Searched and read lots of info that here already. Starting to work on mocking up my column (very roughly at this point). Came up with a few questions. 1. What is a common distance from the dash to the steering wheel? I know there will be a wide variance but just curious of a range. 2. Along those lines, what is the distance from the floor up to the center of the steering wheel? 3. What angle is the steering column running from the floor to the wheel? 4. How about a distance from door to center of the steering column? I'm using a 15" wheel. Car is a '32 5 window, has a 3" chop, stock style floors, stock style dash, brake pedal thru the floor.....nothing out of the ordinary. firewall is set back about 3" from stock. I'm kind of wanting to keep the column up high enough thru the firewall I can left foot brake if needed/wanted. Fortunately I only have size 10-1/2 feet. Looked at a lot of pictures on here over the last few days and that looks doable. Looks like a lot of columns go thru the floor about 4" above and a couple inches left of the top of the brake pad location. Waiting on my seat so not doing anything drastic yet. Just started playing around with it tonight. Decided where it most likely needs to pass thru the firewall but think my wire "column drop" is still too long. I have built several steering setups thru the years in race and pro street cars but never a '32. Love to hear from those that have been there, done that. Thanks in advance, SPark
Personally I like keeping all the geometry close to stock on an unchanneled car, that includes pedal location also, it feels a bit funky at first for someone who is used to a modern car but you get used to it and it will feel right after awhile.. If too many things differ from stock I make sure I can sit and use pedals comfortably and not get legs tangled in steering wheel , I will do a Moch panic stop test and pretend someone pulled out in front of me to make sure I can hit clutch and brake with no issues quickly
Your seat will help you determine the distance you will need,I prefer to have my seat in place and then grab the steering wheel and hold it at a comfortable position,I believe it's different for everyone,also if you have a clutch,you don't want the steering wheel so low your knee don't interfere with the wheel when changing gears. HRP
I agree with hotrodprimer. Sit you butt in the seat and go from there make it comfortable you. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
It will be around a month before I get my seat. Just playing around and these questions came to mind. I won’t be doing anything permanent until my butt is in the seat. Just looking for ideas at this point and killing time. No clutch so only working with gas and brake. SPark
From the pictures of the guys down under the steering wheel looks really good on the right. No matter which side of the dash you put it, start with your seat and build the column/drop/wheel to be safe (no interference), comfy and lastly - look cool.
The full interior dimensions in pictorial form were published in various Ford manuals. The '32 version was republished in a modernish book entitled, I believe, "1932 Ford restoration manual," which was essentially a bunch of clippings from various Ford books. I'm recommending it because all the early Ford cockpits are small and you generally can't deviate very far from original wheel and pedal locations without building a shotrod that is uncomfortable and dysfunctional for actual driving. If brakepedal is moved over past the steering, I would consider that just fine with an automatic, probably dangerous on standard shift. I consider left foot braking superior with improved response time on an automatic, but if your right foot has to negotiate a maze to get to the pedal, one day you are going to be too late.
Bruce, this might the first thing you have ever written that I disagree with. Brake pedals, even on automatic cars, don't belong on the wrong side of the column. And the left foot is ONLY for the clutch.
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