peejay

I don't see how the sunroof makes things easier. The body rail (what the sunroof seals against) is right above my head. Opening/closing doesn't do a lick of good as far as headroom goes.

For my FC, I pretty much know that I am going to have to cut out all the sunroof frame crap, weld the sunroof's skin over the hole, and then find a non-sunroof headliner after suitable repainting. Unless someone out there wants to trade an FC for a non-sunroof SA/FB (preferably SA).

BIG J MIXALOT

im 6'4 i fit just perfect in mine

mcgarret

Oh yeah, I also removed the handle between the steering wheel and the door panel. Lots of room for my knees now.

mcgarret

Oh yeah, I also removed the handle between the steering wheel and the door panel. Lots of room for my knees now.

BIG J MIXALOT

2 eh

Cody

I'm 7'3''. I just ride without the sunroof attached. I have to wear goggles, but I get a better view of the ladies.

comradegiant

The first gen is better for internal space anyway. When I was first shopping for a car I looked at an 86 GXL, and ended up with an 83 GSL. I'm 6'9 and 315 pounds, and I fit just fine, its even comfortable on long rides. Important lesson I learned from a friend of mine: if you like it get it, otherwise you'll regret it.

Bob Holton

I always was told that tall was good, led to fame and riches and girls. I was six plus when I was your age,now five nine some 50 years later,working and family and cars WILL grind you down, then you fit anything.

Lurch

Yet you ride POCKET bikes? Surely you jest.

82transam

iTrader: (18)

Yes, he's joking. As for the steering wheel spacer, I'll attach a pic of it installed. It goes in between the hub and steering wheel (have to use an aftermarket wheel with the 6 screw pattern, momo, omp, sparco etc) The horn still works and everything. Its been on there a week now and after getting used to the different angle my arms are at the only complaint I have is that the turn signals and wiper controls are out of reach to just hit them with your hands on the wheel as I used to do. Other than that it helps a lot. I got it from an Italy through http://www.espeedup.com/index.htm but you could also get it from http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/ which is in england, but they charge more shipping for some reason. I think OMP has a US site as well, but they wanted more than the other 2 sites (odd I know) and they only had red and blue ones, I wanted black. Anyway, hoped that helps, any other questions about it fire away.

peejay

I think about turning an old steering wheel into a steering wheel hub for an aftermarket unit... and getting a wheel with lots of dish... should be able to get three-four inches closer with no spacers.

Only issue I see with that is the stalks would be pretty far from the wheel rim.

Solution - extend the whole damn steering column.

Lurch

Wow, a dished steering wheel! I hadn't thought of that either, but there are affordable Grant models (~$50) with 2.25 inches of dish, which would give nearly sixty mm I believe. In combo, this could extend the wheel/column a lot, easily enough for me to fit my legs. This sounds great!

Also, the pic of the OMP spacer really shows what I was looking for, except that I'm not sure which part is wheel and which part is spacer. Is the part with the yellow OMP label the flange of the steering wheel, or the top of the spacer?

I suppose the only immediate concern that I have is that having the steering wheel fairly close to my chest may be dangerous in an accident. Do the steering columns collapse, or would the steering wheel slide back into the driver upon a head-on collision?

Thanks for all the replies, I'm really encouraged about this now. I just hope the rest of the RX-7 checks out (as I was disappointed when I didn't fit, so I didn't even start it or really CLOSELY examine it). This could become a very cool project.

peejay

Yes the columns collapse. Every now and then you see someone posting that their steering wheel moves in and out - that's because the collapse mechanism has "sprung".

hornbm

I'm 5' 11", 135 lbs, and my rex feels like they molded it to me and me only. And I have one of those super rare non sunroof cars.

