Will I fit in a Birkin?!

[Ropey]

I really hesitate to ask this as I feel sure it must have been answered a thousand times somewhere on this forum, but alas my searches turned up empty handed! 
 

At 6’1” and a reasonably slim build, will I fit in a Birkin? So hard to tell without having one local to try on for size!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[locost7018]

Where are you located? I'm in the KC area and you are welcome to sit in my Locost. Russ

[11Budlite]

I was 5'10" with a slender build when I had my 2001 Birkin and I fit fine. I did have to use narrow shoes to drive it because the pedal spacing is very close together. I had the pedal assy adjusted to the most rearward of the (3) positions and the seat adjusted all the way back. Being 6'1" you might have to adjust the pedal assy forward to fit, and by doing so I think you lose a little more room for your feet because of the shape of the footwell. It could be different on a newer Birkin, but that's what I recall from my old Birkin. Here's a photo showing the pedal assy and the (3) mounting positions. 

[Rodnok]

I'm in northern Arizona and would be happy to let you experience mine. I'm only 5'8" and 145# and fit easily but had to modify the pedals a bit to accommodate my size 10.5 shoes. With a quick release wheel, entry and exit are no issue but because of the quick release, the steering wheel is Much closer to my chest than I would prefer, but that's just personal preference. A minimal level of bilateral shoulder strength and overall fitness is required to exit the vehicle. I've only had it for a bit over a year and am just finally able to lift myself out as I had shoulder surgery to reattach a couple of muscles that I had ripped from the bone in a bicycle crash just after getting the car. 

[Ropey]

That is very generous of you guys to offer, but I'm near Seattle. The car I'm interested in is in Portland, so I may have to suck it up and jump on the bike for a very boring 8 hour round trip to try it on.

 

I guess I should've mentioned I have size 13 feet too, which isn't going to help! That is an interesting point about shoulder strength too, I hadn't thought of that. I have persistent shoulder issues that I should bear in mind. When I had my Elise, I was very aware that all of the coolness I had earned by arriving in such a wonderful vehicle was immediately destroyed by the lack of elegance displayed in exiting it ...

[IamScotticus]

13" tootsies will be a challenge as well as climbing in and out.  you can slide in but pushing yourself out of the well and not hitting wheel and switches with knees is requiring lifting self up by arms with a grip on the tunnel and wheel arch, then scootch yourself up until you can get a leg out.  seating widths are 15-18 inches on average.

7s are too small, really.  

I would suggest a Slingshot.  Other than looks, which can be changed, a sling has a lot going for it and, in my unpopular opinion, is the modern 7.  A rear axle and automatic trans is available for slings.

 

Trak Hamr looks solid

http://trakhamr.com/

Edited February 16 by IamScotticus

[JohnCh]

2 hours ago, Ropey said:

That is very generous of you guys to offer, but I'm near Seattle.

Calling @DemoDan. He's in Tacoma and may be willing to show you his Birkin.

 

 

[Kitcat]

 I replaced the relatively large stock Birkin seat with a thin Caterham carbon fiber seat which really helped. I am all of 5’8” and 150 lbs and thought it was snug(size 8.5 shoe and had to use racing shoes to fit my feet into the foot well). The “long cockpit” Caterham S3 I owned had noticeably more legroom.

 

Edited February 16 by Kitcat

[JB455]

I'm 6'1" and 240+ pounds (formerly athletic build 😅), with a size 11 shoe. I fit just fine, but it's snug... which is a good thing. Legroom is not an issue- I have my pedals set to the middle position. I can wear "regular" shoes, but wear driving shoes most of the time. Your size 13s are going to dictate driving shoes all the time. I would consider a quick release steering wheel to be mandatory. I can get in and out with it in place, but it is so much easier with it removed. 

Good that someone mentioned shoulder strength. When I started driving my Birkin a lot, my old rotator cuff injury started acting up from pushing myself up out of the driver seat. 

 

My son is pushing 6'6" and 300 lbs... and there is no way he'll fit behind the wheel. He tried to get in the passenger seat when he was home in the fall. He kinda fit, but his entire head was higher than the top of the windshield! This very well may have been the two biggest guys ever squeezed into a standard sized Seven! 😜

[anduril3019]

Maybe a tight fit, but I notice everyone still has the proper facial expression!

