Ought to be fun to drive, Only one problem.

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Ought to be fun to drive, Only one problem.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By tyrone thomas on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 08:36 pm:

I don't fit. Legs are to long. What do I do now?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cameron Whitaker on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 08:38 pm:

Cut your legs shorter! :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Garrison on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 08:40 pm:

Stop focusing on the unimportant things in your life and start chopping metal. You'll get in there somehow.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Hjortnaes, Men Falls, WI on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 09:07 pm:

I'll be down tomorrow to take it off your hands. Otherwise Steve Jelf will get there first.

I'm a short person. Only 5'8".


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erich Bruckner, Vancouver, WA on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 09:12 pm:

If you rub your knees with BBQ sauce, they taste much better while you drive a car like that.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erich Bruckner, Vancouver, WA on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 09:14 pm:

Also, see my observation on the deer thread. Perhaps it is to late for you to change your diet to only eating adirondack albino deer.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Terry Woods, Katy, Texas on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 09:21 pm:

Or chain each end to truck tractor or locomotive and go in opposite directions to stretch the frame and body.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 09:53 pm:

Tyrone,

If you legs are just an inch or so too long – there are probably a couple of things you could try. The easiest is to change the amount of padding/springs on the back rest and seat cushion. If more room is needed it appears you could redesign the seat area so the backrest is located further back. If you need even more room you could rotate the gas tank so you could move the seat back rest further back. Note depending on what the body is made from – you could cut the body and add the appropriate distance needed as a plug on each side.

You could also move the entire body back the number of inches you need. Relocate the body mounting brackets on the body would probably be the easiest ones to relocate but you could also move the ones on the frame. Then design a plug/filler to match up the car’s cowl to the hood. Or have Rootlib make you a longer hood (they can do all sorts of hoods). I think that would be one of the easiest and nicest ways to get the additional leg room.

Giving you more room without touching the body – you could add a frame extension at the front and move the engine assembly and front axle etc all forward the appropriate number of inches. You would then need to add additional inches to the driveshaft, driveshaft housing rear radius rods etc or add an auxiliary transmission etc. See Chaffin’s racer/speedster chassis at: http://s1353.beta.photobucket.com/user/Mark2195/library/ for some ideas on how the frame can be changed.

Sometimes depending on how much additional work needs to be done – you may be better off financially selling the current speedster and building or obtaining one that fits you better. You can build the Rootlieb speedster with the seats just about anywhere you desire. Just add or subtract wood/location.

Good luck with your car.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Herb Iffrig on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 10:07 pm:

"If you rub your knees with BBQ sauce, they taste much better while you drive a car like that."


Ok, I laughed.
Can I use that one?

Herb


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul Mikeska, Denver CO on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 10:07 pm:

My legs will fit! It is obvious that you should give that car to me! LOL


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By tyrone thomas on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 10:30 pm:

@Hap, lol. nope, one or two inches is not going to cut it. I was built for a person less than 6 ft. I'm 6'4 and all legs. I love the car. I drove nearly 2,000 miles to get it and here I can't even get under the steering wheel.
I think I will sell or trade it. I don't know what else to do. And it has some neat goodies on it. I could modtify it but it is so unique I hate to. :-(


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve McClelland on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 11:13 pm:

Tyrone
Sell it and buy mine... I'm 6' 5" and 280 lbs I fit it pretty well. Hey just say'n.....
Pics on Craigslist , under Chattanooga, in tenn. listings should find them by typing 1920, or 1928, 1911.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Don Lyon, PDX, OR. on Monday, November 19, 2012 - 12:11 am:

Flip the steering wheel over--3 more inches of room!! Don.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Kable on Monday, November 19, 2012 - 03:46 am:

Tyrone, my first thought when I saw the photos was the seat is far too close to the steering for a normal speedster, it must have been made for someone who was either very short or someone who just plain got it wrong. You have so much body behind the seat you could easily loose a lot of it. If you could show us a direct side view I'm sure members would give you some great ideas how to alter it.

The speedster I have has a tank (oval on edge) and behind that there is only about a foot to the rear of the chassis. The back of the seat is 52" from the dash.

You say its got some neat goodies so why not make it a better speedster? Don't know about anyone else but I don't think the body is "good" unique. and I'm sure no one would condemn you for altering it, first to make it possible for you to drive but also to improve it.

Others who would buy it probably need to alter it as well so you may find selling and buying something better may cost you far more than fixing what you have now.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Monday, November 19, 2012 - 06:34 am:

I would slice it at the sides, move the rear aft half a foot or whatever it takes, and make doors.
I might even lengthen the frame, too, if that's what it takes. Add a foot, and you can install a Warford without cutting the driveline.



Everybody needs a yellow speedster..


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Seth - Ohio on Monday, November 19, 2012 - 12:44 pm:

Relocate the fuel tank and modify the seat.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Monday, November 19, 2012 - 02:33 pm:

I had a friend who was 5'4" tall. When he did some remodeling in his house made the ceilings 6' tall.
It was fine for short people but for anybody taller??
I guess a short guy built this speedster.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Keith Gumbinger, Kenosha, WI on Monday, November 19, 2012 - 02:48 pm:

It looks like someone built the body section with the seat, gas tank & cowl and then grafted a '23 ish turtle deck to the back end.

You could relocate the gas tank & that would give you about 12" of room so you could move the seat back as far as you want. Doing this would also give you a longer distance from the dash board / cowl to the seats & allow you plenty of room for doors as Ralph suggested.

Just a suggestion....

Keith


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Monday, November 19, 2012 - 08:18 pm:

I think the best idea, as Ralph said, is lengthen the chassis and put an overdrive transmission in it. Add the necessary length to both the frame and cowl. I think the car would look even better that way with a deeper cowl.
That is my opinion.
And six foot ceilings? I am six foot even in my stocking feet. With my shoes off I would bump my head with each step I took!
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


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