Too tall for 911 ??

[Tallbrad]

I am 6'6" (some of you may feel my pain . My 79sc seat seems to go much further back so I can sit in it comfortably as compared to my neighbors 88 carrera

Even with long arms though I have to reach for 3rd and 5th from where I sit. Has anyone ever seen a shift lever such as this used in a p-car for easier reaching on the shifter ?

http://www.jegs.com/p/Steeda/946645/10002/-1/10521

I'd love to see any pictures.

Thanks,

JB

[Poor-sche Lover]

I'm 6'4". I do feel your pain. I find myself leaning forward even while I'm cruising down the road. Then, I wonder why my back hurts. Anyway, the only thing I've ever seen like that is the Hargett Precision Pro Shifter, available from our host. It's a heck of a lot more than just a shift lever, but maybe if you've got some disposable income.

[kenikh]

I have two 6'7" friends that fit in my car fine. Admittedly, I was running low race seats and don't have a sunroof.

[barney911rs]

Check out the Hargett Shifters.

http://www.hargettprecision.com/

Web page appears to be having a problem, at least when I tried to load it. I have one of their shifters, but it's not installed yet. Search the archives, including the for sale, and you should be able to find some pics of one installed.

[euro911sc]

The tallest part of the 911 is where the windshield meets the roof line. The further forward you sit the more headroom you will have. Additionally, you wont have to reach so far to get into 5th If you are running your knees into the steering wheel get a 'D' shaped after market wheel. If that does not work get some race buckets and take the seat pads out. Last resort... cut the OE seat rails out and mount your new rails to the floor... After that, get a newer 911 where they actually thought to have the tallest part of the car where the driver might actually sit!

You can also go to a shop and have them weld on an extension to your shift stick...

Good luck!

Michael

[javadog]

You might consider installing a short shifter and then re-curving the lever with a sharper bend, so that the knob just clears the driver seat in 2nd gear.

JR

[charleskieffner]

im 6'3" 200# and i am very comfortable with recaro pole positions mounted with front of seat on highest mt. point and rear bolted to lowest mt. point. i have a wevo shifter and it works great. probably going to buy wevo TALL KNOB shifter here in future.

[David]

For a quick fix until you make serious mods, check the shift coupler behind the seats. You may be able to move the shifter a 1/2 inch or more closer just by moving the rod from the shifter to the coupler out a little.

[boba]

I am 6' 3" and was having the same issue with 2ed and 4th on my 901 '69E with sport seats. Ed Mayo was able to adjust the shifter and linkage and get me about 1", made all the differance in the world. 4th is now just a natural drop of the hand off the wheel, no leaning forward.

[ted]

I got a tall man's shifter from WEVO.

Here's the custom long lever shifter WEVO made for my other 911.
I need one for the daily driver 911 too.
Shifter works great, call WEVO and tell Hayden you want a long lever shift like Tall Mike's in San Diego.



I'm 6'6" and drive an 86 911 daily.
You might also consider...
Aftermarket seats installed where you need them.
A D shaped wheel with an extension from Pelican which makes getting in and out easyier.

[Grady Clay]

Generally fitting a 911 to us tall guys falls into two categories; model year (pre-’74 best) and type, non-sunroof coupe is best, Targa (with roof on ) and sunroof coupe.

One very useful ‘trick’ is having an experienced upholsterer ‘tie-down’ the springs in the seat. On ’73 and earlier, you can gain almost 2” more headroom and even a little for your thighs-to-steering wheel. With the ’74 and later seats there isn’t as much to be gained. This is where aftermarket seats might be considered.

At some point many need to move the seat farther back and down than the normal adjustments allow. This is easily done with custom seat mounts.

With the seat very far back, the steering wheel needs to be spaced toward the driver. There are many products that accomplish this. Even a simple spacer and longer bolts will work on some steering wheels. At some point a removable wheel might be considered.

There are two options with the shifter; modifying the lever or making an ‘above-tunnel’ shifter. Fabricating an ‘extension’ to the shift lever is easiest and probably should be tried first. Since there is limited fore-aft range to the adjustment, it is best to keep that centered for proper operation.

Keep in mind the other controls; turn signals, wipers, electric mirrors, etc. Seat belt mounting can also be an issue.


We had several customers who were 6’6” and more. We built a ’73 911E Sportomatic for a guy 6’8” and paraplegic! I think a 911 coupe can be made to accommodate a driver significantly over 7’.

Best,
Grady

[Chris'85]

Being tall is better than the alternative...... you can actually see the parade.

I went with the D shaped wheel and 1" spacer made all the dfference. Also, installed a short shift kit. But I would like to lower the seat some as well. Oh, having a Targa helps. When I had my '77 S Targa and freind had a '78 SC Coupe w/sunroof, could not even sit in the car straight.

[Plecostomus]

Why don't you just take out the driver's seat and use the back seat instead?

[85carrera]

simple. don't shift to 3rd or 5th. jk

i'm only 6'2 but i have a 6'6 buddy who drives my car on occasion, and he fits fine (especially with the targa top off) his problem is getting is big feet to push down the clutch without pushing down any other pedals

[cardsrule]

The problem i had was being 6'5 AND wearing a helmet in my evo2L. i had to cut out the seat rails and bolt it to the floor. It worked great and i didn't have to put the seat to far back so i can reach the shift knob. if you are the only one driving the car i would look into it.

[Jandrews]

Is there an aftermarket mount available that allows you to BOLT an aftermarket seat to the floor without any welding?

JA

[Quicksilver]

Originally Posted by Jandrews

Is there an aftermarket mount available that allows you to BOLT an aftermarket seat to the floor without any welding?

JA

Most higher quality race seats are "side mount" which means that the mounting brackets just bolt in and the base of the seat can be mounted below the level of the mounting points on the body.

[Rick V]

6-4 200 lbs. When I changed the wheel out of my SC (sunroof coupe) I moved it out 3.5 inches. This allows me to scoot my knees under the wheel better, which allows me to get closer to the dash, hence closer to the controls. The only problem is that the wheel is 3.5 inches away from the stalk switches. I have long fingers so not a problem for me, but the wife has to let go of the wheel to use the turnsignals. Combine that with the lowered Currillo sportseats and I have headroom and no reaching for 1-3-5

[Inniswhe]

Here is a link to my solution, I am 6'3", long torso. I lowered the seat 1.25" on my 84 carrera. That was about as low as I could drop the seat. I also put a 1.25" spacer on the momo steering wheel. Now I do not even need the seat all the way back and I have it adjusted more upright which is easier on the neck and reduces shifter reach. I now have no reach issues and it is the most comfortable sports car I have ever sat in.

No weld to tunnel seat lowering

[ted]

Originally Posted by 85carrera

simple. don't shift to 3rd or 5th. jk

i'm only 6'2 but i have a 6'6 buddy who drives my car on occasion, and he fits fine (especially with the targa top off) his problem is getting is big feet to push down the clutch without pushing down any other pedals

My size 13 shoes find the correct pedals, left foot braking not a problem.