Over height driver
Discussion
Took my car onto a track (air field with cones) on Saturday and we had to wear helmets. Know I knew this could be a problem but, this event didn't specify wearing a helmet until I got to the track.
H&S wouldn’t allow us on the track without one. I am around 6ft 4 (used to be 6ft 5 but rugby has taken its toll) and found I couldn’t physically fit in the car while wearing the helmet.
It meant I had to slide right down in the seat, so my knees were either side of the steering wheel and restricting steering especially left turns.
I also found my head getting stuck forward under braking and back under acceleration. Has anyone cut their seat to lower or even fitted a gurney bubble, (think that’s what they’re called), would much rather cut the seat and keep the lines of the roof.
Before next track day I’m going to have to do something because it almost ruined my day, any thoughts.
H&S wouldn’t allow us on the track without one. I am around 6ft 4 (used to be 6ft 5 but rugby has taken its toll) and found I couldn’t physically fit in the car while wearing the helmet.
It meant I had to slide right down in the seat, so my knees were either side of the steering wheel and restricting steering especially left turns.
I also found my head getting stuck forward under braking and back under acceleration. Has anyone cut their seat to lower or even fitted a gurney bubble, (think that’s what they’re called), would much rather cut the seat and keep the lines of the roof.
Before next track day I’m going to have to do something because it almost ruined my day, any thoughts.
Interested how you get on with this as I have the same problem.
If I half lay down in the seat it's ok but deffo not the most comfortable driving position for me, I like to be a bit more up on the steering wheel when Im driving as I have much more feel of the car.
I'm only planning on doing a couple of trackdays in the car so not a big problem but a seat Mod would be the best.
If I half lay down in the seat it's ok but deffo not the most comfortable driving position for me, I like to be a bit more up on the steering wheel when Im driving as I have much more feel of the car.
I'm only planning on doing a couple of trackdays in the car so not a big problem but a seat Mod would be the best.
I'm 6'4" and have done numerous track days without any problem. Maybe 'long legs /short body' versus 'short legs /long body' comes into play.
I must admit when I first got in with a helmet on, it was noticeably different, but after pulling the belts extra tight to hold me more firmly in the seat for track driving, I naturally sat slightly lower in the car.
Also, fitting a removable steering wheel, which brings the wheel about 3 inches back towards my body, increases leg room.
I think the seat is pretty well as low as it will go, as it runs between, rather than on top of the runners. Maybe a lowered floor would help?
I must admit when I first got in with a helmet on, it was noticeably different, but after pulling the belts extra tight to hold me more firmly in the seat for track driving, I naturally sat slightly lower in the car.
Also, fitting a removable steering wheel, which brings the wheel about 3 inches back towards my body, increases leg room.
I think the seat is pretty well as low as it will go, as it runs between, rather than on top of the runners. Maybe a lowered floor would help?
Might be able to get my hands on a set of M400 seats, did have a try in Funkybmx1 and they felt even tighter than mine. What are the adjustments or is it only on the M400 model. Would be interested in the removable/boss type unit. Any info on where I could get my hands on one of these, can remember a thread on this, think someone got theirs from the states?? IIRC
Don't know how you got into yours Chris, your legs must be 40" plus lol, mine are 36", its the most uncomfortable position possible
Don't know how you got into yours Chris, your legs must be 40" plus lol, mine are 36", its the most uncomfortable position possible
Munter said:
Dumb idea No 1: Thinner helmet?
Just thinking if you were forced to borrow say a Kiwi bike helmet it might have "biker airflow cooling attachment things" on the top. While a car helmet might be smooth. And it might give a bit more space.
Or 90% chance I'm talking rubbish.
Yes, I think they where bike helmets, almost sure of it. Is there some make designed for lanky gits???Just thinking if you were forced to borrow say a Kiwi bike helmet it might have "biker airflow cooling attachment things" on the top. While a car helmet might be smooth. And it might give a bit more space.
Or 90% chance I'm talking rubbish.
Lowered floors are quite common on GT40 relica's which is where my idea came from.
A number of people I know have 25mm or so dropped floor sections under the drivers seat. This obviously compromises ground clearance but people don't seem to find it a great problem.
I built a GT40 in 2004, before moving on the Noble 4 years ago, and although my solution to fitting myself in revolved around extending the footwell and moving the pedals and rack forwards 7 inches ( ! ) along with all the consequent suspension geopmentry changes, most other tall owners have gone the low floor section or Gurney bubble route.
A number of people I know have 25mm or so dropped floor sections under the drivers seat. This obviously compromises ground clearance but people don't seem to find it a great problem.
I built a GT40 in 2004, before moving on the Noble 4 years ago, and although my solution to fitting myself in revolved around extending the footwell and moving the pedals and rack forwards 7 inches ( ! ) along with all the consequent suspension geopmentry changes, most other tall owners have gone the low floor section or Gurney bubble route.
wessexrfc said:
Munter said:
Dumb idea No 1: Thinner helmet?
Just thinking if you were forced to borrow say a Kiwi bike helmet it might have "biker airflow cooling attachment things" on the top. While a car helmet might be smooth. And it might give a bit more space.
Or 90% chance I'm talking rubbish.
Yes, I think they where bike helmets, almost sure of it. Is there some make designed for lanky gits???Just thinking if you were forced to borrow say a Kiwi bike helmet it might have "biker airflow cooling attachment things" on the top. While a car helmet might be smooth. And it might give a bit more space.
Or 90% chance I'm talking rubbish.
My suggestion would be take your head and the car to a place selling helmets and try a few different ones and see if it makes any difference.
www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk for instance.
However I suspect we're talking about only a little saving in height. And is that easier found playing with the seat.
david.mt said:
Removable wheel details here
Don't think it is really feasible to lower the floor as the seat is fastened to the chassis rails which are basically on the floor panels so only way would be to fabricate a cage below that - never mind the clearance but I wouldn't want to sit in it
I could be wrong but i think my seat is sat straight on top of the floor pannel. Don't think it is really feasible to lower the floor as the seat is fastened to the chassis rails which are basically on the floor panels so only way would be to fabricate a cage below that - never mind the clearance but I wouldn't want to sit in it
2.5bluenob said:
I could be wrong but i think my seat is sat straight on top of the floor pannel.
Yes you are wrong 
....I wouldn't want my lardy arse and seat to be just supported by the floor panel held on by a few corroding rivets. The seat rails actually bolt through the floor panel and some of the chassis rails (flat steel not sectional) but the steel is not particularly thick and on my car the holes for the bolts were not entirely in the steel david.mt said:
2.5bluenob said:
I could be wrong but i think my seat is sat straight on top of the floor pannel.
Yes you are wrong ....I wouldn't want my lardy arse and seat to be just supported by the floor panel held on by a few corroding rivets. The seat rails actually bolt through the floor panel and some of the chassis rails (flat steel not sectional) but the steel is not particularly thick and on my car the holes for the bolts were not entirely in the steel We've had to modify several cars for taller drivers. Tilting the seat back by shimming the front of the rails helps, along with adding a steering wheel extender. If you have an M400, you can try removing the bottom seat cushions when you're on the track. Or, if you have side-mount seats, like the M400 or many aftermarket racing seats, you can remove the sliders and mount the seat brackets directly to the floor. You lose fore-and-aft seat movement, but it also give you a good excuse not to let anyone else drive your car...
On my GTO3 the slider rails are fixed straight to the floor ( not through chassis rails as far as I can see) and the seat runs in between the rails, not on top.
The bottom of the seat is therfore as low as it will go so there is no advanatge in removing the rails and mounting the seats direct to the floor.
The bottom of the seat is therfore as low as it will go so there is no advanatge in removing the rails and mounting the seats direct to the floor.
Ultimas suffer the same issue and for tall drivers they install a lowered floor pan... lowers the seat approx 1inch.
Seeing as our cars generally cant go above 170mph it wont make any significant difference to under car aero and wont be lower than the front splitter so little difference to ground clearence.
edited to add that my Ultima had a lowered floor pan and I did over 180mph on Vmax and had no clearence issues at all... the lowered pan was sheet steel and rails mounted to that.
Seeing as our cars generally cant go above 170mph it wont make any significant difference to under car aero and wont be lower than the front splitter so little difference to ground clearence.
edited to add that my Ultima had a lowered floor pan and I did over 180mph on Vmax and had no clearence issues at all... the lowered pan was sheet steel and rails mounted to that.
Edited by andygtt on Wednesday 28th July 12:16
Jim O. said:
We've had to modify several cars for taller drivers. Tilting the seat back by shimming the front of the rails helps, along with adding a steering wheel extender. If you have an M400, you can try removing the bottom seat cushions when you're on the track. Or, if you have side-mount seats, like the M400 or many aftermarket racing seats, you can remove the sliders and mount the seat brackets directly to the floor. You lose fore-and-aft seat movement, but it also give you a good excuse not to let anyone else drive your car...
I`ve always thought the problem with the Noble is a basic driving position which is too upright and the seat back needs to be at a totally different angle at the bottom. The seat has a `head rest` but unless you fill the gap with a really thick `pillow` your head is no where near it. I don`t have a problem as I`m not that tall, but even so having come to the Noble from a Marcos where there is a highly reclined seat and integral headrest I really noticed the difference in the way you sit - and how close your head comes to the roof even for one of average height. Maybe there`s a market for a new seat shell that can take the current covering/foam...it would also help if you are ever hit up the rear as the current design looks guaranteed to give whiplash injuries.
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