Well, i have finally realised it just sucks being tall, especially when trying to drive the RX-7 for long distances etc. I was wondering if there were any mods out there for the doors/steering wheel that could be done to make things a little more comfortable for a tall guy (6' 6" tall to be exact) to drive without getting the foot cramp.

Any URL's or info would be much appreciated since i'm looking at purchasing a couple RX-7's that i would like to go the long haul with rather then just the 1/4 mile.

~Sup

 

lol, finally someone else with the same problem, i'm 6' 5", i don't really have anyprobs driving, but getting in and out of the car is kinda fun, i've done a bit of looking and haven't really found anything, i just drive with the seat pushed all the way back and reclined almost all the way, other wise my knees are up to my chest, if u find anything let me know.

 

I really don't have any problems driving the GS, but when i went to test drive this cherry (and i mean cherry) '84 GSL I had issues with the handle on the door, the little vertical one you grab hold of to pull the door closed, pinching my leg between the steering wheel and the door. Made for some interesting situations while on the test drive that made me pucker up so bad i almost ruined the mint condition factory leather seats.

I wanted to get that little fireball so bad... but now... damn.

~Sup

 

Well since I also have the Tall Man's delima 6'5 and have owned 6 of these Babes, all I can do is suggest some Mod's I have done in the Past.

1st= Get a Smaller Steering Wheel
2nd= Cut out the Driver side Storage Box and Remount Your Seat Bracket's (You Will have to Weld New Bolt Bracket Nuts From the Underside For Safety Sake) Took me about an hour to do that. No Biggie.
3rd= Remove the Door Handle and that alone will give about 2"s extra for your leg to Push in the Clutch. Just Fab something for the hole left behind.
I've tried all different ways to make it an American or Wherever we come from to a Larger Human Being Versus Short Japanese Persons.
No Punt Intended

Promblems with being Tall!!!
Clothes don't fit
Cars are to Small
Bed's are to Short
Couches are to Short
One Good thing is Girls and Guys are All the Same Size Laying Down just Built Differently.

Any other suggestions from our Freinds would be Helpful
Thanks
sgieldon
steve

 

I can suggest two things for sure, and maybe a third.

1) Smaller steering wheel. I bought an APC wheel (ugh) for around $35. It's black, 12" and says APC no where on the wheel. Actually a really good looking wheel, honestly. It definitely provides more leg room when you lift them up to shift.

2) Remove the door panel. I HATED that stupid door panel, so I took them both off, and MAN there's a lot more room now. Now I've got plenty of leg room to shift and stuff. I don't really like the cold metal feel against my leg though, so what I'm going to do is go to a plastic place and get them to cut me out a panel of thicker flat black plastic (with a hole for the door handle) and just screw that in. That'll keep the extra room, and should look and feel pretty cool now too.

3) Not sure if this is true for everyone, but I recently installed GXL seats (second-gen RX-7 seats) into my car, and they really feel like they sit a bunch lower to me. Maybe not true for all seats, etc.

 

I'm 6'-3" and putting a momo steering wheel and 60mm omp wheel spacer (brings it that much closer to you) was all it took for me to fit right. I want lower bucket seats, but fit fine without them.

 

I'm in a similar boat (6'5) and while I fit really well in my '80, my '85 GSL is a bit more cramped, due to the slightly taller seat, power windows (see below) and the general use of thicker interior paneling instead of the Series 1's just gluing vinyl over the metal.

First thing I did was remove the pedal pads that the previous owner had on there. That was an instant 1/2" or so gain of foot room.

Second thing was removal of the floor mats. The floor mats in the car (looked factory) were about an inch thick. HUGE difference.

After all that was done, I could find a comfortable driving position that still afforded the use of a helmet with enough clearance to not constantly be hitting the roof or (especially) the upper door sill. Basically the nose of the seat is all the way down, the front of the seat is one notch back from the front of the shifter boot (the shifter sprouts up between the very front of the seat, and the front of the side bolster). The front of the headrest is about even/slightly in front of the upper seat belt hanger.

When I sit in the car, I sit with my butt just forwards of in the "butt pocket", knees against the door panel on the left and the center console in the right. This is much more comfortable than it may sound - under cornering, my legs are already well braced. Looking forwards, I can see the bottom half of the instrument panel hood beneath the rim of the steering wheel. It's a kind of a slouch but it's comfortable, and my knees' bracing combined with a seat belt clip keeping the lower belt tight over my hips (it otherwise tends to ride up) causes zero problems under heavy cornering or Rallycrossing (think heavy cornering while bumping around off-road driving sideways half the time).

