Wife wants to drive Pcar!!!!!

[Starless]

Well I knew it would happen sooner or later. Last night during supper she came out with it. "I want to learn how to drive the Porsche" I say learn because she only drove a standard once or twice. Lets just say she can't drive a standard. So we went out to the garage, she gets in the car, moves the seat as far foward as it will go (she's 5' 1¾") and tries to press the clutch pedal. It did not reach the floor. Sigh of relief on my part. But she still insists she would like to drive it. And I would love for her to drive it, just not learn how to drive a standard on it.
Now my question is, do you have to press the clutch pedal all the way to the floor as the owners manual says to shift gears? Any suggestions from the not so tall drivers out there? She said something about a block of wood on the pedal! I'm not so sure about that. Any ideas? We have friends with standard transmissions that will teach her on their cars but the pedal reach is still a problem.

[MotoSook]

My clutch disengages and reengages about 1-1.5 inches from rest. I usually press all the way down, but I don't think it is necessary. But the further down the better is a good rule.

Now, have your wife call my lady so I can get me ..err ..her a 993!

[Jeff]

Jaun, How about a Lumbar pillow to push her forward in the seat?

By all means let her drive the car. Once she feels how the car drives and excelerates, she will be MUCH more open to upgrades etc. Maybe even a second Porsche...

[Jim Sims]

I have a short sister-in-law who has wooden blocks on her Honda pedals (including clutch); it was the only way to maintain a safe distance from the steering wheel air bag. Jim

[Jim Sims]

http://members.aol.com/handcontrols/page2.htm

http://www.garyecolleinc.com/extensions.html

http://www.pedalextenders.com/

[Starless]

A second Porsche will not fix the problem. She only likes the looks of 911's. No 928, no 914, forget the 924/944 altogether. As a matter of fact we drove past a 993 the other day and she mentioned how sad it was that the body had changed so much. So no automatic or semi-automatic. The wooden blocks don't seem crazy then? How would you attach them so i can remove them quickly when I take the car? Tape? Rope? Maybe I'll attach the blocks to her feet. Yeah, that's the ticket!

[GB83SC]

My wife also wanted to drive the 83SC, she drove it a few blocks and said this must be a guy thing ( this thing rides like my old VW) I did not say a word, she park it and never asked again .
And thats all I have to say about that.

[Jim Sims]

Wooden blocks are usually attached with u-bolts or with a bolts to a plate or plates behind the existing pedals. Jim

[Starless]

Jim, thanks for the links. Never knew they made such things. But I guess shes not the only short driver out there. If there is a need, somebody will make it, no matter what it is.

[Dantilla]

I'm in a similar situation, but my wife only wants to drive the NARP 944. She's afriad of driving the 911. New paint, big engine, light flywheel, silly things like that. That's good, but I still want her to get proficiant driving a stick on something easier to replace the clutch in than a 944.

[kstylianos]

Hmm... Platform shoes?

maybe something along these lines.......

[JackT]

Rent a straight drive from a rental car company. I did that with my son, a pickup and took out the insurance, and spared my 911 clutch the trauma.
Then, if she is still interested, put a pillow behind her back and let her drive the Porsche. She will be uncomfortable and will get tired of it pretty quick.

[Slider79SC]

Juan,

I used to have a drag car and my wife hated it. We sold that and bought a P-car. Once we joined PCA and started doing DE events she was hooked.

Just last year I finally heard the words..... "why don't you get another one and build a race car and then we can leave this one for the street"

Get them hooked and it is so much easier to spend and upgrade at will.

By the way, she is 5' even and we use one pillow for a lumbar and one behind her shoulder blades and she is just fine for the street. I moved the brackets on the race seat so that it could be adjusted forward enough for her too.

Watch out though, women are excellent P-car drivers and are often the fastest drivers after they get past the initial fears of going and stopping fast.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Don't do it. She won't be able to clutch and shift at the same time. Trust me, my wife is 5'1" and I've seen the results of letting her attempt to drive the P-car.

She tried to engage 3rd with both hands in a death grip on the shift lever.

[jhugh]

My wife loves Porsches. Her first ride in any kind of car was in her dad's '57 Speedster - as a newborn coming home from the hospital, for Chrissakes. A few years ago when I announced I was going to get a Ferrari 308, it was she who convinced me to get a 911 instead, which took some doing, believe me. Bless her.

I'll never forget her comment after first driving my car... "It's a lot faster than the Audi! I passed 10 cars on the onramp!" I love a woman who knows how to put her foot in it. She shifts better than I do, and knows how to handle turns.

But she hasn't driven my car since I rebuilt it. She sees me struggle with the shifter adjustment, and then there was the time one of the axle halfshafts backed off the hub, stranding us on the fwy in Oakland for an hour. After a couple nice long confidence-inspiring road trips, she's just coming to trust it again now, though.. so it's only a matter of time before she demands the keys.

[banjomike]

Originally posted by Slider79SC
Just last year I finally heard the words..... "why don't you get another one and build a race car and then we can leave this one for the street"

That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard. I've got tears in my eyes. *Sniff*

[juanbenae]

ksty, arnt those some of those jimmy shoes from seinfeld?


slider does you wife have a sister?

[1fastredsc]

GB83SC, that can back fire on you though. I allowed my mother to drive the 951 i used to own, and after stalling it the first time she got mad, reved it, then dropped the clutch and lit the tires. Now she asks me for the keys to either of my cars and i laugh saying "and you actually think i am going to say yes."

[Slider79SC]

K911SC,

She has 3 sisters, but they scare the bejezus out of me. I got a one of a kind......

[kstylianos]

ksty, arnt those some of those jimmy shoes from seinfeld?

'Jimmyy says they could also be used as platforms and possibly some heel-toe'........ I wouldnt try it though.