Tip of the hat for Ron's concern about making this a kinder gentler forum, I agree.

......but sometimes you just gotta call it what it is when it stinks.

Ernie

I was suppose to be 6'4". As it turned out I ended up with a 30" inseam and a really long upper body. I ended up 6'0". I might be the heaviest guy in the forum at 350+ and I fit fine in my Contemporary.

Lone Star has an extended body, but few if any notice that. I am similarly sized and started out looking over the windshield. When you mount the windshield, give it a couple degrees more upright and watch what seat you put in it.

BillyBob

It's not like your brakes work anyhow.:JEKYLHYDE

There are a lot of tall, big, and big tall guys on this forum. Come to DVSF next year, and you'll see what I mean.

The roomiest and most creature comfort ones are Classic Roadsters, and West Coast.

I have a Classic Roadsters, and this thing has the best, most comfortable seats in the industry. Spouse and I can take 6 and 8 hour road trips in it with a few stretch, gas, and pee breaks. The CR, however is a 94" wheelbase car, not the original 90". It's a little wider also, and can use a stock width Mustang 8.8 diff.

Parked next to an FFR or SPF, you can see the differences. On the street, however, you'll appreciate the creature comforts.

Friend of mine has a West Coast, and he's a big guy. WC's are longer still, 96", heavier (about 2800#), and designed for big block engines.

The thing this forum allows you to do is find out where local events Cobras are found at, and go see for yourself what you like. It's your money, and your time, and you're the one that must be pleased with the final product when you start driving it. ou DON'T have to build it the way everyone else does, although there are a few things that lend originality that don't detract from functionality.

Mine was configured from the start as a sports and touring car that can be commuted with, not a race car. The engine is a tweaked 351W, but it's not a drag or track motor. Trans is a T5Z, not a Tremec. I like the gearing better, it shifts like a Honda, and the way I drive it, it will likely never break. It has a heater/defroster, sterio, top, and gets driven in the rain. It has power steering that works. It uses 17" wheels and tires. It has heat shields over the sidepipes to prevent legburns, and a removable luggage rack for trips. The wood veneer dash is completely non-original and uses Autometer Sport-Comp gauges. The instruments can be read without taking my eyes off the road, and controls in contemporary typical locations. Had the seats re-done in cloth for added comfort, and omitted the cosmetic roll bar.

This is the most fun car I have ever owned. Get more complements than criticism for my non-stock issues. My kids are already fighting over who I will leave it to.

Let break this fine posting down to its finer details. Being on the larger side, slightly, at 6'3" and and way to close to 300#, I feel obligated to respond to Sizzler.

Why in hell did you even bother to post such friggin' drivel. What was the point?, to piss off all the Pachyderms in the group ( I count myself in that fine group). May we all lean against your fenders to leave our collective cheeky response.

Thanks guy's
 

Thanks for all of the responses. I laughed my ass off at sizzlers. Amazing....

I am committed to a cobra. I am pretty good with fabrication, so I plan to buy one and fabricate as required to get the best fit. I am fairly confident that I could make a standard wheelbase car fit well. I am really just looking for some tips and tricks! For instance:

Footbox modifications - Are some brands manufacturers better than others here? I would rather work with steel and aluminum than fiberglass. Are there guy's willing to share details on how they dropped or widened their footboxes?

Foot controls - I liked the set-up on the ERA a lot better with the dual master cylinders and balancing bar. Hydraulic clutch cylinder under the floor, etc. I like the set-up better, but am concerned that it might prohibit dropping the floor in the footbox. Any other trick set-ups available aftermarket that will allow a decent range of adjustability?

Seat - This one is simple enough. I will probably start with an aluminum racing seat (low back) and have it fitted to me. Can the seat be dropped in a Factory Five? Peter @ ERA told me he could do something with the frame rails to accomodate a drop in the seat.

Steering column /wheel - looking for a removable wheel. I liked getting into the ERA I sat in without the wheel. Looks cool too. Any specific places I should look for aftermarket set-ups?

I plan to spend at least a year building the car. I do not plan on going the donor route. I would like to take a kit and add items to it to make it my own.

Any ideas? Sizzler? Sure you've got some!

Foot box,,,if there is ONE change I really want to do to mine it's:

WIDEN the foot box! It's deep enough, it's dropped, what ever. It's to dam narrow!

Heres the test! Can you move your clutch foot to the left of the clutch and rest it on a "dead pedal" or stretch it out to the end of the floor? Or do you have to slip the point of your foot UNDER the clutch to stretch out? Boy do I envy you guys with a dead pedal next to your clutch!

My seat is molded with a lower lumbar support built in, I LOVE that! Thinnly padded and yet very comfortable set up! No you can't BUY ONE! Excalibur made mine and literally, threw away the mold! Eat your heart out, :LOL:

I applaud your decision to stay with a 90" wheel base. It works for BIG Jamo. All though my Cobra(s) are not "true to the original" don't think for a minute that doesn't "bother me", it DOES! I KNOW the standard IS the original spec cars!

Ernie

Check out Lone Star 94" wheelbase LS427. I'm 6'3" 220 and have plenty of foot room due to the drop pan seat design. It adds about 4" of needed room for larger frames.

http://www.lonestarclassics.com/

Good luck with your quest!!!!!!!!!!

Go Air Force!

Bob Austin

Man! Great thread!
 

