Lowered floors in narrow bodied cars

Lowered floors in narrow bodied cars

Author
Discussion

Turn7

Original Poster:

23,478 posts

220 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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Is it possible to fit lowered floors to a standard narrow bodied car and if so, how much extra room does it give ?

Reason I ask is that Ive only driven a lowered floor SV as Im a big lad and the guys at CC said Id never fit in the narrow car.

Sadly, I cant stretch to an SV so I was wondering if I could make a narrow car work for me.

Im 6'4'' and not the slimmest of chaps.

RGambo

847 posts

168 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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Yep, my car is standard with lowered floors. The only issue I have is my elbows are now more prone to hitting the cills on the outside.

BobTurner

391 posts

209 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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I have lowered floors on my non-SV.

I am about an inch shorter than you and about 77kg/ 12 stone; I fit fine. Lowered floors probably won't help with the width issue, may even exacerbate it I suppose. If the guys at CC say you need an SV it's probably true - they told me I didn't; but there's no substitute for trying some for size.

Turn7

Original Poster:

23,478 posts

220 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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Thanks Bob. I dont think its the width thatrs the issue. more steerring wheel and dash clearance for the knees.

ajroberts

84 posts

122 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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I have lowered floors in mine. If you live near me (Bromley) you can come round and see if you fit.
I am short but rotund and I have a snug fit in there.

Turn7

Original Poster:

23,478 posts

220 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
quotequote all
ajroberts said:
I have lowered floors in mine. If you live near me (Bromley) you can come round and see if you fit.
I am short but rotund and I have a snug fit in there.
Thanks for the offer, but Im Tring in Herts....

Mavic82

89 posts

159 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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I am just over 6'4" and 13.5st and love my low floor s3.

Depends on your own preferences.

carphotographer

500 posts

194 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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Avoid the tillet seats , the normal seats seam to offer mor space. A detachable steering wheel makes entering and exiting easier and you could also go for a steering wheel with a flat bottom too

Murph7355

37,596 posts

255 months

Sunday 20th April 2014
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I'm 6'4" and longish in leg (36" inside leg). I fluctuate in weight - maxed out (thus far) at 18.5st a while back. My S3 with lowered floors can be snug, but all still doable.

The lowered floors help more with headroom under the bar IMO, and seeing through the screen rather than over it, but they also give different angle options which can help your leg room.

NB I do not, and have never been able to use a proper seat comfortably. A foam seat makes a *massive* difference.

I also have my pedals on the middle setting - the farthest setting didn't work for me ironically. I suspect it meant my leg couldn't be comfortably braced.

Have always said that people should do their utmost to fit into an S3 before resorting to an SV in order to get the most out of a 7...


BobTurner

391 posts

209 months

Monday 21st April 2014
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Turn7 said:
Thanks Bob. I dont think its the width thatrs the issue. more steerring wheel and dash clearance for the knees.
Ahh, ok. Expect a lowered floor and pedal box moved forward might do it for you then. I don't even have my seat all the way back, plenty of knee room. The steering wheel options are almost infinite it seems (size/flat bottomed) and can be removable to help getting in and out. I only struggle with the roof up, which has been once in 3 years hehe

mickrick

3,700 posts

172 months

Monday 21st April 2014
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Save some more pennies and get the proper sized car. Otherwise you´ll look like Noddy! smile More fuel, bigger foot box so you don´t need to look daft in pixie shoes, more storage space for weekends away, wide track as standard.
Don´t listen to the weight argument either, an SV is still lighter than a VX powered S3.
(Awaits flaming from whippet sized owners) getmecoat

S1X OK

366 posts

249 months

Monday 21st April 2014
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In my experience, CC and independent salesmen will strive to fit you into an S3 for whatever reasons, fit, feel, intimacy and connectedness with the car etc. So, if a CC representative suggests you need an SV, I'd accept their opinion and just save a few more pennies.
I'm 5'7" and 14.5st but my lad, who I'm sharing the car is 5'19" and two stone heavier than I am. On the standard leather seats, he is snug in an S3. His thighs are very close to the underside of the wheel (We have a QR wheel because if the roof was on, he'd not get out if he needed to) and his head is slightly above a line from rollbar to top of the screen surround. This would be an issue on track days. His bum is too big for Tillets, so any track days would require removing the seat squab and him sitting on slab of foam. Just something else to consider if you're trying to shoehorn a big lad into a small car. Some compromises might not be to your advantage and you might find the need to move up to an SV fairly quickly.

BigCol

202 posts

282 months

Monday 21st April 2014
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Prior to spec'ing my car I went to CC and sat in every combo of S3/SV, standard/lowered floors and the various seats.

I went for an SV, lowered floors and GT seats. For my 6'3", 15st frame, the S3 was far too tight to be comfortable; although my car is a bit more spacious than I'd like but at least I don't need any specific Fancy Dan footwear! tongue out

Murph7355

37,596 posts

255 months

Monday 21st April 2014
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BigCol said:
Prior to spec'ing my car I went to CC and sat in every combo of S3/SV, standard/lowered floors and the various seats.

I went for an SV, lowered floors and GT seats. For my 6'3", 15st frame, the S3 was far too tight to be comfortable; although my car is a bit more spacious than I'd like but at least I don't need any specific Fancy Dan footwear! tongue out
The problem here will have been "seats".

People are far too used to coming from normal cars, and the SV presents too easy an option not to persevere. There are very few people who genuinely *need* an SV IMO (if I can fit in an S3)

Ho hum. Each to their own.

(As for looking like Noddy - that's inevitable with these cars anyway, regardless of size!)

fergus

6,430 posts

274 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
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Murph7355 said:
I'm 6'4" and longish in leg (36" inside leg). I fluctuate in weight - maxed out (thus far) at 18.5st a while back. My S3 with lowered floors can be snug, but all still doable.

The lowered floors help more with headroom under the bar IMO, and seeing through the screen rather than over it, but they also give different angle options which can help your leg room.

NB I do not, and have never been able to use a proper seat comfortably. A foam seat makes a *massive* difference.

I also have my pedals on the middle setting - the farthest setting didn't work for me ironically. I suspect it meant my leg couldn't be comfortably braced.

Have always said that people should do their utmost to fit into an S3 before resorting to an SV in order to get the most out of a 7...
I'm the same as Murph, although 6' 5 1/2" and currently about 15.5 st (although have been 19st), and use the car in the following guise:

1) S3
2) lowered floor
3) tillett
4) pedals on middle setting (size 13.5 feet)
5) flat bottomed removable wheel
6) full SLR cage, but with a modified "mini hoop" added above where my head sits, as with a helmet the top of my head is almost flush with the cage. The extra hoop is made of the same section as the main cage, with an additional brace to stop it being folded flat if the car slides on its "roof"

SVs feel very baggy, especially when pressing on. Each to their own though, and it's what *you* feel most confortable in that counts, as this will afect your concentration, etc.

LRdriver II

1,936 posts

248 months

Sunday 27th April 2014
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Also the Carbon tilletts are more spacious and better fit than the black GRP ones. the reason is that the carbon versions are thinner material and the sides seem to meld into the chassis sides thus maximizing width.. the GRP versions are a tad narrower and chunkier so you lose about 1/2 inch aside in width..

The carbon ones also mould and bend slightly to accomodate ones..erm..girth..

And, you can get a tillett lower into the car than the leather jobbies!!

besides, carbon is bling