Headroom / Legroom

[750hp]

This will sound like a dumb question, considering my newly purchased 62 BT7 is on it's way to me now, but the last time I was in a 3000 Healey was in 1981 as a 7 year old squeezed in to the rear seats of my Dad's 62 BT7.

How tall are you, and do you find the legroom acceptable / spacious / cramped?
If you have a hardtop, similarly how do you find the headroom?

Thanks for any information. I'm 6' tall and 220lb, so I hope I will fit!

Craig

 

[Healeysince59]

My guess is that you will no longer fit in the rear seats. I'm a little over 6', several pounds more than you, and a lot older, stiffer, etc than you and I fit fine in the drivers seat.

Marv J

 

[Keoke]

Well if you can still fit in the drivers seat you will be just fine.--Keoke :laugh:

 

[CanberraBJ8]

Just how different are the different models in terms of space? The fellow I bought my car from had taken over a partly done restoration. The guy he'd bought from had found that he'd not fit in the car (he was around 6') and so decided to go for a BN7 or a BT7 (can't remember which).

Certainly anyone bigger than me (and I'm only 5' 9") would find my BJ8 a tight fit. Even my Dad - who is my height - struggles to see through the windscreen. He has a longer torso and shorter legs which puts him looking through the very top of the windscreen where it has some visual disturbance.

I've been considering making some more comfortable seats - that actually support my back a little - and the only way i can see them fitting will be to remove the trim panel that boxes in the soft top mechanism so that the seat can recline a little...???

 

[Jerry]

I have a little height on you and some pounds. I have a hardtop on my BN4. I did tilt the drivers seat back a little with a wedge piece of wood under the rails. I think this is more comfortable than my BJ8 which has a limit on how much you can move the seat back.
Your question about the hardtop-
You can fit, you just need to duck to get in. My head is under the roof ok. The next step is to figure out what foam was used in your seats. If you sit too high, drill holes in the foam and you can sink a few inches.

Jerry
BN4
BJ8
TR3 awaiting lots of work.

 

[glemon]

I had a 100, at 6'0" my head literally hit the top bows, I took some stuffing out of the seats and then my head only hit when I hit a bump.

I generally did not drive it with the top up, so not too much of an issue, legroom was fine and the car was fairly comfortable for me with the top down.

A heavier friend, about the same height but 250 lbs instead of my 200 had a little trouble with steering wheel to stomach, but could fit ok with a little adjustment.

 

[Keoke]

Certainly anyone bigger than me (and I'm only 5' 9") would find my BJ8 a tight fit.

WOT!!
I am 6'4 and fit in my BJ8's just fine.--Keoke

 

[Rob Glasgow]

I've driven a BT7 for about 50 years. I'm 6'3 and now weigh about 230 lb. (started out at 180). Plenty of leg room with the seat all the way back. I had a problem with headroom with the soft top until I tilted the seat backs using the extensions mentioned in a post a few weeks ago. The seat foam is original and still supportive. Prior to adding the extensions, I used to have to duck a bit to see under the top of the windscreen and my head would hit the cross bows of the soft top. After installing the extension, I now look though the windscreen about 4 inches below the top chrome rail and I have more clearance with the soft top.
I purchased a factory hard top a few years ago and it adds at least 2 inches of head room.
Bottom line, tilt your seat backs back using either the wedge under the rails or the extensions. Not only will you gain headroom, the seating positions is much better.
I also converted to a 14" Moto Lita steering wheel which give me more room between my legs and the bottom of the wheel but I really didn't have an issue with the original 15.5" wheel.
You still have to fold up a bit when you get into and out of the car with the top up, no matter what you do with the seat back. This seems to get harder to do each time I go for a drive. But once I'm in, it's all worth it.