Driver Comfort- bigger guys

Hello all,

I am trying to find an IT car my brother can be comfortable in.

He's 5 foot 11 inches, a 32 inch inseam and ~270 lbs. He's not fat, just built largely, everywhere. (40/41 inch waist)

He complains of being too short in the torso to see out of my first Gen Rx7 (with a kirkey mounted on the floor). he says he is looking through the wipers. We could get him a cushion to sit on, but that puts him closer to the roof and I'm not sure I like that.. The real downside is that doesn't solve the second problem, he can't adjust his body to the seat; its too far forward, and his ankles are not flexible enough to heel and toe where the seat currently is. (Cage is an auto power main hoop, installed in the normal location). There is no room to go back any further. His car will have a fully custom cage, alleviating some of the 2nd concern, but not the first, the roof line can't be corrected.

My first thought is an ITB Volvo, or Mustang... I'm out of ideas beyond that

Being competitive is not that important, mid-pack potential is fine (rookie driver, who will run at the back anyway). Cost effective to run is very important (as always). I would prefer a more common car, for the knowledge base... Could a 2nd gen 7 be large enough inside?

Any other ideas?

thanks as always!
Marcus


[This message has been edited by Marcus Miller (edited June 02, 2004).]

I have a first gen RX-7, I am 6'3", 200 pounds give or take. Inseam is 34?

I have a MOMO Roookie seat. The cage is custom. When I installed it I did it in a fairly reclined manner. By doing so, the thigh portion is raked up, which helps with legroom, as my legs are now bent. It also meant that I am less "tall", as my torso height is spread longitutinaly.

I mocked it up with blocks and vicegrips, then fabbed brackets when I liked the position. Of course, I made the brackets adjustable!

The cage has NASCAR door bars, and the cross car tube is in the dash. I pushed the main hoop pretty far rearward, and it rakes to the back a bit to help with helmet room. At 18" above the floor, it is right at the back of the door opening. A pillar tubes are very tight to the pillars, and travel thru the vent holes in the dash on thier way to the rocker box. The total package results in the roomiest 1st gen I have seen.

Email me if you want pictures of the install.

End result is a very comfortable car with plenty of space.



------------------
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

My impression from the GenII RX7 that we ran in SS endurance racing was that it was tighter than the earlier models that I'd been in - albeit not raced. I think that some of that was all of the console and plastic crap but headroom was an issue with a Sparco seat on a slider bolted directly to the floor.

K

I think jake is on track. angleing the seat back ads to the leg room. also i have found that new drivers think they have to sit higher to get a better view but after a season or two they are more comfortable with the seat lower. buy the way i am slightly bigger than your brother and i race a 1st gen.
dick

The secret is to go with a custom cage. Get a cage builder to work with you on the seat placement and cage design.

I used to be 350 pounds (I'm 5'7") and raced a Miata (and drove another one as a daily driver).

I think that a lot of the FWD cars like the Hondas and VWs offer more space and more of an upright sitting on a chair type of position from the factory than other cars where the legs tend to be more stretched along the floor. This would give you more space to work with and maybe be able to install the seat a little bit higher than bolted to the floor.

Also, it takes a little bit to get used to sitting really low, like with a seat bolted to the floor, but in my experience, you do get used to it and then it becomes natural.

------------------
Ony Anglade
ITA Miata
Sugar Hill, GA

***he says he is looking through the wipers.***

Tell him it don't get any better than that. Use the touchy feely method of driving. Ya don't need to see the front of the car. In my 1st gen I also look through the wipers. 6 foot, 195 pounds, 32 inch inseam, 34 inch waist with a helmet that bangs off the side of the cage even after I tilted the seat to the right. Kirkey seat mounted on the bare floor.

Adjust to the situation please. http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/wink.gif
David

It does force you to look farther ahead.

http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

------------------
Ony Anglade
ITA Miata
Sugar Hill, GA

Man, I'm glad this topic opened-up. I have been reviewing my options for a while now, and thought I was the only guy looking for a car based on driver size. I'm 6'1", 275 lbs, 42" waist, 30" inseam. I've just assumed that certain cars would not be viable, but now I need to rethink that.

I guess it really does come down to roll cage design and seat placement.

Maybe a good idea would be to place the seat of choice in the (semi)gutted interior, set to where I can get comfortable with ergonomics and the view, then have a custom cage built around that.

Still leaning towards an IT 7.

People may want to consider some of the ITS cars. They do tend to be roomier on the inside. Besides the BMW, several others I have seen do well in the class and may fit larger drivers better (both for size and $); Datsun Z cars, 2nd gen RX7, Honda Prelude, Oldsmobile Calais/Achieva, Toyota Supra. Also, because these cars generate more hp, the weight penalty of the larger driver is not as significant. Then of course there is AS.

6'0", 275# two different e30 BMWs with Sparco Evo2 seat. Have been known to fall alseep on the grid in car http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

------------------
Chuck Baader
E30 ITA under construction
Alabama Region Divisional Registrar

"..thought I was the only guy looking for a car based on driver size."

Not by a long shot. I'm 6'04", 245 lbs, 36-37" inseam and 38" waist. A Z car fits me fine, with the understanding that my cage & seat placement were designed carefully for my body. I'll second what Ony said, a good custom cage builder is the only way to go.



------------------
Ty Till
#16 ITS
Rocky Mountain Division

At 6'5" 230lbs I also agree that a custom cage is a must. Seats are also more importamt. I had a Z and now a 2nd gen RX 7, the 7 is a little bigger, more legroom. The E36 BMW's look huge inside, nice upright seating with lots of room to move the seat back.

Even if I wasn't in need of interior room, I would have done pretty much the same thing with the cage.

Any cage that is further away from the driver, and closer to the elements of the car has got to be safer and stronger.

------------------
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

I raced a Honda Civic Si and CRX Si and had no problems. 6'2" and 280 at the time.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I'm not sure I have any decent photo's of the inside of the car, the seat is as far back as it will go with the Autopower. Its n0t in the budget to start over with a custom cage on this car, but the next will definitely have one.

Thanks for the advice on the other cars to look at, as well. The BMW would be mine if it was built http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif. The Z car is an interesting idea, is the head room okay? The CRX, likewise.

Thanks!
Marcus

[This message has been edited by Marcus Miller (edited June 03, 2004).]

I am 5'11', 32" inseam and 250 lbs (I'm losing weight I really am). With a 1st gen RX7 and a Kirkey 20* layback bolted to the floor. I have the front of the seat raised about 3/4 inch with metal spacers and this gives me a good line of sight. Just keeps the helmet at a line with the roll cage on the left. I assume the car has an autopower roll cage (although it could be custom -- I have one of the first Spec RX7's built).

"The Z car is an interesting idea, is the head room okay?"

On my car the seat, an Ultrashield deluxe, is bolted directly to the unibody with no sliders or spacers, and I just meet the two inch rule. The cage builder, not a small fellow himself at about 6'01", was pretty careful to make a cage that gave me as much room as possible within the rules. He had to 'modify' the unibody (with a large hammer) around the rear of the transmission tunnel to get the seat far enough back. It's the only car I've ever owned that truly has enough leg room.



------------------
Ty Till
#16 ITS
Rocky Mountain Division