std vs lowered floors. Tilletts vs leather seats

[Anthillmob]

Could anyone tell me what the height difference is between:

Standard and lowered floors

Standard leather and Tilletts.

I.e the difference in height experienced by the driver if you were sat in the car.

Thanks,

[Camoradi]

Lowered floors are about 4cm lower than standard. Can't speak for Tillets but I would estimate that in standard (leather) seats you are sat about 2 or 3cm off the floor allowing for compression of the seat squab.

HTH

[Mclavert]

It will also vary depending on whether or not you have fixed seats, or seats on adjustable runners...

MC

[Anthillmob]

Thanks for the feedback,

I hadn't considered fixed seats, so again interested in difference in height.

I'm trying down select chassis, floor, seat combination for future purchase.

I've been and sat in a few cars but still deciding as I'm 6ft and borderline on s3 chassis. Pedals are fine with driving shoes but lowered floors are a must. I've also noticed that the door sill can get quite close to the elbow when coupled with lowered floors.

What is everyone running with?

S3 or SV
Std or lowered floors
Seat type
Runners or not
Suspension type
Track or road use.

[hawk 427]

Im 5ft 11just under 13 stone have lowered floors and tillets fit great well below rollbar leather seats would be fine with lowered floors at your height just a matter of choice I prefer tillets they are so comfortable even on a long run

Edited by hawk 427 on Tuesday 27th May 21:52

[radical78]

6ft1 14 stone s3 lowered floor gt leaher seat mono s wheel all fine. full race cage is difficult to get in if the half doors are on but ok once in but would of been easier 30 years ago

[anniesdad]

I'm 5'11" - 13 stone'ish (ahem) and decided after sitting in a few different cars at Caterham Midlands to settle on the S3 chassis with Std floors and Tillett seats (which were a must for me). My vision out of the windscreen was fine and didn't appear compromised. I wonder if with the lowered floors and Tillets I would have been a little bit too low? I did try a lowered car with the leather seats and is was quite comfy, but especially the pedal box on that car which seemed to have more spaced out pedals, I asked the salesman but he wasn't quite sure why?

[Andy Bell]

if you are considering sell on I would get standard chassis and lowered floors - helps if you get a lanky bugger like me wanting to buy as it would have to have lowered.

[anniesdad]

Lowering the floor can be done retrospectively non?

[Andy Bell]

i think it involves removing all the rivets and lots of other nasty stuff

[framerateuk]

anniesdad said:

I'm 5'11" - 13 stone'ish (ahem) and decided after sitting in a few different cars at Caterham Midlands to settle on the S3 chassis with Std floors and Tillett seats (which were a must for me). My vision out of the windscreen was fine and didn't appear compromised. I wonder if with the lowered floors and Tillets I would have been a little bit too low? I did try a lowered car with the leather seats and is was quite comfy, but especially the pedal box on that car which seemed to have more spaced out pedals, I asked the salesman but he wasn't quite sure why?

I'm 5'8" - leather seats and lowered floors and the driving position is perfect. I wouldn't want to be any lower though. In fact, I'm planning on going aero and think I might get a clear screen instead of the composite/carbon one.

[downsman]

I am 6ft and I have an S3 with Tillets and flat floors. Tillets sit me low enough to look through the screen, and moved right back in the very last holes on the runners leg room is fine. I didn't like dropped floors as the tunnel was too high.

[DAKOTAstorm]

anniesdad said:

Lowering the floor can be done retrospectively non?

I think it can as I am pondering the same thing, emailed a few places and they have said if I pick the car I want, they can make it how I want. This involved lowering floor, seat style and steering wheel.

I am 6 ft 3, it did make me think though, if they can do it, why can't I? after all the cars do come in kit form.

[coppice]

My car was lowered 6 months after being supplied by Caterham Midlands; it was awful before the work was done , terrible driving position. But but but - each Seven I have driven has been different - some were fine with standard floor , others not and the last one I drove was pretty bad WITH a lowered floor - it was still too high

[Steve-B]

There is an easy test to do sitting in a few, with a helmet on that can assist you in determining if s lowered floor is worth it, regardless of seat.

Sit as you would strap in, have a mate with a 5-10m tape measure.
Have him tape the end to the top of the roll bar immediately behind your head.
Have him take the front end of the tape to the top of the nose cone.

Now measure the distance between the top of your helmet and the line of the measure.

If it is less than 3cm, you really must do a lowered floor in case of roll over.
It is is 3-5cm, you're as good as you can be for a roll over.

Roll over's are extremely rare, but could happen in the worst of circumstances and having your head exposed near/above the line of the measure could mean your head may become damaged. Most people need their heads so when a friend explained this simple measurement to me, I got the point. In some countries like Oz, if you want to race, you must be 5cm below the line, which will force you to lowered floors.

[Anthillmob]

Interesting comments about head clearance in case the car rolls over. However, I would have thought the nose of the car might not be the best point to draw the line. Since the nose might not have much structural integrity if the car was to turn over.

Can anyone comment how much higher the trackday rollover bar is compared to the standard bar?

[downsman]

The trackday bar is higher but also a lot further forward so it will fit under the hood.
If you need the seat right back the track bar is far too close to the driver head in my opinion.

A taller vertical bar would be the safest option, but then the hood won't fit.

[Steve-B]

Jill Judd at Soft Bits for Se7ens has made 1/2 hoods and full hoods for tall bars, just not something you may be able to get directly from Caterham....

downsman said:

A taller vertical bar would be the safest option, but then the hood won't fit.

[BritishRacinGrin]

It depends on your proportions. IMO you don't need SV unless you are quite girthly or have massive feet. I'm 6' and 15 stone and my preferred option would be S3 with lowered floors. In fact, even if you decide you don't 'need' lowered floors consider getting them anyway for flexability. You can space seats upwards but once they're bolted to the floors with no runners you aren't going to be able to get them any lower.