Tall People in Disappointingly Small Cars

[spaceage]

At the last cars & coffee event, it dawned on Mr. Spaceage that a Corvette Sting Ray could probably never be in our future given his rather long legs. So here's a question for those of you who are of above-average height--

 

Have you ever fallen in love with a car that, as you later found out, you are too tall to drive? And how may that have impacted your search for a classic car to add to your garage?

 

Interested in hearing your stories!

[Walt G]

My first car was a 1931 Plymouth Pa 4 door sedan. Bought it in 1964 and it had been in storage since 1935. Took a few years to rebuild engine, brakes, etc. I drove the car and so did my father. Moved the seat back ( had to unbolt it then rebolt to the floor)  but by the time I got to be 6 ft 1 inch tall it was mostly in my legs. I couldn't comfortably then shift the car any longer as my left knee hit the bottom of the steering wheel when I used the clutch. I still love those cars and would have one if I could fit.  Very peppy car and easily rode along at 50 mph and had great brakes to stop, steered easily etc. But had to sell it or it would have just sat in the garage unused. I like to drive the cars I own,

Edited September 3 by Walt G (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

Same problem. I am just under 6 ft. 2 in and just too tall for many of my " ideal " cars. I am primarily a early car { pre 1920 } guy and a post war British sports car guy. Not a good fit at all in so many great cars.

[TerryB]

My son is 6’5”.  He likes Porsches, especially the 911 variants.  There is some figment issues with that combo.

 

 

[CChinn]

One advantage of being average height. I can fit in all cars that I like and drive them too

[John_S_in_Penna]

Not legroom, but headroom, can be a

limiting factor for me in smaller or lower cars.

In some convertibles, my line of eyesight is

at the level of the windshield header (top of 

the windshield).

 

You and your husband might like the Buick 

Reatta, Buick's small convertible or coupe

made in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

I tried one and found it had ample headroom,

and I don't think legroom should be a problem either.

 

33 minutes ago, spaceage said:

...it dawned on Mr. Spaceage that a Corvette Sting Ray could probably never be in our future...

 

[Larry Schramm]

25 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

Not legroom, but headroom, can be a

limiting factor for me in smaller or lower cars.

In some convertibles, my line of eyesight is

at the level of the windshield header (top of 

the windshield).

 

You and your husband might like the Buick 

Reatta, Buick's small convertible or coupe

made in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

I tried one and found it had ample headroom,

and I don't think legroom should be a problem either.

 

 

 

I am 6' and drove a lot of Reattas as company cars.  They are great road cars for tall people.  Lots of head room and leg room.  That is from my experience.

[Ed Luddy]

As a former Reatta convertible owner I do agree! I'm under 6.0 ft but have a few back and neck issues so ingress and egress is a problem for me on a lot of cars. Not the Reatta.

[Terry Harper]

I am 6’-2” and drove a 1968 MGB for years as my daily summer driver. I found it quite comfortable and never felt cramped with plenty of leg room. However, getting in could be challenge if you haven’t mastered the right leg in first method. 
 

[BobinVirginia]

I found the Castle Duesenberg interesting for driver height. The car was custom built around the 7’ tall owner. Now anyone that drives it usually needs a seat bolster. This is opposite of everything I’ve seen with cars of the age. 

[Bloo]

It's not anywhere near how people think it is. The size of the car doesn't really tell you much. I am 6'3" and can drive almost anything. I was a mechanic, a driveability tech who specialized in tough dogs, so I have probably driven a wider variety of cars than most. Exactly how you are too big probably makes a difference, leg length vs torso length and so on. The car's I can't drive at all are not always small ones, and sometimes small cars have a lot more room inside than you would expect. Big classics that were intended to be chauffeured notoriously cramp the driver. 70s and 80s Hondas are notoriously roomy inside, and seem designed to accommodate tall Americans. Speaking of Hondas, I drove an AZ600 in high school days. Whats that? Here's a random pic from the Internet (not me, not my car).

 

 

That is a bit tight, but not nearly as bad as you might think. Putting the seats all the way back does make the back seat pretty useless.

 

 

As you can see, the doors are quite long. What you can't see is that it has a transverse mounted 2 cylinder engine right behind the grille, and quite a bit of the "hood" length is footwell area.