[pethier]

I bought a Birkin.  I'm a little short in the legs for my 5'8".  I moved the pedal as far aft as provided for by the maker and they are still a bit of a reach for me.

Edited February 17 by pethier

[pethier]

6 hours ago, IamScotticus said:

13" tootsies will be a challenge as well as climbing in and out.  you can slide in but pushing yourself out of the well and not hitting wheel and switches with knees is requiring lifting self up by arms with a grip on the tunnel and wheel arch, then scootch yourself up until you can get a leg out.  seating widths are 15-18 inches on average.

7s are too small, really.  

I would suggest a Slingshot.  Other than looks, which can be changed, a sling has a lot going for it and, in my unpopular opinion, is the modern 7.  A rear axle and automatic trans is available for slings.

 

Trak Hamr looks solid

http://trakhamr.com/

They paid me 100 bucks to test-drive a Slingshot before they introduced it.  Didn't tell me who made it, what engine it had, or what they planned to call it.  They probably didn't like what I told them, but the check didn't bounce.  The biggest deal-breaker for me was that they are not legal for autocross, having only three wheels.

 

So now there are conversions, eh?  Interesting.

 

Edited February 17 by pethier

[IamScotticus]

I'm in no way claiming the Slingshot is a suitable vehicle for sport

[Ropey]

I've never really been into the Slingshot - not that I have anything against 3 wheelers, I have a couple of sidecars at home already - I just can't get on board with the styling and feel of them.

 

It's feeling like I should stick to looking for an SV - the other post with the side by side pictures of SIII and SV is kind of surprising how much bigger the SV is.

[CBuff]

This is my only caterham thus far and it’s an sv so I defer to the more experienced. But Short of parking it right next to an s3 it’s not really noticeable.  It certainly doesn’t feel like a big car on any metric when you’re in it.  I went with an sv (vs a lowered floor s3 which I would have fit in). And for me it was the right choice. 

[JohnCh]

2 hours ago, Ropey said:

It's feeling like I should stick to looking for an SV - the other post with the side by side pictures of SIII and SV is kind of surprising how much bigger the SV is.

 

Here is a dimensioned comparison from Caterham. The SV wheelbase is also 3.15" longer, and the F&R tracks are 4.33" wider, while the boot and fuel tank are both slightly larger at 130 L versus 120 L and 41 L versus 36 L, respectively. To me, the SV drives bigger, but it is much easier to get in and out thanks to the lengthened door opening, and the footbox is much better for big feet. Although I prefer the dynamics of the S3, I went with the SV to cope with a deteriorating body and make touring a bit easier.

 

 

 

[JB455]

The SV is, by any other standard, a tiny car. That is, until you park it next to a standard sized Seven. It's really kind of surprising how noticeable the size difference is. 

[pethier]

7 hours ago, JohnCh said:

 

Here is a dimensioned comparison from Caterham. The SV wheelbase is also 3.15" longer, and the F&R tracks are 4.33" wider, while the boot and fuel tank are both slightly larger at 130 L versus 120 L and 41 L versus 36 L, respectively. To me, the SV drives bigger, but it is much easier to get in and out thanks to the lengthened door opening, and the footbox is much better for big feet. Although I prefer the dynamics of the S3, I went with the SV to cope with a deteriorating body and make touring a bit easier.

 

 

 

I believe the SV also has room for a supercharger.

[JohnCh]

6 hours ago, pethier said:

I believe the SV also has room for a supercharger.

 

So does the S3 - the 620 engine is available in both versions - or are you positing you can work around the steering shaft interference issue in a LHD SV configuration? The extra bonnet space is the other reason I chose the SV. With all the custom engine installation work I did during my build, it came in handy. Although it may not have been strictly necessary, it undoubtedly made things less frustrating.

[wdb]

13 hours ago, JB455 said:

The SV is, by any other standard, a tiny car. That is, until you park it next to a standard sized Seven. It's really kind of surprising how noticeable the size difference is. 

 

Right. They're both cars that you put on like a pair of pants.