Off The Wall Bucket

[Hack]

Got some bomber seats for the bucket but of course they were too wide with the monster tunnel so I pulled them apart and narrowed them 4"

 

[putz]

Is there any way to taper drivers side of tunnel? So throttle is easier to access with your right foot. Just wondering doesn't look like comfy foot position.

 

[Hack]

Not really, it's about as close as I can go. With the channeled body and z'd frame the transmission pan is about level with the floor so the tunnel has to be that big. I sat in it for a while today trying to position the steering column and I think it will be way more comfortable to drive with my left foot.

 

[EX JUNK]

Not really, it's about as close as I can go. With the channeled body and z'd frame the transmission pan is about level with the floor so the tunnel has to be that big. I sat in it for a while today trying to position the steering column and I think it will be way more comfortable to drive with my left foot.

And your right foot would be... where? In that unnatural driving position I would only hope that it would not complicate things in an emergency stopping situation. As you may know, milliseconds count in reaction time. I'm not banging what you've done but ergonomics and safety are a big thing in my way of building things.

Jim

 

[bobs66440]

Wow! That does look quite cramped, eh? Oh, the price we pay to be stylish, lol. Maybe hand controls would be better?

 

[guilld]

This might help is you like the look.

 

[Hack]

It doesn't seem unnatural to me, I've had and driven a lot of heavily chopped and channeled cars as daily drivers and you get used to driving them. I feels better to me than the buckets I've sat in with a steering column between the pedals.

 

[bobs66440]

View attachment 9420

This might help is you like the look.

I've seen that before and I liked it. I planned on doing that to mine anticipating a problem with foot space, but it turns out I have plenty of room so I decided not to.

 

[bigblk1177]

Interesting build, I'm still waiting to see fuel tank mounting. But it looks cool! The guy definitely thinks outside the sandbox and maybe outside the playground!!LOL

 

[bamabucket]

It is a very cool build and I especially like the low stance. I would also have some safety concerns about the very tight driver's foootwell and close pedal spacing. My bucket is typical of standard size bodies with the very limited interior space and I my gas pedal is on the transmission tunnel but my body is not channeled and the tunnel is much smaller. I replaced a large and cumbersome gas pedal the builder had installed with a Lokar floor mounted unit that has worked out very well. Obviously mounting the gas pedal on the transmission tunnel wouldn't be an option for you but you might want to consider a narrower floor mounted gas pedal or a much smaller spoon pedal. You would have to move your throttle cable higher and mount the pedal on the firewall if you used a spoon pedal but it would give you more distance between the brake and gas pedals. At about 2" wide, the Lokar floor mounted pedal may not be as wide as yours, but I can't tell from the picture. Lokar is probably the highest priced and there are much cheaper units available.

 

[bobs66440]

I know its not a preferred thing to do but you could fab the trans tunnel to a much closer fit to the trans to gain some room too. That shape looks tidy but it takes up a lot of room

 

[EX JUNK]

Perhaps the following will give you some idea on how to make a close fitting trans tunnel to give maximum foot room in a low vehicle.



I used "plumbers strap" to construct a skeleton framework that hugged the trans very closely.



I then covered it with Gaff tape or you could also use duct tape



I then laid the fiberglass.



After the glass cured I trimmed the trans cover to be removable.



Here is the tunnel fitted and smoothed out.



Here it is in primer with the hidden mounting screws.

Jim

 

[bobs66440]

Yes, that's a huge difference.

 

[bamabucket]

That looks like an ideal way to make a close fitting tunnel and could be used in this case to gain more room. The firewall mounted spoon gas pedal also helps. It appears that Jim's brake pedal is higher than the gas pedal which should reduce the chance of pressing the wrong one in a panic stop.

 

[bigblk1177]

That looks like an ideal way to make a close fitting tunnel and could be used in this case to gain more room. The firewall mounted spoon gas pedal also helps. It appears that Jim's brake pedal is higher than the gas pedal which should reduce the chance of pressing the wrong one in a panic stop.

Hello just noticed the name of your bucket or at least your avatar. Are you located in Sweet Home Alabama?

 

[TriodeLuvr]

I've never seen a form built that way. Great idea, excellent job!

Jack

 

[bamabucket]

Located in Birmingham. Roll Tide!!
Lou

 

[Zandoz]

Perhaps the following will give you some idea on how to make a close fitting trans tunnel to give maximum foot room in a low vehicle.
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Jim

How much clearance is needed around the trans?

 

[EX JUNK]

That looks like an ideal way to make a close fitting tunnel and could be used in this case to gain more room. The firewall mounted spoon gas pedal also helps. It appears that Jim's brake pedal is higher than the gas pedal which should reduce the chance of pressing the wrong one in a panic stop.

How much clearance is needed around the trans?

Very little. I have over 15K miles on my car but I also am running a simple cooler with no overheating at all even in the summer heat and heavy traffic of central Florida.

Jim

 

[Zandoz]

Very little. I have over 15K miles on my car but I also am running a simple cooler with no overheating at all even in the summer heat and heavy traffic of central Florida.

Jim

I'm going to be in the same boat as the OP, with a tall trans tunnel. I had it in my head that I'd probably shoot for an inch of clearance inside the tunnel, but it appears to me that yours has less than that. My plan is for one of those radial fin coolers on a 700R4, with a 60V6.