82transam

iTrader: (18)

Yea a dished wheel is a good option, one I didn't think of until I had already bought my momo, oh well, that spacer did the trick for me. Ok, in that pic, the first round part (up against the plastic trim surround piece) is the momo hub, the shinier black part with the cnc holes etc is the omp spacer, the steering wheel is basically flat, and basically just sits on top of the spacer, it doesn't add much if any height. hope that description helps. If not I can get another pic at a different angle tomorrow. good luck

82transam

iTrader: (18)

either you're sitting at and angle or I am, cause my project GS has a sunroof and my head is right under the opening, definatly more headroom for me.

peejay

Probably you, since I sit "in" the seats - my ribcage fits nice and snug in what are supposed to be the shoulder bolsters. Sitting centered in the seat is not just a good idea, it's the only way.

My SA was the same way.

The next point of interference is the upper side rail, at the door opening. Helmet will smack it if i turn my head or the car knocks me sideways. Cannot imagine having a rollcage in the car.

SA was the same way.

It could be a lot worse though... it could be an FC, which would require removing the rear bins in order to get the seat angled back enough for any headroom. Which results in an impossible driving position.

Or it could be a 2nd-gen DSM. Yeccch. No headroom, but it compensates by placing the steering wheel *on* the seat so there's no thigh room either.

85rotarypower

**** there are a lot of tall people with first gens. I'm 6'3" or 6'4", something like that, and I fit like a glove in my 7. I have only sat in it a few times before I ripped the interior out for restoration, but it was great. It felt soooo comfortable, like everything just moulded around you. It looks like I'm a tight fit, but there is lots of room to move. Just recline the seat enough to get head room and I'm set. Hell, even getting out it seems weird. I fell like a giant when I get out of it. But then again, I feel like a giant any other time. Mostly because all the girls I like at school are shorter than 5'6". Frankly, I'm attracted to short girls.

Lurch

Weird. That seems fairly common. The only explanation I can come up with is that if opposites didn't attract, we'd end up with 6'5" guys having kids w/ 6'3" chicks, and pretty soon we'd have a giant race on our hands .

It's nature's way of smacking us (tall guys) in the face and telling us we're outliers.

But it could be worse. What about the short guy attracted to the 6'3" girl? Talk about lame.



82transam, yes, your description of the pic helped a lot. Initially I thought that the accordion bit (actually the steering column) was the spacer. Whoops.

I think I'll go back this weekend (if the car is still there ) and examine more than the leg room. Maybe even start it this time. How cool to just HAVE to get a racing seat and steering wheel right off the bat? Kinda sets the whole direction for the car . Zoomzoom.

85rotarypower

It sucks being tall. I danced with a girl at my Semi Formal dance and she didn't come up much past the bottom of my ribcage. Talk about awkward to dance with someone you have to bend down to reach.

Anyway, something of relevance is that you might be able to easily modify the seats to sit lower. if you take the carpet out, you will see that you can cut the mounting points of the seat down about an inch (I think). That would make the seat sit lower. That and I think you might be able to make a modified headliner to give more headroom. Not sure on that though. I haven't actually had mine off yet.

82transam

iTrader: (18)

I sit centered too, strange. Now I'll have to find the seat for my project and put it back in to confirm this, I coulda sworn that my head was under the sunroof.

and yea, it is kinda odd how a lot of us are tall as hell. and I also agree it sucks being tall, I've been this tall since 8th grade, its always been a PITA. oh well, good luck with that car lurch, a few mods and you should be able to fit no sweat.
oh and tall girls scare me for some reason, thats my rational for going for short girls

kleinke

No problem as long as the girl has a FLAT HEAD and PISTOL-GRIP EARS

85rotarypower

I hope you don't mean what I think you do. If it is what I think, thats just not right to think that way. Not everyone is like that you know.

cosmicbang

Ah, but is it right to think he is thinking what I think you think he is thinking?

85rotarypower

Lost ya there. I think he was thinking that I think....... Too much.

No, it probably ain't right for me to be thinking that way. That was already mentioned to me by my co-op supervisor anyway, so it was on my mind a little.