23 too small

[akitagandy]

Well, the body is setting on the frame and plywood floor and a temp seat shows me that I am going to have to cut my legs off about 6" or extend the firewall,I'm thinking that I can get about 4" without doing any frame work.What u think

 

[Rick]

What no pics?You can do better than that.

 

[akitagandy]

I'll get some this week,This is family weekend,taking the kids to Springfest today:lol: I have plenty of time thru the week since I have been out of work since Dec.

 

[rooster57]

This is a lesson i learned before it was to late. I think a lot of guys get the T fever and dont ever seek one out to set in it. I built my frame and was lookin for a body when i ran accross a guy in town that has a beautiful total T with the best of everything. I was so excited about my build untill i sat in his standard body 23 . My first thought would be like buying a pair of pants for a special event and finding out the night of they were way to damn tight. BEFORE YOU START A BUILD SET IN ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went from tring to find a 7 to 8 hundred dollar body to needing a 2000.00 body. By some strange event i ran accross a fell that said if you usse those CCR plans add 6 - 8 inches or you will be sorry. I am glad i listened because that is what saved my frame from being a scrap iron chunk.Akita before you start cuttin their is a good artical that addresses your problem on the NTBA tec section of their site Good luck.

 

[Youngster]

how tall is your seat? how far from the back pannel is the seat back? dose the frame kick come inside the body? are you using a toe board? dose your steering column come up through the floor? all of these things influence the room for the occupents. a lot of the problems with "fit" come from poorly designed interiors.

Ron

 

[rooster57]

I would go out on a limb and say anybody 6 foot and over or with longer than a 33 inch inseam is going to be crowded. But having said that these are not going to be as roomy as a normal car and if they are to long the looks suffer. I would say my streach body is on the edge of the envelope of normal looking. On a lighter note kita if u hit your head on stuff a lot sawing your legs off might be a solution if you are a true T-ahaulic. Kidding of course!!!! (Or was i)

 

[putz]

I am 6'1" and I swear I need accordian legs. Thats why every person thats says he wants to build on here I tell look at an extended body.

 

[rooster57]

Exactly putz

 

[Ted Brown]

Think obout it this way, how was the standard T? look at a kitchen chair, there is plenty of room when used that way, but you do sit a lot higher, so kick up the back of the body to make it look more in line with a fad T... One way.. hehe :sofnny: and Ron is totally right on with all that He just posted, sit and think (INSIDE before building all the stuff that goes inside with YOU, as You are the most important part...

 

[andy67g]

I want to change my T to look like a Track T and I am sitting way to high and my legs are bent.

Okay so attached down below is how they figured out the seating for a TR-2 Triumph just click on it and it expand and click again and it will expand some more.

My buddy is 6 foot 4 inches a big Rugby player from New Zealand and he gave me the TR-2 inside measurements as it was one of the few cars he could sit in comfortably.He drove the car and rallied it for 15 years.

 

[Youngster]

at this point getting you lower in the bucket will be like trying to re-invent the wheel. sorry to be so blunt but it is what it is now.

my last t is owned buy a guy that's 6'5". he drives the hell out of that car too. when your setting up your interior keep the back cushion to a bare minimum. the over stuffed look is cool but you're giving up precious interior space. keepimg the seat bottom low increases the amount you have to bend your knees but you can get some of that back by adding a toe board. that places your heel further foward and lessens the angle of your knee. this goes back even futher than Henry himself. look at horse drawn buggies all the way up to the plastic car sitting in the drive way. they all have toe boards.

one the plus side ... you have first hand experience of what you don't like now. when you build the next T you'll know what NOT to do.

just a comment on your interior. i love it!! this is as traditional to a T as the headstone radiator shell!! for those of you that want to save some money and do your own interior, this IS the way to go. there is NO stitching at all to the button tucking. two pieces of cover fabric, two pieces of backing canvas, a bunch of buttons and a comb and you can have this in your T too.

Ron

 

[Ted Brown]

Looks like your uph, is holding you forward too much, that is whats making it too short for your legs, if you want to make it a track T, you will probably have to extend the cowl & firewall forward 6 inches at least, some have gone a full 10 inches, the long cowl looks good anyway, and then you can do a thicker (1/2") firewall that is just the small amount smaller than the body, for the hood to rest on, easy lip... Plus you will also want to change the steering to get the wheel in a more normal position, that also gives you more inside room.. COMFORT !! YES... :welcome:

 

[tnoftsger]

All good advice. I built from CCR plans and when i test fit my seat, which came out of a minivan, It was obvious that my 6'-4" butt would not be able to drive it THAT way.

I have do add 8" to the body and frame after the fact. Please find someone and ask to test fit before proceeding.

 

[jmr122848]

Ron
More info on the interior please? maybe a pic or 2?
Thanks

 

[dave kreis]

i really thought out my seat i found that my 2000 dodge dakota had the perfect seat hieght for me and i used that for my model and built my seat, yes my legs are bent but comfortable im 6'1" 300lbs in a standard body do as they say sit on your aaaaaas

 

[Hot Rod Todd]

On one of my old buckets (Ive had a few) I decided the "lowslung" look was for me. I removed the old upholstery and got it all figured using blocks of foam. So, armed with that knowledge, I went to the upholsterer and asked for a scooped seat to get me lower, as I had a small bodied T.

He did a good job and car looked great and I was sitting about 6 inches lower. Seat was really comfortable too, with good leg support

All was good till I did a longer trip and after about 15 minutes my leg went numb. Im only 6ft 1 and was about 220 lbs at that time.

I sold that bucket and bought a big bodied one with a high sitting seat, a flat floor (heaps of foot room), and now I can travel intercity no worries.

I would recommend that you go to a run with other buckets and ask the owners what comfortable and what isnt. Maybe you can even get a ride or two to make up your own mind.

Cheers
Todd

 

[Ted Brown]

Ask if their car is comfortable hehe that is funny, as they all say their car rides great, I can look at a T and tell you if it rides good or not, 9 out of 10 do not ride worth a $h!t... I love long trips, out of State, can drive the full tank dry..no ill comfort problems... Right springs and shocks sure help in this area, plus these stock bucket seats make a world of difference also... A car that does not ride good, will also be easy to beat in any drag race... If you can not stand in the middle of the body, at the door, and push it down and watch it bounce at both ends, then it just may be working...

 

[AZCOWBO]

No leg surgery needed with my "Monster-T.

I acquired the body and bed molds from a motion picture studio. It is stretched 18", widened 12", deepened 8", and channeled 7". There is a separate floor mold, and the bed is 4' x 3'. and the molds are polished inside. Very little prep work is required when it comes out of the mold.The completed rod looks like a T-Bucket on steroids. I tried to sell the mold on E-Bay, and got more requests for bodies than bids. I am not a fiberglass man and would like to sell the molds, if you know of anyone interestd.

 

[akitagandy]

I sure wish I had that body, I am 6'3" 350 pounds Iwould have plenty of room. Why don't you go ahead and whip me up a body