Fergus,
You and I are about the same build, I ran into a similar problem when
installing my roll bar with stock seats. I ended up mounting the roll bar as
far left as possible (about 1.5" from centered) while still clearing the top
mechanism. I've since padded the roll bar and I have to be carefull not to
tear the padding when raising and lowering the top, another reason to leave
the top down. The main disadvantage of shifting the roll bar is it limits
the passenger seat travel, fortunately my wife is much shorter than me.
Another option I have thought about doing, at least with the stock seats, is
to remove track mechanism and supports. This would lower the seat about two
inches, but will put the cushion right on the floor, so you would need to
use stiffer foam. I have a 6'6" friend with a Pantera who had the floor
lowered about two inches to give him more head room, not an option for the
roadster unless you want to get into some serious frame modifications. BTW,
the legroom in the Pantera sucks (if your left foot is not on the clutch,
then your knee is in your chest), that big Ford V8 is right next to your
head (very thin "firewall") and the wiring is from a Ford Cortina -- but
they do look and sound awesome.
Todd Osborn
San Jose, CA
2x '68 2L
----- Original Message -----
From: "O'Farrell, Fergus" <Ofarrell.Fergus@hitco.com>
To: <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, March 15, 2002 12:01 PM
Subject: a differing opinion than I had on the seat question
> Okay, so most know I put Honda CRX seats in my roadster, and thought that
> was great. While they are not much taller than the stockers, the seat
> cushion is a bit thicker (and I even measured and thought otherwise
> beforehand), so you sit higher. While that may not be a problem for most,
> when they ergo-designed the roadster, my proportions were outside their
> envelope.
> So, now that I went to install a rollbar, it is totally incompatible with
my
> seat position. When I slide back enough so my knees don't hit the dash,
the
> seatback must be so upright, because it hits the rollbar at the shoulder
> level, that I know without trying that top up driving is impossible, by a
> long shot. So its' california, no whining here. I would say that I would
> try MR2 or Miata seats if I did it again. BTW, when I drove an old
> girlfriends' Miata with the top up, I always had to lean sideways on the
> tunnel at stoplights to see when it turned green. (the stoplight, not
her...
> not that it never happened... oops, OT now)
> One advantage to the CRX seats is that the headrest has a hole so I can
pass
> the Y-strap for the new, shiny, Diest 4-pts through it, then route it back
> to the rollbar attach points. (4 pts were $45 per seat, at the hot rod
swap
> meet)
> Contact me off list if you have dilapidated headrests, as my stock seats
> were trashed, and had no headrests, but now I am rethinking refurnishing
> them per the photo journal we've all seen (thanks goes to Andy Cost??).
> Otherwise, I am figuring I'll fab a rollbar that sits on the package
shelf,
> with hidden jumper legs that go from the shelf backing plates to the frame
> below.
> Fergus O, 69 2000 (what year was the extra high windhield model?), HB, CA
>
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