Results 1 to 27 of 27
  1. #1
    Member
    Turn The Log tuning
    bigdur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Malvern
    Posts
    381
    Post Thanks / Like

    Large drivers thread

    Any large drivers out there? I'm 6'6'' and obviously a little cramped behind the wheel. My knee keeps knocking the wipers stalk on when I'm chucking it round bends.
    My plan is to either modify the seat frame so the seat sits both lower and further back or replace the seats and frames completely for something more suitable. Any other oversized owners done similar? Some tips would be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Member michael tierney's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Dublin/Ireland
    Posts
    942
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    when u buy an aftermarket seat the mounting for it is usually fully adjustable but you'd want to check first!

  3. #3
    Non-member Gttnutter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Amersham
    Posts
    979
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Jack, as mentioned the other day at marks about big steve raider adjusting his seat position

    https://www.rtoc.org/boards/member.php?u=185

    The link is steve himself so worth sending him a msg to find out how he went about doing it

  4. #4
    Member
    Turn The Log tuning
    bigdur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Malvern
    Posts
    381
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Great, I'll give him a PM. Hope you sorted your earth out in the end. Car wiring can be a pain in the arse at times.
    Might need to change my seats soonish, sat back in the drives today and something went 'twang'. I think I'm over the recommended weight limit.

  5. #5
    Non-member Gttnutter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Amersham
    Posts
    979
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdur View Post
    Great, I'll give him a PM. Hope you sorted your earth out in the end. Car wiring can be a pain in the arse at times.
    well turns out Mr numpty here (me!) did'nt tighten the earth wire which runs from the alt to the front of the block with a 13mm bolt.

    So i whacked my old alt back on and hey presto just over 14 v

  6. #6
    Non-member modfather's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    in the park next to sewage works
    Posts
    1,092
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    im not a large driver but i did find that oe seats where way to high for my liking so i had some universal seats in my 5 for a while and they made a big difference. the seat was sat near enough on the floor of the car, now i have a pair of toyota celica seats in and still sits nice and low, i can only just see the top of the bonnet

  7. #7
    Member
    Turn The Log tuning
    bigdur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Malvern
    Posts
    381
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Ah well all's well that ends well!
    Modfather- what did you do about seat frames? Really I'm looking to go as low as possible and further back a few inches. Sat in the standard seat my head rubs on the roof lol.

  8. #8
    Non-member modfather's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    in the park next to sewage works
    Posts
    1,092
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdur View Post
    Ah well all's well that ends well!
    Modfather- what did you do about seat frames? Really I'm looking to go as low as possible and further back a few inches. Sat in the standard seat my head rubs on the roof lol.

    thats why i wanted to change mine got fed up with banging head on the roof .with the universal seats i had universal frames,which was just a couple bits of flat metal, but on the celica seats i made a couple of frames up out of 1inch square bar, they sit so low can only just get a finger or 2 under the seats, if you want i will get some pics up tomorrow of both the universal frames and the 1s i made up

  9. #9
    Member
    Turn The Log tuning
    bigdur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Malvern
    Posts
    381
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    That would be awesome.

  10. #10
    Non-member J$£5GTT's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    THE BAT CAVE
    Posts
    3,560
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    if your that big just rip out the fronts an use the rear bench.....

  11. #11
    Member
    Turn The Log tuning
    bigdur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Malvern
    Posts
    381
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    The names Bigdur, not Hightower.

  12. #12
    Non-member J$£5GTT's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    THE BAT CAVE
    Posts
    3,560
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    ....h'tower...those films were funny man...

  13. #13
    Committee, Shop Manager, SE Regional Rep Bigfoot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    5,735
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Im 6'4 and have mounted some aftermarket seats and mounts through the floor so I can position it where I like, luckily dont need rear seats else they wont have any foot room. As for my Raider going to have them standard and see what its like to drive, have really only owned 5s since started driving so really just got used to lack of space and let alone space to put the feet if only they made them wider spaced pedals really. Struggly with my new BMW as have changed trainers and they are now wider then my last set but fit my so much nicer.

  14. #14
    Member
    Turn The Log tuning
    bigdur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Malvern
    Posts
    381
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Bigfoot View Post
    Im 6'4 and have mounted some aftermarket seats and mounts through the floor so I can position it where I like, luckily dont need rear seats else they wont have any foot room. As for my Raider going to have them standard and see what its like to drive, have really only owned 5s since started driving so really just got used to lack of space and let alone space to put the feet if only they made them wider spaced pedals really. Struggly with my new BMW as have changed trainers and they are now wider then my last set but fit my so much nicer.
    I know what you mean, ive got size 16 feet and pedals are usually pretty close together. I suppose they have to be a 1 size fits all though.

  15. #15
    Committee, Shop Manager, SE Regional Rep Bigfoot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    5,735
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdur View Post
    I know what you mean, ive got size 16 feet and pedals are usually pretty close together. I suppose they have to be a 1 size fits all though.
    Join the club with that size feet

  16. #16
    Non-member modfather's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    in the park next to sewage works
    Posts
    1,092
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    heres a couple of pics as promised, sorry about the pour quality of the pics ,
    the 1st pic is of the frames i made up for the celica seats, the 2nd pic is of the universal frames which i got with the universal seats
    Attached Images Attached Images   

  17. #17
    Member
    Turn The Log tuning
    bigdur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Malvern
    Posts
    381
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Bigfoot View Post
    Join the club with that size feet
    Ah so it's you I always bid against with trainers on ebay!

