Advice for GTR Seating Fit Adjustments

Advice for GTR Seating Fit Adjustments

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emissary

Original Poster:

24 posts

175 months

Monday 30th June 2014
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I flew out and test drove a LHD GTR late last week; the performance, fit, and finish of the car were perfect. The problem was that I had great difficulty fitting in the car; I was not able to find a driving position where I felt even remotely comfortable piloting the car. For reference, I'm 6-foot-2, 230 pounds; I wear pants with an inseam of 36-inches.

Headroom was not an issue (the car has the lowered floorpan). Rather, the core issue was that during the test drive, my left knee was pinned up against the dashboard between the ignition and steering wheel; my right knee was even worse, stuck near the dash between the steering wheel and shift lever (first gear was basically into my knee). I had to hover both feet above the respective pedals, and was not able to rest either foot anywhere due to my knees being stuck on the dash. The seat was all the way back.

I should mention that the car is currently setup for a shorter driver; the driver's seat contains an extra 1.5 inches of padding, and the pedal pads are extended toward the driver about 2.5 inches forward. The car also currently has a quick release steering wheel.

I believe I could improve the driving position by swapping the seats (the passenger seat is currently stock and has no padding) and adjusting the pedal pads all the way towards the front of the car. My concern is that this isn't going to be enough for me to be able to get my legs under the steering wheel (and thus my knees under the dash) to yield a comfortable driving position. It almost feels like I need to get the steering wheel even closer to me, although that might yield problems of its own.

Might some other taller/long-legged GTR drivers be able to comment on the above? Is it realistic to expect to be able to get your legs under the steering wheel and knees under the dash, or is this simply not possible for someone my size? Might other changes be necessary?

Any advice would be most appreciated; thanks very much in advance.

F.C.

3,896 posts

207 months

Monday 30th June 2014
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36" inseam! wow, I'd say you would need the factory extended footwell.
Would probably mean building your own though.
5th post down:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

ROWDYRENAULT

1,270 posts

213 months

Tuesday 1st July 2014
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Josh: you ran into the perfect storm of settings that would not allow you to fit. I am 6;2 but only a 33 inch inseam. That said my seat is 1 to 1.5 inchs from being all the way back and the pedals are in the middle position. I have a quick disconnect and the only time I use it is when I need to get under the dash,so do with that as you will. The only advantage I might have is that I only wear a size 10 shoe which as you know is a fairly small foot for someone of my height. I strongly suggest a foot rest next to the clutch yes there is room. If you buy the car and make the adjustments and still need more leg room the extended foot box could be installed without a huge hassle. not to say it wouldn't be a bit of a job, but doable. lee

emissary

Original Poster:

24 posts

175 months

Wednesday 2nd July 2014
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ROWDYRENAULT said:
Josh: you ran into the perfect storm of settings that would not allow you to fit. I am 6;2 but only a 33 inch inseam. That said my seat is 1 to 1.5 inchs from being all the way back and the pedals are in the middle position. I have a quick disconnect and the only time I use it is when I need to get under the dash,so do with that as you will. The only advantage I might have is that I only wear a size 10 shoe which as you know is a fairly small foot for someone of my height. I strongly suggest a foot rest next to the clutch yes there is room. If you buy the car and make the adjustments and still need more leg room the extended foot box could be installed without a huge hassle. not to say it wouldn't be a bit of a job, but doable. lee
Thanks guys, I will definitely look into the extended footbox.

Lee: are you able to fit your legs under the steering wheel of your car, or do you end up moving your legs around it? I know this would just be a guess, but do you think that the combination of the non-padded seat and pedal adjustments would be enough to rectify the driving position for me? I suppose there's also the option of removing the driver's seat rail, and simply bolting the driver's seat to the floor. I'm just not sure what other adjustments can be made besides the extended footbox.

UltimaFAN

107 posts

128 months

Wednesday 2nd July 2014
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Hi,
I'm 6'4, probably the same leg length as you and after the test run and sitting in the driver's position, it was clear that the extended pedal box was needed. Therefore I have taken all tall driver options. My car in not yet on the road, but the sitting position seems to be ok. It is a tight fit, a little bit like a cocoon, but my legs are in the right position.
With 11 foot size, the extended pedal box is ok, nevertheless I shouldn't use very long shoes to drive the car. The standard foot rest is not needed with the extended pedal box, as the left foot (LHD) of tall driver will can stay on the left frame. I will check in the long run if another foot rest could be riveted directly on this frame to have a better contact with the foot.

ROWDYRENAULT

1,270 posts

213 months

Friday 4th July 2014
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I fit in the car very well and yes my legs go comfortably under the wheel. I have stated before that if I where to build another Ultima which I would love to do, the quick release steering adapter is one thing I would forego. Lee