As I am about to purchase my first 911 a friend of mine posed an interesting question...are you going to fit?

I am 6'4" with a fair amount of leg. Please tell me there are some other tall people out there driving with no problems. Or at least minimal problems.

If someone is especially bored and feels like being a true samaritan, I would love to know the distance from the seat cushion bottom to the headliner.

Thanks for any help on this.


Jeff

 

A good friend of mine is 6'4" and he fits fine on his 90 C2 Targa and 86 951.
He also fits in my 86 911 as well.

 

Jeff,

I'm 6'4" also, and have no problems with legroom in our '89 C4 Coupe nor the '87 Carrera Targa.

I will have to say that when I changed out the stock steering wheel in the '87 (easy change to a 350mm Momo as was a non-airbag car), it made a nice difference in the extra clearance between the tops of my thighs and the bottom of the steering wheel.

I have yet to try headliner height while wearing a helmet in the C4 sunroof coupe, but I'll get a chance to do that at a DE this weekend.

Also know that the footboxes in the pedal cluster area are different for different body styles. In the Targa, there is apparently some reinforcement down there which sometimes gets in the way of getting straight onto the clutch pedal. I have now learned to approach the clutch pedal from an angle, which has become second nature and I don't even think about it any more... until I drive the C4 (coupe) which is much more straightforward to depress the clutch.

Bottom line - At 6'4" you should still have plenty of room for a comfortable ride in a 911. I have also read where there are extra bolt holes in the floor pan which allow you to place the seat rails back a couple of inches. This is something I have not found the need to do.

Tom

 

I am a shade under 6-4 and fit in both the Boxster & 911 with no problem...I still have several inches to spare "from the seat bottom to the headliner" in both cars...At 6-4, you should have no problems - it is all about the seat adjustment!!!

Cajun

 

In the coupe's, you get a little extra room if it's a non-sunroof car.

 

Jeff, where are you in DC?
I'm 6'3" and fit pretty well in my SC Coupe w/ sunroof - although w/ helmet at track events - it can be a bit binding. Yes, you might consider doing a seat modification, which would not be too hard to accomplish. Remove seat with 4 screws in bottom. Screws thread right into the mounting, however, if you drill your own holes, you can use some bolts from the hardware store, with double washers (include lock washer on the bolt side) and then a nylon locking nut for the bottom. If you can get a drill and the bolts you'll be able to complete this operation in about 45 min.

As Tom said above, swapping the stock steering wheel out for a smaller diameter wheel can also be a big help.

Good luck and let us know when you get your car.

 

Maurice:
Thanks for the info on the seat modification. The car I am looking at is a 73 E with a sunroof. If the general consensus is good and there are possibilities for modification then most of my fears are taken care of. I live in Adams Morgan in DC and the car will be garaged.

Thanks for the help everyone.

Jeff

 

The later the car, the lower the seat, generally. Late 80s Carreras were almost an inch lower than SCs.

 

I'm 6'4" and have an '87 911 Cabrio. With the optional multi adjustable power seat, there are few cars I'm more comfortable in. Clearance between my thigh and the bottom of the stock steering wheel is too close when exiting the car. A slightly smaller wheel would help.

Jim
'87 Cabrio blk/blk/blk

 

I too am 6'4''. I searched for a while to find a non sunroof 911 SC to get the extra head room. The car I found even had the smaller optional ''Sport'' steering wheel which help with getting in and out. If you are planning to race you will need the extra head room for the helmet.

 

Oh just try it!

The '85s apparently are an inch higher in seating, so avoid those. I'm 6'2" and fit fine in my targa (even with the top on), but I wish the steering wheel was closer. I don't have a problem with the pedals.

 

Jeff

I'm 6'3" and fit fine, although knee room was a bit tight. When I got the car I made a few adjustments that made the leg room more comfortable though. Its a cab so headroom is a different (non?) issue. These items apply to my '88 and may not work in other models.

1. The pedals are all adjustable, my brake pedal was more than an 1-1/2" taller that the clutch or gas pedal. Now its flush with the clutch and about 1/4" higher than than gas. Much easier to move from pedal to pedal and to heel-toe.

2. The seats were mounted with an additional set of holes available on the floor rails , I moved the seats back. Also, the sliding rails on the seat were not both set to their fullest extended position when mounted so when the seat was pushed back it "bottomed out" on one side when there should have been more movement available. Slide both rails to full extended position when attaching the seats. One side might hang off the rear of the floor rails a bit but you can still get all the bolts on for safety. I can actually put the seat back too far now, not so when first I got the car.

3. If you look closely you will notice the stock steering wheel is offset to provide a little more knee room. Momo makes at least four 350mm dia wheels that are smaller than the stock wheel and are offset which provides even more knee room if the standard non-offset wheel is not enough.

All this is just icing on the cake. As stefang said, "just try it", you'll love it!

Good luck
Andrew

 

Stef & Andrew:
Thanks for the tips. Believe me, I would love to try it right now. I have been in touch with a 911 guy on rennlist who lives nearby, and hopefully schedules will cooperate enough to let me try one on soon.
Believe me, I am waiting anxiously.


Jeff

 

Perkins, you suggested using nylon locking nuts on the seat bolts if you drill your own holes. Nylon will not hold the stress of the bolts. I suggest you use zinc nuts that have the nylock insert (similar to valve cover nuts) to prevent the nuts from vibrating loose.

 

If it helps, The Porsche 911 Red Book says that, starting in 1986, seat height was decreased by 20mm. I'd say go '86 and newer.