Gaining inches

[drooartz]

As a big guy in a little car, I've been seeking ways to gain whatever space I can the Tunebug. I've got the seat all the way back, have ordered a 14.5" steering wheel from Mike Lempert (still on order), and removed the pocket from the driver's door.

My latest modification was to remove the door check strap from the driver's door. Downside is that you have to be very careful opening the door, but it gave me an inch or 2 more room for my left knee. Makes the driver's position feel almost spacious, and it was free! Might eventually come up with a check strap that would sit more flat in the door, so as not to take up so much space. The old leather(?) one was pretty stiff.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Drive a late model midget for awhile.
A bugeye is spacious when compared to a late model midget.

 

[BWillis]

I'll second that!!!! Even with the reclining seats the Midget is lacking for space.

 

[fmichaels]

i read a short while back about someone who modified the driver side floor pan to provide a deeper pan. don't know how effective that would be but it looked like it was more spacious.

 

[drooartz]

The benefits of hollow doors and very little padding, I guess. I actually fit pretty well, all things considered. Feels more spacious than the TR4 I had before.

That lowered floor was here:

https://webpages.charter.net/smsallen/Midget%20site%20title%20page.html

I've got to replace the driver's floor one of these days, and I'll probably do something similar. It's not too bad, though, as is. Can't wait for the smaller steering wheel, that will make a difference. May have to invest in som driving shoes as well--hard to reach the light dimmer switch with my big, wide feet!

 

[JPSmit]

I have a tall friend who had the dealer remove some of the padding from the base of the drivers seat of his Toyota Avalon. maybe early wicker Citroen 2CV seats would do /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

 

[weewillie]

Drew, you could always go to a wreckers and get a seatbelt and make door check straps from it. Put a couple of tarp grommets through it and bolt it where you want.

 

[aeronca65t]

Yeah, I'm a big guy too, but I found the *best* way to make my Spridget racer more roomy.
I lost 40 lbs.in the last 6 months
(actually, my goal is to lose about 10 lbs more so I can weight the same as I did in high school) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

My race-Spridget has the lowered floor, and the race-seat is about 1/2" thick (with padding). The main reason I did it was so that I could have a nice, low roll cage.

With the thin seat bolted all the way back, I have so much leg room, I had to build a "dead pedal" to rest my left foot on. It's actually more roomy than my Miata (except I have to crawl in through the top of the cage).

I have a steering 10" wheel and column is shortened about 6".

Of all the stock Spridgets, Bugeyes are the roomiest. The rubber bumper Midgets are really cramped (for me, anyway).

 

[George Zeck]

I modified the pedal assy. Took out the stock withthe 'big bolt' on the back that attached to the "z" bar to the accel cable and welded a flat piece of medal to the 'z' and bent it a little (too much - top speed is 65, need to bend it back).

Geo

Also interested in other idea's.

 

[Gearhead]

Put that door check back on you will be sorry if u don't ask me how I know /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonono.gif

 

[jlaird]

You can bend the door or the A post.

 

[drooartz]

I'm very careful when opening the door. One of these days I'll get some sort of nylon webbing and make a check strap that stays out of the way better. For now I'm just very conscious of its absence.

While I've got 10 pounds or so to lose (lost 25 a few years back) my real problem is long legs (I'm 6' 1") and wide feet. Not really built for a tiny British roadster. That said, the Bugeye is probably the roomiest I've sat in.