similar.
now my friend did say that he put the steering all the way up for me. he's probably 5-11. i think from all my years driving i'm just used to my legs being in a bent shape.
now a friend of mine who was a football player, 6-3, 250lbs...i doubt he could fit in a corvette. he barely fit in the passenger seat of my old 323!!! he filled the space!!!!
but i'm probably more flexible at 195lbs than most 6-4 guys....just an update....
the bummer thing was my friend's battery was DEAD. oh well...
i'm 6-4, last night i went over to a friend who has an '82 vette and
sat in it.
i fit. i think i'm just used to a bit of a bend in my legs when driving...
it was the same was sitting in my old 88 mazda 323 and
my wife's 1st car was a '79 mazda RX-7...so i'm used to "cramped" quarters...and honestly the '82 corvette felt about the same.
my head was pretty close to the ceiling, but it was manageable.
i checked this out to see if the '78 that i'm going to look at on Saturday will "fit me". so i'm confident it will be similar.
now my friend did say that he put the steering all the way up for me. he's probably 5-11. i think from all my years driving i'm just used to my legs being in a bent shape.
now a friend of mine who was a football player, 6-3, 250lbs...i doubt he could fit in a corvette. he barely fit in the passenger seat of my old 323!!! he filled the space!!!!
but i'm probably more flexible at 195lbs than most 6-4 guys....just an update....
the bummer thing was my friend's battery was DEAD. oh well...
Pro
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 543
Likes: 10
From: B.F.E....Bowling Green Kentucky
I'm fairly tall for a woman(5'10") but the leg room bothers me most in a lot of cars. The Vette is the easiest thing we own to get in and out of. We have a 350z and the seats cradle you and its hard to get out of. My DD is a Celica and I have to make sure I park with lots of room to swing the door wide open so I can get out. Then there are the times when some jackbutt parks beside you leaving 6" of room for you to squish into your car. I guess I am mostly legs. My fiance (6'2") on the other hand, has issues with his head hitting the tops.
Plus, and mostly....we ain't spring chicks any more...
And c4's are horrible to get out of! Ladies need to watch getting out of one if they are wearing a mini skirt!
Plus, and mostly....we ain't spring chicks any more...
And c4's are horrible to get out of! Ladies need to watch getting out of one if they are wearing a mini skirt!
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 111
Likes: 2
From: Warren Ohio
Add me to the 6'-5" tall group. Had a '68 vert that was a little tight but my current '79 with glass tops and tilt wheel works just fine. Stock T-Tops won't work for me because of the thick headliner cutting into the headroom. The '78 pace car and '79 and up seats seem to give a bit more headroom. Good Luck.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 718
Likes: 43
i finally drove my 1st VETTE this past Saturday.
wow, it was fun! awesome, cool!!!!
it was a '78 that i saw a week ago.
just did a little test drive of it, the guy is trying to sell it.
looks-wise and all it is a BIT ROUGH (as my wife says)
paint down to primer.
engine redone w/ parts from a 71 chevelle (BOY IT WAS LOUD!!!)
no AC (it didn't work, owner took it out), odometer not working (stopped at 31K),
no gauges work, so he added 2 working one that sit under the dash on the passenger side, headlights don't come up, etc....
he put racing seats in it, they sit higher than standard seats.
but i, at 6-4, fit in it. i had to bend my legs a bit, but i sit like that in every car i've ever been in, so no biggie. head room was a bit cramped, but it was doable.
even though it wasn't much to look at, it was fun to drive!
i would say i'm hooked. i won't be getting this one, he was asking
$5000, a mechanic friend said it's worth about $500,
but i will keep looking....
wow, it was fun! awesome, cool!!!!
it was a '78 that i saw a week ago.
just did a little test drive of it, the guy is trying to sell it.
looks-wise and all it is a BIT ROUGH (as my wife says)
paint down to primer.
engine redone w/ parts from a 71 chevelle (BOY IT WAS LOUD!!!)
no AC (it didn't work, owner took it out), odometer not working (stopped at 31K),
no gauges work, so he added 2 working one that sit under the dash on the passenger side, headlights don't come up, etc....
he put racing seats in it, they sit higher than standard seats.
but i, at 6-4, fit in it. i had to bend my legs a bit, but i sit like that in every car i've ever been in, so no biggie. head room was a bit cramped, but it was doable.
even though it wasn't much to look at, it was fun to drive!
i would say i'm hooked. i won't be getting this one, he was asking
$5000, a mechanic friend said it's worth about $500,
but i will keep looking....
Last edited by sahhas; Jun 9, 2014 at 06:06 PM. Reason: 4got...
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 850
Likes: 12
From: Shakopee MN
I'm just about 6'4" and slowly shrinking. 
I have a T&T column and just put in manual pedals for a 5-speed. I think I'll have to switch out the turn signal for a shorter one like the tilt lever. I also have a smaller diameter steering wheel instead of the OEM large spaghetti noodle one. I also removed the t-top liner for more head room but I hardly drive it with them on, the 78-82 with glass tops would be nice. I have large shoulders, and personally, I find the shoulder room more of a problem (with the windows up) than leg room.
I have a T&T column and just put in manual pedals for a 5-speed. I think I'll have to switch out the turn signal for a shorter one like the tilt lever. I also have a smaller diameter steering wheel instead of the OEM large spaghetti noodle one. I also removed the t-top liner for more head room but I hardly drive it with them on, the 78-82 with glass tops would be nice. I have large shoulders, and personally, I find the shoulder room more of a problem (with the windows up) than leg room.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 111
Likes: 2
From: Warren Ohio
I'm 6'-5" with most of my height in my torso. My '79 works because of the tilt/tele wheel, the pace car style seats, and mainly because it has glass T tops that provide much needed headroom. Wouldn't want to take it on any cross country trips though! It would be really tough without the glass tops and tilt wheel.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,116
From: Crossville TN
The best chance of fitting into a C3 is to get one with a tilt-wheel and remove all the shims from the seat back so that it angles back more. That will give you the headroom you need. There should be adequate legroom, but you won't be able to move your legs around much.
I know that the early C4's (pre 90's) had even less interior room. The door sills were higher, because the seats actually sat down lower. Very difficult to get in and out of, IMO.
I know that the early C4's (pre 90's) had even less interior room. The door sills were higher, because the seats actually sat down lower. Very difficult to get in and out of, IMO.
