Found a good deal on a 69 roadster. Only problem is, at 6'7" 1/2 I have a hard time with the steering wheel and column.

I had a 73 coupe with tilt before and managed with that. The 69 does not have tilt or telescoping column. The head and legroom is actually better than my C5

As I recall the telescope function didnt help as it only went out, I recall that the wheel went up [unlike some other cars] and that did. I also had a smaller diameter wheel on it. Its been 20 years...
does it go up?

My choices seem to be finding a tilt collumn that will interchange or an aftermarket one that I can make fit. Not concerned with originality as long as no permanant changes have to be made

The flaming river unit specific seems high at ~$800. What else will fit? A shorter say 28-30" unit might help. Is 33" the stock length?

 

Post a Want To Buy on the forum here for a stock tilt/telescopic steering column.

 

That has occured to me. However they seem to go for a premium price. And my not be the best option for me.

A shorter colum may be better if Im going through the efforts.

The issue is the clutch pedal. The wheel diameter [didnt measure but think its 15"] and the turn signal stalk hit my knee. I might be able to use a smaller an flatter wheel and cut down the stalk and get by, but the tilt up would make getting in and out much easier. A quick release would be nice [use them on 2 other cars] but the added length might be problematic.

 

OP, you have my empathy and sympathy, in that I am age 74 with an extra vert in my lo back, called spondalytis L6, which is why I not ex .mil......and of course arthritic as hell......and so when buying my '72 vert, it had a fixed bus driver wheel on it, and so I got a late shark TT wheel/column, moved the dimmer sw to the column where it belonged, but some other changes too....I installed a 3/4 plywood spacer off the column firewall flange, my shark is a '72 vert.....I keep the column extended, .....I took off the rear seat mounts off the floorboard, and removed rug/padding under the seat mounts, also removed the seat belt cover plate, and reused the old OEM seat foam when recovering the seats, also dropped the seat more reclined with the adjustments below the back ....when flipped forward.....I"m 6'5" my seat sags a bit, but it's comfy as hell to drive, as I lean on the console pad and drive left handed....James Dean Slouch position.....

since my knees were in the t/s lever also, I cut the floorboard across the bottom all the way and up to column height, and glassed it in again....bottom edge about 3" forward, and so I cut/got welded on the brake pedal, and heated/bent the gas lever, pushing pedals forward about 3" also, clutch is up to you as I had already done overdrive auto from my Muncie 4 speed, for the overdrive....on account of a move to Florida, and greatly increased highway speeds.... that floorboard firewall forward mod made my knees plenty of room off the column, and I can turn the wheel without any hassle now.....

another thing, I put in rack steering and instead of sloppy 3.7 turns R/L it's only 2.7 turns now, MUCH better road feel, that happened when I did the firewall mod winter 01-02 here......

see pix below....