will i fit in one!!

[bigsi]

Update: wrong section on forum and wrong model of car, its a stevens im looking for.

looking at a few s3 esprits over next week or so. just a quick question in case im wasting my time.

i currently own a 2 seater short wheel base 24valve 3litre v6 twin turbo fairlady(nissan) jap imort that was race tuned in japan by kakimoto. i fit in this quite comfy, now being almost 6ft 5" i didnt think i would but im fine in there and it doesnt have bucket seats.

will i fit into an s3 esprit or should i not bother looking for one?

i turned down a mirage countach last week as icouldnt get in the damn thing.

will this be the case with the s3?

advice welcomed.

thanks

si

Edited November 27, 2005 by bigsi

[WayneB]

It depends how you are built.

If you have short legs and a long body you probably wont.

I am 6' 1" and fit OK in my car

The US spec S3 Turbo has a different floorpan moulding though than the UK car.

I would find a car first and have a sit in it(like I did)

[Guest teigan]

the short answer is "no". the tall answer is "yes" with some compromise and modification.

[slade]

get one with a roof panel. My 6'5" friends fit fine if I take the roof off, then their heads stick up 3"

slade

[Guest teigan]

is that a passenger side ramair blood intercooler?

i'd be scraping insects off my forehead after every drive.

Edited November 26, 2005 by teigan

[Paul C]

Wheres Mark B???

He's a lofty chap, chatting to him at Stoneleigh i swear i was geting shorter...

You can lose the seat frame and bolt directly to the floor, thats good for 3" of

extra headroom. I'm 5.7 and can only just see over the binnacle...

[Simon350S]

Hi Simon

Being 6'3" i had the same thoughts as yourself.

To be honest I do struggle a little in my car, messes the hair up!!!! Its ok on short journeys but my 200 mile treck back from collectng the car left me being unable to walk for 3 hours until my knees started working again!!

What i plan on doing is binning the seat runners, giving a good inch or 2 extra headroom and then straightening the back of the seat to match the profile of the firewall and hence giving almost 2" of extra leg room.

This will sort the problem for me and should make the car drivable for you at the very least.

The other option would be to replace the seat wth a competition style seat which will have minial paddng and a very thin shell.

Either way I cant see a problem long term if you put a little effort in to customising the seating to suit your needs.

My brothers almost 6'9", think he would always strugle no mater what he did!!!

Good luck and keep open minded when your out looking. Were all on here to give advice if needed. Dont rush into buying one though, u'll probably end up regretting it in the long run.....!!

[WayneB]

You could put a blister in the roof , like they did on the GT40 so Dan Gurney would fit

[mchlrodrigues]

You've got four challenges to over come - leg room, head room, visibility and foot room.

I've given a rides to people 6'5". Their heads did stuck through the roof and the top cross beam over the windshield divided their vision. You can modify the seat and put a blister in the roof, but you need to make sure you're not looking straight into the sun visors.

Leg room on the early cars is limited. The later Stevens cars had the front firewall a couple inches farther forward to accomodate people over 6'. When Colin Chapman was alive, as he was only about 5'8", as long as the cars fit him they were big enough. I'm 5'9" and I have my seat almost all the way back. I may have 3/4" more travel. Your knees will also be up against the bottom of the dash or steering wheel.

I'd guess you wear about a size 12 (US) shoe. The pedals are rather close together. Depending upon your width of your feet, you may have trouble not hitting two pedals at once. I've heard feet larger than size 10 1/2 are a tight fit.

You may fit if you're determined, but I'm not sure you'll be able to enjoy the driving experience wadded up into a ball.

[slade]

5'7" my seat is all the way back. I got plenty of headroom, and legroom is perfect. No more no less is necessary for me. I can see well over the binnacle. The car was made for me.

Size 10 shoes nip the pedal you're not trying to push if you're not careful.

slade

[hovgaard]

I think you need to try and sit in one. But I'm not very optimistic on your part, I'm afraid. Espriting is not for everyone, moreover it is not for the tall and handsome.

[USAndretti42]

the short answer is "no".  the tall answer is "yes" with some compromise and modification.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Shouldn't it be if you are short, yes.

If you are long, no?

[bigsi]

well here i am with my fairlady, as you can see im not exactly short...

[Jussi]

Does this help at all : http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EOtherstuff/TallDrivers.html

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

I think Mark B is the same height as you...

HE ended up getting an early Stevens turbo as I *THINK* there is the odd extra inch or so.

Also, you will definitely need one with a GLASS sunroof as it is about a half an inch or more thinner than the composite / grp roof...

Then there are all the other suggestions as mentioned above

Should be doable but don't write off an Esprit on the basis of an S3 only... Look at the Stevens if the S3 doesn't fit!

[bigsi]

hangon,, this is in the wrong section.. the car im looking at is a stevens model. similar to this. this is andy potters car but the one i want is the same model

its an n/a version im looking for, i have seen one on ebay so i may go and look at it soon.

will i fit in that type of esprit??

Edited November 27, 2005 by bigsi

[WayneB]

You will have more chance of fitting in a St*v*ns era Esprit.

You still will need to test the fit though

[x6gas]

You won't fit in as stock, but there are definitely things you can do.

I am 6'3" and I've replaced the stock seats in my S4 with Elise seats. These are a lot lower and give me an excellent driving posistion. I have a good 3-4" of headroom. There is a lot less padding though so they are not as comfortable, but I've done long journeys with no problem.

The S4 cars have a slightly roomier interior than the earlier Stevens cars but I still fit fine in my X180.

The pedals are a problem. I have trouble if I wear particular shoes and almost always drive in a slim pair of trainers that are almost like racing boots.

Don't know where you are but you are welcome to check out my solution if you are ever anywhere near Bristol.

Ian

[bigsi]

Don't know where you are but you are welcome to check out my solution if you are ever anywhere near Bristol.

Ian

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that would be very good of you. im just over the bridge in abergavenny so its no problem for me to nip over. i will see if its possible next week.

many thanks

si