...as a charter member of the Pissed Pachyderms (5'11" and 295# [this morninng])---I'd suggest that people beware the sheer potential of one of our patented stampedes----thorry Thissler, I jutht dint think one "wore" a Cobra ath a fathun sthatement!:LOL: :LOL: Jutht kiddin'---I remember an earlier torpedo of yours, viz plagarism or sumpin" (I've acquired CRS of late)---it's still funny, reaading your opinions. Butt---I'd warn you---in the future, if you're striding along in the woods and come across some crushed peanut-shells-----RUNNNNNNNNNN AWAAAAAAAAY!:LOL: :JEKYLHYDE

The stretched cars look great when they're by themselves. They are easily identifiable as stretched when parked next to 90" wheel base cars.

I'm 6'3" and getting fatter all the time. Fit fine in an FFR.

Sizzler, can you post a pic of you in your Cobra so we have a reference point?

I'm 6'5", size 15 shoes, 34"pant inseam, and real close to that magical 300lbs. mark, I'm built like a B-52. I've been told that just like the plane I can rain down some serious woop ass! LOL.LOL. This past weekend I flew to Chicago, to view a magnificant Superformance Cobra, which is advertised here in this forum. To my dismay, I arrived there with check in wallet, and ready to pull the trigger, unfortunately, I was not able to fit in! Let me explain, I'm a big boy, I fit in that car great, with the exception, that my left leg contacts the dashboard, to the point that I can not raise my leg to shift gears. WHAT A HUGE BUMMER!!! I contacted Dynamic MotorSports(Ross,Ohio), this is where the car was delivered and bought from. Spoke to a gentleman by the name of Dean, and told him my problem. He said that they have done several of these types of adjustments for there larger clientel. he referred to it as the "big man option", which is essentially, a $400 remanufacture/alteration of the drivers seat. He claims that it will drop me down about 2-3 inches. This I have no doubt should fix my problem fit. Flew back to California to think about it, and maybe check out this option with a local dealer.
The bad news the car was sold to someone else"GREAT CAR"!
The good news, spoke to Dennis of Hillbank Motors, in Costa Mesa, CA, and he too, insists that there will not be a problem, and if there is, there is a solution. He says he fitted a client with an older Superformance, which did not have the dropped floor pan and larger foot box., who is 6'8", 300+lbs.. I'm going there this Friday, to sit in that very car! How awesome is that, what a great service, great company! I'll keep you guys posted.
Nick

Welcome Nick:3DSMILE:

Hey, question--do you have the same nickname (no pun) as the B-52? You know, BUFF? :LOL:

Good luck--sounds like you're well on your way.

Sizzler, see who you are picking on? :) ;) Prison starts to look attractive after you piss off this crowd :D .

Some samples:

6' 8", 300 lbs,
6' 5", 300 lbs,
6' 3", 220 lbs (definitely stay on his good side)
6' 3". 300 lbs,
6' 6", 210 lbs...geez I am out of here...gotta run quick!!

Signed,

TC, 6' 1", overweight and starting to run to get some some figs. :) :D

Thardin - one thing I can tell you is that every "make" of Cobra replica is different.

When I was originally looking for one, I tried more than 6 makes here in the UK, and they were totally different in how I fit in them. Some I felt I was sitting "on" rather than "in", some I could not move my clutch leg becasue of the curve of the dash, some I was looking clean over the top of the windshield.

I ended up with my current car which fits me best - the make is irrelevant to you, it being a UK car, but the point is that a 1" extension to the length of the drivers side footbox, plus a 13" (non original-looking) steering wheel, make it easy to get into and out of, and no aches or pains on a longer drive. I am a relative lightweight here at 225#, but 6'3.

So - try different cars, ask what mods they can do to make it fit you better, and do your best to sample a car with those mods to see how it would work for you.

My two top tips are - get a car with a dashboard shaped like the originals ( i.e. flat along it's bottom edge), and consider a smaller dia steering wheel (which in itself means that the steering geometry must be well thought out and executed to avoid too-heavy steering loads).

HTH

Welcome to the insanity of the snake-bit!

I can't find the photo, but the tallest guy here - by a large margin at 7', fits into a standard wheelbase Unique 289FIA. I noticed that he scalloped a section out of the underside of the dash to get that leg/knee clearance.

For my own car, I kept the 90" wheelbase but extended the footbox by 8". I'm only 6', and I can just reach the pedals!!! My dash is also totally non-original, and I couldn't hit my knee on the dash if I tried.

Re: Thanks guy's
 

Well, I seem to have become the day's goat.

Should have thought first before running a mouse in front of a herd of elephants.

Ideas? Sure. But all that I can think of have pretty well been mentioned already. Customization, fabrication, 'suck-it-up', creative denting of wheelwells...

If you want it bad enough, you'll cut off a toe like Cinderella's sister when the prince presented a slipper for fitment.

As for 'looking right'. It's not just height, you should though make sure the roll bar is HIGHER THAN your head. It's also width. It's like me with my Hercules shoulders trying to fit in a TR6. Yeah, I can do it, but my arm and shoulder is hanging out over the side of the car and I look like an ape in a clownmobile driving it. I like TR6's, wish I fit, but I'm a realist, and unfortunately I decided that that wasn't the look for me. You may decide differently. That's why it's called my opinion versus your opinion.

Good Luck.

Toy Collector,
You can add 7'1" tall, 290lbs, size 18 shoes, and a 40" inseam to that list.

If you'd like to see how this freak-of-nature fits into a 90" wheelbase car (Unique 289FIA) without having to look over the top of the windshield, look at the article in the June '03 issue of Kit Car Builder magazine.

Hey Bob,,,,good to see you out and about my friend! I've missed your posts!

Slightly Shorter Ernie (OK, a LOT shorter then, lol).