Steve,
On the way home I was thinking about some ways to modify your car to make it more comfortable. Obviously, you will want to find the thinnest seat possible, or make one out of aluminum or fiberglass (carbon fiber would be much cooler). Cover that with some leather, and maybe it wouldn't be too bad. However, something I think might help more is going to floor mounted pedals, instead of top mount. I don't know how much room you have on the firewall side, but maybe you could cut the floor pan and extend the footwell at the bottom. At the same time, you could add a metal plate for mounting the pedals. If you go full hydraulic (can't remember if you already are) the travel could be adjusted to be smaller. Also, the floor mount pedals pivot in such a way as to maximize the shape of the footwell.

These are just some ideas; you may have thought about these already. However, I would rather write this than respond to the other thread raging on elsewhere. Like most others, I would like to see you keep it if possible. I do understand why you built the car, but I also know you would much rather keep it.

Good luck.

 

I don't think Steve ever had any plans to keep Merlin, I think it was a quest that he had to complete and he's finished it. He probably has plans for something bigger and better that he wants to move on to.

 

:iagree: I think Steve has made up his mind at this point. If he planned on keepin it, I'm sure this would have been just another obstacle in the road to overcome. I'm sure there are many here on the forum that are going to miss his car :sad: .

 

I remember him talking about building another, but I would hate for him to part with it until he can sit back relax and break the sound barrier without feeling comfortable in his creation. I am not sure going with pedals with less travel will accomplish that when a slight bit of pressure could mean the difference between cruising and going sideways. Can the floorpan or seat brackets be modified to allow him to sit lower and back further?

 

i half agree. Steve said he threw it on ebay, because of a few things. 1st the car is done. 2nd he cant drive it comfortably. 3rd he thought he was losing his contract with Boeing. 4th he is going back to school to be Dr. Steve, and 5th he is tired of blowing cash on it. i think the biggest factor was the possibility of losing his job. he said he panicd and may have thrown the car up for sale a little fast. personally, i think every one of those reasons is a good reason to sell. i wish they wernt but its the sad truth. he said if it dosent sell on ebay, then he may consider keeping it. which is the outcome i think everyone wants. he also said he might switch to a 4L80E (beefy 4 speed auto) if he does keep it. the clutch is his biggest problem, so an auto would be fine. i think the only way we could make steve keep merlin right now is to screw with the ebay auction, and i dont know how to do that. im also positive steve would frown upon that and probably put it up again to give the ebayers a fair shot.

basically its up to steve. he dosent need help or ideas to keep merlin. im pretty sure if it dosent sell on ebay he will keep it though. he has been talking about it like he loves it again ;)


[Modified by '79ProwlerOrange, 8:25 PM 12/13/2002]

 

Hey guys - here's the latest. Everyone at the shop keeps getting me to try thin seats as well, but I just don't like them. They aren't really comfortable for me & I don't like the way they look in the car. Sometimes the solutions can be so easy that one doesn't see them staring right in one's face!! Like a dumb-a s s, every time I have been driving the car I have been using my Lowa boots. They are hiking boots with about a 2 inch sole. I never think about them because they are so light & comfortable. Today I spent the whole day down there really thinking the car out. By taking off the shoes, I can pretty easily shift. We also removed the toggle from the rear view mirror & I'm having Bill build a custom turn signal that goes up & then out. With the turn signal removed, I can then slide down a little & lift my leg all the way up. I am going to have to buy some kind of driving shoe that has no heel at all. Anyway, it looks like we are getting close to a solution. I couldn't drive it today because the rain has been coming down in buckets. Steve (542) came down today & I cranked the car up so he could hear it. The engine in this thing is just sick. Every time I hit the pedal it just scares the living daylights out of me. When you just touch the pedal, there is an instantaneous WHACK combined with a huge sucking sound. It's like nothing I have ever heard. It's like firing my Desert Eagle 50. Complete overkill. We have some fixes for the cooling issues, so I think as soon as the sun comes up again, I'm heading out for a longer drive. I really want to do the dyno too, so we may go ahead. I'm not convinced it is going to sell on Ebay. It keeps going up in hundred dollar increments. That ain't gonna cut it. We'll see what happens. At least it looks like we are finding workarounds for me fitting in the thing. My head still sticks up over the roof by about 6 inches, but at least I get an un-occluded view!

