Silverback
New member
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2010
- Messages
- 4
Some of you may know me from other sites, the speed shop I used to work at... A long time ago I used to be pretty involved with the crossfire stuff, and on the original crossfire vault, but I've never owned a 'vette, I owned a crossfire powered '83 Trans Am.
Anyway, a C3 vette has always been on my short list of cars I must own some day, especially an '82 Crossfire car (what can I say, I had the TA running mid 13's at the track and getting 35-37mpg on the highway), but I'm looking out for an '80-82 that I like or possibly an early 70's if I find a good deal.
The thing is that you just don't see many of them around and looking around a little it's starting to look like it's going to be pretty likely I'll have to drive a few hours to get what I want, and I'm concerned: I'm kind of a big monkey, will I fit? Or, if it's going to be tight, can I do something to make it work?
How big? 6'4" and a little short of 300#. Most of my weight is in my chest and shoulders, my bottom half is fairly narrow and i generally don't have any problems with heavily bolstered sport or racing seats, and generally I do OK with RWD cars that have long, narrow seating areas, as long as there is room for my shoulders. In contrast with my bottom half, my top half is rather broad: roughly 60" chest, I wear a 3 or 4X tall shirt, and almost always the arms are too short, partially because my shoulders tend to stick out past the arm seams and partially because they're longer than normal for my height so I have to get dress shirts custom made (usually 38-39" sleeve), same with my suits, but wear a 38 waist for pants.
How do I fit in other cars:
3rd gen f-bodies- I'm generally OK, but I'm more comfortable with the seat moved back an inch. I can wear a helmet in a t-top car, I have to cut the rails/lower the seats to wear a helmet in a hardtop
4th gen f-bodies- More headroom, less room every other way. Generally I'm OK, but have the seat in my '97 mounted about 1-1/2" further back than stock, could drive it without that but definitely more comfortable that way.
Mustangs- fox mustangs (and other fox chassis cars) are like the f-bodies, the '93-'04 mustangs are a problem the door panels up by the windows come in much further and I just don't fit, I can't drive them without rolling down the windows and putting my arm/shoulder out the window.
So, what do you think? I'm hoping that a tilt/telescoping wheel, maybe with a smaller aftermarket steering wheel if I have to to make things work. I don't know if there is any room for modifying the stock seat rails but if there is...
Anyway, a C3 vette has always been on my short list of cars I must own some day, especially an '82 Crossfire car (what can I say, I had the TA running mid 13's at the track and getting 35-37mpg on the highway), but I'm looking out for an '80-82 that I like or possibly an early 70's if I find a good deal.
The thing is that you just don't see many of them around and looking around a little it's starting to look like it's going to be pretty likely I'll have to drive a few hours to get what I want, and I'm concerned: I'm kind of a big monkey, will I fit? Or, if it's going to be tight, can I do something to make it work?
How big? 6'4" and a little short of 300#. Most of my weight is in my chest and shoulders, my bottom half is fairly narrow and i generally don't have any problems with heavily bolstered sport or racing seats, and generally I do OK with RWD cars that have long, narrow seating areas, as long as there is room for my shoulders. In contrast with my bottom half, my top half is rather broad: roughly 60" chest, I wear a 3 or 4X tall shirt, and almost always the arms are too short, partially because my shoulders tend to stick out past the arm seams and partially because they're longer than normal for my height so I have to get dress shirts custom made (usually 38-39" sleeve), same with my suits, but wear a 38 waist for pants.
How do I fit in other cars:
3rd gen f-bodies- I'm generally OK, but I'm more comfortable with the seat moved back an inch. I can wear a helmet in a t-top car, I have to cut the rails/lower the seats to wear a helmet in a hardtop
4th gen f-bodies- More headroom, less room every other way. Generally I'm OK, but have the seat in my '97 mounted about 1-1/2" further back than stock, could drive it without that but definitely more comfortable that way.
Mustangs- fox mustangs (and other fox chassis cars) are like the f-bodies, the '93-'04 mustangs are a problem the door panels up by the windows come in much further and I just don't fit, I can't drive them without rolling down the windows and putting my arm/shoulder out the window.
So, what do you think? I'm hoping that a tilt/telescoping wheel, maybe with a smaller aftermarket steering wheel if I have to to make things work. I don't know if there is any room for modifying the stock seat rails but if there is...