The GSL models have power windows. The inner handrests on the doors are different, and on the Series 3's there is little room between the steering wheel and the handrest. So I removed the handrest last month, and I wonder why I never did it before. Now I can pull my left leg up, calf against the seat, when cruising around. Plus no more banging knuckles on the handrest.

Would be nice to have lower seats, though... then I could get a more upright driving position and get my upper body closer to the steering wheel, without sacrificing all-important headroom.

If possible find a non-sunroof car, the sunroof rail eats up about an inch of headroom. But non sunroof cars are *rare* and many of them have been molested by installation of sunroofs!

 

A small diameter wheel will definately make a huge difference. I have a small MOMO steering wheel in my car, and that combined with no floor mat makes it quite comfortable. Like Peejay already said, I drive with my left leg against the door, my right against the center console.

Granted, I'm not as tall as some of you guys (6'1" barefoot, 6'3" when wearing my boots), and I'm probably skinnier than most of you guys, too (150lbs.) I don't even have my seat all the way back, and I am very comfortable. My biggest problem is fitting my right leg under the steering wheel when getting in to the car. Heh.

I don't see how some of you guys can drive around with that boat sized steering wheel in that car...

 

Where were you guys when I was dating? At 6', I fit in my 85 easier than my shorter husband! I equate getting out of her to being a giant grasshopper that has to unfold its legs.

 

Can someone verify that second-gen seats would actually sit lower on first-gens? Yesterday I was riding shotgun on a friend's second-gen and those seats felt very comfortable and better on my back....any info would be appreciated...If true, I will get a set of second-gen seats...

 

I have an 85 gsl and I put 80 seats, the leather ones, they sit a lot lower and I put a smaller diameter steering wheel in there. It helps a lot when you get lower seats. Anyone under 5'8'' can't really see over the steering wheel but I can so I don't really care. Oh I am 6'5''. I had the same problems, the steering wheel is real nice, gives more room for knees/legs.

 

I don't know if all of you are aware of this, but GSL-SE's and GSL's have slightly taller driver seats than S and GS models, due to the tilt control. It's not much, but dropping in a base model seat should give you an extra inch or two.

 

number one son, Shaggy, is 6'3" at 16 and still growing. We have aftermarket seats and an APC "D" shaped wheel. I hadn't thought about the door panel. great idea guys!

Are y'all saying the GS seat tracks are lower? If that's true then I'll switch the aftermarket seats to those. I knew that parts car would be useful. Now if I could just convince my wife of this...

 

Steering wheel size depends on a lot of factors.

If you have broad shoulders, you'll want a larger diameter steering wheel. (Just like sizing handlebars for a bicycle) If you have to sit with your shoulders fairly far away from the wheel, you'll want a larger wheel for better mechanical advantage, since your arms are weaker when they're outstretched.

I think the stock steering wheel is tiiiny. Can't imagine going any smaller.

 

2nd Gen Seats are about 1-2 inches lower. I have a pair of TII seats in my 85. They are really, really, really comfy!

 

I'm 6'2", and currently have '84 fabric GS (I think - no tilt adjust) seats in my '79. In the search for more space, I put in an FC driver's seat. It wasn't any lower than the GSL seat, but the upper side bolsters were much nicer. Had to take it back out because the bottom bolsters were a bit to narrow for my German-American butt. My thigh was right on one of the seat frame tubes.
At any rate, the seat may be lower than the GSL height-adjustable seats, and almost definitely lower than the leather seats, but no lower than base seats.

 

Not the rails. Just the seat itself, If you already have aftermarket seats, there is no benifit to switching, as they probably sit lower than the stock GS seats...

 

I have both 81, 83, and 85 FBs, and yes the seats in the 85 are higher. I'd also go with the small steering wheel. But what is funny is that I am 5'6" and I pull my seats ALL the way forward to drive. I guess I like the confined cockpit feeling while I drive...

 

My friend who is 5'6, 5'7, something, sits waaaay back when he drives. When I drive his car, I have to pull the seat FORWARDS.

See, he likes to drive straight legged. I can't do that, for various biomechanical reasons.