 

:lol: a reverse chop. that would work. make the windshield 6" higher. :lol:

 

Steveo, having never met you, I can't really comment too intelligently on your ergonomics with the car....but....

I am 6'5" with extra lower lumbar vertebrae in my back and a perpetually sore neck, most of my extra height is in my backbone....making my head too tall for allmost any vechicle....I even slammed the driver's seat in my 3/4 ton Dodge van...to get my head off the freaking ceiling.....!!!

now in my '72, I have taken off the rear seat mounts 'ears-tabs', and just let the seat flop, lowered the front also...took out all extra rug padding under the seat area too....took off the seatbelt cover... also, I cut the floorboard from the steering wheel point down each side, and across the bottom, filled in the 2.5 inch gap with glass..... moved the dimmer sw to the steering wheel like a '78 up would have....and bent the signal/light lever upwards toward the steering wheel.....and here is the thing....

heated and reshaped the gas pedal to lower it to the new firewall position...
cut and welded the brake pedal for same reason......
clutch would be done too in your case....
gave me an extraa 2.5 inches of foot room, dropping my knees offf the steeriing wheel....NOW have pleanty of room for my hands to actually steer the car in COMFORT......I also pulled the wheel assy 3/4 inch back from the wall flange mounting....to give me a closer wheel....I have a TT wheel with late stock shark wheel.....

with my artiritic condition, I managed to make the car quite comfortable for me to drive.....

with the rack/pinion steering, the wheel is actually too light to the touch now, and I need play wit the pump pressures/delivery somehow...someday....

SO IF I can mod MY car to fit my odd shaped body, and stiff joints....
Big guy....I hope you can too.....
ME, I"d freaking take that damn car with me when I went, damn if I"d ever sell......I know, I"m taking mine....

GENE

 

Steve,
Thanks for the update. I didn't really think that you couldn't come up with a solution, but I wanted to at least provide a spark. Like you said, sometimes it's the obvious that escapes us. Also, even though I thought of many replies I could have posted on the other thread, I thought this would be more constructive.

Here's another idea: I know the steering column on my Vette is actually pretty big. You could replace the steering column with something not as large in diameter. This would allow you to move it further up. You could then make a new trim piece to create the illusion that it was meant to be that way. Also, if your seat still has a slider mechanism on it, you could remove that to lower the seat some.

Again, good luck with whatever you do. In my opinion, you've created the perfect American car: way too powerful, insanely impractical, awesome looks, and hellishly (sp) fun to drive.

 

See being 5'7" is not so bad. I can fit in almost any car with no problem. I feel for you "larger" Corvette owners. I see some guys that looked like they put the car on instead of getting into it. I'd hate to see Merlin go without enjoying the car some. Good luck wit hthe solutions. BTW I drive with the seat all the way up when racing so I don't miss a shift :p:

 

I'll 2nd that! im glad im only 6 foot. when i spiked my hair it rubbed on the t-tops. and it only went up an inch or so. i drive with the seat all the way back, which is actually perfect distance. i dont know what i would do if i was as tall as you Steve. your 6'6" or 6'8" arent you?

 

OK, I have the answer ! Looking at the E-bay auction, it's evident that Steve did a great job of documenting the whole process, so here's the solution: Steve can write a book (yeah I know, "as if he isn't busy enough") . He can name the book "Building the Ultimate Corvette" * Warning: Not for the weak at heart . He can enclose a disk with it detailing all the exceptional work that's been done. On the video we can also hear the beast run at idle & while we go down the street for a cruise (including seeing peoples faces as we pass ;) ).

So there you have it. The proceeds will get Steve the money he needs to become a doctor and allow him to keep Merlin or build something even more insane :crazy: . :D

 

A DVD holds something like 2 1/2 hours of video & audio

 

I have a question. How can someone spend thousands of dollars on a project and not know if he would fit in the car? You could have tried it out before you set out to build what seems to be an undrivable car [too much power] How does someone smaller like the car and is he able to drive it with some degree of confidence? I'm not flaming you, it's just that I don't see your logic in building this car and then taking a severe loss when selling it.If money was growing on a tree in your yard just think of all the people you could have helped here on the forum that scrape every last penny together to put these cars back on the road.

 

i think that was addresed on the merlin is for sale thread. interesting take though. i sure could use some cash to get mine in the 11s :D :lol: anyone wana donate?