I'm noticing a trend in the first gen forum latley. Topics that require opinions or personal experiences rather than those of a technical nature (engine rebuilds etc), like this thread tend to go off course after about a page and half. We were talking about steering wheel spacers and lowered seats, but we now seem to have a conversation about how us tall geeks like short girls with ******* friendly shaped heads. This is good stuff, please continue

 

Im 6'1 and have a steering wheel that i made that brings the steering wheel back an extra 4 inches or so. this gets it outta my lap some and also brings it back to my hands sonce my seat is back a ways. I used the center piece of the stock steering wheel and welded it onto another steering wheel that was already dished so that it came back some.

 

Does any one know of a tilt or quick release steering wheel for a 1st gen RX7?. I fit perfect once I'm in, but I have a bit of trouble geting my right knee past the steering wheel on entry and exit.

 

Have you tried the "slide" method of getting in/out?

Right leg goes in straight and you swing into the car. On getting out, the right foot gets out of the car before the rest of the right leg.

Important tactic when you're getting in and out of customer's cars all day and you don't want to leave any dirty footprints anywhere but on the little paper floormat.

- Pete (And all the customers seem to be 4'9, too)

 

6'3", 255lbs. Can't wait to get a different steering wheel, probably go with a D-shaped one too for just a little more room under the steering wheel. Sitting centered in the seat in my GSL without the seat leaned back some and my head is smacking the sunroof rail. I have to lean to the right a bit if I have the seat upright because of it.

As far as FC's go. Sat in them, driven them, too small compared to the FB cockpit and seemed like even less headroom...maybe the seat was more cushier?

 

I'm about 6'3", and I don't find the -SE too be too terribly cramped. My left knee rests against the door, just clearing the steering wheel, and my right one hangs out by the gearshift. I did bang my head on the sunroof a few times before I put the new shocks in, but other than that, I find the ride comfortable.

Getting in and out, however, can be a little tricky. I can't count the number of times I've whacked my noggin on the upper part of the doorframe when I'm getting in and out. I'm not used to having to duck down quite that low!

The only drivability issue I have is that if I try to wear my size 12 tac. boots when I drive, I wind up on all three pedals at once. Switching to running shoes helps that considerably. But, like someone else said, Asians are usually smaller in stature...

 

yea shoes make all the difference, a narrow, soft sneaker is the best (for me at least) I can drive with boots on, but not easily, like wae says, I hit all the pedals at once. what a pain

 

Get this - one of my friends is like 5'7 or something, he always hits his KNEE on the A-PILLAR.

I have no clue how he does that.

 

It would be hilarious to see that guy in a body that was a foot taller for a day. He'd probably knock himself unconscious on doorways before noon .

And the pedals bit, the RX-7 pedals did look pretty small and close together. I'd say I couldn't drive it w/ my 14 boots, but sneakers do make a world of difference in flexibility and feel. Plus boots generally have clunky soles (and greater weight) that will muck up any quick movements.

 

Sounds fishy to me. Unless your friend drives a mini, he would not hit his knee on the a-pillar of any car, even with the seat pushed as far forward as he can get it. You sure he's not 7'7"??

 

I dunno how he does it. The seat position has nothing to do with it. He always gripes about the car being too low (even after I raised it up) so maybe he's just used to being able to walk around in "normal" cars?

 

Yea seriously, I've been this tall since 8th grade and I still smack my head on stuff, someone not used to it would be dead in a hour.
As for the pedals, depending on shoe brand I wear either a 13 or 14, ususally on the wide side and I can drive it just fine, so as long as you get a light sneaker your fine.

 

No sh*t.

(Sorry, just feel like messin' with ya today.)

 

lol. i was gonna ask "what are you soem sort of giant?" i have a 6'4" friend who was surprised that he fit into my 7. and he's restoring a porsche 914 (joke's on him).

my 5'10" average build frame (+beergut) fits into the car perfectly with the seat halfway back.

anyway the moral of the story is that i need to convince my friend to trade his 914 for a gsl-se.

 

does he drive a hummaer?!>?

 

His daily driver used to be a '99 ZX2. Now it's a '98 (or maybe an '00) Escort sedan.

Granted those cars are roomy as hell, but still.

 

Im 6'6 and fit quite easy, cant heel toe in it though. most annoying. have 81 no sunroof. Did kinda mod my seat though. have long arms so i can still reach wheel. No 1 else can drive mine though, seat doesnt adjust anymore and hits rear seat. my mate got in it the other day and couldnt rech the wheel or the pedals, most funny, had to put a phone book behind him and below him. Laughd my **** of. He's 5'11.

 

I'm 6'7", and only drive 1st gens. I don't seem to fit very well in the '79-'80's, but both my '83 gsl's are a perfect fit. A bit snug the first few hundred miles of ownership, but you'll find it's a car that almost seems to fit its self to you. Either that or the addiction overcomes the confinement. Either way, I hate to see someone give up on an rx7 project. You should drive a later model 1st gen before putting your dream away. I think you'll thank yourself later.

 

^up from the dead^

I'm 6'4" and fit fine in first gen - took a while to work out entry/exit techniques- I have done a lot of work on FC's as well and find there is less room in an FC than an FB.

Passenger legroom in an FC is tiny compared to FB.
Driver is a bit more cramped in FC than FB.

And on the FB its just so much easier to work on/get to everything. FC fusebox is in the worst location that only midgets could reach :P

back OT, its a snug fit in the FB but generally comfortable

 

I have 2 1984 GSLs, and they both have the glass sunroof. I absolutely cannot sit in them comfortably with the factory sunroof. I have the stock seats.

The seats are thicker starting in 1983, when Mazda figured out that a large percentage of their sales was to women (at least in the US). I once unskinned one of the later seats and removed about 1.5 inches of the foam.

The cars with no sunroof have more headroom, but the sunroof opening with the glass panel has the most room.

Many years ago I walked into the best body shop in Seattle, and there was a Lamborghini 350. The guys had the driver seat out and were fabricating a steel panel to lower the floor under the seat. I asked who owned the car - "Bill Russell." For those who don't know, he was a very famous basketball player. I don't know how tall, but a lot taller than me - I am 6' 3".

 

i have sat in fb's and fc's and i fit okay in each. well, the fb was a no sunroof version, and the fc was a convertible. im 6.5" by the way

 

Stick ur head out of the sunroof. : )

 

i'm 6'5, 190, 34 inch inseam. I just put stock seats out of an '80 in my '82. I have less headroom than the shitty buckets that were in there before, but I have no problem fitting. Seat all the way back, reclined a little. Can reach everything important easily. Wear size 13 shoes and no problems with hitting multiple pedals at once. I also have a smaller Momo wheel. If you love the drive, you'll find a way to stuff yourself into just about anything.

 

hahahah.. how true. cram yourself into anything if you want to drive it bad enough