Tall or Short, Does this effect what you own.

I just had a conversation with a friend of mine who has been a painter/builder most his life. He was saying that he never really owned a 30's small body hot rod (or liked the ones he had) because hes over 6 ft and always ended up having bigger body cars. He's had a 56 Chevy gassered out his whole life. We kinda wondered if subconsciously that was because of the comfort factor. I myself being 6'3'' have always kinda been the same way. My dad's 57 bird was a great car but i was never comfortable driving it. Does anyone else have any thoughts about this, just curious really.

 

Have a good friend who is 6'4" + and currently owns a chopped Model A Coupe. Barely fits even after I built him seats that sit on the floor and are only 3" think. And it's funny to watch him fold himself in there. He has turned down many cars due to his size. Even Daily Drivers are tough for him! Can't get a car with a sunroof becasue of the loss of head room!!

 

so there must be some truth to that then?

 

Well, I'm 5'10"....I chopped my A 4"....my hair sticks out the top! I didn't channel it for this reason. I wanted to be as comfortable as I could while driving, and unfolding myself from my car didn't seem to appealing to me.

 

I'm 6 feet even, I had a Model A coupe, loved the car, but was never comfortable in it, so I built my delivery, have the seat way back, have driven it cross country twice, comfort was NEVER an issue on either trip, oil consumption was..............55 quarts round trip

I see lots of guys who have to fold themselves into cars, they say they are comfortable in them.

 

I've been 6'2" almost all my life...and just love small Hot Rods. I've owned T buckets, Fiat Topolino's, Model A and '32 roadsters and never really fit in any of them. Hell, I don't fit in my new Fiat Comp Coupe, Pinocchio.
I build or buy them because I love the look and the traditon.

 

My '32 truck will have a 5" chop...yeah, I'm braggin about being short...

 

I'm 6"4" and definatly basic car interior specs dictate whether you can fit safely and comfortably in your ride. I am very happy with the fit in my stock bodied 39 Ford Coupe but then again - you might consider that a big Ford. I have a 35 3 window that I fit fine as well although I am thinking about shortening the package shelf behind the seat by 3-4 inches to get me more leg room.

 

I didn't care when I was younger.I could fold up as necessary to get in and out of cramped cars. I'm 6'.

Now that I'm older, forget the little cars. i need to be able to sit up straight and be able to stretch my legs out while driving.

 

I certainly does me.
I just bought a 59 f 100.
I am 6 ft 5 inches tall and weigh about 220.
I hope I fit....

 

you'll prolly be fine

 

Yes..Rivieras and Cadillacs with lotsa elbow room and bench seats for the chicks..I got rid of a perfectly good Nash Metro because it was too uncomfortable..When I parked, reached to my left and pulled the floor mounted ebrake I couldn't get out..I'm determined to make some room in the 34 Pkup, putting a 4" band in the cowl and pushing the pedals forward might be the answer, little channel and little chop..I squeezed into BBleeds old white truck the other day and if I could just stretch my legs a leetle more....

 

I'm 6'2" and currently building a Model A coupe with a 3" chop. I sat in several chopped Model As to confirm I would fit before we did any cutting. 4" chop was to much.

My Deuce roadster is glass. Has a 2" extended cockpit. I fit OK. Just. I can not fit comfortably in a stock Model A or Deuce roadster and work the pedals.

 

I am 6' 2" and have been ever since the 6th grade. As I have aged I find that I get stiffer and the bulge in the mid section all combine to make larger cars more desirable. Right now I am trying to find more room in my 61 Starliner or I might have to get a larger car.

Scott...

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=352147

 

I remember in a mad fabricators DVD, them talking about the little deuce coupe and how the Alexander brothers didn't chop it because the owner was 6'+. and the only reason they chopped it was because George talked him into it. I think that brings up an interesting point about the style aspect v. comfort for the owner. I think if a car is loved by the owner and is not going anywhere, the style can override the comfort factor because the style as a whole is the end result.

 

people are definitely bigger then they were in previous generations...

 

I'm 6 foot and never gave size a thought when it came to buying a car. I have always wondered why tiny sports cars were owned by guys that don't quite fit in them.

 

I'm 6'5" and 250 and my DDs tend to be cars or trucks that I can get in and out of easily, with headroom (no sun roofs) and what I hate the most, insanely huge consoles that don't let you splay out your legs.

For my interesting vehicles, though, I find a way to fit inside. If they are that much fun to drive, then you find a way. I figure that as long as I don't fit in anything I might as well squeeze into something worthwhile.

 

I'm 6'2". My T is chopped 8" and I still have head room........of course I almost sit on the floor but we were not discussing seat height

 

I can sympathize.
I go about 6' 5", 220 lbs.

Hell, I recently got all wound up about a '57 International pickup I saw locally.
Not a bad lookin' little project, price wasn't too bad.

Climbed all over and underneath it inspecting and taking pictures ... cash in hand.

Then I climbed inside ......

YOWZA ....!!!!
Guess I forgot how (relatively) small old pickup cabs were!
No problem with height, but I had the steering wheel jammed up against me.
Cooled my ardor right quick!
Was a pisser.

 

I am a little over six foot tall and wanted to build an early Ford steel car knowing that I would be to big for it. I found a 27 with hardly any rust, so thats what I started building. I will drive it for a while but will end up with something bigger for my next build!

 

yeah I think for big guys thats the case. Does anyone think that they tend to favor a custom (big car) over a hot rod because of that factor.

 

You guys are funny - I have the opposite problem as I'm only 5'2" tall and I can't reach the damn pedals or depress the clutch enough! Then, when I pull the seat all the way up I can reach the pedal throws but I can't see over the steering wheel!

I owned a 62 Chevy 409/409 and I DROVE the car and hard. When I went out to a cruise night I sat on 2 folded blankets and wore a certain pair of shoes that had fat soles so I wouldn't miss a shift when street racing!! This is the honest truth, so help me. When my buddy cruised with me I was stretched all the way out and he was eating his knees because the seat was so far up!!! He was 6'2" tall .... it was/is funny stuff let me tell you!! LOL! The comparison in a chopped Model A would be his head sticking out of the roof and me being barely seen in the door window .... LOL again!!!

 

I'am 6'2" my '32 Roadster is chopped 3". I built my own seat with the stock seat riser. Used foam and a LaBaron-Bonney kit. I look right through the middle of the windshield and my shoulders are below the top of the body. Very comfortable on long trips and don't have a top.

 

It is a deciding factor for me, I am 6' 6" and therefore some cars that I like, I will never own... like an early T-Bird as an example.

 

I'd love to see a thread with guys actually sitting in their cars. You'll see a car and it's beautifully done but you look at the steering wheel to seat and pedal relationship and you wonder if the guy could drive it 5 miles without begging for mercy.

 

Tall or Short, Does this effect what you own?

No...but fat dose

 

Same here. I see some really interesting "ergonomics" on some hot rods.

I always wanted a Lotus Seven but couldn't get my tail into one. Too short, to narrow, no room for my feet! So I built my own, but bigger!

 

I can relate. I'm 6'2" (at least I used to be) but my problem is one that hasn't been addressed. My legs are relatively short for my height. I'm long (tall ) between the ass and top of my head. My '32 sedan is chopped a little over 2" and no problem as I positoned the steering wheel so I could exit/enter w/no problem. Now, on my '32 5w I've wanted to chop it 4" ever since I bought it. That won't happen, but 3 1/2" is a possibility with some clever seat/steering wheel juggling. I hate cars that I have to sit on the floor to drive but in this case I'll make some concessions.

Frank