Hot Rods Classic Trucks For Tall People

Hey everyone, my wife and I are looking for a new project truck. We just looked at a '37 Chevy rat rod that I barely was able to squeeze into. Granted, the cab was channeled a couple inches, so that didn't help. I'm 6'2", 220lbs, 34" waist, 34" inseam. And my wife is 5'8", so she's kind of taller too. She loves the looks of the '40-'41 Fords, but I'm concerned about cabin space. I'm thinking maybe a '51-'52 Ford might have a little more space. She's a true blue Ford gal, but I love most everything. What trucks do all you taller people drive?

 

you might want to find a modified truck that has a stretched cab - need to get up to '55 and later to find some stock cabs with a little extra room

 

Yup, late 50's. The newer they got, the bigger they got.

 

All trucks have gotten bigger as the next version came out, and they still are getting bigger. How a person fits in old trucks depends on the steering column and wheel and the seat. At 6'2", nearly anything chopped or channeled will probably not work. I suspect you will need a seat pretty much upright, and a column close to the dash for the 51-52 to work for you. At any rate, your going to have to sit in the seat, and drive it around the block to know.
I'm 6'1" and slightly more round then you are, and Dodge cabs tend to be a bit bigger then the same years of Fords, but for me, the 50 Dodge had to have the seat and steering just right. I'm getting ready to build a 39-47 Dodge, and I'm contemplating extending the cab, forward or rearward. Once I set the cab on the frame, I'll have a better idea what I'm doing. Gene

 

I am 6'4" and 240 lbs and I've got a 1956 International that I hope to get built someday. As old trucks go, it has a fair amount of room.

 

Cant go wrong with a tall T

 

My '41 chev truck is cramped for me at 5' 11" and on trips it's a must to stop and stretch every hour or so. I think the late '47 through '54 truck at a little bigger but still tight.

 

I do like the early 50's IHC's. If the cab is big, I might go that route. Can anyone speak to the difference between the Advanced Design GM's vs the '53-'56 Ford's? I guess I'm looking for the biggest cab while still having running boards.

 

Out of curiosity, are the 1ton (or larger) trucks any bigger? I did find a 1940 Ford "Tonner" that I thought might be bigger.

 

The bigger trucks generally all have the same cab as the smaller ones, so you won't be any better off. They also ride rougher.

 

Thanks Squirrel, I sort of figured as much. It makes sense. But I had my fingers crossed.

 

How good at welding are you?

 

I'd look at the 53/56 F100 trucks. Still have a "cl***ic" Look, have a huge aftermarket supply chain and and engine compartment that just about any blue oval engine you fall in love with fits easily. They are also a bit roomier than their predecessors.
Although this is a 1 ton My uncle drove it as his horse hauler when I was little and he was 6'3 or so" and rain about 220 in those days. And he wore that hat in the truck.

It may be that guys now are so used to all the room in modern rigs that the older ones that are actually pretty comfortable in stock condition with a good stock seat don't seem comfortable to them.
I had a buddy in trade school we call Tree, he stood 6ft 8 and drove a 61 Falcon Ranchero that he had moved the seat track mounts back on the floor a few inches. Most guys on here that are 6'2" and 220 would say they didn't have enough room in one of those to be able to drive it.

 

6'6" I've owned a few '40 Ford p/u's..sure it's a bit cramped, but it hasn't stopped me from owning my favorite year p/u's.
I have my daily drivers if comfort is my concern, but when I want to really drive and enjoy the experience, the cramped old p/u is my go to vehicle.
Tough it out, it's worth it.

 

53-56 ford pickups are roomy enough to square dance in, but my 40 ford is big enough for me and I am 6-4.

 

6'3". 200.
Have a 34 ford pickup Unchopped.
No more than a 3 hr ride is comfortable.
Also had a 50 Chevy. More room. Could drive it for 6-8 hrs without a stretch.
Stay away from chopped and channeled vehicles. Definitely stay away from stupid ratrods.


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I'm 6'3 and 245, 50 Chevy The only problem I had was the steering wheel made it difficult to get in and out of. Smaller diameter wheel and power steering solved the problem.

