susej1981 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Finally got a chance to sit in a newer base spec. S3 chassis Caterham at a dealership and was utterly dissapointed. It's been a dream of mine to own one but having tried one on for size, I don't think that'll happen. Albeit this base model didn't have lowered floors and standard cloth seats, my knees were pressed hilariously against the dash. My hopes were to fit like a glove, nope. Width was perfect, toe box was a little snug but bearable, but my long inseam was at fault. I'm 6'5'' 170lb with most of my height in my legs. Been set on an S3 specifically, don't like the SV much for how goofy it looks compared to the original S3, and just don't want a possibly more spacious replica. Thoughts? http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=14248&stc=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyMike Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Perhaps surgery to shorten your legs? If you want to get into a 7, you're probably stuck buying an SV or similar chassis. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wemtd Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Were the pedals in "standard" position? Many of these cars have adjustable pedal boxes to accommodate folks like you. Iirc Carl is similarly vertically challenged and fit into Orange. I know of other tall people squeezing into Birkins so I believe it can generally be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taber10 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 ...... don't like the SV much for how goofy it looks compared to the original S3, and just don't want a possibly more spacious replica. Thoughts?....... My thoughts are that you should have your knees cut off for calling the SV "...goofy...."! Maybe if you tried one, your opinion would change? Taber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susej1981 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 My thoughts are that you should have your knees cut off for calling the SV "...goofy...."! Maybe if you tried one, your opinion would change? Taber Maybe, not totally throwing the option of an SV out the window, but it's the original smaller chassis I fell in love with. If I got an SV, I'd immediately want to start customizing it to make it look less wide (ex. stripe down the middle, black fenders, etc.) Cut my knees a foot shorter and we have a deal? To be honest I don't know. This is the exact car I sat in, maybe someone can tell looking at the car? Specs. say it has a lowered floor but pretty sure I remember the salesman saying it didn't have one. Also the for sale photos look like it isn't equipped with one. https://www.hillbankusa.com/vehicles/211/caterham-seven-280 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowss7 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 I had a similar experience the first time I sat in an S3. the dealer took out the seat bottom and put in a piece of foam. That allowed me to get lower in the car and legs no longer hit the steering wheel. I'm only 6'1" though. I now have an S3 and an SV. I like the snug fit of the S3 but do appreciate the bigger footwell of the SV. The SV has lowered floors and the prior owner was 6'8". I built a foam bead seat for the S3 which is only a bead or two thick and that really helped get me lower and avoid the knee banging the steering wheel. Maybe you should go back and pull out the seat bottom cushion and try it again. Good luck. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowss7 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 No lowered floors on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcarguy Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 (edited) . . . This is the exact car I sat in . . . https://www.hillbankusa.com/vehicles/211/caterham-seven-280 That’s a great looking car. And, how much is knee surgery? :jester: On a somewhat more serious note, lowered floor pans may provide you with that ‘fit like a glove’ quality you were hoping for. So, buy the car with lowered floor pans, save the knees, and perhaps offer up a round of drinks for our ‘goofy’ SV-driving brethren to remain in good standing. Edited June 27, 2018 by xcarguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzempel Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 May I suggest you try sitting in a Birkin S3? Same overall dimensions as the Cat S3, but the pedal box has a large adjustment range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davemk1 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Welcome to the club....I'm 6' 4 1/2" and I don't fit in a small Seven. I do fit in the big Birkin and the Westfield that I ended up buying and building. dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susej1981 Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 That’s a great looking car. And, how much is knee surgery? :jester: I'll get it done by Dr. Clarkson May I suggest you try sitting in a Birkin S3? Same overall dimensions as the Cat S3, but the pedal box has a large adjustment range. Just don't have an interest in a Birkin unfortunately, if I did it'd make things easier for me but my want for a Caterham S3 is irrational. :willy_nilly: Welcome to the club....I'm 6' 4 1/2" and I don't fit in a small Seven. I do fit in the big Birkin and the Westfield that I ended up buying and building. dave Get me out of this tall people club. Sucks when someone reclines their seat on the airplane in an already tight seat layout with my knees rubbing against the seat table tray. I won't be able to revisit the Caterham I sat in for a little while, but I'll be in Florida for work (Palatka, ~25 min. from Jacksonville) from the 5th to the 12th. Are there any forum members who wouldn't mind me sitting in their S3 with a lowered floor or tillet seats/SV for a few minutes? I'd be willing to drive out a few hours to meet up with someone, would really appreciate the gesture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taber10 Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 ....... I'll be in Florida for work (Palatka, ~25 min. from Jacksonville) from the 5th to the 12th. Are there any forum members who wouldn't mind me sitting in their S3 with a lowered floor or tillet seats/SV for a few minutes? I'd be willing to drive out a few hours to meet up with someone, would really appreciate the gesture. I understand about the height issue--I'm 6ft3in myself. I would love to have you sit in my SV, but while I am in Florida, I am FIVE HOURS west of Jacksonville on I-10, in Crestview. If you ever get over this way, give us a shout. Taber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 The standard Birkin is much tighter than the Caterham you tried on. Birkin makes a larger (and more affordable) version similar to the Cat SV. I can't tell the S3 and SV Cats apart unless they are next to each other. Adding Tilet seats wld give you 2" more legroom and 1" more headroom. That's what I did to fit my lanky 5'9" frame into a standard Birkin S3. Unlike Cats, Birkins do have adjustable pedal assemblies. I like the Westfield option mentioned above, ditto the Stalker. In the car you tried did your head stick up past the roll-over bar? I think lowered floors would help with that but not sure they would help with legroom. A removable steering wheel might help get in and out, I use one on my track Cat. Also, there is no place to put one's left foot in a Caterham. On the track I hover it over the clutch which mite be hard if your leg is too long, on the road I slip it under the clutch pedal. Rather than perform drastic surgery on your legs, I wonder if the Caterham has a bit more room in the engine bay to extend the footwell via drastic surgery there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 I'm 6'3" and fit fine in my SV. I almost have to pull the seat up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escondidoron Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 I wouldn't give up without a fight if a Seven is truly your dream car. I haven't. I'm 6'4" with long inseam (36"). I have a '62 Series 2 and fit in it quite well.....Albeit after a bit of work: I don't have lowered seat wells. I do have only 1" of very high density foam in the seat back. I have fabricated a .75" thick spacer for the clutch and brake master cylinders. This has effectively moved the clutch and brake pedals forward a couple of inches. I'm not sure of the exact distance. But it's enough to make it possible for me to get my knees and thighs under the instrument panel crossmember comfortably. I have adjusted the throttle cable and pedal stop so that the accelerator pedal lines up with the brake pedal. I have also fabricated a spacer for the small diameter (10") steering wheel to move it 2" further out from the instrument panel. For safety I have fabricated a taller roll bar to get 2" clearance after I have my helmet on. The roll bar and steering wheel spacer are visible here: The Caterham has individual seats. So going with early Lotus style seat cushions might provide a significant spatial improvement. The Cat also she the "long" cockpit. Again, this is another inch or so over my S2. My S2 doesn't have the corner brace in the cowl. So the Cat will have less knee room. But a steering wheel spacer might help somewhat in allowing a bit more wiggle room. Lack of diagonal instrument panel brace in S2 chassis visible here: Persistence and ingenuity may get you in there comfortably yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Payne Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 I was blessed with Caterham-perfect dimensions, but I can only imagine your pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susej1981 Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 I was blessed with Caterham-perfect dimensions, but I can only imagine your pain. Don't rub it in, lucky you! Even the motorcycles I lust over I don't fit well on ergonomically and look stupid with my torso and legs super folded over. Not giving up on the dream yet. Would still consider an S3 if it meant lowered floors/foam seats/adjustable pedals maxed out forwards. If all else fails and I don't want a possibly better fitting replica or an SV- I'd move onto finding a series one Lotus Elise or a TVR Tuscan/Tamora/T350 once they're legal in the states. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon450 Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 My 6’1” son. S3 with lowered floors and Tillet seats. I think you’ll fit and I personally find the seats comfortable even on longer drives, but padded seat inserts available and only add about 1” of height. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susej1981 Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share Posted August 9, 2018 Wow, seeing that first photo makes an S3 with Tilletts/lowered floors look roomy for a tall driver like me! I think I'm ultimately going to decide on an S3 and find a way to make it work even if it means drastic measures like deepening the pedal box an inch or two/get a molded foam seat to fit my long legs. Shouts out to Astrobob for letting me try his lovely new Superlight R, the biggest issue I had was legroom (clearly having an inseam of 35''). We were unsure what position his pedals were in and the Tillett seat was maxed out backwards. Attached are some photos of me in his car, a lowered floor would definitely get my knees away from the dashboard crossbar- only problem I've got left is finding a way to straighten out my ankles as they're really bent backwards. There's a guy on the UK forum pistonheads who is 6'5'' with the same inseam as mine/size 13 feet and much heavier than I am who supposedly fits in his S3/Tilletts/lowered floor and the pedals are set midway from the three settings. Hearing that gave me hope. image3 by Amir Prses, on Flickr image2 by Amir Prses, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick OTeen Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) My thoughts are that you should have your knees cut off for calling the SV "...goofy...."!Agreed. Here are a few pictures of my "goofy" Caterham 7 (photos by TED7). http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=14431&stc=1 http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=14432&stc=1 http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=14433&stc=1 Edited August 9, 2018 by Nick O'Teen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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