• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Spitfire 6 foot tall in an early spitfire?

Share this page

drooartz

drooartz

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
Hello all. I'm new around here, and in the research phase of Little British Car acquisition (gathering many books and such). I've just recently added the Mark 1 - 2 Spitfires to my list of possibilities. I haven't had a chance to sit in one yet, and was wondering if anyone on the + side of 6 foot tall (I'm 6' 1") has experience with these cars.

Thanks all.
-Drew
 
I'm about your height and early Spitfires fit me fine.
I suppose they might be a bit tight if you have particularly long legs.
Actually, the only British sports car that can be a bit of a challenge for me are Sprites and Midgets (which also just happen to be my favorite Brit-roadsters).
In other regards, the early Spitfire (the "Spitfire 4") is one of my favorite looking British cars but the handling on the early cars can be a bit tricky due to the swing axle rear (better tires/wheels and a camber compensator will help a lot).
Of course, part of driving these cars is perception: a friend of mine who is 5'10" says my street car (an M2 Miata) is "too tiny and cramped" for him, but I find it quite roomy.
Welcome and g'luck on your "quest"!
 
Your height is fine for any Spit or GT6, six feet is nowhere near the limit for these cars.

However, do yourself a favor and carefully restore your seats first thing, it will make your driving experience much more comfortable.
 
I am 6' and have a 1980 Spitfire and don't have any problem fitting in the car. I believe the cockpit area of all Spitfire's are generally the same. The me the biggest issue is with the placement of the pedals; the clutch is positioned where I think the brake should be, which takes a bit of getting use to.
 
I'm 6' (long body, short legs) and fit fine in my former 72 GT6. My son is 6'3" and he could sit in it, although his feet were too wide to operate the pedals - 2 pedals at a time doesn't work so well. I found I had to be careful of what shoes I wore to be able to properly work the pedals.
 
Thanks for the thoughts. I've been getting more interested in the early Spitfires as I've been reading and surfing and such. I'm appreciating the look and design now, and they seem to be on the lower end of the price spectrum (overall). I'm also drawn to Bugeye/Sprite/Midgets, and they have the same size issues. My inner child must be much smaller than I am!

Hadn't thought about pedal placement though--I've got size 13 wide feet. Hmm. Lots to check out.
 
Sit in a TR7 or 8, and you will have tons of leg/sholder room. I know many people do not appreciate these cars, but that is OK with me! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonono.gif
 
I have a MkII spit, and fit in it just fine, I'm 6'. 194cm, I think is about 6'4".
 
I'm 6'-4" tall and fit in my 1965 Spitfire. While it wasn't spacious(no car is for me anyway), it was comfortable. And one time I had 5 people in the car -- 3 in front and two in the back-- but those were my college days /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I got laid in my 59 TR3, January 10, 1971, 10 PM. It was difficult but still wonderful.

Bill
 
Bill, I guess you took the meaning of "package shelf" literally! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

All I can say (after driving my TR3 earlier today) is you must have been flexible, and she must have been a gymnast!

[ QUOTE ]
I got laid in my 59 TR3, January 10, 1971, 10 PM. It was difficult but still wonderful.
Bill

[/ QUOTE ]
 
[ QUOTE ]
I got laid in my 59 TR3, January 10, 1971, 10 PM. It was difficult but still wonderful.

Bill

[/ QUOTE ]

I had always wondered what that grab handle was used for... those naughty Brits! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Really, all I want to do is drive the car, but I'll keep the, [cough], other possibilities for LBC activities in mind...
 
Sounds pretty scary to me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif
 
We have a member in our club who is well over 6' with a GT6 equiped with a TR6 engine. He fits fine. I would be more concerned about girth.
 
i'm 6'3" and the spitfire is a little short of leg room in addition to the above mentioned pedal problem.try a TR-4 or TR-6
 
Yesterday I had the opportunity to test drive a Bugeye, and seemed to fit just fine. Pedals were a little tight (I've got wide, large feet as well) but manageable with practice. Now to find a local Spitfire to try out...

Thanks again for all your comments. One more big thumbs up for y'all.

-Drew
 
Back
Top