I have just been inspired by another thread regarding Tall guys fitting into early rods. Maybe it is time to document some of the tricks to help make driving our jalopies more user friendly. I know on my current build being a model T closed cab pickup, that I found myself taking measurement from current model cars to locate steering wheel height, edege of seat to brake pedal etc. Not sure if I have achieved anything great but ti was worth a shot. My project vehicle is not drivable yet. Seat angle is an obvious one, I know every body has a prefered setting, but setting up your ride to be in the correct range of settings is more the point I would thing. Any way just any 2 cents worth could be helpful about how to get started planning your cab and seat set up.
I can tell you this much, the steering wheel will be easier to reach if you put it on the other side.
get you somet be 4X4 blocks or 8" concect block to set on and your tape measuer and get in. i like to be able to look through the center of the windsheld get comfortable and start measuring
You don't need too much padding for your shoulder blades. If you plan to support your lower back and thighs, get your shoulder blades almost to the back wall of the cab, and give an elevation that will allow satisfactory sight lines and not-too-cramped leg position, you have probably done what you can as far as seating position. Make sure the pedals, steering wheel, and shifter are easy to use, keeping in mind that to run a tank full of gas out of the thing might take a while. Make sure your gauges can be read, and switches switched. By the way, after you have lived with it for a while, you are certain to find things that could be better.
While you can't anticipate everything, try your best. I forgot how close the turn signal stalk is to the window crank on my truck, for instance! I don't yet know how to work around that. I used a pizza pan and a stick of PVC tube to mock up my steering wheel position and column drop. And.. - can you read the important gauges thru the steering wheel, or around it? - can you reach the controls / shifter without leaning forward in the seat? - at least 3" of headroom? - good visibility.. seat not too low? - good rear view mirror(s)? Lastly, be sure to realize just how magically things keep getting tighter and tighter as you go along. What might start out as a roomy cab, with pedals and controls in the right place, can turn into a sardine can of a cockpit - after the extra thickness of carpets, door panels, insulation, etc is added. For instance, when you plan your gas pedal location, be sure to put about 3 thicknesses of carpet under your heel AND along side the tranny tunnel where the side of your foot will rest in order to help compensate for the position change in your right foot after the interior is added. Gary
Back in the day, we used to pull seats from MGB's, TR-4's, and the like. They were smallish, but quite comfortable (I'm 6 ft.) and really easy to mount. Made most cabs feel pretty big on the inside
I guess tilt columns have done a lot to help make things work a little better since space has always been tight for fitting both a steering coulmn, plus brake pedal and hoping that they will work in with your sitting position.
This is true..tilt columns are not traditional, but they are practical. I reluctantly installed one in my 40' for the extra room..being 6' 6", you have to make concessions.
steering wheel should be centered on your chest. If the column is angled slightly toward the center of the car in front, it is more natural (harder for clearance building tho!) all controls should be within arm's reach not make you have to lean forward (I rented a car once where I had to lean forward to change radio stations, it SUCKED!). This includes door, window, ignition, shifter, switches, etc. I'm tall, so I'm used to looking out the top 1/3 of the windshield. I also want to have the window ledge at a good arm height. Many early cars will have the back of the window in front of your shoulder if you move the seat back. Be aware that means no arm on the sill. If it's a road car, try to leave enough room so you are not forced into a single position, but can move around some. For a race car, you want ONE position! Try to incorporate controls in "normal" positions. If all your cars have the ignition on the right of the column, lights on the left, put them there too, unless you are keeping it all stock. Try to avoid the knee in the window crank center. It can be clocked to avoid the handle in the up and down positions, but if your knee is in the center of the crank, there is no avoiding it. If you have a flat vertical rear window, make sure the gauges don't pick up reflections!
If you want to create more room in the cab remove the after market bucket seats & build a seat backrest that is flat to the back of the cab. Then figure out seat height so you look through the center of the windshield. The foam for the seat & seat back can be cut to the shape that is needed. With buckets seats there is to much wasted space at the bottom seat base to the back of the cab, that can be used for extra leg room. Once you are setting back as far as possible & looking through the center of the windshield then create your column drop, steering column & steering wheel dia. This way you are using the maximum space available in the cab. Doing hot rod interiors for a living I need to do this all the time. Foam can be cut in all kinds of shapes to create lumbar support or under leg support for the most space and comfort needed.
An old trick used on Austin-Healeys to get more legroom is to lean the whole seat back by raising the front of the seat bottom by an inch.
The last thing you want to do is to have a seat-back that is vertical and flat to the back of the cab. That can gain you room, but is a bad choice for comfort. If the seat bottom is flat, there is no rest under your legs. If the seat back is flat, it puts you in an unnatural position. Either condition will wear you out in no time. An effective trick to add room is to drop the floor-pan, at least under the feet. I forget what his name is, but I recently viewed a post by someone who did just that...the whole floor. Another method is to bump the firewall out just a little...kinda like a '33/'34 Ford, but to a lesser degree. It means the engine has to go forward, and possibly the frame lengthened. Don't forget lengthened doors. Just a couple of inches isn't going to throw off the proportions too bad. I've seen guys with roadsters that have the top of the seat-back actually under the sail-panel. Less padding in the seat-back helps. An under-dash sprint-car type steering box clears the floor area around the pedals, and can put your steering-wheel at a better angle for sitting low in the cockpit. Never eliminate the angled toe-board. Even though it's nice to stretch your legs out, and that's good if you can get it, you need support for your and the passenger's feet. If you don't, fatigue will ensue!
The Jalopy Journal