 

I recall sticking my head through the sunroof of a car to drive it into the shop. That was an 80s or 90s Oldsmobile, I don't recall the model. A friend has a 1926 Model T coupe. I can't drive it. I have moved it around a parking lot with the door open but the pedals are just too close. I've driven several T tourings over the years. Those are tight, but no problem. I have a 1913 Studebaker, and although I can drive it just fine, it is a little tight. The main problem is the gas pedal, which is between the brake and clutch pedals. My size 13 shoes do not fit. I have to use the throttle on the steering wheel, as if it were a Model T. Foot size can be a problem. I've never yet owned a Saab Sonett III. I was looking to buy one in the early 90s and drove a few. They are tight, but I can do it. The pedals would need modification for anything like daily driving. I think a little bend would do it. Again they are too close together for size 13 shoes. My head touches the ceiling a little over bumps, but no problem.

 

 

Looks a little bit like a Datsun Z, doesn't it?  I couldn't find any pics that show scale. A Datsun Z parked next to this would seem the size of a garbage truck.

 

British cars usually have seem to have gobs of legroom. You typically stretch your legs out nearly flat in those. The old Mini is a bit cramped for legroom, but I have no problem driving it. Now is where bone size comes in. I have no trouble at all driving an MG Midget (or AH Sprite), but getting in is extremely awkward. The door opening length is shorter than the section of my leg from my hip to my knee. MGBs TR6, Spitfire, Jensen Healey, etc. no problem. Most Jaguars are fine, but I looked at an XK120 Coupe to buy back in the mid 90s, and could not even get in. There was literally not enough room between the floor and the underside of the nearly vertical steering wheel for the lower section of my leg. It wasn't even close. The seat was too close as well. I can get into a Lotus 7, but don't fit well enough to drive. A Westfield on the other hand is tight but doable.

 

Early 60s full size Fords are huge, but with a clutch are a problem for me. The steering wheel is too close to the door. My knee needs to go there to operate the clutch. This problem also exists in some but not all Fiat X1-9s. Some I could drive, others I had to drive into the shop with the door open. Reattas keep coming up. As I recall, I never had a bit of trouble driving those.

 

My current daily drivers are an early Miata and a 36 Pontiac. There are known "tall people mods" for Miatas, but mine has only one of them, the parking brake handle is tipped sideways with shims. Even that didn't get done for the first 5 years or so, but it does make a noticeable difference on long road trips. My head is quite close with the top up, but not enough to be a problem. The Pontiac with the seat all the way back feels pretty tight for legroom, but not tight enough to be any sort of a problem. The main problem at first was the fact that the distance from the corner of the front seat to the A pillar is less than a size 13 shoe. Getting in was extremely awkward at first. I automatically turn my foot now getting in and don't notice anymore.

 

Corvettes and 911s were mentioned earlier in the thread. I've never met a version of either I couldn't drive.

 

Edited September 3 by Bloo (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

2 hours ago, Terry Harper said:

I am 6’-2” and drove a 1968 MGB for years as my daily summer driver. I found it quite comfortable and never felt cramped with plenty of leg room. However, getting in could be challenge if you haven’t mastered the right leg in first method. 
 

I have no trouble at all with the mainstream British sports cars . TR 2 - TR 8 . MGA / B and even early Sprites and Midgets. Its when I start looking at the less mainstream cars that things become tight . Lotus , Elva, Morgan , quite a few small bore track cars , Formula Fords and the smaller / cheaper sports racers. I  just fit in my TVR . snug but not really cramped. Most early tourings are a no go for driving although you can usually throw a party in the rear seat.

[Matt Harwood]

 

[Xander Wildeisen]

My father sitting in my Jaguar after it was unloaded off the transport. He was 6' 2". Had to get the top out of the way for him to slide in there one leg at a time. His head hit the top bows and he sits high enough to get some air flow in the face. 6' 3" plus, a Jag would be a very uncomfortable ride.

[4Hud]

Our 1931 Imperial close-coupled sedan is quite cramped even though my father and I are not big guys. Having the roll up divider window means the seat is not adjustable, when we get the upholstery done we will have to be creative with the seat padding.

 

[Studemax]

When I was a kid, a very tall fellow used to come into my mom's print shop. He was 6"6' tall, and I loved watching him fold himself into a tiny little Mini- Cooper. His knees were almost as high as the steering wheel. I asked him how he did it, and he told me it had more room inside than outside. At the age of 10, it made sense to me.

[8E45E]

11 hours ago, Bloo said:

It's not anywhere near how people think it is. The size of the car doesn't really tell you much. I am 6'3" and can drive almost anything. I was a mechanic, a driveability tech who specialized in tough dogs, so I have probably driven a wider variety of cars than most. Exactly how you are too big probably makes a difference, leg length vs torso length and so on. The car's I can't drive at all are not always small ones, and sometimes small cars have a lot more room inside than you would expect. Big classics that were intended to be chauffeured notoriously cramp the driver. 70s and 80s Hondas are notoriously roomy inside, and seem designed to accommodate tall Americans. Speaking of Hondas, I drove an AZ600 in high school days. Whats that? Here's a random pic from the Internet (not me, not my car).As you can see, the doors are quite long. What you can't see is that it has a transverse mounted 2 cylinder engine right behind the grille, and quite a bit of the "hood" length is footwell area.

 

I agree with that!   The cab on a lot of Peterbilts and Kenworths are very cramped for some, despite their being a 'BIG' Rig.  And unlike a Honda, the non-sleeper cabs do not have a rear seat area to slide or move the front seat back any.  

 

In the case of light trucks, the 'regular' cab is the least popular of the three cab configurations available, most likely because of front seat headroom.

 

Craig

[8E45E]

9 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

I have no trouble at all with the mainstream British sports cars . TR 2 - TR 8 . MGA / B and even early Sprites and Midgets. Its when I start looking at the less mainstream cars that things become tight . Lotus , Elva, Morgan , quite a few small bore track cars , Formula Fords and the smaller / cheaper sports racers. I  just fit in my TVR . snug but not really cramped. Most early tourings are a no go for driving although you can usually throw a party in the rear seat.

Abarth solved the issue with a 'double bubble' roof.

 

Craig

[nat]

     I had a 1969 NSU 1200C which was so small that I could unstick the passenger's side windshield wiper while driving.

    It was great fun to put my dog in the driver's seat and drive from the passenger's side with his head out the window sniffing the breeze.

[Xander Wildeisen]

10 minutes ago, kgreen said:

At 6'-8" most British cars are a no-go and many pre-1940 American cars.  I was enamoured when I met the guys doing the cross country trek that their early model Ford guys with one driver telling me how affordable those early Fords were.  He let me attempt to get behind the wheel.  That's a no-go too.  When I was turning 16 Dad was shopping for a big family car and was looking at the Buick station wagons.  I couldn't fit in them because the dashboard dropped way too low towards the pedals.  Other than the low dash problem, another limiting factor is clutch operation.  If I can't work my knee between the steering wheel and the door, or fully operate the clutch under the steering wheel, then I have to go automatic.

My Jaguar would work, a tragic accident in the shop caused the car to stretch 7 inches, and widen 9 inches.🤔

[TTR]

While there are a lot of beautiful vintage cars of all ages, one of the first things I check if or whenever considering buying/having any is the driving comfort/position.
If not adequate for me (@ 5’11”, long legs) I pretty much loose interest in owning one, no matter what make, model or vintage.

If I can’t enjoy/fit to drive in (reasonable) comfort, it’s obviously not a car for me. 
That’s why I never had interest owning any formal or “professional” cars built/intended to be driven by hired help rather than the owner or “occupant(s)”.

 

I also still recall an occasion from nearly 40 years ago when a friend from Europe asked me to find, buy & ship him either a ‘55-‘57 T-bird or a ‘63-‘64 Corvette convertible. He had never driven or even sat in either.
A few weeks later I attended two large SoCal swap meets, one in San Diego (on Saturday), another in Pomona (on Sunday). 

 

In S.D. (nice weather) someone had a T-bird in appropriate appearing condition and asking price for sale, but as soon as I sat in I realized my 3” taller than me friend could/would not comfortably fit in it.

 

Next day in Pomona (now raining cats & dogs) there was a ‘63 Corvette conv. with 65% higher asking price than his/our intended budget.
The owner/seller was sitting inside so I quickly asked if he would be willing to sell it (immediately) for “our budget” price, in cash, if I spent the time inspecting & wanted to buy it right after.

Initially he appeared little confused, perhaps due to my less than perfect English (not my native language nor have ever received any formal education for it), but I quickly re-explained that I’m ready to buy right now but not for his asking or even anywhere near it and will not waste either of ours time for inspection if he’s not willing to sell it for my “offer” (I also asked to make sure he had the title with him).

He agreed, so I proceeded promptly to inspect, test drive (in the back of a huge parking lot where the swap meet took place), etc and told him I’ll take it, to which he replied “But what about the price ?”, which almost infuriated me, but I just relatively calmly said “I thought we had an agreement ? Please tell me I didn’t just waste my time.”, to which he replied “But how are you going to pay for it ?” and I just pulled the wad of (exact amount) cash out of (one of) my pockets (I had other wads in other pockets, but those were intended for other purchases. I bought three other cars that day).

After seeing the money, the seller almost panicked and became scared of someone seeing us with that much cash, but I told him to relax as it raining and there’s nobody standing or walking near the car.

After counting the cash and handing over the signed title + bill of sale, he appeared a bit panicked again and said “But how am I going to get home ?”, to which I replied “Maybe get a cab ? You should be able to afford it.”

 

Oh yes, my friend in Europe was very happy with the Corvette and last I heard, a few years ago, still has it.

 

Also in comparison, my PB Roadster, which is not a huge car, but has a lot more room than equivalent ‘32 Ford which are more spacious than Model A’s, so neither of latter would work for me. ‘34 could, but I don’t care for its styling.

 

Edited September 3 by TTR (see edit history)

[Paul Dobbin]

I'm a short sitter and a tall stander, with long legs.   A friend asked me to drive his 1929 Ford Model a Roadster pickup

to a show for him.   To get my left foot on clutch, I had to open the door when shifting.    Recently, after both knees

were replaced, I had to sell my 66 VW Beetle for the same reason.  (Sad because we enjoyed it for 34 years.)

Earlier had had to remove the package shelf in my 1931 Model A Coupe to move the seat back to gain leg room.

Also moved the seat back in the 1934 Tudor for the Great Races.   Recently I had the urge to again  buy another brass 

Model T and did a seat test in a friend's 1914 and couldn't work the pedals as there is no driver's door to open on

a Model T Touring.   I guess in my old age, I 'm restricted to cars with big doors and moveable seats.

Edited September 3 by Paul Dobbin
to add the VW Picture (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

Although I have shrunk to only 5' 9", my son is 6' 3".  So, he doesn't fit in my prewar Buicks.  His son's other grandfather is 6' 6".  So, there is little chance he will fit when he gets older.  So that is why I am selling some of my collection.  My daughter and granddaughters are simply not interested in old cars.

[60FlatTop]

The average height of male North American Homo Sapiens is 5' 9". Thankfully I am one of them and been 5' 9" all my life. I seem to fit into any confinement I encounter and still flexible enough for nearly any egress. My wife was a bit taller when she was younger and is not well proportioned in the feet. We were looking at an MG Midget one time years ago that fit me just fine. She couldn't get her left foot in the door. I kept her anyway and bought another Buick.

[plymouthcranbrook]

Back in the mid 70’ I had an MGC GT. The steering wheel was so big it rubbed my legs. I had to install a smaller one. This is after having owned a TR3, TR4A, and two Sunbeam Alpines.

[Paul from PA]

I am 6'4" and drive a Saturn Sky with ease. I had a 1964 Buick Riviera and had the seat moved back a couple of inches for more comfort. I get in a lot of cars on the passenger side and almost always hear " you can move the seat back if you want" My reply "it's already back the whole way"

[Lee H]

I’m 6’4”, mostly in a 36” inseam, and owned and driven countless cars, large and small over the years. The only two I could find no way to get comfortable in: the Model A, and the ‘41 Continental. Had to move the seat back two or three inches in both cases.

[Angelfish]

I worked with a guy who was 6’5”.  He claimed his dad was 6’10” and of limited means.  His solution was to buy a VW Beetle, cut off the top, remove the front seat and drive it from the back seat.   This was in western Washington so I assume he kept a rain coat handy.

[Scooter Guy]

I am 6'2" and am not exactly skinny either. 

My old car is a Corvette. I probably look like an elephant trying to ride a tricycle getting in and out of the thing, but I fit okay and once I'm in it's actually pretty comfortable. Not much head room and not much room to reposition myself once inside but workable. I can drive it for a couple hours before I feel like I need to stop and stretch myself out. 

 

What I wanted to add was to consider an automatic vs. a manual transmission car. Driving a manual transmission is much more difficult on certain makes and models for me because of the need to be able to work the clutch with my left foot meaning that I have to have some "wiggle room" for my whole left leg, knee and foot to do so. The footwell on a lot of older cars is pretty small, too, and some of those pedals are awfully close together, especially where there are three of them. Needless to say, my car is an automatic. I do still have to wear driving shoes in the car to get it to work, as I wear size 13-14 shoes depending on brand and they tend to be pretty wide. 

 

So, if you haven't tried an auto instead of a manual, it might be something to consider. 

[Lee H]

20 hours ago, Bloo said:

Putting the seats all the way back does make the back seat pretty useless.

 

I imagine the rear seat is pretty useless even with the seat fully forward!

[TTR]

I just remembered an occasion few months ago I was at a C & C event with a friend and there was a guy about my height (but little thinner) who drove in a mid-60s Lotus Elan and after brief conversation about its cockpit space, he invited me to sit in and try it for size.

While getting in/out took as much effort as most other 50+ y.o. European sports car I've driven or sat in, I was quite amazed how comfortable, or dare I say almost roomy it felt for such a tiny thing, at least legroom wise and before the door was closed. 

Edited September 3 by TTR (see edit history)

[1957Birdman]

I will add a second opinion on the 55-57 Tbirds. I can speak with some authority since I’ve owned mine for 28 years and at the time I took possession I was an eyelash under 6’ 3”. What I have found is that with the seat in the rearmost position and the steering wheel pulled toward me (it can be adjusted either forward or back) allows me a comfortable driving position. The headroom with either the convertible top up or with the hardtop on is minimal, but I don’t need to drive with my head cocked to one side. There is also a process for getting in and out of the car when driving. Then just plant your posterior on the seat and swing your legs under the steering wheel.

I do think the comparable 1957 Corvette would be even tighter since it is not blessed with a telescoping steering column.

Now, if you are a person who is “thick” around the middle it probably isn’t the best car for you. Some people are buying reduced diameter steering wheels that do give more room, but in my case I don’t need one.

One last thing, I had more room to stretch out in my daughter’s 1997 Miata, which of course is a lot smaller car. Go figure!

Lew Bachman

1957 Thunderbird

[Nate Dort]

 

[Oz Dodge 4]

20 hours ago, Studemax said:

When I was a kid, a very tall fellow used to come into my mom's print shop. He was 6"6' tall, and I loved watching him fold himself into a tiny little Mini- Cooper. His knees were almost as high as the steering wheel. I asked him how he did it, and he told me it had more room inside than outside. At the age of 10, it made sense to me.

"I can relate to that"

When I was an apprentice back in the 70s, one of the customers that used to come in had two cars, an XJ6 Jag, "the good car" and a Mini Clubman GT " the go to work car". I aren't sure how tall he was, but when discussing him in the lunchroom we all recon about seven feet, and it was "awe inspiring" to see him unwind out of it. He had the seat relocated so that it was hard up against the front of the back seat so he could drive it, and when one of us, had to drive it, you had to sit right up the front on the edge to even reach the controls. I still remember him standing alongside the car, and he seemed to be twice as tall as the car.

[8E45E]

16 hours ago, Lee H said:

I’m 6’4”, mostly in a 36” inseam, and owned and driven countless cars, large and small over the years. The only two I could find no way to get comfortable in: the Model A, and the ‘41 Continental. Had to move the seat back two or three inches in both cases.

It seems anyone over 6' tall should be comfortable entering and exiting an Oldsmobile Limited as has been being discussed on another thread.

1910-12 Oldsmobile Limited - General Discussion - Antique Automobile Club of America - Discussion Forums (aaca.org)

 

Someone over 6' won't need that second running board.

 

Craig

[kuhner]

I am 6’4” without shoes, about 225 lbs.  Never had a problem with any air cooled VWs except an early split wind shield bus.  Definitely not enough leg room to be comfortable while driving.

My current 56 beetle has plenty of room for me. I recall reading that Ferdinand Porsche believed a man should be able to drive while wearing his hat.

 

My 27 model T roadster pick up is a bit tough.

 

[8E45E]

12 minutes ago, kuhner said:

I recall reading that Ferdinand Porsche believed a man should be able to drive while wearing his hat.

K.T. Keller of Chrysler also insisted one should be able to wear a hat while riding in a Chrysler product.    It was one reason the 1949 models appeared rather dull and conservative next to the redesigned GM and Fords.

 

Craig

[60FlatTop]

1 hour ago, 8E45E said:

K.T. Keller of Chrysler also insisted one should be able to wear a hat while riding in a Chrysler product. 

[zdillinger]

I'm 6'5" with disproportionally long legs, and this is one of the reasons I primarily focus on Packards. Never found one yet that I couldn't fit in comfortable. It take a bit of finessing to get behind the wheel of my Model T and my Pontiac, but I can manage.

 

All that said, my first automotive love was the Datsun Z car. I had two of them when I was a teenager and finally just outgrew them. Nothing I could do could make it comfortable or, really, even plausible to drive them (especially the '74 260Z). I had to finally sell them, but I sure wish I could fit in one again. Despite my love for all things pre-war, I'd daily drive a properly tuned Z car if I could.

Edited September 4 by zdillinger (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

They say Juhnny Cash was 6' 2".