  18. #18
    Committee, Shop Manager, SE Regional Rep Bigfoot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    5,735
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdur View Post
    Ah so it's you I always bid against with trainers on ebay!
    They sell them on there? Cant say I have ever really found them on there or even want to take the risk as they vary so much on there, I purchased my last pair of trainers in Newcastle at Big and Tall, had a massive selection and fit so much nicer being 4E width.

  19. #19
    Member
    Turn The Log tuning
    bigdur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Malvern
    Posts
    381
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Bigfoot View Post
    They sell them on there? Cant say I have ever really found them on there or even want to take the risk as they vary so much on there, I purchased my last pair of trainers in Newcastle at Big and Tall, had a massive selection and fit so much nicer being 4E width.
    Yep, ever heard of 'Walktall' its an online shop. They sell off stuff cheap on ebay, you'll find plenty, Lacoste, Nike, DCs etc

  20. #20
    Committee, Shop Manager, SE Regional Rep Bigfoot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    5,735
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdur View Post
    Yep, ever heard of 'Walktall' its an online shop. They sell off stuff cheap on ebay, you'll find plenty, Lacoste, Nike, DCs etc
    Yeah I get their catalogue sent through I think, you got a link to the eBay account?

  21. #21
    Non-member The new Bill J's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Posts
    2,937
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    The biggest person I've seen in a gtt, was Boris - The crazy South African. 6ft7, and over 20 stonne. I remember once, on the motorway going to the Pod, his steering column had come loose, and I was driving along side him. All I could see was this confused looking monster of a man, squeezed into a 5, pulling the steering column about . A bit like Vitali Petrov yesterday!

    A mate of mine is about 6ft5, and he owned a gtt about 15 years ago. He always said that he was surprised at the amount of room in them, and he never felt squeezed in like he does in a lot of cars.

  22. #22
    Member
    Turn The Log tuning
    bigdur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Malvern
    Posts
    381
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Quote Originally Posted by The new Bill J View Post
    The biggest person I've seen in a gtt, was Boris - The crazy South African. 6ft7, and over 20 stonne. I remember once, on the motorway going to the Pod, his steering column had come loose, and I was driving along side him. All I could see was this confused looking monster of a man, squeezed into a 5, pulling the steering column about . A bit like Vitali Petrov yesterday!

    A mate of mine is about 6ft5, and he owned a gtt about 15 years ago. He always said that he was surprised at the amount of room in them, and he never felt squeezed in like he does in a lot of cars.
    A small job needed on mine, if you pull or push hard you can move the steering wheel in or out. Presume somethings worked loose tbh.

  23. #23
    Non-member rat1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    The dog house
    Posts
    399
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    don't forget Tom aka 6foot6 and Phil B . there seams to be lot of tall people who drive 5s

  24. #24
    Non-member J$£5GTT's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    THE BAT CAVE
    Posts
    3,560
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Quote Originally Posted by rat1 View Post
    don't forget Tom aka 6foot6 and Phil B . there seams to be lot of tall people who drive 5s
    dont expect there fit in this tho....


    http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2009/02...ar_450x500.jpg

  25. #25
    Non-member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    3,717
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdur View Post
    Great, I'll give him a PM. Hope you sorted your earth out in the end. Car wiring can be a pain in the arse at times.
    Hi Bigdur & welcome to the club!!

    Thanks for your PM mate & also thanks to Rich for putting you onto me. BLOODY good memory there Rich!?

    Yes I did indeed make a modification to the seat position in my Raider to give me some more legroom as I feel a little cramped after a longish drive with the seat in it's standard position.

    If you have a good look at the rear of the existing seat subframe you will see that there is an existing small hole in the subframe tubing that will allow you to gain access to the top of the bolt with an allen key without the seat being in the right forwards position. That was the key to allowing me to move the seat back.

    The aim is to move the seat bolting position further back in the car which will then allow you to slide the seat further back away from the steering wheel.

    Basically I drilled out that hole to be larger so that the head of the bolt could be passed through it. Then once I could get the head of the bolt through the subframe you will be able to drill through the sliding rail which actually bolts to the car floor and bolt the chair to the floor further forwards than the existing position (about 4 Inches)

    You will then need to get hold of a decent piece of strip steel (I used some 6mm thick x 25mm wide stock bar I got off a toolmaking mate of mine) and then drilled another hole in the front of the seat rail so that I could put two bolts through the slider and into the 6mm bar and then drilled another hole in the front of the bar to bolt the front of the assembly to the seat.

    Simple really... but trying to remember what I did about 5 years ago is a bit hit & miss!!

    Hope this is ok? I can try & take some pictures sometime if you like but can't promise as to when that will be as I'm all over at the moment... writing this from Antwerp tonight!?

    Steve

  26. #26
    Member
    Turn The Log tuning
    bigdur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Malvern
    Posts
    381
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    Cheers Steve, sounds like a good mod, if you do get chance some photos would be great.

  27. #27
    Non-member royz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    stockport
    Posts
    569
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Large drivers thread

    it more annoying when you hit the hazard lights swich and wonder why you indicators wont cancel.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •