Best Kit Car for a 6Ft 5" Guy With Long Legs
Discussion
Hello everyone
I really want to buy a kit car to do some track days and fun driving in. From the start I thought I would go for a Caterham or Westfield but having done my research it seems I am going to struggle for room. Please can you help me make a list of kit cars I would actually fit in? Are there any 6ft5guys here with kit cars or am I dreaming about a car that doesn't exist?
It would be good if you could call out ones that have plenty of room for a big guy but also ones to avoid so I know what I need to be looking at/avoiding!
Thanks a lot for your help. Help me live my kit car dream! (i'm not cutting the floor pan out and doing a Fred Flintstone though before anyone suggests it!
)
I really want to buy a kit car to do some track days and fun driving in. From the start I thought I would go for a Caterham or Westfield but having done my research it seems I am going to struggle for room. Please can you help me make a list of kit cars I would actually fit in? Are there any 6ft5guys here with kit cars or am I dreaming about a car that doesn't exist?
It would be good if you could call out ones that have plenty of room for a big guy but also ones to avoid so I know what I need to be looking at/avoiding!
Thanks a lot for your help. Help me live my kit car dream! (i'm not cutting the floor pan out and doing a Fred Flintstone though before anyone suggests it!
)"BigDean" Roker has a Fisher Fury, he is 6'4 I think and at one time approached 20-stone... ( he is svelt now ! ). He has had it about 8 years.
You can have the floors lowered a-la Caterham and you don't need seats, you can just line the cockpit with high-impact foam or use one of those foam bean bags racing cars use. They are not too pretty, but if you are clever you can smooth and cover them in leather.
Saying that, Dean is probobly still 16 stone and he uses the same GRP seats as me. I am sure you will fit.
Best bet is the get to The Stoneleigh kit car show in the summer, there are hundreds of cars there and owners will be fine to let you try one for size.
Good luck!
BTW, I sold my GTM Libra to a guy who was 6' SEVEN!!!! I had Recaro recliners bolted to the floor with no subframes purely to lower the C of G, but he fitted like a glove and bought mine because he could not fit in an Exige.
You can have the floors lowered a-la Caterham and you don't need seats, you can just line the cockpit with high-impact foam or use one of those foam bean bags racing cars use. They are not too pretty, but if you are clever you can smooth and cover them in leather.
Saying that, Dean is probobly still 16 stone and he uses the same GRP seats as me. I am sure you will fit.
Best bet is the get to The Stoneleigh kit car show in the summer, there are hundreds of cars there and owners will be fine to let you try one for size.
Good luck!
BTW, I sold my GTM Libra to a guy who was 6' SEVEN!!!! I had Recaro recliners bolted to the floor with no subframes purely to lower the C of G, but he fitted like a glove and bought mine because he could not fit in an Exige.
My old westy had plenty of room and I'm 6'5" 35-36" inside leg. It was a mega-bird and had the race (shell) seats rather than the big old cushion versions.
I did have the steering column raised and lengthened though to give max clearance for my knees. In the standard car it was tight for my knees but I could still drive one. I could have floor mounted the seat (as opposed to on runners) but as my wife also drove it I opted for the SC mod.
The other thing you'll need to do is fit - at the minimum - an RAC spec roll bar as the standard ones are way to low to protect us lankies in a roll.
I did have the steering column raised and lengthened though to give max clearance for my knees. In the standard car it was tight for my knees but I could still drive one. I could have floor mounted the seat (as opposed to on runners) but as my wife also drove it I opted for the SC mod.
The other thing you'll need to do is fit - at the minimum - an RAC spec roll bar as the standard ones are way to low to protect us lankies in a roll.
I'm 6'6" and 18stone. Had four kit cars now and they are given below in order of driver space... most room at the top, least room at the bottom:
Fisher Fury
Dax Rush (SWB)
Westfield
Sylva Phoenix
My latest car is the Fury and, after having to throw the seat away in the Westfield to have a hope of getting in, it really is a revelation. The width is good across the driver area and there is a steel box on the end of the tubular framework for the pedals which really increases the legroom. I'm comfortable in the car, which is a first
Short wheelbase Dax was pretty good with the squab seats and a spacer behind the steering wheel. Did >10,000 miles in this car over 2 years. Tried a friend's 4x4 Dax with high back seats which was all a bit tight to be comfy and had very narrow footwell. Tried a LWB with lowered floor and squab seats and there was bags of room.
Westfield was tight everywhere... with seats in it was impossible to drive. Managed with a very skinny home made expanding foam seat
Phoenix was incredibly small... i had to chop out the transmission tunnel and remake it narrower to give enough space to get hips back far enough to work the pedals. You will not fit without modifications
HTH
Tim
Fisher Fury
Dax Rush (SWB)
Westfield
Sylva Phoenix
My latest car is the Fury and, after having to throw the seat away in the Westfield to have a hope of getting in, it really is a revelation. The width is good across the driver area and there is a steel box on the end of the tubular framework for the pedals which really increases the legroom. I'm comfortable in the car, which is a first
Short wheelbase Dax was pretty good with the squab seats and a spacer behind the steering wheel. Did >10,000 miles in this car over 2 years. Tried a friend's 4x4 Dax with high back seats which was all a bit tight to be comfy and had very narrow footwell. Tried a LWB with lowered floor and squab seats and there was bags of room.
Westfield was tight everywhere... with seats in it was impossible to drive. Managed with a very skinny home made expanding foam seat
Phoenix was incredibly small... i had to chop out the transmission tunnel and remake it narrower to give enough space to get hips back far enough to work the pedals. You will not fit without modifications
HTH
Tim
I came across this Westfield on Ebay the other day, the Guy says he is 6ft 7" and can drive it.
Just an idea....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westfield-SEiW-2-0L-16v-...
Just an idea....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westfield-SEiW-2-0L-16v-...
Geo22 said:
I came across this Westfield on Ebay the other day, the Guy says he is 6ft 7" and can drive it.
Just an idea....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westfield-SEiW-2-0L-16v-...
With those seats he must have short legs. I had the shell seats and raised steering column to fit my 6'5" frame with 35" leg. Struggled to even get in the padded seat cars. When I had to have some warranty work done they offered me a 'normal' westy as a courtesy car and I couldn't fit in. I had to take the works van home Just an idea....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westfield-SEiW-2-0L-16v-...
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