Short Wife.....Raising the Passenger Seat
Discussion
The wife only has one complaint about the Chim......she can't see over the passenger windscreen wiper !!!
She informs me 5' 3" is average height and therefore its a problem with the car and not her. I am not going to argue as she always has the last word :-)
As she is toooo expensive to part exchange I need a solution.....and not a booster cushion.
Does anyone know of there is a kit available to raise the seat runner
thanks
She informs me 5' 3" is average height and therefore its a problem with the car and not her. I am not going to argue as she always has the last word :-)
As she is toooo expensive to part exchange I need a solution.....and not a booster cushion.
Does anyone know of there is a kit available to raise the seat runner
thanks
Funnily enough, mine has the passenger seat raised a bit as the last owner had just this problem. It's apparently not difficult to do at all, (though I didn't actually do it) and he'd achieved it by simply putting some spacers between... H'mmm... dammit, can't remember off hand if they were between the rails and the floor or the rails and the seat. I'd check but the car's just headed off to Peninsula today for a service.
I'm gonna guess they were between the seat and rails - not sure if putting spacers underneath might put too much strain on small areas of GRP if you had an accident etc etc. But at any rate, he said they were easy to put in (as I was going to take them out and wondered what that entailed). I've left them there actually, as my mum's only diddy (5'1"!) but enjoys the odd road trip and at least then she can see out!
Good luck!
PS If you're taking the seat bolts out of the floor, be sure to seal them again afterwards! Otherwise wet driving might lead to a footwell full of water
I'm gonna guess they were between the seat and rails - not sure if putting spacers underneath might put too much strain on small areas of GRP if you had an accident etc etc. But at any rate, he said they were easy to put in (as I was going to take them out and wondered what that entailed). I've left them there actually, as my mum's only diddy (5'1"!) but enjoys the odd road trip and at least then she can see out!
Good luck!
PS If you're taking the seat bolts out of the floor, be sure to seal them again afterwards! Otherwise wet driving might lead to a footwell full of water
I had the same problem. In the end I decided that the simplest option was a taller wife and hence px'd the short legged model. Longer legs have many advantages.
Other option is to get the trousers back off her and tell her to shut the hell up moaning. Could actually assist in acquiring the taller leg model !
[quote=TVR+Bubblecar]She informs me 5' 3" is average height and therefore its a problem with the car and not her. I am not going to argue as she always has the last word :-)[/quote]
Average height for women is 5'4"
Average height for men is 5'9"
Since I'm nearly the average height of a man then, yes, I can report that having long legs is definitely a distinct advantage!
Average height for women is 5'4"
Average height for men is 5'9"
Since I'm nearly the average height of a man then, yes, I can report that having long legs is definitely a distinct advantage!
Had it done in mine as I'm a short arse (5ft 5in), if you get the Leven pedal kit she should be able to drive it too. Chim_Girl said:
Had it done in mine as I'm a short arse (5ft 5in), if you get the Leven pedal kit she should be able to drive it too.
I've got the opposite problem; I guess I'm a 6ft4 "long arse"; the 99 Chim I'm in the process of buying has the "short person" mod with longer rear seat bolts fitted and the seat raised 1" on a lockbolt.
You didn't keep the shorter bolts removed from yours did you Chim_Girl? Does anyone else know the spec or have a source for the original bolts - otherwise I'll have to make sure I collect it on a dry day!
Bolts shouldn't be a problem. Can't remember for certain, but there are four bolts per seat and they are something like 30mm M12s. Worst case, a few quid at Halfwits.
Only problem I could see with raising the passenger seat is if it increases the chance of the seat coming adrift in a crash. Doubt it will be too much of a problem as the belt is what stops you flying forward in a crash, not the seat.
Only problem I could see with raising the passenger seat is if it increases the chance of the seat coming adrift in a crash. Doubt it will be too much of a problem as the belt is what stops you flying forward in a crash, not the seat.
Just fitted new carpets in mine, replaced the seat bolts while they were out with same that came out - M8 X 30mm long.
My wife is 5ft 1" and my daugter not far behind, so I have provided them with a nice cushion. (for now!)
I would suggest placing the spacers between the seat and runners with them being steel surfaces. If they were between the runners and glass it may create a week point IMO.
My wife is 5ft 1" and my daugter not far behind, so I have provided them with a nice cushion. (for now!)
I would suggest placing the spacers between the seat and runners with them being steel surfaces. If they were between the runners and glass it may create a week point IMO.
[quote=TVR+Bubblecar]The wife only has one complaint about the Chim......she can't see over the passenger windscreen wiper !!!
She informs me 5' 3" is average height and therefore its a problem with the car and not her. I am not going to argue as she always has the last word :-)
As she is toooo expensive to part exchange I need a solution.....and not a booster cushion.
Does anyone know of there is a kit available to raise the seat runner
thanks
[/quote]I'm 5ft 3",
I drive a TVR I can see fine.
Buy her a Trevor you know you want too.
She informs me 5' 3" is average height and therefore its a problem with the car and not her. I am not going to argue as she always has the last word :-)
As she is toooo expensive to part exchange I need a solution.....and not a booster cushion.
Does anyone know of there is a kit available to raise the seat runner
thanks
[/quote]I'm 5ft 3",
I drive a TVR I can see fine.
Buy her a Trevor you know you want too.
[quote=TVR+Bubblecar]The wife only has one complaint about the Chim......she can't see over the passenger windscreen wiper !!!
She informs me 5' 3" is average height and therefore its a problem with the car and not her. I am not going to argue as she always has the last word :-)
As she is toooo expensive to part exchange I need a solution.....and not a booster cushion.
[/quote]
How about a periscope?
Instructions on how to make one Here
She informs me 5' 3" is average height and therefore its a problem with the car and not her. I am not going to argue as she always has the last word :-)
As she is toooo expensive to part exchange I need a solution.....and not a booster cushion.
[/quote]
How about a periscope?
Instructions on how to make one Here
MrsHobbit always complained she couldn't see anything from the passenger seat of the Chim, although she could drive it OK with the Leven pedals and a custom seat cusion etc (She's 5'0"
. After trying various solutions for the 18 months we owned it, the best solution we found is swapping it for a T350t 
... She can drive it without a booster seat behind her, no modified pedals, and can see out from the passenger seat with no problems at all...
. After trying various solutions for the 18 months we owned it, the best solution we found is swapping it for a T350t ... She can drive it without a booster seat behind her, no modified pedals, and can see out from the passenger seat with no problems at all...
I wouldn't mess about with spacers; they're OK if you are only raising the seat by a couple of mm but if you don't raise it by about 50mm what's the point? IMHO a good piece of hardwood say 70mm wide and 50mm high with 10mm bevels each side underneath and the full length of each seat runner would be best.
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