6' 8" in a Coupe

Has anyone raised the steering wheel by shortening the support from the dash that holds the steering column? This might require opening up the holes in the frame.
 
Richard Lorenz said:
Has anyone raised the steering wheel by shortening the support from the dash that holds the steering column? This might require opening up the holes in the frame.
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Should be do-able, just make sure that doesn't put the steering wheel rim too close to the dash-rail, or bruised knuckles will result !


Regarding overall height of potential Model A drivers... total height is one thing, but there are also variations in leg-length & foot size to consider....

My best friend is also an old car guy, and is just about the same height as me ( 6' 2 ")... but apparently, his legs are just a few inches longer than mine: he can't work the pedals in my '28 Coupe w/o his knees hitting the steering wheel - I have never had this issue.

On the other hand, my size 13-A shoes tend to jam between the seat-riser and door pillar if I go in "butt-first" and try to swing my legs in after.

So, I have to duck-in head-first... :o

If you're planning to lower the seat riser and move the back rest back, I would NOT raise the steering column / wheel until you've had a chance to try it out... doing so might create an effect similar to riding a motorcycle with "ape-hanger bars"... not very comfortable, in my experience.

I once had a '36 Chevy pick-up, where someone had swapped-out the original steering gear for one form a '39-'47, which had a longer shaft, and different geometry - it put the steering wheel very high, and close to the windshield. It was quite awkward to drive, especially compared to another stock '36 we had...

Just some random thoughts on my part...

Please continue to share your progress on this...

SC Frank
 
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Does he also have a long torso or is he all legs?
This would seem to be a consideration as often tall people pick it up in their torso, which might put him too high in addition to being cramped while others are all legl
 
I bought my Roadster from a friend who is tall. He had cut off the gearshift about level with the top of the seat -- below knee level. He rethreaded the stick and put the shifter ball back on.
I'm 6'6" so it worked for me, too, but you need to have long arms to get 2nd gear.
But it wasn't quite right. I wanted to show off my fancy shift knob, so I did the heaty-bendy process on a repo shifter. Just install it on the transmission and then pull up the boot and aim your little propane torch at the stick. When it gets orange and glowy, push it over a little. Presto! Knee room.
After it cools, hit it with some Rustoleum and then pull the boot down. If you were neat, the rubber will cover the destroyed chrome.
No one's the wiser exept your right knee ... and your wife. And she will probably welcome the attention!
 
Bruce said:
I bought my Roadster from a friend who is tall. He had cut off the gearshift about level with the top of the seat -- below knee level. He rethreaded the stick and put the shifter ball back on.
I'm 6'6" so it worked for me, too, but you need to have long arms to get 2nd gear.
But it wasn't quite right. I wanted to show off my fancy shift knob, so I did the heaty-bendy process on a repo shifter. Just install it on the transmission and then pull up the boot and aim your little propane torch at the stick. When it gets orange and glowy, push it over a little. Presto! Knee room.
After it cools, hit it with some Rustoleum and then pull the boot down. If you were neat, the rubber will cover the destroyed chrome.
No one's the wiser exept your right knee ... and your wife. And she will probably welcome the attention!
Click to expand...

Bruce, I would think the travel from 1st to 2nd gear would be less with a shorter gear lever rather than further. What am I missing?
 
Brent, tried it in my pick up and with my hand on the knob in 2nd gear my arm was bent at the elbow. With shifter in 2nd gear and hand halfway down the shifter my arm was straight. Just was stating my experiment results.
 
40Pickup said:
When I borrow my friend's Model A coupe, I have a custom gear lever that I've bent of shape, so I have more clearance between the steering wheel and gear lever and a better place for my knee.
I'm 6 '7 "and it works with some antusiasm and thin shoes as a temporary solution.
It takes some technique to get in and out with this length.
/40Pickup
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You can also cut the lever down significantly and then re-thread it for the shifting knob. A lot of taller people in our club do this.
 
Brent,
For tall folks the shortened stick works well. The problem may be that 2nd gear is a long reach DOWN for shorter-armed folks. The other problem is that the short shifter is hidden down low and a gussied-up shift knob won't stand out. Our Roadster came with all the frills and gizmos, including a blue swirl glass shift knob. That had to be up high for max impact. Eyecandy. Makes a big difference in performance, too!
(I should list my already-modified shift lever and trans top. With all this publicity, som too tall out there is going to want to try it!)
 
Bruce said:
Brent,
For tall folks the shortened stick works well. The problem may be that 2nd gear is a long reach DOWN for shorter-armed folks. The other problem is that the short shifter is hidden down low and a gussied-up shift knob won't stand out. Our Roadster came with all the frills and gizmos, including a blue swirl glass shift knob. That had to be up high for max impact. Eyecandy. Makes a big difference in performance, too!
(I should list my already-modified shift lever and trans top. With all this publicity, som too tall out there is going to want to try it!)
Click to expand...
I would love to try that. I am not real tall, 6'1" but I cannot hit the brake and be in first like a lot of other folks. I must have tall shins or something. I had not thought of the shortened or bent shifter.
 
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