 

Hey C & L,
If you like the 40-41 Ford looks and are not specifically set on a truck, why not consider a 40-41 Sedan Delivery? They have all of the extra room in the back for storage or carry on stuff, lockable, and have tons of room in the front. In 1961, I bought my first 40 Ford Sedan Delivery that looked like this one. Then 10 years later, I bought another 40 Ford Sedan Delivery that was this specific color and look. I patterned the 71 purchased version after the 1961 sedan delivery that I first bought. In the later version, it had side/top full upholstery, adjustable bucket seats, and upholstery in the back. (A/C, 327, auto, tape player, 4 spoke steering wheel, and plenty of room for the both of us.) I was 6"1" and my wife was 5'8" back then. We had so much room in there and it was a pleasure to drive around in it. The later version was my daily driver for almost 2 years. The 60's version was a Flathead powered daily driver to HS and the beach. My wife even liked driving the 327 version delivery. She (was/is) a very particular minded driver and likes a certain feel in the way a car drives and handles.

So, if a truck is only a possible choice, again, you guys might want to check out the 40-41 Ford Sedan Deliveries.
Jnaki
Here are a couple that I photographed a long time ago.
"mild to wild"... But, both deliveries drove and handled so smoothly, it was like driving a modern vehicle, with all the comforts included. Both V8 powered, A/C, and immaculate inside.

 

Really you should have no problem with stock designs from Model T on up. You really ride on a pre-26 stock T instead of in. The 20s and 30s trucks are small vehicles but they are more narrow than anything else, not what I would call cramped. Dashes are small but they have head and leg room....They are pretty much two seaters as driver and p***enger are close...
Post War....
Advance design GM 1947-1955....Bonus Built Ford 1948-1952...
These are comfortable trucks. The dashes are still smallish and while you can ride three, two is much more comfortable. B model Dodges, Studebakers and Internationals would be similar.

GM Thriftmaster 3100, Apache and C-10 1955-1966...
Pretty much modern trucks are far as interior size. Around 60-61 Chevy goes to independent front suspension first with a torsion bar then a conventional A arm system.
1953-56 F100...full running boards straight axles, nice simple trucks with a cavernous engine bay. A 390 will fit.
57-64 Ford Fridge and early Slick Ford trucks....
Straight axle 223 and Yblock V8s like 53-56 Big blocks will fit.
65-66 Ford F100
Same body appearance as 61-64 but with twin I beam suspension. 240-300 sixes stock (same bolt pattern as 289-302-352W) as well as 352 FE Ford big block.

All these later trucks have gas tanks behind the seat. Not a problem really as it's in the safest spot on the truck. Due to cab design, removing the tank will provide little to no additional room. Personally I just leave them stock.

The late 50s and 60s trucks have large steering wheels that work quite well without power steering. These wheels are dished and fit quite close to the thighs. This is a primitive safety feature. On late 50s to mid 60s Fords when the cab supports rust the steering column supports the front of the cab. This causes the the steering wheel to move even closer to the seat....look for that.
I'm a big guy and can drive and enjoy any truck mentioned here.

 

"Stay away from chopped and channeled vehicles. Definitely stay away from stupid ratrods."
Pretty much covers the comfort aspect for any vehicle and ratting anything.

 

Face it, the early, good looking trucks are crude utility vehicles, designed to get a job done, not for comfort.

I've been in the same predicament...my 57 Suburban is *****in, but after putting almost 50k miles on it in a few years, the comfort thing is getting to me. So I bought a Mark IV to haul our "new" Airstream.

 

6'4" tall and 220 lbs. and I was as comfortable as you can get in a Deuce pickup.

I drove it 600 miles in one day and it damn near killed me,but 3 hours straight was no big deal,you just need to have a seat that gives you head room and some back support. HRP

 

Thank you very much for all the insight and first hand experience. It's exactly what I was looking for. Just another example of why H.A.M.B. is the BEST forum on the interweb!

 

I'm your size and I have I 1936 International. With a aftermarket seat . The 34 35 36 cab is bigger then the same years of Chevy.

 

Leg room is always an issue that's why I bought this International. So much legroom and headspace

Sorry couldn't resist. I do love my bus though haha

 

I'm 6'6" and fit nicely into the TF series trucks (55-59 Chevy)

 

I second the 55-57 Ford and 55-59 Chevys as being pretty roomy. I have always had plenty of room in them, even with the large stock steering wheels.

 

buy a panel or suburban and be comfortable!

 

I'm 6'3"and have always been 250 or above. I've had a bunch of old pickups including a 56 Ford, which wasn't roomy either. I always got fed up with being cramped and sold them. This time I went with a panel truck: